Dirty Water: Oceanic Clues About Climate Change
Many scientists believe they can better understand today's climate patterns by comparing them to those from the past. One way to do this is by examining ancient sediment samples.
Building Blocks: Mass Extinctions
The ultimate example of an environmental change leading to the termination of a species is what's known as a mass extinction.
Building Blocks: Ancient Fossils, Modern Technology
As scientists work to answer vexing questions about the origins of life, they examine the fossilized remains of the primitive life forms which at one time populated early Earth. The challenge in doing this is not only a function of the age of the fo...
Beneath the Surface: Light in the Ocean
One of the defining elements that distinguishes one ocean layer from another is the presence or absence of light. The impact of light in the marine environment is significant. It affects the behavior of marine animals and has an impact on their anat...
Beneath the Surface: Ocean's Horizontal Layers, The
The area beneath the surface of the ocean is laid out in discrete zones and layers. These provide a convenient framework within which to analyze ocean structure.
Beneath the Surface: Using Sound to Study the Ocean's Interior
Sound is sometimes used to study the ocean's interior. For example, the speed of sound in the ocean can be used to measure the temperature between the source and the receiver.
Beneath the Surface: Water and the Speed of Sound
Sound in the ocean travels about five times as fast as it does in the atmosphere. As with light, absorption plays a major role.
Beneath the Surface: Use of Sound by Marine Mammals
Marine mammals use sound in much the same way that animals on land use their sight and, to some extent, their hearing. It offers the best means by which to detect their prey at a distance.
Survivors: Predators and Prey
The ocean provides home to a dazzling variety of life. Yet there was a time when early life forms faced a multitude of struggles that threatened their ability to survive. The evolution of adaptations to overcome these challenges enabled life to endu...
Food for Thought: Primary Productivity and Climate
Phytoplankton play an important if indirect role in regulating the chemistry of the ocean and the atmosphere system. They do this through their contribution to the carbon cycle, taking carbon dioxide with them when they die and sink to the deep ocea...