The Ocean's Memory: Biogenous Sediments
While most sediments are terrigenous, there are other sediments that are also found in the marine environment. Biogenous sediments are those that form from the shells or skeletons of marine animals.
The Ocean's Memory: Obtaining and Analyzing Sediment Samples
Despite its temporary nature, sediment remains uniquely valuable. As a result, oceanographers have worked hard to refine the process of obtaining and analyzing sediment samples.
The Ocean's Memory: Oil, Gas and Manganese Nodules
Sediment is a uniquely valuable commodity within the marine environment. Oil, natural gas, coal, diamonds, gravel, sand, tin and titanium are all associated with marine sediment. Perhaps the most famous potential deep se..
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 abe..
The Ocean's Memory: Sediments and Past Climate
As sediments get laid down, they carry with them a record of the kind of environment in which they were formed. Scientists can read that record and learn valuable information about past climate and temperature change.
The Ocean's Memory: Terrigenous Sediments
Sediment is the debris that accumulates on the surface of the Earth as the result of chemical, physical and biological processes. Most sediment, known as terrigenous sediment, forms when rain falls on soil and washes it ..
The Water Planet: Big Bang, The
The "Big Bang" is the commonly accepted theory of the origin of the universe. Most scientists believe this cataclysmic explosion took place about fourteen billion years ago. It is widely thought that the universe has bee..
The Water Planet: Early Earth
At one time, Earth was a very different planet than it is today. Its atmosphere, in particular, bore very little resemblance to the one that we depend on for the air we breathe. It probably consisted primarily of carbon ..
The Water Planet: Earth Without Water, An
From its likely role in the formation of life, to its impact on global climate, the world ocean has shaped planet Earth to an extent that is almost impossible to overstate. Perhaps the best way to fully grasp the enormit..