The Ocean

Mr. Simmonsen

The Water Planet

• About 3/4 of earth is covered by oceans
• The ocean contains 97% of all of the water on earth
• There are 5 major oceans
• Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, and Southern
• A sea is a body of water that is smaller than an ocean and that may be partially surrounded by land.
• Mediterranean, Caribbean, and South China

Oceanography

• The scientific study of the ocean. (Includes the properties and movement of ocean water, the characteristics of the ocean floor and the organisms that live in the ocean.)
• Sonar (sound navigation and ranging) A system that uses acoustic signals and returned echoes to determine the location of objects

Oceanography

• Submersibles- underwater research vessels
• Bathysphere- a spherical diving device
• Bathyscaph- a self-propelled free moving submarine

Features of the Ocean Floor

• Continental Margin- shallow parts of the ocean floor that are made of continental crust and a thick wedge of continent.
• Deep-ocean basin- the deep part of the ocean beyond the continental margin.
• Continental shelf- the part of the continent that is covered by ocean water

Features of the Ocean Floor

• Continental slope- the boundary between the continental crust and oceanic crust
• Continental rise- a raised edge at the base of the continental slope

Features of the Ocean Floor

• Mid-ocean ridge- mountain ranges in the middle of the ocean
• Trenches- long narrow depressions located in deep ocean basins
• Abyssal plain- a large flat almost level area of the deep-ocean basin

Properties of Ocean Water

• Pure water is tasteless, odorless, and colorless.
• Ocean water is NOT pure
• It contains gases and solids that make it unique. It also will vary depending on location and temperature.

Dissolved Gases

• Dissolved Gases- Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Carbon Dioxide are the main gases dissolved in ocean water
• Temperature and Gases- Gases dissolve more readily in cold water. Gases may also return to the atmosphere from the ocean
• The ocean as a carbon sink. The ocean dissolves and contains a large amount of carbon.

Dissolved Solids

• Dissolved solids make up about 3.5% of the mass of ocean water.
• The most abundant solids in ocean water are chlorine, sodium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, and potassium.
• 85% of the solids are NaCl, salt.
• Most of the elements that form seal salts come from 3 main sources: volcanoes, weathered rocks, and reactions between new rock and water

Life in the Ocean

• Upwelling- the movement of deep, cold and nutrient-rich water to the surface
• Plankton- the mass of mostly microscopic organisms that float or drift freely in the waters of aquatic environments

Life in the Ocean

• Nekton- all organisms that swim actively in open water, independent of currents
• Benthos- organisms that live at the bottom of ocean or bodies of fresh water

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Ocean Zones

• Benthic zone- the bottom region of oceans and bodies of fresh water.
• Pelagic zone- the region of an ocean or body of fresh water above the the benthic zone.

Ocean Zones

• Intertidal zone- the shallowest zone, between the low-tide and high-tide lines.
• Sublittoral zone- located on the contintal shelves and is populated by sea stars& sea lillies
• Bathyl zone- begins at the continental slope and extends to 4,000m. Octopuses and brachipods live here.

Ocean zones

• Abyssal zone- from 4,000-6,000m below sea level. Sponges and worms live here.
• Hadal zone- 6,000 meters and below. This is basically unexplored territory.

Pelagic Zone

• Pelagic zone- the region above the benthic zone.
• Neritic zone- the area of pelagic zone above the continental shelf. There is lots of light, moderate temperatures, and low pressure. This zone is full of life!
• There are lots of other zones like the epipelagic, mesopleagic, bathypelagic, and abyssopelagic.

Ocean Resources

• Water- we can get water from the ocean if we use the process of desalination.
• Petroleum- the most economically valuable resource is oil. ¼ of our oil comes from off-shore rigs.
• Nodules- potato-shaped lumps found deep on the ocean floor contain things like manganese, iron, copper, nickel, cobalt, and phosphates.

Ocean resources- Food

• Fishing- fish, crabs, lobster, and many other types of food come from the ocean.
• Aquaculture- the raising of aquatic plants and animals for human use or consumption.