LEARNING MODULE SURIGAO STATE COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY

MODULE 1
Oceanography 1

Introduction

Oceanography studies the physical setup of the oceans. It explains the major
physical properties of the marine environment and how these things affect everything and
everyone. Understanding ocean processes is vital to marine biologists, oceanographers, and
environmental scientists. Oceans are major contributor to global climate patterns, and give
us clues to past climate conditions. Knowledge of oceanography is important for resource or
energy extraction, such as commercial fishing or aquaculture, oil and gas exploration, and
clean energy resources such as wind, wave or tidal energy. Oceans are also major route for
international trade through commercial shipping, and are still a significant factor int the
transportation of people across the seas.

71% ocean, 29% land. 61% in Northern Hemisphere, 81% in Southern Hemisphere covered in surface area.

We often think of Earth in terms of its land area, but in reality 71% of the Earth’s
surface is covered by oceans, while only 29% is land. Oceans cover an area of 139 million
miles2 or 361 million km2, and contain a volume of about 1.37 billion km3 of water. All of this
water is not distributed equally over the Earth; 61% of the Northern Hemisphere is covered
by oceans, while in the Southern Hemisphere the oceans cover 81% of the surface area
(Figure 1.1.1).

MB 1 OCEANOGRAPHY
LEARNING MODULE SURIGAO STATE COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY

The average depth of the world ocean is about 3800 m (12,500 ft), which is 4 times
deeper than the average land elevation is high (840 m or 2,800 ft).

Objectives
1. Know the names and locations of the major oceans.
2. Know the history of oceanography.
3. Know the different physical features found below sea level.

MB 1 OCEANOGRAPHY
LEARNING MODULE SURIGAO STATE COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY

Pre-test:

1. What is oceanography?

2-6. What are the 5 major oceans (largest to smallest in size)?

7-10. Knowledge and understanding on ocean processes are vital to?

Learning Activities

Continental margins refer to the region of transition from the land to the deep seafloor,
i.e between continental and oceanic crust. In an active continental margin, the boundary
between the continent and the ocean is also a tectonic plate boundary, so there is a lot of
geological activity around the margin (West coast of US). A passive continental margin
occurs where the transition from land to sea is not associated with a plate boundary (I.e.
East coast of US).

Continental shelf is the shallow, flooded edge of the continent. It extends about 80
km from the coast, some margins have very little shelf and some can extend to 1500 km
(Siberian shelf in the Arctic). Depth of the shelf is generally below 150m and the floor
topography is flat due to tides, waves, ice sheets, and other erosion process that smoothed
out the shelf surface. Biologically one of the richest parts of the ocean due to constant
nutrient input from near the coast and its shallow depth prevents the nutrients from sinking
out. The continental shelf ends at the shelf break, the point where the angle of the seafloor
begins to get steeper (4o) and averages about 135m deep. This steeper portion of the
margin is the continental slope, from shelf break down to 3000-5000m. In some parts of the
ocean, large submarine canyons have been carved into the continental shelf (i.e. Monterey
Canyon in Monterey Bay, California). These canyons may be carved out by turbidity currents,
which are essentially landslides of sediments, rocks, and other debris down the face of the
slope.

MB 1 OCEANOGRAPHY
LEARNING MODULE SURIGAO STATE COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY

At the bottom of the slope is the continental rise. This area represents where the
continental crust meets with the oceanic crust, as the slope begins to level off to become the
deep ocean floor. The rise consists of thick layer of accumulated sediment coming from the
continent, making it difficult to tell where the slope ends and the rise begins. After the rise is
the abbysal plain (a.k.a. deep ocean floor), lying between 4500-6000 m. The plain includes
most of the ocean floor, and is the flattest region on earth. The flatness is due to millions of
years of sediment accumulation which buries most of the bottom features.

History of Oceanography

The present knowledge of winds, waves, ocean currents, and tides goes back
thousands of years. As early as 4000 BC, Polynesian navigators traded over long distances
in the Pacific (Service, 1996). In 325 BC, Pytheas explored the Atlantic from Italy to Norway.
Arabic traders used their knowledge of the reversing winds and currents in the Indian Ocean
to establish trade routes to China in the Middle Ages and later to Zanzibar on the African
coast. And, the connection between tides and the sun and moon was described in the
Samaveda of the Indian Vedic period extending from 2000 to 1400 BC (Pugh, 1987). Those
oceanographers who tend to accept as true only that which has been measured by
instruments, have much to learn from those who earned their living on the ocean. Toward
the end of the 20th century, slow ships of the 19th and 20th centuries gave way to satellites,
drifters, and autonomous instruments. Satellites are now used to observe the ocean, air, and
land. Thousands of drifters observe the upper two kilometers of the ocean. Data from these
systems, when fed into numerical models allows the study of earth as a system.

MB 1 OCEANOGRAPHY
LEARNING MODULE SURIGAO STATE COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY

The development of specialized disciplines (each with its own interests and
vocabulary) is attributed to the long history of the study of the ocean. Important disciplines
include: (1) Oceanography is the study of the ocean, with emphasis on its character as an
environment. Its primary goal is to gather a description sufficiently quantitative to be used for
predicting the future with some certainty. (2) Physical Oceanography is the study of physical
properties and dynamics of the ocean. Its primary interests are the interaction of the ocean
with the atmosphere, the oceanic heat budget, water mass formation, currents, and coastal
dynamics. (3) Geophysical Fluid Dynamics is the study of the dynamics of fluid motion on
scales influenced by the rotation of the Earth. Meteorology and oceanography use
geophysical fluid dynamics to calculate planetary flow fields. (4) Hydrography is the
preparation of nautical charts, including charts of ocean depths, currents, internal density
field of the ocean, and tides. (5) Earth-system Science is the study of earth as a single
system comprising many interacting subsystems including the ocean, atmosphere,
cryosphere, and biosphere, and changes in these systems due to human activity.

Self-Evaluation

1. As a marine biologist, why is it necessary to have a good understanding about

Activity

I. Choose one of the major oceans and write a 3-page written report about its oceanic
features (include any latest photos of its ocean floor). (80 pts)

II. Written report (1-page) about the history of oceanography in Philippines. (50 pts)

Post-test:

________1. Known as deep ocean floor.

________2. The region of transition from the land to the deep seafloor.

________3. The point where the angle of the seafloor begins to get steeper (4o).

________4. Average depth of the world ocean.

________5. Represents where the continental crust meets with the oceanic crust.

________6-10. Give examples of Canyon and its location.

Review of Concept

Oceanography studies the physical setup of the oceans. It explains the major
physical properties of the marine environment and how these things affect everything and
everyone.

MB 1 OCEANOGRAPHY
LEARNING MODULE SURIGAO STATE COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY

Reference

Biswas, K.P. (2013). Marine Biology. Daya Publishing House. New Delhi, India. (book)
Jia, Y. et.al. (2020). Wave-forced Sediment erosion and Resuspension in the Yellow River
Delta. Springer Singapore. Beijing, China. (ebook)
Komatsu, T. et.al. (2019). Oceanography Challenges to Future Earth: Human and
Natural Impacts on Our Seas. Springer International Publishing. Switzerland.
(ebook)
Shimokawa, S. et.al. (2020). Geophysical Approach to Marine Coastal Ecology: the
case of Iriomote Island, Japan. Springer Singapore. Gateway East, Singapore.
(ebook)
Skinner, M. (2018). Encyclopedia of Reproduction. Elsevier Inc. Oxford, United Kingdom.
(ebook)
Sverdrup, K., & Kudela, R. (2020). Investigating Oceanography. McGraw-Hill Education.
New York City, United States. (book)
Venkatesan, R. et.al. (2018). Observing the Oceans in Real Time. Springer International
Publishing. New York City, United States.(ebook)

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