Surf's Up: Wave Climate and the D-Day Story
Just as continental locations have a climate, so, too, do ocean waves. Knowing the wave climate at Normandy became a key part of the planning process in advance of the Allied D-Day invasion during World War II.
Surf's Up: Rogue Waves
While the effects of wind wave energy are mostly felt along the shoreline, the impact of waves can also be felt out in the open ocean. In some cases, as with extraordinarily large "rogue" waves, these kinds of waves are very difficult to predict and...
Surf's Up: Shoreline Effects of Wind Wave Energy
Nearly all of the effects of wind wave energy are felt along the shoreline, often in the form of erosion. The erosion process on the shoreline moves sand from one place to another and, over time, actually changes the orientation of the coast.
The Ocean's Memory: Sediment Distribution Patterns
While sediments of all varieties can be found almost anywhere in the marine environment, there are some very distinct distribution patterns.
The Ocean's Memory: Sediments and Earth's Magnetic Field
As with climate changes, there have been some unexplained aberrations in Earth's magnetic field during the recent past. Marine sediments provide important information that may help scientists better understand those aberrations.
Look Out Below: Growth of a Tsunami
A tsunami wave usually begins as barely a ripple above the surface out in the open ocean, often thousands of miles from its ultimate destination. By the time it reaches shore, a tsunami may have grown to nearly a hundred feet in height, and can be a...
Treasure Trove: Fishery Management
As concerns about overfishing increase, the need for effective fishery management becomes critical. The focus is on maintaining a sustainable harvest of resources. There are a number of factors that complicate that process, including the challenge o...
Something in the Air: Climate System Power: Hurricane Mitch
Hurricane Mitch was the most lethal Atlantic hurricane of modern times. It left nine thousand dead, five hundred seventy thousand homeless, and is estimated to have set back the Honduran infrastructure fifty years. It is a prime example of the extra...
Something in the Air: Interplay Between Atmosphere and Ocean
The interplay between atmosphere and ocean plays a role in nearly all weather events. The two bodies are in continuous contact with one another, and each influences conditions in the other.
Something in the Air: Coriolis Force, The
The Coriolis Effect, named for 19th century French scientist Gaspard Gustave Coriolis, describes the apparent force that arises when an object that is moving is viewed in a reference frame that is rotating.