Unit 10 is presented by: Melanie Meyers, Kayla Alday & Emily Watkins

WWK

What’s the ocean? More than 70% of the Earth’s surface is the ocean. On average, the ocean is about 2.5 miles deep The ocean is apart of the hydrosphere (the water on or surrounding the surface of the globe, including the water of the oceans and the water in the atmosphere)

How do they interact? The ocean helps regulate the weather (the state of atmosphere in respect to air temperature, cloud coverage, precipitation, wind, moisture, air pressure at any place) and the climate (the overall picture of weather during a period of time) of Earth. An old saying goes, “Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get”.

How do they interact? The ocean and the climate exchange energy in the form of moisture, heat and momentum (speed of movement). Prime examples of too much or not enough momentum! Momentum

How do they interact? Exchanging energy = the water cycle! Water cycle = evaporation (the process of changing from a liquid or solid to a vapor), condensation (the act of making more dense), precipitation (the act of casting down).

KS

Students will learn about the different ocean currents such as coastal, surface and sub-surface currents.

Upwelling Gulf Stream Tides Coriolis Effect

The rising of cold water from deeper layers to replace warmer surface water that has been moved away is an example of upwelling.

The Gulf Stream is a current that is just a portion of a huge, slowly moving, circular whorl, or gyre.

The periodic change in the elevation of the ocean surface is known as tides.

The Coriolis Effect is the deflective force of Earth’s rotation on all free moving objects, including the atmosphere and oceans.

When cold water rises from deeper layers to replace warmer surface water that has been moved away is an example of __________.

Video Clip shows/mutant-planet/videos/mutant- planet-ocean-currents.htm

WWK Students will know the formations and features of the ocean floor such as trenches, plains and ridges.

Vocabulary deep-ocean trenches abyssal plains seamounts mid-ocean ridges coral reefs

One structure on the ocean floor is a deep- ocean trench. A deep-ocean trench is a long, narrow trough that is one of the deepest parts of the ocean. Ex.: Marianas Trench The deepest point in the Marianas Trench is the Challenger Deep. Prior to the 1970’s, scientists thought that no life could exist in the Marianas Trench.

Abyssal plains are flat, level spans of the ocean floor. These make up almost 1/3 of the Earth’s surface Ex.: Argentinian Abyssal Plain This is one of the most level places on Earth.

Seamounts are isolated volcanic mountains on the ocean floor. These are common in the Pacific Ocean. These provide habitats for ocean life A.K.A. Underwater Island Ex.: Davidson Seamount Near Monterey Bay, CA One of the largest known seamounts in U.S. waters

A mid-ocean ridge is an almost continuous mountain range where the seafloor spreads. These are formed from divergent boundaries. Ex.: Mid-Atlantic Ridge This is one of the largest mid-ocean ridges on the planet.

Coral reefs are made of built up skeletal remains of coral. These provide homes to many aquatic animals. A.K.A. Rainforests of the Ocean The coral that produces the reefs are considered endangered species Ex.: Great Barrier Reef This is the largest reef on the planet. This is off the coast of Australia. This can be seen from the Moon.

K.S. Which ocean floor feature made from a divergent boundary?

Ocean Video