OCEANOGRAPHY

MS. RASHAYNE G. CIELO

Instructor
 WHAT IS OCEANOGRAPHY?

• (ocean = the marine environment, graphy =

the name of a descriptive science)
• the scientific study of all aspects of the marine
environment
• is the recording and description of the physical,
chemical, and biological characteristics of the
ocean
• also known as marine science
 WHAT IS OCEANOGRAPHY?

• The four main disciplines of oceanography are as follows:

• Geological oceanography, which is the study of the structure of the
sea floor and how the sea floor has changed through time; the creation
of sea floor features; and the history of sediments deposited on it.
• Chemical oceanography, which is the study of the chemical
composition and properties of seawater; how to extract certain
chemicals from seawater; and the effects of pollutants.
• Physical oceanography, which is the study of waves, tides, and
currents; the ocean atmosphere relationship that influences weather
and climate; and the transmission of light and sound in the oceans.
• Biological oceanography, which is the study of the various oceanic
life forms and their relationships to one another; adaptations to the
marine environment; and developing sustainable methods of
harvesting seafood.
 WHY EARTH’S OCEANS ARE UNIQUE?

• Oceans are the largest and most prominent feature on

Earth.
• It is our oceans of liquid water that makes planet Earth
unique in the solar system.
• The oceans determine where our continents end and
have thus shaped political boundaries and human
history.
• The oceans conceal many features; in fact, the majority
of Earth s geographic features are on the ocean floor.
• The oceans influence climate and weather all over the
globe even in continental areas far from any ocean
through an intricate pattern of currents and
heating/cooling mechanisms
WHY EARTH’S OCEANS ARE UNIQUE?

• Oceans are also the lungs of the planet, taking carbon dioxide
gas out of the atmosphere and replacing it with oxygen gas at
about 70% for humans breathe.
• The oceans provides a stable environment in which life evolved
over millions of years.
• Oceans contain the greatest number of living things on the
planet, from microscopic bacteria and algae to the largest life
form alive today (the blue whale).
• The oceans are a source of food, minerals, and energy that
remains largely untapped.
HOW MANY OCEANS EXIST ON
EARTH?
 HOW MANY OCEANS EXIST ON
EARTH?

• PACIFIC OCEAN
- the world’s largest and deepest ocean, covering more than half of the
ocean surface area on Earth
- it contains many small tropical islands (Melanesia, Micronesia and
Polynesia)
- Ring of Fire
- Great Barrier Reef
- Birthing of hurricanes/typhoons
- named in 1520 by explorer Ferdinand Magellan’s party in honor of the
fine weather they encountered while crossing into the Pacific (paci =
peace) Ocean
Pacific Ring of Fire
Great Barrier Reef – home of largest coral reef
system
HOW MANY OCEANS EXIST ON
EARTH?

• ATLANTIC OCEAN
- about half the size of the Pacific
Ocean and is not quite as deep
- was named after Atlas, who was
one of the Titans in Greek
mythology
- separates the Old World (Europe,
Asia, and Africa) from the New
World (North and South America)
• Gulf stream ocean current is a powerful warm ocean current that originates in the Gulf of
Mexico, flows along the eastern coast of North America, and then continues across the
Atlantic Ocean. It significantly influences the climate of the East Coast of North America
and Western Europe, making these regions relatively warmer than other areas at similar
latitudes.
• The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a continuous
underwater mountain range running down
the center of the Atlantic Ocean. It marks
the boundary between the North American
and Eurasian plates in the northern
hemisphere and the South American and
African plates in the southern hemisphere.
The ridge is a divergent boundary where
tectonic plates are moving apart, leading
to volcanic activity and the creation of new
oceanic crust
• The Sargasso Sea is a region in the
North Atlantic Ocean that is
characterized by vast floating mats
of Sargassum seaweed. This unique
ecosystem provides habitat and
shelter for various marine species,
including fish, crabs, and sea turtles.
Unlike other seas, the Sargasso Sea
is not bordered by land.
• The Atlantic Ocean is known for its hurricane basin, where
tropical storms and hurricanes develop. The warm waters of the
Atlantic provide the energy needed for these storms to form and
intensify. The hurricane season in the Atlantic typically runs from
June to November, with the peak occurring in September.
• The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a loosely
defined region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean. It has
gained notoriety due to various myths and legends surrounding the
disappearance of ships and airplanes in the area. However, the vast
majority of marine and air traffic pass through the Bermuda Triangle
without incident, and there is no scientific evidence to support the
existence of mysterious phenomena.
 HOW MANY OCEANS EXIST ON
EARTH?

• INDIAN OCEAN
- slightly smaller than the Atlantic
Ocean and has about the same
average depth
- mostly in the Southern Hemisphere
(south of the equator, or below 0
degrees latitude)
- was named for its proximity to the
subcontinent of India
• The Indian Ocean is strongly influenced by the seasonal monsoon winds. The
southwest monsoon, which occurs from June to September, brings heavy rainfall
to the Indian subcontinent, while the northeast monsoon, from October to
March, affects regions like Southeast Asia. These winds play a crucial role in
shaping the climate and weather patterns of the surrounding areas.
• The Arabian Sea, located in the northwestern part of the Indian Ocean, is a unique
and significant feature. It is bordered by the Arabian Peninsula to the west and the
Indian subcontinent to the east. The sea is known for its warm waters and hosts
various marine ecosystems, including coral reefs and diverse marine life.
• Similar to the more widely known Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the Indian
Ocean also has areas with high concentrations of marine debris. The Great
Indian Ocean Garbage Patch is a region where currents converge, leading to
the accumulation of floating plastic and other debris. Efforts to address
plastic pollution in the Indian Ocean are ongoing.
 HOW MANY OCEANS EXIST ON
EARTH?

• ARCTIC OCEAN
- about 7% the size of the Pacific Ocean and is
only a little more than one
-quarter as deep as the rest of the oceans
- it has a permanent layer of sea ice at the
surface, but the ice is only a few meters thick
- was named after its location in the Arctic region
The Arctic Ocean is centered around the North Pole and is
bordered by the Arctic Circle, an imaginary line at
approximately 66.5 degrees north latitude. Areas within the
Arctic Circle experience the phenomenon of the midnight sun
during the summer months, where the sun remains above the
• The Arctic Ocean is home to unique wildlife, with polar bears being one of
the most iconic inhabitants. These bears are adapted to the extreme cold
and are highly dependent on sea ice for hunting seals. Other Arctic wildlife
includes Arctic foxes, reindeer, whales, seals, and a variety of bird species.
HOW MANY OCEANS
EXIST ON EARTH?

• SOUTHERN OCEAN OR ANTARCTIC

OCEAN
- near the continent of Antarctica in
the Southern Hemisphere
- recently recognized as fifth ocean
- it is really the portions of the
Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans
south of about 50 degrees south
latitude
Circumpolar Current:
Antarctic Ice Sheet:
Antarctica is home to the Antarctic Ice Sheet, which contains about 60% of the world's fresh
water. The ice sheet is composed of glaciers and ice shelves, with some ice shelves extending
over the Southern Ocean. Antarctica's ice plays a crucial role in regulating global sea levels.

Polar Desert:
Antarctica is the coldest and driest continent on Earth. It is often referred to as a polar desert
because it receives very little precipitation. The interior of Antarctica is one of the driest places
on the planet.

Unique Wildlife:
The Antarctic region is home to a variety of unique wildlife, including penguins, seals, whales,
and seabirds. These species have adapted to the harsh conditions of the continent and its
surrounding oceans.
Research Stations:

Antarctica is a hub for scientific research, with numerous research stations operated by
different countries. These stations study various aspects of the continent's geology, climate,
and ecosystems, contributing valuable data to global scientific understanding.
Together, these features make the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic region distinctive and
ecologically significant, playing a vital role in global climate and oceanography.
An early map of the world. The world according to the Greek
Herodotus in 450 B.C., showing the prominence of the
Mediterranean Sea surrounded by the continents of Europe,
Libya (Africa), and Asia. Seas are labeled mare and are shown
as a band of water encircling the land.
 OCEANS VS. SEAS

OCEAN SEAS
• the ocean is full of seawater; • smaller and shallower than an ocean
• composed of salt water (although some
• sea ice forms in the ocean; and inland seas, such as the Caspian Sea in
• one might stroll the seashore Asia, are actually large lakes with
relatively high salinity)
while living in ocean-front
• somewhat enclosed by land (but some
property
seas, such as the Sargasso Sea in the
Atlantic Ocean, are defined by strong
ocean currents rather than by land)
• directly connected to the world ocean
 OCEANS VS. SEAS
THE MODERN COUNT OF
THE SEVEN SEAS (ACCORDING TO SEVEN SEAS ARE AS
EUROPEANS BEFORE 15TH CENTURY) FOLLOWS:

1. The Red Sea 1. North Pacific

2. The Mediterranean Sea 2. South Pacific
3. The Persian Gulf 3. North Atlantic
4. The Black Sea 4. South Atlantic
5. The Adriatic Sea 5. Indian
6. The Caspian Sea 6. Arctic
7. The Indian Ocean 7. Southern or Antarctic
a. Relative proportions of land and ocean on Earth
s surface. (b) Relative size of the four principal
ocean
EXPEDITION
 ASSIGNMENT

1. Make a timeline about early expedition or

explorations of the oceans.
2. Scientific investigations or contribution to the
study of the ocean of the following:
a. James Cook
b. Matthews Fountaine Maury
c. Charles Darwin
d. C. Wyrille Thomson
e. Frederick Nansen
 REVIEW ON EARTH’S
STRUCTURE AND PLATE
TECTONICS
Plate
Tectonics
 Continental Drift
 Evidence for Continental Drift
Theory of continental drift is the idea that
the continents have moved horizontally to
their current locations.
1. This theory was developed by Alfred
Wegener.
2. Wegener believed
that all of the continents
were connected as one
large land mass (he
called Pangea/Pangaea) about
200 million years ago.
Alfred Wegener (1880-1930)
Wegener’s evidence
for continental drift
The continents on either
side of the Atlantic Ocean
fit together like puzzle
pieces.
The distribution of unique plant and animal fossils on
different continents supports the idea of a single
supercontinent. The matching fossil assemblages
between South America and Africa were first noted by
Alfred Wegener
Modern data show that
Pangaea began to break
up approximately 225
million years ago
How Could the Continents
Drift?
 Harry Hess- naval officer
conducted the first sea-floor
mapping
 The naval maps showed huge
mountain ranges that formed a
continuous chain down the
centers of the ocean floors.
These mountain ranges are
called mid-ocean ridges.
The sea-floor spreading
hypothesis
 a hypothesis that new sea floor is created at mid-ocean ridges
and that in the process the continents are pushed apart from
each other
 Rapid scientific progress
 Magnetic patterns and the age of rocks
Magnetic patterns and
the age of rocks

Matching magnetic patterns and

the age of rocks on either side of
mid-ocean ridges provide strong
evidence for sea-floor spreading.
Map showing both the age
and topography of the
Atlantic seafloor. Note how
the seafloor gets
progressively older farther
away from the mid-
oceanic ridge, with oldest
seafloor being about 200
million years old
 What drives the
lithospheric plates?

subduction - a process that

involves a lithospheric plate sinking
into the mantle
Theory of Plate Tectonics
 Plate Tectonics
A. Theory of Plate Tectonics is the idea that the Earth’s
crust and upper mantle are broken into sections called
plates that move around on the mantle.
B. Composition of the Earth’s plates:
1. Lithosphere – the crust and part of the upper
mantle
2. Asthenosphere – the plastic-like layer below
the lithosphere
Plate Boundaries

 There are three different plate boundaries:

Divergent Boundaries
Convergent Boundaries
Transform Boundaries
Divergent Boundaries
 Divergent Boundaries are the boundaries between two
plates that are diverging, or moving away from each
other.
Map showing the location of a young spreading center in
eastern Africa. The northern portion of the rift zone has
opened to a point where it has become flooded, forming the
Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. To the south is the much younger
African Great Rift Valley. Satellite photo showing the Sinai
peninsula located at the top of the Red Sea. This peninsula is
bounded on the left by the spreading center and on the right
by a transform boundary.
Convergent Boundaries
 Convergent Boundaries are the boundaries between
two plates that are converging, or moving towards
each other.
 There are three types of convergent boundaries:
1. An ocean floor plate collides with a less dense
continental plate.
2. An ocean floor plate collides with another ocean floor
plate.
3. A continental plate collides with another continental
plate.
 The collision of two oceanic plates
results in subduction and the
formation of a volcanic island arc

Aleutian Islands off the Alaska

mainland are a good example of
a relatively young island arc
system
 When oceanic and
continental plates collide
subduction leads to a
continental arc system

The Andes Mountains are a

continental arc system associated with
an oceanic-continental boundary. The
boundary of these plates is marked by
the position of the ocean trench. The
Andes are the result of continued
convergence and subduction of the
oceanic plate, which has produced
volcanic activity and buckling of the
plates
Cascade Range
Transform Fault Boundaries
 Transform Boundaries are the boundaries between two
plates that are sliding horizontally past one another.
San Andreas Fault Line
Map showing the types of
movement taking place at the
boundaries of Earth’s major
plates
Effects of Plate Tectonics
 Landforms caused by plate tectonics:
a. rift valleys (divergent boundaries)
b. mountain ranges (continental-continental convergent
boundaries)
c. volcanoes (oceanic-continental convergent
boundaries)
d. faults (transform boundaries)
Causes of Plate Tectonics
 Convection Current is the driving force of plate tectonics
in which hot, plastic-like material from the mantle rises
to the lithosphere, moves horizontally, cools, and sinks
back to the mantle.
 The convection currents provide enough energy to
move the plates in the lithosphere.
Quick Review of Plate Boundaries