How is the global ocean divided, and what are the divisions?
It is divided by the continents into four main oceans: the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Indian, and the Arctic.
What is salinity?
The measure of the amount of dissolved salts in a given amount of liquid.
Coastal waters in cool, humid areas where fresh water rivers run into the ocean tend to have lower ____________________.
How do scientists think the oceans are likely to change in the future?
They predict that the oceans will change in size and shape as the continents change position.
What is the world’s largest ocean?
The Pacific Ocean
What are the most abundant elements dissolved in ocean water?
Sodium and chloride
How did Earth’s first oceans form?
Volcanic activity produced gases, including water vapor. Then, Earth cooled so that the water vapor condensed and fell as rain.
Which of the world’s oceans is mostly made of ice?
The Arctic Ocean
Explain the water cycle using the terms condensation, evaporation, and precipitation.
The water cycle is the continuous movement of water from the ocean to the atmosphere to the land and back to the ocean, changing it into water vapor (evaporation). As the water vapor rises, it cools enough to change back into liquid water (condensation). When the liquid water droplets get heavy enough, they fall back to Earth as precipitation. Most precipitation falls directly back into the ocean.
The ocean’s surface temperature varies with latitude and
Did you find these answers helpful?