Basic Structure of The Ocean

• Oceanography


  The study of all aspects of the ocean
• Topics covered in oceanography


  • Marine life and ecosystems
  • Currents and waves
  • Movement of sediments
  • Seafloor geology
  • Physical, chemical, and biological features of the ocean
  • Ocean's ancient history
  • Ocean's current condition
  • Ocean's future
• The study of oceanography is interdisciplinary
• The ocean's properties and processes function together
• Chemical composition of water


  Influences what types of organisms live there
• Organisms


  Provide sediments to the geology of the seafloor
• Oceanographers must have a broad understanding of the relationships between the ocean's properties and processes to research specific topics or subdisciplines
• History of oceanography


  • Humans started analyzing and studying the seas, the oceans, and their currents and tides in prehistoric times
  • Sailing techniques evolved, and the world's greatest ocean explorers ended up mapping the planet
  • By the end of the 16th century, cartographers already had a more or less clear idea and projection of Planet Earth
  • The birth of modern oceanography and the systematic and scientific study of the world's oceans is often associated with the Challenger Expedition (1872–1876)
  • The HMS Challenger, led by Captain George Nares and under the scientific supervision of Charles Wyville Thomson, traveled nearly 70,000 nautical miles and pioneered the science of the oceans
  • The world's oldest oceanographic organization is the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), founded in 1902
  • Ocean buoys represent a fundamental tool in the analysis and interpretation of oceanographic and atmospheric data in real-time
• Subdisciplines of oceanography


  • Biological oceanography
  • Physical oceanography
  • Geological oceanography
  • Chemical oceanography
• Biological oceanography


  The study of the ocean's plants and animals and their interactions with the marine environment
• Physical oceanography


  The study of the relationships between the seafloor, the coastline, and the atmosphere

  
• Geological oceanography


  Focuses on the formation of the seafloor and how it changes over time
• Chemical oceanography


  The study of the chemical composition of seawater and how it is affected by weather, human activities, and other factors
• Applied oceanography


  • Coastal management
  • Fisheries management
  • Marine resource exploration
  • Climate prediction
  • Collaboration and advocacy
• Applied oceanography helps assess and manage coastal hazards such as erosion, storm surges, and sea-level rise

  
• Oceanographic research informs sustainable fisheries management practices by studying fish populations, their habitats, and the impacts of fishing activities
• Applied oceanography plays a crucial role in exploring and exploiting marine resources such as oil and gas, minerals, and renewable energy sources like wind, waves, and tides
• Understanding ocean dynamics and their interaction with the atmosphere is essential for predicting climate patterns and extreme weather events
• Applied oceanographers work with governments, industries, NGOs, and local communities to develop policies, strategies, and technologies that promote ocean conservation, sustainable development, and responsible stewardship of marine resources
• Reasons to study the oceans


  • Climate research
  • Hurricane forecasting
  • El Niño & La Niña forecasting
  • Ship routing
  • Offshore industries
  • Fisheries management
  • Marine mammal research
  • Coral reef research
• Marine technology and engineering


  • Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs)
  • Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs)
  • Oceanographic sensors and instruments
  • Marine vehicles and platforms
  • Underwater communication and navigation systems
  • Offshore structures and renewable energy systems
  • Environmental monitoring and pollution control
• Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs)


  Underwater robots controlled by operators on the surface, equipped with cameras, sensors, and manipulator arms

  
• Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs)


  Operate independently without direct human control, pre-programmed to carry out specific missions
• Oceanographic sensors and instruments


  Specialized devices designed to measure various parameters of the ocean environment

  
• Marine vehicles and platforms


  Specialized vehicles and platforms for marine operations, including research vessels, survey ships, offshore platforms, submersibles, and floating structures
• Underwater communication and navigation systems


  Enable underwater vehicles to communicate with operators, navigate autonomously, and transmit data in real time
• Offshore structures and renewable energy systems


  Structures such as oil and gas platforms, offshore wind farms, tidal energy turbines, and wave energy converters
• Environmental monitoring and pollution control


  Monitoring and assessing the health of marine ecosystems and mitigating the impacts of human activities on the marine environment
• Navigation systems


  Optimized for underwater environments
• Underwater vehicle navigation systems

  • Enable communication with operators
  • Enable autonomous navigation
  • Enable real-time data transmission
  • Facilitate remote monitoring, control, and coordination of underwater operations
• Offshore structures and renewable energy systems


  Marine technology plays a crucial role in their design, construction, and maintenance
• Marine technology for offshore structures and renewable energy


  • Develop innovative solutions to withstand harsh marine conditions
  • Optimize the extraction of renewable energy resources from the ocean
• Environmental monitoring and pollution control


  Marine technology is used to monitor and assess the health of marine ecosystems and mitigate the impacts of human activities on the marine environment
• Marine technology for environmental monitoring and pollution control


  • Development of monitoring networks
  • Pollution detection systems
  • Oil spill response technologies
  • Marine habitat restoration techniques
• Continental margins


  Submerged outer edges of continents, including continental shelf, continental slope, and continental rise

  
• Abyssal plains


  Vast, flat areas of the ocean floor found at depths between 3,000 and 6,000 meters

  
• Mid-ocean ridges


  Underwater mountain ranges that form at divergent plate boundaries, characterized by volcanic activity and hydrothermal vents
• Ocean trenches


  Long, narrow depressions in the ocean floor, typically found at subduction zones
• Seamounts and guyots


  Seamounts are underwater mountains that rise from the ocean floor but do not reach the surface, while guyots are flat-topped seamounts
• Oceanic plateaus


  Large, relatively flat areas of oceanic crust that are higher than the surrounding ocean floor, often formed by volcanic activity