Module V: Ocean Systems

How are climate, cultures and oceans all connected?

Considering that the oceans cover more than 70% of the worlds surface, it is probably safe to say that the oceans will have a huge impact on climate and culture. About half of the world's population lives within fifty miles of the coastline. This shows how important the oceans are as a resource to groups all around the world. Before connecting culture to climate and oceans it is good to see how the oceans and climate are connected.

The oceans are not all the same temperature. The temperature of the Pacific Ocean near the equator won't be the same as the temperature of the Pacific Ocean near the Bering Sea. This is due to the tilt of the Earth's axis as it rotates around the sun. As seen in the image to the left (http://dcweather.blogspot.com/2005_12_01_archive.html) the oceans near the equator are hit with the energy from the sun at a perpendicular angle which causes the oceans to absorb more energy than other locations. The Bering Sea gets more sun during the summer months, but it is at more of an angle and much of the energy is reflected back into space. The oceans maintain their temperature due to the heat capacity of water. Water is able to absorb heat easily and not change its overall temperature substantially. This can be seen in the NASA/JPL video "Oceans of Climate Change". This ability to not change temperature easily creates an unbalance that makes up the oceans currents. Warm temperatures move towards cooler temperatures as can be observed by opening a door to a home in the wintertime. The same is true for ocean temperatures. As seen in the picture to the right (http://blue.utb.edu/paullgj/geog3333/lectures/physgeog.html) the currents can be seen. As water is heated near the Gulf of Mexico it circulates north east where it cools and then travels south again. The reason why the currents are clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counter-clockwise in the southern hemisphere is due to the coriolis effect. As the Earth rotates, the equator is spinning the fastest. Objects traveling near the equator have this energy. Things that travel north from the equator will tend to drift eastward because the further north traveled the Earth doesn't spin as fast. Currents traveling south from the equator will drift westward.

It is due to these changes in the ocean temperature which helps drive the Earth's climate. As air is heated in some parts of the world and other parts are cooling due lack of direct sunlight it creates a pressure difference which seeks balance. As the air moves it also brings moisture and warmth from the oceans to other parts of the globe. This causes precipitation in all sorts of forms.

Oceans have a huge affect on culture and people. In the modern age they are primarily used to provide food and for a method of transportation. In the past and for some cultures still today they provide food, clothing, tools for survival and transportation. The precipitation that is generated by ocean currents are what generally dictate where people live. Areas with little to no precipitation tend to be the least populated because of the difficulty in obtaining fresh drinking water. In places where precipitation is great and rivers and lakes are in abundance there tends to be an abundance of populations. Water is one of the key elements for life on Earth. Without it, humans can't survive. All cultures depend on the oceans even if not directly living on a shore. Without the oceans and temperature differences there wouldn't be any method of getting water further inland which would make it impossible for people to survive on.

The digital resources in this module can be a great tool for teaching this content to students. A lecture and worksheets may be able to teach some students, but not all are completely auditory learners. By bringing in some of these videos about the heat capacity of water and the ocean currents it opens up the learning to visual learners. It can be opened up even further by having the students conduct in class activities to gain hands on experience to cater to the tactile and kinesthetic learners. If I were to teach this material in class I would take it a step further and invite elders in from the community to discuss what they know of their time and their ancestors time about climate. This would bring the material full circle by giving it relevance to the students. It is important to deliver scientific information using relevance to make the material understood and retained better.

Photo courtesy of http://467troutman.com/