Introduction to Oceans

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Introduction to Oceans

• Mrs. Spicer

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What is Oceanography?

• A scientific study of the oceans
• Covers a wide range of disciplines such as
  biology, chemistry, geology, physics, mathematics
  and engineering.

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• The science of
• understanding oceans
• how they work
• how they began
• how they affect us
• the creatures that live in them
• how they may be impacted by changes caused by
  human influences

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Why study Oceanography?

• The ocean represents different things to
  different people.
• Examples
• Careers (fisherman)
• Food Source (Fishing and aquaculture)
• Oil and Gas Exploration (hydrocarbons)
• Transportation
• Recreation
• Tidal Power (Alternative energy source)
• Water supply
• Minerals (coals, magnesium, iron etc)
• Habitation (cruise ships, house boats etc)
• Dangers (Tsunamis, storm surges, property)

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Vocabulary

• Ocean - a large body of salt water constituting a
  principal part of the Earth
• Sea - a large body of salty water that is often
  connected to an ocean. It may be partly or
  completely surrounded by land.
• Bay - an indentation of a shoreline larger than a
  cove but smaller than a gulf

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• Gulf - an arm of a sea or ocean partly enclosed
  by land larger than a bay
• Strait - a navigable channel of water that
  connects two larger bodies of water
• Channel - a passage for water (or other fluids)
  to flow through. Usually man-made.

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• River - a large, flowing body of water that
  usually empties into a sea or ocean.
• Lake - a large body of water surrounded by land
  on all sides. Really large lakes are often called
  seas.

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Ocean Facts

• Lets look at some facts about the oceans!
• Your Task
• Read Ocean Planet Oceanographic Facts sheet
  and answer the questions that follow.