Oceanography
INTRODUCTION
Oceanography, scientific discipline concerned with all aspects of the world’s oceans and seas,
including their physical and chemical properties, their origin and geologic framework, and the life
forms that inhabit the marine environment. Traditionally, oceanography has been divided into
four separate but related branches: physical oceanography, chemical oceanography,
marine geology, and marine ecology.
Physical oceanography deals with the properties of seawater (temperature, density,
pressure, and so on), its movement (waves, currents, and tides), and the interactions between
the ocean waters and the atmosphere.
Chemical oceanography has to do with the composition of seawater and the
biogeochemical cycles that affect it.
Marine geology focuses on the structure, features, and evolution of the ocean basins.
Marine ecology, also called biological oceanography, involves the study of the plants
and animals of the sea, including life cycles and food production.
Oceanography is the sum of these several branches. Oceanographic research entails
the sampling of seawater and marine life for close study, the remote sensing of oceanic
processes with aircraft and Earth-orbiting satellites, and the exploration of the seafloor by
means of deep-sea drilling and seismic profiling of the terrestrial crust below the ocean bottom.
Greater knowledge of the world’s oceans enables scientists to more accurately predict, for
example, long-term weather and climatic changes and also leads to more efficient exploitation
of the Earth’s resources. Oceanography also is vital to understanding the effect of pollutants on
ocean waters and to the preservation of the quality of the oceans’ waters in the face of
increasing human demands made on them.
Nature of oceanography
Oceanography or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the
ocean. Oceanography is an interdisciplinary science that involves the study of
the entire ocean. It covers a wide range of topics including.
Marine organisms
Ecosystem dynamics
Ocean currents, waves and tides
Geographical fluid dynamics Plate tectonics
The geology of the sea floor Fluxes of various chemical substances
Physical properties (like temperature, pressure, salinity, density of ocean water)
These diverse topics reflect multiple disciplines that oceanographers blend to
further knowledge of the world ocean and understanding of processes within it
Biology, chemistry, geology, meteorology, and physics as well as geography
, Scope of oceanography!
This branch of climatology is concerned with the scope of the oceanographical
knowledge to practical problems of the oceans.
It analyses the relationship of oceanography to other sciences.
Applied oceanography can be of great help for many problems related to coastal
industries, shore communities, military and naval establishments, ports and
harbors, and other ocean problems.
The main purpose is to find out the ways and means to make use of our
knowledge for the betterment of human life and the life in the oceans of oceans
Data derived from the work of Oceanography is used in marine engineering .in
the design and building of oil platforms, ships, harbors and other structures that
allow us to use the Ocean safely.
Oceanographic data management is the discipline ensuring that Oceanographic
data both past present are available to researchers.
Significance of Oceanography
Mangrove, Salt Marshes, Sea grass, Beds and Coral Reefs or just a few of
the ocean environment support a large number of different species of organism
have a high biodiversity. Estuaries are brackish water system that empty there
water into the world oceans, and support many, many fishes and many other
living organisms. Along with the coral reefs, estuaries sustain 75% of all
commercial fishes and shellfish during some point of their life cycles. Mangroves
not only act as nurseries for commercially important marine species, they also
act as a filtration system for coastal water.
Natural Resources
The continental shells and ocean floor is store house of many important
minerals including natural gas oil.
Transportation
The oceans are not only important to sustain life, but also help in the moving of
materials that we use more than 95% of U.S. foreign trade passes through U.S
ports and Harbors. Without barges, commercial ships transportation of goods
from place to place would be much more difficult and expensive.
Climate and Weather
Warm ocean water provides the energy to fuel storm system that provides
fresh water which is necessary to land dwelling organisms. The oceans effect
climate and global weather as the air passes over the warm water, rises due to
warming. When it is cold condensation of water take place and create rainfall. If
the air passes or a cooler water, it becomes cools and sinks. Air removes from
high to low pressure areas. Warm air moves with the Gulf Stream toward the
northern Europe. Thus, the winters and northern Europe are not intolerable.
INTRODUCTION
Oceanography, scientific discipline concerned with all aspects of the world’s oceans and seas,
including their physical and chemical properties, their origin and geologic framework, and the life
forms that inhabit the marine environment. Traditionally, oceanography has been divided into
four separate but related branches: physical oceanography, chemical oceanography,
marine geology, and marine ecology.
Physical oceanography deals with the properties of seawater (temperature, density,
pressure, and so on), its movement (waves, currents, and tides), and the interactions between
the ocean waters and the atmosphere.
Chemical oceanography has to do with the composition of seawater and the
biogeochemical cycles that affect it.
Marine geology focuses on the structure, features, and evolution of the ocean basins.
Marine ecology, also called biological oceanography, involves the study of the plants
and animals of the sea, including life cycles and food production.
Oceanography is the sum of these several branches. Oceanographic research entails
the sampling of seawater and marine life for close study, the remote sensing of oceanic
processes with aircraft and Earth-orbiting satellites, and the exploration of the seafloor by
means of deep-sea drilling and seismic profiling of the terrestrial crust below the ocean bottom.
Greater knowledge of the world’s oceans enables scientists to more accurately predict, for
example, long-term weather and climatic changes and also leads to more efficient exploitation
of the Earth’s resources. Oceanography also is vital to understanding the effect of pollutants on
ocean waters and to the preservation of the quality of the oceans’ waters in the face of
increasing human demands made on them.
Nature of oceanography
Oceanography or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the
ocean. Oceanography is an interdisciplinary science that involves the study of
the entire ocean. It covers a wide range of topics including.
Marine organisms
Ecosystem dynamics
Ocean currents, waves and tides
Geographical fluid dynamics Plate tectonics
The geology of the sea floor Fluxes of various chemical substances
Physical properties (like temperature, pressure, salinity, density of ocean water)
These diverse topics reflect multiple disciplines that oceanographers blend to
further knowledge of the world ocean and understanding of processes within it
Biology, chemistry, geology, meteorology, and physics as well as geography
, Scope of oceanography!
This branch of climatology is concerned with the scope of the oceanographical
knowledge to practical problems of the oceans.
It analyses the relationship of oceanography to other sciences.
Applied oceanography can be of great help for many problems related to coastal
industries, shore communities, military and naval establishments, ports and
harbors, and other ocean problems.
The main purpose is to find out the ways and means to make use of our
knowledge for the betterment of human life and the life in the oceans of oceans
Data derived from the work of Oceanography is used in marine engineering .in
the design and building of oil platforms, ships, harbors and other structures that
allow us to use the Ocean safely.
Oceanographic data management is the discipline ensuring that Oceanographic
data both past present are available to researchers.
Significance of Oceanography
Mangrove, Salt Marshes, Sea grass, Beds and Coral Reefs or just a few of
the ocean environment support a large number of different species of organism
have a high biodiversity. Estuaries are brackish water system that empty there
water into the world oceans, and support many, many fishes and many other
living organisms. Along with the coral reefs, estuaries sustain 75% of all
commercial fishes and shellfish during some point of their life cycles. Mangroves
not only act as nurseries for commercially important marine species, they also
act as a filtration system for coastal water.
Natural Resources
The continental shells and ocean floor is store house of many important
minerals including natural gas oil.
Transportation
The oceans are not only important to sustain life, but also help in the moving of
materials that we use more than 95% of U.S. foreign trade passes through U.S
ports and Harbors. Without barges, commercial ships transportation of goods
from place to place would be much more difficult and expensive.
Climate and Weather
Warm ocean water provides the energy to fuel storm system that provides
fresh water which is necessary to land dwelling organisms. The oceans effect
climate and global weather as the air passes over the warm water, rises due to
warming. When it is cold condensation of water take place and create rainfall. If
the air passes or a cooler water, it becomes cools and sinks. Air removes from
high to low pressure areas. Warm air moves with the Gulf Stream toward the
northern Europe. Thus, the winters and northern Europe are not intolerable.
