Chapter 22: The Water Planet – Vocabulary
Read each definition, rewrite the definition IN YOUR OWN WORDS, and then draw a picture to
illustrate the definition.
Black smoker: A vent in the ocean floor that spews water of about 380° from volcano-like
chimneys. The hot water reacts with the surrounding seawater to form clouds of black iron
sulfide particles, which have the appearance of black smoke.
Boiling point: The temperature at which a solution turns from liquid to gas.
Freezing point: The temperature at which a solution turns from liquid to solid.
Mixed layer: The surface layer of ocean water.
Oceanography: The scientific study of the ocean and seas.
Salinity: The measure of the dissolved salts in water.
Thermocline: The layer of ocean directly beneath the mixed layer, in which the temperature
decreases rapidly.
Water mass: A body of water with distinct properties based on where it originated.