1-10: Ocean Structure and Circulation

Importance of this Unit to the Course

The ocean exchanges heat, water, and trace gases with the atmosphere and, being a fluid, moves heat and biological materials horizontally around the globe and vertically near continents. This information in needed for understanding the climate system, global warming, and ocean biology that are described in other units.

Objectives

To understand the forces that drive the circulation patterns of the global oceans and the relation of global atmospheric circulation to global ocean circulation.
To understand the time and space scales of flow in the global ocean, including inter-basin transport and its role in transporting heat globally.

Preparation for Discussion (You must complete this section before class.)

Read the summary information. (Print text for offline review; images only.)

Take the Quiz

Review additional reading material (this material is not covered in the quiz, but offers more ideas for online discussion)

Visible Earth

Discussion (online / face-to-face) (See your portfolio for due dates and times)

A major component of the course is participation in the online dialog. The following types of comments are required:

Social Comments
Knowledge-building Comments
Ethical Comments

The following may be used as discussion starters for the online dialog:

Unit Problem to Ponder:

If we run short of food raised on land, why can't we "farm" the vast reaches of the ocean far from continents?
Unit exam questions from previous years
Unit discussions from previous years, available from the current online discussion

Additional Reading