Module 12: Oceanography

Blue PlanetYou live on what is known as the "Blue Planet," a place where over 71% of the surface is covered in water. Scientists who study the oceans and how they interact with other Earth systems are called oceanographers.  The study of oceanography includes all aspects of the ocean, from examining microscopic plankton and studying tidal changes, to exploring deep ocean hydrothermal vents and tracking the global circulation of ocean currents. In this module, you will learn about how the ocean formed, the different ways that the ocean’s water moves around the Earth, and the structure of Earth’s crust below the ocean surface.  You will also meet some species that call the ocean home and learn how humans and the ocean depend on each other in more ways than you might think.

 

Getting Started

Connect the Dots GameGetting Started IconGame iconOceanographers study the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of Earth's oceans. Before you start this module, play this connect the dot game to reveal one of the items that you will study in this module. Click the player button to get started.

 

Key Vocabulary

Glossary Icon
To view the definitions for these key vocabulary terms, visit the course glossary.

abyssal plain groin sea stack
abyssal zone Gulf Stream seamount
aphotic zone guyot seawall
barrier island gyre semidiurnal
basins hydrothermal vent singularity
baymouth bar intertidal zone solar nebula
beach nourishment marine protected area Solar Nebula Theory
benthic zone mid ocean ridge spit
benthos mixed tide spring tide
Big Bang Theory neap tide submergent coast
breakwater nekton surface current
carbonate neritic zone thermohaline circulation
continental margin ocean trench tide
continental rise oceanic conveyor belt tombolo
continental shelf oceanic zone trough
continental slope out gassing upwelling
Coriolis effect overfishing volcanic island
crest pelagic zone wave height
diurnal tide photic zone wave period
emergent coast plankton wave
euphotic zone salinity wave-cut cliff
fetch sea arch wavelength