Final Paper: Earth Science

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DeSales University *

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SU-503

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Geography

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Oct 30, 2023

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docx

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Otto-Paul 1 Amber Otto-Paul Professor Earth Science 16 August 2023 Ocean It is evident from seeing pictures of Earth taken from space that the oceans play a crucial role in the history of the planet. “In fact, the ocean represents over 70% of the Earth's surface and contains 97% of all water on Earth. The ocean stores heat like a "fly wheel" for climate” (Ocean & Earth System | Science Mission Directorate, n.d.). Its enormous potential as a heat and water reservoir balances the Earth's climate. The water cycle, carbon cycle, and climate variability all depend heavily on the physical and biological processes that occur in the oceans within this Earth system. You will still feel the effects of the ocean on our Earth system even if you don't live near one. The tropical ocean is where the majority of rain that falls on land originates. As the main influencer of weather and climate, the ocean can help us understand global phenomena like El Nino. Nearly half of the oxygen you breathe comes from microscopic plants called phytoplankton, which also plays a critical part in the carbon cycle. Fields of crops far from the coast benefit from rainfall that cycled through the water cycle and spent a few days or maybe a very long time cycling through the ocean. Climate sensitivity The weather and climate of Earth are significantly influenced by the ocean. 70% of the world's surface is covered by the ocean. This vast reservoir constantly exchanges heat, moisture, and carbon with the atmosphere, affecting our climate's gradual, subtle shifts and dictating how our weather behaves. The oceans affect climate by absorbing solar radiation, releasing heat required to drive atmospheric circulation, releasing aerosols that affect cloud

Otto-Paul 2 cover, emitting the majority of the water that falls as rain on land, and absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it for a long period of time (millions of years to millions of years). A large portion of the solar energy that strikes the globe is absorbed by the seas, and since water has a high heat capacity, the oceans may slowly release heat over many months or years. Ocean biological and physical processes have an impact on climate. Additionally, interactions between biological and physical processes result in complex systems. The Earth's equatorial areas are severely heated by the Sun, and both the ocean and the atmosphere transfer nearly equal quantities of heat toward the frozen poles, which get comparatively little solar radiation. Through a complex, global system of winds, the atmosphere carries heat; when these winds blow across the sea surface, they cause similar patterns of ocean currents. However, ocean currents have a significantly larger potential for heat storage and travel more slowly than winds. In the carbon cycle of the planet, the ocean is a key player. With an exchange rate with the atmosphere over several hundred years, the total quantity of carbon in the ocean is around 50 times more than that in the atmosphere. At least 50% of the oxygen we breathe is produced by marine plants during photosynthesis. Currently, the oceans hold 48% of the carbon that burning fossil fuels releases into the atmosphere. However, due to probable effects of climate change on ocean circulation, biogeochemical cycling, and ecosystem dynamics, this significant carbon sink's future is extremely unknown. Numerous physical and biological processes continuously cycle carbon atoms through the oceans of the world. The difference in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air and the water, as well as surface mixing (related to wind speed), determine the flow of carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and the ocean. The concentration in the ocean is a function of temperature, alkalinity (which is strongly connected to salinity), photosynthesis, and respiration. It also relies on the atmospheric and ocean carbon dioxide partial

Otto-Paul 3 pressure. In carbon sinks (reservoirs) like the deep ocean and ocean sediment, carbon is also stored for a very long time. The amount of water on Earth is certainly exceptional. Water helps link the Earth's lands, seas, and atmosphere into a cohesive system, which is essential to maintaining life. The hydrological cycle, a perpetual worldwide process of water movement from clouds to land to ocean and back to clouds, includes precipitation, evaporation, freezing and melting, condensation, and all of these processes. The energy exchanges between the atmosphere, ocean, and land that shape the Earth's climate and contribute significantly to natural climate variability are closely related to this cycle of water. Changes in the water cycle are the main way that climatic variability and change affect human life quality. The ocean is crucial to this important water cycle. 97% of the water on the world is in the ocean, which also accounts for 86% of all evaporation and 78% of all global precipitation. Evaporation from the sea surface has a significant role in the transport of heat in the climate system in addition to influencing the amount of atmospheric water vapor and therefore rainfall. Ocean surface water evaporation occurs mostly in warm, cloudless subtropical waters. The major physical processes that make up the global water cycle are evaporation from ocean and land surfaces, atmospheric water vapor transport, precipitation on ocean and land surfaces, net atmospheric water transport from land to ocean, and freshwater return flow from the land to the ocean. The mixing of fresh water through the oceanic boundary layer, transport by ocean currents, and sea ice activities are the only additional elements of oceanic water transport. No matter where you live—in the desert, on the coast, or anywhere in between—the ocean has a good impact on all of us. It offers food, employment, a means of subsistence, and economic advancement. For the sake of our continued existence on this planet, we thus need to collaborate in order to safeguard and rescue the ocean.

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Otto-Paul 4 With every drop of water you drink, every breath you take, you’re connected to the sea.” — Sylvia Earle

Otto-Paul 5 Work Cited Ocean & Earth System | Science Mission Directorate . (n.d.). https://science.nasa.gov/earth- science/oceanography/ocean-earth-system Marine Conservation Institute. (2020, July 28). Why Protect Oceans? » Marine Conservation Institute . https://marine-conservation.org/why-protect-the-ocean/ United Nations. (n.d.). 5 reasons you should care about our ocean | United Nations . https://www.un.org/en/desa/5-reasons-you-should-care-about-our-ocean#:~:text=The %20ocean%20affects%20us%20all,future%20survival%20on%20this%20planet.