Inland sea

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/inland-sea

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is the Inland sea?Varies greatly; can be millions of square kilometers
2. What is the location?Continental landmasses, often in basins or depressions
3. What is the salinity?Typically brackish, with salinity levels fluctuating based on freshwater input and evaporation
4. How do inland seas become salty?They get salt from the ocean when they are connected by a strait or river. Freshwater from rivers and rain mixes with ocean water, and when water evaporates, the salt stays behind, making the water brackish.
5. Why are inland seas good for fish and animals?Inland seas have shallow areas and lots of food, so many fish and invertebrates use them as nursery grounds. The mix of fresh and salty water creates special habitats like seagrass meadows and mudflats.

Brackish Water: Water with a salinity level intermediate between freshwater and seawater, typically found in estuaries and inland seas.
Epeiric Sea: A vast, shallow sea that covered large portions of continental landmasses during geological past.
Euryhaline: An organism capable of tolerating a wide range of salinity levels.
Sedimentary Rock: Rock formed from the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles.