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MAR 105 - Introduction to Oceanography

Professor Pamela Lynch

1Why Are You Here?

• Long Island is an ISLAND

• The Ocean is your backyard

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A synthetic view of our ocean planet

© digitalife/ShutterStock, Inc.

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Hawaii, 66’ wave, Fig. 9-16, p. 211

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Our marine life is the stuff of movies!

1…and fables…

Aug. 1, 2008: “The Montauk Monster”

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OCEANS?

1The Ocean

• EARTH: The only planet w/ Oceans (or liquid water)

• Covers 71% of earth’s surface

• “Divided” into 4 large basins

– Pacific (largest, deepest)– Atlantic– Indian– Arctic (smallest, shallowest)– (sometimes people add a 5th: the Antarctic, “Southern

Ocean”)

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Figure 1.2

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Figure 1.3b

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Figure 1.3c

1The Ocean

> Covers 71% of the earth’s surface (197 million square miles)

• Accounts for 97% of the water on earth (rest in land ice, ground/freshwater, lakes & rivers)

• Average depth = 3,796 meters (12,451 feet) (deepest = Mariana trench 11,022 m or 36,163 ft)

• Average temp = 3.9oC (only 39oF)

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Figure 1.3a

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Fnft

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Figure 1.3d

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Fig. 1-1, Garrison

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Important Facts

• 81% of the Southern Hemisphere is covered by Ocean (remember that! It’ll become really important later…); while only 61% of the Northern Hemisphere is covered – WHY?

• The Oceans are 4X as deep as the Continents are high (average depth = 2.5 miles).

• The Pacific (Ocean) is so huge that it covers almost ½ of the Earth’s surface; it is also the Earth’s largest collection of water.

• We have 100X more “aquatic” habitats available on earth than terrestrial habitats (1.4 billion cubic kilometers).

• Oceanography is the scientific study of the ocean by applying traditional sciences, such as physics, chemistry, geology, biology, and engineering, to all aspects of the ocean.

Oceanography: What Is It?

Subdisciplines of Oceanography

• Marine Geology-

– Composition of ocean floor and the earth• Physical oceanography-

– Movement of water (waves, currents…)• Chemical Oceanography-

– Ocean’s dissolved solids and gases • Marine biology-

– marine organisms, the impact of human activities on these organisms

• Marine Engineers-

– Design and build oil platforms, ships, harbors etc. that enable us to use the ocean wisely

1History of Marine

Biology/Oceanography

• Ocean explored for food, as trade routes, wars, and for voyaging

• Mediterranean Sea: 1st voyages then the Atlantic Ocean was explored (900-700 BC). Cartographers (chart makers) on board.

• Alexander the Great: (Egypt) Lib. of Alexandria

• Christopher Columbus (1492): “new world” discovered by accident. Followed by Magellan (1500’s, Port. navigator) and Cook (1768, comm. of Endeavour voyage)

• Charles Darwin Naturalist on HMS Beagle (1831)

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Figure 1.8

1History of Marine

Biology/Oceanography

• First Voyages ever to specifically study the ocean (19 yrs. to publish, 50 volumes)

• Challenger Expedition (1872-1876): measuring systems used, species samples

• Marine Laboratories

– Stazione Zooligica – Naples Italy (1872)– MBL & Woods Hole Oceanograohic Institution–

Massachussets– Scripps Institution of Oceanography, CA – Friday Harbor Marine Lab, Washington

• Allowed long term observation of living organisms

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Now: “Woods Hole”

1Oceanography…

•Then….and Now…

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Then…Ben Franklin1769Gulf Streamchart

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Then…the “world” chart…3rd cen. BC

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Let’s talk about OCEANS!

Now…

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Then…500 B.C. greek ship

1Now…typical Research

Vessel

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Now…deep sea sub, “Kaiko”

1Figure 1.11NOW: “Aquarius” FL Keyes underwater lab