Ms. McGee and Ms. Graham 6 th grade Earth and Space.

EARTH: An Ocean PlanetMs. McGee and Ms. Graham

6th grade Earth and Space

Bell-ringer: (7 minutes)Directions: Write and answer each question

in COMPLETE sentences in your science notebook.

1. List Earth’s 5 oceans.2. What do you think the ocean floor looks

like?3. How deep is the deepest part of the ocean?

Earth: An Ocean PlanetWhat we think of as

the ocean is actually 5 different oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern. But they make up one big body of water.

Today, the ocean covers nearly three-quarters of the Earth.

What are the names of the different zones of the ocean?

The Epipelagic Zone

Epipelagic Zone- The “sunlight zone: of the ocean, ranging from the surface to a depth of 200 meters. (about 500 ft)

Facts:o This is the brightest and

warmest of the zones.o Plants and algae (AL-jee)

can grow here, and it is home to a huge variety of animals.

o It's the shallowest of the zones, but is more crowded with creatures than the other zones.

The Mesopelagic Zone• The ocean’s twilight zone

which extends 200 to 1000 meters (500 to 3,000 ft) below the surface.

• Dimmer and colder as the water gets deeper.

• Plants and algae can't survive here, and the animals in this zone are specially adapted to living in darkness.

• Many have big eyes to help them see. And some are bioluminescent (BY-oh-loo-min-ES-ent), which means they can make light with their bodies. They may use the light to attract prey or send signals to mates.

The Bathypelagic Zone• The ocean’s “midnight zone”, extending from

1000 to 4000 meters (3-25k ft)below the surface.

• Brrrr, you wouldn't want to visit the midnight zone.

• Temperatures are close to freezing• The water is pitch-black• Food is scarce • Fewer animals live here• 90 % of the water in the ocean is in this zone.

The Abyssopelagic ZoneThe region of the

ocean from 4000 to 6000 meters (15-20k ft) below the surface.

Its name derives from the Greek belief that the ocean had no bottom.

Temperature ranges from 10° to 4°C (50° to 39°F). 

The Hadal Zone Also referred to as “the trenches”

The DEEPEST parts of the ocean, including everything below 6000 meters. (20k feet)

This zone does not spread across the ocean floor but exists only in the deepest ocean trenches.

Because no light reaches this part of the ocean, it is impossible for plants to thrive but there are still hardy creatures that call these depths home.

The Continental shelfExtends out about

80 km (50 miles) from shore with depths about 200 meters.

The Continental SlopeThe continental

slope is a STEEP drop which connects the continental shelf to the ocean floor.

The Continental RiseThe buildup of

sediment before the vast deep sea-floor is called the continental rise.

The Abyssal PlainAt the end of the

continental rise is the abyssal plain, or the deep-sea floor.

Found between 3000 and 6000 meters.

Abyssal plains cover more than 50% of the Earth’s surface.

TrenchesTrenches are v-

shaped valleys and are the deepest points on Earth.

They go as deep as 8,000-1000 meters. (5-6 miles)

Guyot

A guyot /ɡiːˈjoʊ/, also known as a tablemount, is an isolated underwater volcanic mountain (seamount), with a flat top over 200 metres (660 feet) below the surface of the sea. The diameters of these flat summits can exceed 10 km (6.2 mi).

Sea Rift

A Sea Rift is a spreading center between two tectonic plates.

Shoreline

the line along which a large body of water meets the land.