GEOSCI 103 Lecture 1Outline of Current Lecture I. Significance in Studying Oceanography II.Specialties and Different Types of Oceanography (what is it?)a.Define and understand Geological Oceanography, Physical Oceanography and Biological OceanographyIII. Ocean Circulation TodayIV. Monitoring Weather Eventsa. The Geostationary Operational Environment Satellites (GOES)V. The Scientific Methoda. Understand the steps associated with scientific methodb. Define Theory and Natural LawCurrent Lecture: 9/2/14“The Earth is dynamic and ever changing. It functions as a series of interconnected‘systems’ driven by the internal energy of radioactive decay, conduction,convection and by the external energy of solar radiation” (Atmosphere,Geosphere, Cryosphere, Biosphere, Hydrosphere)Significance in Studying Oceanography:- Currents and sea surface temperature affect weather and climate: weather extremes - Global Warming, ocean acidification, spread of “dead zones” and their impact on organisms - Relation to fossil fuels and other natural recourses- Rising sea level and erosion of coast- Transportation and commerce- Cultivate, harvest and prepare food- Create useful products from natural recourses- Treat/ cure diseases- Forecast the weather - Reconstruct our past and predict our futureSpecialties and different types of Oceanography (what is it?)These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.- Geological Oceanography the study of the history and structure of the ocean floor and the processes that form its mountains, canyons and valleyso Examples include: Plate tectonics and the distribution of volcanoes and earthquakes around the planet; natural hazards including tsunamis - Physical Oceanography the study of physical conditions and physical processes within the ocean, especially the motions and physical properties of ocean waters (waves, tides, currents) o Examples: The Gulf Stream, a western boundary current; a fast flowing part of the subtropical gyre that encloses “The Sargasso Sea” o Ocean currents measured from space using ocean height (dynamic topography)o El Nino/La Nina ocean altimeter missions that monitor large scale features like Rossby and Kelvin waves in addition to exploring long term changes such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillationo Ocean currents flow around the relief on the ocean surface (hills and valleys)- Biological Oceanography study of plants and animals in the marine environment. Interested inthe numbers of marine organisms and how these organisms develop, relate to one another, adapt to their environment and interact with it. o Georges Bank and the Bay of Fundy are some of the most biologically rich waters in the ocean world. Ocean Circulation Today:o Ocean Surface Current Analyses—Realtime Near-realtime global ocean surface currents derived from satellite altimeter and scatterometer data o The regional focus is the tropical Pacific, where the value for a variety of users is demonstrated: monitoring debris drift, larvae drift, oil spills, fronts and eddies, climate diagnostics and prediction programsMonitoring Weather Events:o The Geostationary Operational Environment Satellites (GOES)Orbiting the Earth’s equatorial plane at a speed exactly matching the planet’s rotation, satellites in the GOES network seems to hover over fixed spots. They monitor atmospheric conditions that lead to hurricanes, flash floods, tornadoes, hail storms and volcanic plumes.o June 27th, 2009 the GOES-O weather satellite launched aboard a Delta IV rocket from Florida’s Air Force stationScientific Method:1. Make observationsnatural events or occurrences2. Develop a hypothesis to explain observations (intelligent reasoning/guess)a. Theory a hypothesis supported by abundant evidence and observation (ex: plate tectonics, evolution)b. Natural Law a theory proven to be non-varying in performance (ex: Boyle’s law of gases, gravity, Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion, Mendel’s laws of Heredity, Conservation of Energy)3. Test hypothesis with experiments (must be repeatable by other scientists and the original hypothesis is subject to