ABC’s to OceanographyABC’s to Oceanography

Index of Oceanography TermsIndex of Oceanography Terms AAtmospheretmosphere

BBuoyancyuoyancy

CCurrentsurrents

DDensityensity

EEpipelagic Zonepipelagic Zone

FFood Chainood Chain

GGulf Streamulf Stream

HHydrophonesydrophones

IInertianertia

JJason-1ason-1

KKnotnot

LLead Lineead Line

MMeteorologyeteorology

NNumerical Modelsumerical Models

OOceancean

PPhytoplanktonhytoplankton

QQuikSCATuikSCAT

RRainain

SSea Sprayea Spray

TTidesides

UUpwellingpwelling

VVector Wind Stressector Wind Stress

WWavesaves

Heat FluHeat Fluxx OceanographOceanographyy ZZooplanktonooplankton

A thin blanket of air that protects EarthA thin blanket of air that protects Earth The atmosphere is crucial to life on EarthThe atmosphere is crucial to life on Earth Without the atmosphere:Without the atmosphere:

• Organisms would die within a few minutesOrganisms would die within a few minutes• There would be no lakes, oceans, sounds, clouds, or red sunsetsThere would be no lakes, oceans, sounds, clouds, or red sunsets• Earth would experience extremely cold temperatures at night and extremely warm Earth would experience extremely cold temperatures at night and extremely warm

temperatures during the daytemperatures during the day

tmospheretmosphere

Fast Fact:Fast Fact:99% of the 99% of the

atmosphere is atmosphere is contained within 30 contained within 30

kilometers of kilometers of Earth’s surfaceEarth’s surface

Did you know?Did you know?

If Earth were the size If Earth were the size of a beach ball, the of a beach ball, the

atmosphere would be atmosphere would be thinner than a piece thinner than a piece

of paperof paper

Image of the atmosphere taken from space

Image of the atmosphere taken from a space shuttle

Extension of AtmosphereExtension of Atmosphere The atmosphere and the ocean are closely linkedThe atmosphere and the ocean are closely linked

• The entire atmosphere holds as much heat as the top 2.5 meters (8 feet) of the oceanThe entire atmosphere holds as much heat as the top 2.5 meters (8 feet) of the ocean• The entire atmosphere holds as much water as 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) of the oceanThe entire atmosphere holds as much water as 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) of the ocean

Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) - lowest part of the atmosphereAtmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) - lowest part of the atmosphere• Wind strength and the heat flux between the air and ocean impact ABL thicknessWind strength and the heat flux between the air and ocean impact ABL thickness

Cloud patterns within the ABLCloud patterns within the ABL• Cumulus & stratocumulus at the top of a humid ABLCumulus & stratocumulus at the top of a humid ABL• Fog at the bottom of a stable ABL (little mixing)Fog at the bottom of a stable ABL (little mixing)

Cumulus Stratocumulus Fog

uoyancyuoyancy

A force created by differences in densityA force created by differences in density When two substances with different densities are mixed in a container, When two substances with different densities are mixed in a container,

buoyancy causes the:buoyancy causes the:• Less dense substance to rise to the topLess dense substance to rise to the top• More dense substance to sink to the bottomMore dense substance to sink to the bottom

Where is buoyancy visible in real life?Where is buoyancy visible in real life?

• Syrup sinks to the Syrup sinks to the bottom of a glass bottom of a glass of water because of water because syrup is more syrup is more dense than waterdense than water

• Hot air balloons rise in Hot air balloons rise in the air because the warm the air because the warm air inside the balloon is air inside the balloon is less dense than the less dense than the surrounding airsurrounding air

Did you know?Did you know?

Human bodies Human bodies cannot sink in the cannot sink in the

Dead Sea Dead Sea because the water because the water

is so denseis so densehttp://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea

urrents urrents

Continuous, directed movement of large streams of ocean waterContinuous, directed movement of large streams of ocean water Two major types of currents: Two major types of currents:

• Surface CurrentsSurface Currents• Form when surface winds push the water in the direction of the windForm when surface winds push the water in the direction of the wind

• Deep Ocean CurrentsDeep Ocean Currents• Huge water masses move and mix in response to changes in water Huge water masses move and mix in response to changes in water

temperature and salinitytemperature and salinity

Why are currents important?Why are currents important?• Currents influence the climate, shipCurrents influence the climate, ship

routes, and the lives of plants routes, and the lives of plants

and animals living on land and animals living on land

and in oceansand in oceans

Fast Fact:Fast Fact:The Gulf Stream is The Gulf Stream is

both a surface both a surface current and a deep current and a deep

ocean currentocean current

Fast Fact:Fast Fact:Surface currents Surface currents

affect the top 10% affect the top 10% of the oceanof the ocean

http://science.hq.nasa.gov/oceans/physical/OSC.html

Extension of CurrentsExtension of Currents Coriolis Effect - the earth’s rotation causes ocean currents to bendCoriolis Effect - the earth’s rotation causes ocean currents to bend

• Northern Hemisphere currents forced to the rightNorthern Hemisphere currents forced to the right

• Southern Hemisphere currents forced to the leftSouthern Hemisphere currents forced to the left

• Coriolis force is strongest at the Poles and weakest at the equatorCoriolis force is strongest at the Poles and weakest at the equator

• The bending angle of currents increases with ocean depthThe bending angle of currents increases with ocean depth

• A deep ocean current may flow in a direction different than the surface currentA deep ocean current may flow in a direction different than the surface current

Expected path of water without Coriolis Effect

Actual path of water with Coriolis Effect

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ensityensity

A measure of how heavy something is A measure of how heavy something is

in relation to its size (mass per unit volume)in relation to its size (mass per unit volume) Temperature and salinity affect the density of ocean waterTemperature and salinity affect the density of ocean water

• What is salinity?What is salinity?• A measure of the amount of salt dissolved in waterA measure of the amount of salt dissolved in water

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Graph shows density of ocean waterGraph shows density of ocean water

based on salinity and temperaturebased on salinity and temperature Observations from graph:Observations from graph:

• An increase in temperature results in a An increase in temperature results in a

decrease in densitydecrease in density• An increase in salinity results in an An increase in salinity results in an

increase in densityincrease in density

Fast Fact:Fast Fact:All the land on earth All the land on earth would be covered would be covered

with 5 feet of salt, if with 5 feet of salt, if the ocean’s salt the ocean’s salt

content were driedcontent were dried

Extension of DensityExtension of Density Ocean density changes throughoutOcean density changes throughout

• Low density water can be found near the surfaceLow density water can be found near the surface• High density water can be found deep in the oceanHigh density water can be found deep in the ocean

Pycnocline – an ocean layer where water density Pycnocline – an ocean layer where water density

increases rapidly with depthincreases rapidly with depth Changes in the density of surface water:Changes in the density of surface water:

• If the density of the surface water decreasesIf the density of the surface water decreases• Its position will remain the sameIts position will remain the same

• If the surface water becomes more dense If the surface water becomes more dense

than the water belowthan the water below• It will sink to a level where there isIt will sink to a level where there is

water with the same densitywater with the same density

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pipelagic Zonepipelagic Zone

Top layer of the ocean where Top layer of the ocean where

sunlight is presentsunlight is present Plants take in the sunlight to Plants take in the sunlight to

complete photosynthesiscomplete photosynthesis• The epipelagic zone is the only zone where plants are foundThe epipelagic zone is the only zone where plants are found

What can be found below the epipelagic zone?What can be found below the epipelagic zone?• The mesopelagic zone, or twilight zoneThe mesopelagic zone, or twilight zone

• The dim light found in this zone does not provide enough The dim light found in this zone does not provide enough energy for plants to perform photosynthesisenergy for plants to perform photosynthesis

• In the 3 zones that exist beyond this zone there is zero sunlightIn the 3 zones that exist beyond this zone there is zero sunlight

Epipelagic Zone

Mesopelagic Zone

http://www.rain.org/ocean/

Fast Fact:Fast Fact:Light penetrates Light penetrates

hundreds of feet in hundreds of feet in the Caribbean, but the Caribbean, but only a few inches in only a few inches in

the Hudson riverthe Hudson river

ood Chainood Chain A sequence of marine organisms that pass nutrients to A sequence of marine organisms that pass nutrients to

one anotherone another Sun - main source of energy for marine food chainsSun - main source of energy for marine food chains Producers take in the Sun’s energy to make their foodProducers take in the Sun’s energy to make their food

• Phytoplankton – major producers in the oceanPhytoplankton – major producers in the ocean Consumers eat other organisms since they cannot Consumers eat other organisms since they cannot

produce their own foodproduce their own food

Does pollution harm the food chain?Does pollution harm the food chain?• YesYes• If phytoplankton absorb marine pollutants, the pollutants If phytoplankton absorb marine pollutants, the pollutants

eventually accumulate to lethal levels in larger animalseventually accumulate to lethal levels in larger animals What is a food web?What is a food web?

• Several intertwined food chains resultant of organisms Several intertwined food chains resultant of organisms belonging to more than one food chainbelonging to more than one food chain

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Fast Fact:Fast Fact:99% of earth’s 99% of earth’s living space is living space is contained by contained by the oceansthe oceans