1. OCN 5401 Chapter 1 Overview Instructor: Dr. George A. Maul gmaul@fit.edu / X 7453

2. Hypsographic Data

3. How big is 1400 million cubic kilometers? What if we made a giant cube of the ocean? How big would it be? The average ocean volume is 1.4 x 10 21 liters, or 1.4 x 10 18 m 3, or 1.4 x 10 9 km 3 The average depth for the oceans is approximately 4 km. How big is the ocean? How big is that compared to a 12″diameter globe? 1000 km/6400 km = x cm/16 cm, x = 2.5cm or about 1 inch The cube root of 1.4 x 10 9 km 3 is approximately 1000 km. So we have a 1000 km 3 cube.

4. How big is the ocean? How big is the atmosphere?

5. Earth is an oblate spheroid due to rotation, and best represented mathematically by an ellipsoid. What is the size and shape of Earth? Equatorial radius = 6,378,137 m Polar radius = 6,356,752 m Satellite Altimeter

6. Geoid Surface Topography The geoid is a surface of equal potential energy (PE); a.k.a. an equipotential surface; a.k.a. a “level” surface. Departures of the geoid from the ellipsoid PE=m·g·h

7. Seafloor Topography Where is Earth’s longest mountain range?

8. Bathymetry – the process of determining seafloor topography

9. Deepsea Sediment Types Why are they different?

10. How deep is the Ocean? Mariana Trench Z = - 11,022 m If pressure is hydrostatic, how many atmospheres did the bathyscaphe Trieste have on its hull? Hydrostatic Equation p = -  g z where  is seawater density g is gravity z is water depth p is pressure (1 N  m -2 = 1 Pa)

11. Perpetual Ocean Video Ocean Surface Currents

12. Ocean Data Collection Note that many areas of the ocean have no in situ observations.

13. Pilot Charts provide general information – US Navy Publication

14. Research Vessels

15. RV Operations

16. Historical Instruments

17. What we measure Temperature Conductivity Pressure Velocity Sound speed Position Time Transparency

18. What we calculate Density Salinity Depth Heat Flux Volume Transport Dynamic Height Geostrophic Currents

19. OCN 5401 Questions? Chapter 1