Glossary S

Salinity
The amount of salt dissolved in water.

Salt Marsh
A type of marsh that is a transitional zone between land and an area, such as a slough, bay, or estuary, with salty or brackish water.

Scabbard
A case for a rifle that is hung from a saddle.

Scales
A small, flattened, rigid plate forming a part of the external body covering of fish.

Scope
Short for telescopic sight, a scope is a tube with magnifying optics mounted atop a hunting rifle for accurate shot placement by means of a set of cross hairs that can be adjusted for windage and elevation.

Sea
A large body of salty water that is often connected to an ocean. A sea may be partly or completely surrounded by land.

Sea Level
Sea Level is the normal level of the sea's surface, halfway between mean high and low tide levels.

Seam
A calm spot caused by an obstruction in a river such as a rock or log.

Seamount
An underwater mountain that rises at least 1000 meters above the sea floor. Some seamounts rise above the water's surface.

Sediment
Small particles of soil or rocks that are transported by water or wind.

Seiche
A Series of standing waves in an enclosed (or partially enclosed) body of water, like a lake, bay, or river.

Shoal
A submerged ridge, bank, or bar consisting of, or covered by, unconsolidated sediments (mud, sand, gravel).

Sight level
A bubble level that is attached to the sight (similar to carpenters or plumbers levels) that let you know if you are holding your bow up straight. Aids in accuracy, and developing a consistent form.

Silt
Very tiny particles of soil or rocks that are 3 to 60 micrometers in diameter.

Siltation
The deposit or accumulation of very tiny soil particles (silt).

Sitka deer
A subspecies of the blacktail that is found primarily in the Alaskan coastal islands.

Slough
A long, narrow stretch of water such as a small stream or feeder tributary off a lake or river.

Snare
A loop made of wire or string and suspended in a runway to catch an animal by the head, neck or body.

Sound
A wide inlet of the sea or ocean that is parallel to the coastline; it often separates a coastline from a nearby island.

Source (of a river)
The beginning of a river or stream.

Spring creek
A creek or stream that gets its water from a ground (underground) flow or spring sources, rather than glacier/snow melt or surface run off. Spring creeks are generally at a temperature of the average rainfall temperature over the course of the year (the source of most ground water) and hence usually do not warm significantly in the summer nor freeze in the winter.

Squall
A sudden storm with wind and rain.

Square knot
A double knot. Also called a reef knot.

Squaw hitch
A basic hitch that is used to lash loads to a packhorse.

Standing End (knots)
The end of a rope not involved in making the knot, often shown as unfinished.

Stob
A dead branch protruding from a tree trunk. May also mean a dead, broken-off tree trunk.

Strait
A narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water.

Stream
A body of water with a detectable current, confined within a bed and banks.

Streambed
The channel being occupied or formerly occupied by a stream.

Subglacial lake
A lake that is permanently covered by ice and whose water remains liquid by the pressure of the ice sheet and geothermal heating. They often occur under glaciers or ice caps.

Summit
The top of a mountain or rock.

Swamp
A type of freshwater wetland that has spongy, muddy land and a lot of water. Many trees and shrubs grow in swamps.