IB Marine Science SL Exam Questions
and Answers
Abyssal Hill - Answer -Small sediment-covered inactive volcano or intrusion of molten
rock less than 200 meters (650 ft) high, thought to be associated with seafloor
spreading. Abyssal hills punctuate the otherwise flat abyssal plain.
Abyssal Plain - Answer -Flat, cold, sediment-covered ocean floor between the
continental rise and the oceanic ridge at a depth of 3,700 to 5,500 meters (12,000 to
18,000 ft). Abyssal plains are more extensive in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans than in
the Pacific.
Active Margin - Answer -The continental margin near an area of lithospheric plate
convergence; also called Pacific-type Margin
Bathymetry - Answer -The discovery and study of submerged contours.
Continental Margin - Answer -The Submerged outer edge of a continent, made of
granitic crust; includes the continental shelf and continental slope. Compare Ocean
Basin.
Continental Rise - Answer -The wedge of sediment forming the gentle transition from
the outer (lower) edge of the continental slope to the abyssal plain; usually associated
with passive margins.
Continental Shelf - Answer -The gradually sloping submerged extension of a continent,
composed of granitic rock overlain by sediments; has features similar to the edge of the
nearby continent.
Continental Slope - Answer -The sloping transition between the granite of the continent
and the basalt of the seabed; the true edge of a continent.
Epicenter - Answer -The point on Earth's surface directly above the focus of an
earthquake.
Fracture Zone - Answer -Area of Irregular, seismically inactive topography marking the
position of a once-active transform fault
Guyot - Answer -A flat-topped, submerged, inactive volcano
,Hydrothermal Vent - Answer -A spring of hot, mineral- and gas-rich seawater found on
some oceanic ridges in zones of active seafloor spreading.
Ice Age - Answer -One of several periods (lasting several thousand years each) of low
temperature during the last million years. Glaciers and polar ice were derived from
ocean water, lowering sea level at least 100 meters (328 feet).
Island Arc - Answer -Curving chain of volcanic islands and seamounts almost always
found paralleling the concave edge of a trench.
Ocean Basin - Answer -Deep-ocean floor made of basaltic crust. Compare Continental
Margin.
Oceanic Ridge - Answer -Young seabed at the active spreading center of an ocean,
often unmasked by sediment, bulging above the abyssal plain. The boundary between
diverging plates. Often called a mid-ocean ridge, though less than 60% of the length
exists at mid-ocean.
Passive Margin - Answer -The continental margin near an area of lithospheric plate
divergence; also called an Atlantic-type margin.
Seamount - Answer -A circular or elliptical projection from the seafloor, more than 1
kilometer (0.6 mile) in height, with a relatively steep slope of 20-25 degrees
Shelf Break - Answer -The abrupt increase in slope at the junction between continental
shelf and continental slope.
Submarine Canyon - Answer -A deep, V-shaped valley running roughly perpendicular to
the shoreline and cutting across the edge of the continental shelf and slope.
Transform Fault - Answer -A plane along which rock masses slide horizontally past one
another.
Asthenosphere - Answer -The hot, plastic layer of the upper mantle below the
lithosphere, extending some 350 to 650 kilometers (220 to 400 miles) below the
surface. Convection currents within the asthenosphere power plate tectonics
Basalt - Answer -The relatively heavy crustal rock that forms the seabeds, composed
mostly of oxygen, silicon, magnesium, and iron. Its density is about 2.9 g/cm^3
Body Wave - Answer -A seismic wave that moves through the interior of the earth, as
opposed to the earth's surface.
Buoyancy - Answer -The ability or tendency to float in water or air or some other fluid.
, Catastrophism - Answer -The theory that Earth's surface features are formed by
catastrophic forces such as the biblical flood. Catastophists believe in a young Earth
and a literal interpretation of the biblical account of Creation
Conduction - Answer -The transfer of heat through matter by the collision of one atom
with another
Continental Crust - Answer -The solid masses of the continents, composed primarily of
granite
Continental Drift - Answer -The theory that the continents move slowly across the
surface of Earth.
Convection - Answer -Movement within a fluid resulting from differential heating and
cooling of the fluid. Convection produces mass transport or mixing of the fluid.
Convection Current - Answer -A single closed-flow circuit of rising warm material and
falling cool material
Convergent Plate Boundary - Answer -A region where plates are pushing together and
where a mountain range, island arc, and/or trench will eventually form; often a site of
much seismic and volcanic activity
Core - Answer -The innermost layer of Earth, composed primarily of iron, with nickel
and heavy elements. The inner core is thought to be a solid 6000 degrees Celsius
(11000 degrees Fahrenheit) sphere, the outer core a 5000 degrees Celsius (9000
degrees Fahrenheit) liquid mass. The average density of the outer core is about 11.8
g/cm^3.
Crust - Answer -The outermost solid layer of Earth, composed mostly of granite and
basalt; the top of the lithosphere. The crust has a density of 2.7-2.9 g/cm^3 and
accounts for 0.4% of Earth's mass
Curie Point - Answer -The temperature above which a material loses its magnetism
Density - Answer -The mass per unit volume of a substance, usually expressed in
grams per cubic centimeter
Density Stratified - Answer -The formation of layers in a material, with each deeper layer
being denser (weighing more per unit of volume) than the layer above.
Divergent Plate Boundary - Answer -A region where plates are moving apart and where
new ocean or rift valley will eventually form. A spreading center forms the junction.
Earthquake - Answer -A sudden motion of Earth's crust resulting from waves in Earth
caused by faulting of the rocks or by volcanic activity.
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