EARTH 222 Lecture 1: Introduction to Oceanography
11 Jun 2016
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Document Summary
Over 97% of the water on the earth is in the ocean. 71% of earth"s surface is covered by liquid water. Over half of the solar radiation absorbed by our planet is taken up by the oceans. This energy, once absorbed, is redistributed by ocean currents. Such mass movement of water plays a key role in the control of climate. Oceanography is the scientific study of the oceans, with the goal of understanding the processes and phenomena that take place in the marine realm. History of oceanography: 1) the beginning of ocean exploration (~4000 bc - ~1700 ad, 2) early scientific investigations (~1700 -~1900, 3) modern oceanography, the beginning, voyaging in the mediterranean sea and exploration of the atlantic ocean by the. Phoenicians (~1500-500 bc) and greeks (~900-700 bc) polynesian peoples started to colonize mid-pacific islands (3000 bc: describing the oceans:first cartographers (~800 bc, mediterranean traders)
