5th Grade Ch 8 Earth's Water

aquifier

a large underground space that holds groundwater

coastal

relating to a place where land and ocean meet

El Nino

a climate event in the Pacific Ocean caused by wind shifts, resulting in unusally warm water temperatures

estuary

the place where a river meets and mixes with an ocean

marine

relating to the ocean

ocean current

a steady stream of ocean water that flows in a certain direction

salinity

the amount of salt that is dissolved in water

surface runoff

the precipitation that flows over land into streams and rivers

tide

the periodic rising and falling of the surface level of ocean water

tide pool

a shallow pool of seawater created by a receding tide and containing marine water and organisims

upwelling

the movement of cold, deep ocean water to the ocean’s surface

condensation

the proceess when water vapor in the atmosphere cools and forms clouds

tsunami

a series of large ocean waves caused by a disturbance in the geosphere such as an earthquake or a volcanic erruption

climate

the long-term pattern of temperature and precipitation in a particular area

ecosystem

a community of living organisms interacting with their environment, including both living and nonliving factors.