Oceanography


Oceanography from the Ancient Greek ὠκεανός "ocean" in addition to γράφω "write", also so-called as oceanology, is the scientific inspect of the oceans. it is an important Earth science, which covers a wide range of topics, including ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, & geophysical fluid dynamics; plate tectonics and the geology of the sea floor; and fluxes of various chemical substances and physical properties within the ocean and across its boundaries. These diverse topics reflect multinational disciplines that oceanographers utilize to glean further knowledge of the world ocean, including astronomy, biology, chemistry, climatology, geography, geology, hydrology, meteorology and physics. Paleoceanography studies the history of the oceans in the geologic past. An oceanographer is a adult who studies many matters concerned with oceans including marine geology, physics, chemistry and biology.

Branches


The examine of oceanography is divided into these five branches:

Biological oceanography investigates the ecology and biology of marine organisms in the context of the physical, chemical and geological characteristics of their ocean environment.

Chemical oceanography is the study of the chemistry of the ocean. Whereas chemical oceanography is primarily occupied with the study and understanding of seawater properties and its changes, ocean chemistry focuses primarily on the geochemical cycles. The coming after or as a solution of. is a central topic investigated by chemical oceanography.

Ocean acidification describes the decrease in ocean pH that is caused by atmosphere. Seawater is slightly alkaline and had a preindustrial pH of about 8.2. More recently, anthropogenic activities cause steadily increased the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere; approximately 30–40% of the added CO2 is absorbed by the oceans, forming carbonic acid and lowering the pH now below 8.1 through ocean acidification. The pH is expected to7.7 by the year 2100.

An important factor for the skeletons of marine animals is calcium, but calcium carbonate becomes more soluble with pressure, so carbonate shells and skeletons dissolve below the carbonate compensation depth. Calcium carbonate becomes more soluble at lower pH, so ocean acidification is likely to impact marine organisms with calcareous shells, such(a) as oysters, clams, sea urchins and corals, and the carbonate compensation depth will rise closer to the sea surface. Affected planktonic organisms will include pteropods, coccolithophorids and foraminifera, any important in the food chain. In tropical regions, corals are likely to be severely affected as they become less fine to imposing their calcium carbonate skeletons, in turn adversely impacting other reef dwellers.

The current rate of ocean chemistry change seems to be unprecedented in Earth's geological history, devloping it unclear how alive marine ecosystems will adapt to the shifting conditions of the near future. Of specific concern is the sort in which the combination of acidification with the expected extra stressors of higher temperatures and lower oxygen levels will affect the seas.

Geological oceanography is the study of the geology of the ocean floor including plate tectonics and paleoceanography.

Physical oceanography studies the ocean's physical attributes including temperature-salinity structure, mixing, surface waves, internal waves, surface tides, internal tides, and currents. The coming after or as a calculation of. are central topics investigated by physical oceanography.

Since the early ocean expeditions in oceanography, a major interest was the study of ocean currents and temperature measurements. The density of sea water. it is for becoming more common to refer to this system as the 'meridional overturning circulation' because it more accurately accounts for other driving factors beyond temperature and salinity.

Earth's power to direct or defining to direct or determine balance. The put in the ocean heat play an important role in sea level rise, because of thermal expansion. Ocean warming accountsfor 90% of the power to direct or determine accumulation associated with global warming since 1971.