1. Introduction to Oceanography
Professor Marianne E. McNamara

2. First, An icebreaker… Your major Your year/Part time or full time
Your plans
Your objectives
Your interests

3. What is oceanography? Oceanography is the study of the ocean
An interdisciplinary science:
Geology
Geography
Chemistry
Physics
Biology
Astronomy

4. What is oceanography?
Oceanography consists of several specialized disciplines
Marine Biology (Biological oceanography)
Chemical Oceanography
Geological Oceanography
Physical Oceanography
Marine Engineering
Marine Ecology
Marine Management

5. Oceanography ≠ Dolphins!
Chemical Oceanography
Biological Oceanography
Physical Oceanography
Geological Oceanography

6. …but it is one way to unleash your inner dolphin hugger…
Yours truly

7. Got Ocean? The ocean covers 71% of the Earth’s surface
Accounts for >97% of the Earth’s water!
That means that all the rivers, lakes, glaciers, rain, snow, and groundwater make up the <3% remainder!
The average depth of the ocean is 3,800 meters (=12,500 feet) and at its deepest depth is 7,000 ft greater than the highest elevation on land (Mt. Everest 29,000 ft; Mariana Trench 36,163 ft)
The average temperature of the ocean is only 3.9 ̊C (=39 ̊F)

10. Oceanography
For our convenience, the oceans are separated into 5 named ocean basins (and many smaller seas), but they all constitute one world ocean; one great intermixing mass of saline (salty) water
All oceans are, in fact, interconnected with one another

11. One World Ocean Pacific Ocean (the largest) Atlantic Ocean
Indian Ocean
Arctic Ocean
Southern Ocean

12. One World Ocean Arctic Ocean Atlantic Ocean Pacific Ocean Indian Ocean
Southern Ocean

13. The Ocean’s Origins The Earth is believed to be 4.6 billion years old
During the Earth’s formation, heavy (dense) metals such as iron and nickel gravitated towards the hot center in a molten state
At the same time, lighter elements such as aluminum and silicon rose towards the surface, forming the Earth’s crust

14. The Ocean’s Origins
Crust is made up of different rock types, and so is thinner and thicker in places
Thick = land; thin = ocean!

15. The Ocean’s Origins
Eventually, the young Earth cooled enough such that water vapor (perhaps originating from impacts by icy comets) condensed and collected in the ocean basins
As water collected, it dissolved minerals within the rocks
After only 20 million years of rain, the oceans were born!

16. Why study oceanography?
~80% of all Americans live within 1 hour of an ocean or Great Lake
100% of all Long Islanders live within 1 hour of the Atlantic Ocean (and that assumes a good deal of traffic…)
50% of the world’s population live on a coastline

17. Why study oceanography?
We live on Long ISLAND; The ocean is our backyard!!!

18. Why study oceanography?
Our Earth is a BLUE planet
Why blue?

19. Why study oceanography?
More than half of the oxygen we breath is produced in the ocean!

20. Why study oceanography?
Oceans modulate the Earth’s climate

21. Why study oceanography?
Because it’s the stuff of legends (and nightmares…)

22. Why study oceanography?
So you can understand this on a deeper level

23. Why study oceanography?

24. Why study oceanography?
WHY NOT???!!!

25. Oceanography
Oceanography deals with understanding the complex relationships between physics, geology, chemistry and biology
Oceanography must also consider the relationships between the land and sea, and within the ocean itself

26. The History of Oceanography
Fortunately for us, explorers and scientists have been studying the oceans for millennia and centuries, respectively
1769 chart of the Gulf Stream by Benjamin Franklin

27. History of Oceanography
In fact, the units of latitude and longitude were developed by Alexandrian (Greek) scholars ~200 years BCE
Latitude and longitude are systems of imaginary lines dividing the surface of the Earth
Essential for navigation

28. Latitude and Longitude
Latitude lines run parallel to the equator
Longitude lines run from pole to pole

29. The History of Oceanography
The most famous (and extensive) study of our ocean was conducted by the British in the 19th century
The HMS Challenger literally sailed the seas between
Motivated by economic and military interests
Explored nearly every all parts of the world’s ocean
Seawater samples, biological samples, depths, sediment composition

30. The Challenger expedition
Voyage track from ; remains the longest continuous oceanographic survey

31. History of Oceanography
The Challenger expedition successfully disproved the “Azoic hypothesis” – the belief that no life existed below 550 meters
Collection of life in the depths launched the science of marine biology!
Today, thousands of marine scientists explore the many facets of oceanography around the globe

32. Oceanography
It is said that we know more about the surface of the moon than we do about our oceans
Much of the ocean remains unexplored
Hundreds of new species are discovered annually
With every new piece of information, we have more to learn and more to build upon

33. Ahoy ye landlubbers, your journey awaits!