| Learning Oceanography Science on CDROM |
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Oceans Alive |
Earth's Oceans |
Oceans in Motion |
Earth's Water Cycle |
 Oceans Alive demo |
 Oceans Alive!  Light is essential for the microscopic plant life (phytoplankton) in the ocean. Lower a Secchi disk over the side of a virtual research vessel to discover how oceanographers determine the depth of light penetration. Learn about primary production and the difference between oceanic food chains and food webs. Observe the ocean as oceanographers do, using sensors borne on airplanes and satellites. Learn how different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum are used to monitor sea surface temperatures, the movement of ice, the height of waves, and sea level changes. Discover how measurements of ocean color are used to measure the abundance of phytoplankton at the ocean surface, and how oceanic phytoplankton play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle, and are central to issues of climate change. Learn about major climatic phenomena such as El Nino and the destruction of Earth's stratospheric ozone layer. |
 Earth's Ocean demo |
Earth's Oceans This introduction to the Earth's oceans reviews the hydrologic cycle and looks at the size and structure of Earth's ocean basins. Discover the various forms of water present on Earth and how water molecules are continually on the move from one reservoir to another. Explore the role of seafloor spreading and continental drift in the creation of ocean basins. Virtual activities include filling up the ocean, using an interactive hydrographic chart to find the percentage of the Earth's surface above or below a chosen depth or elevation and plotting the locations of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions to map tectonic plate boundaries. |
 Ocean Motion |
Oceans in Motion Discover what makes water such a special substance and why seawater is salty. Watch an iceberg flip over! Measure the pressure on the hull of the R.M.S. Titanic™ and find out how much heat is required to melt ice and evaporate water. Learn how the Sun's heat warms the ocean surface, producing a horizontal layering of water and driving the circulation of Earth's oceans and atmosphere. Build Earth from scratch to discover how important our atmosphere is to life on Earth and how uneven heating of the Earth's surface sets up our atmospheric circulation. Investigate the "global conveyor belt" and discover how the ocean circulates around the globe over thousands of years and influences our climate. Discover how the size of ocean waves is measured and how large (and small) waves can be, and what causes tides, tsunamis, and tidal bores. Discover how the actions of waves and currents alter coastlines, producing different types of coastline with a wide diversity of coastal habitats. |
 Water Cycle |
Earth's Water Cycle Earth's surface is moulded by the movement of liquid water (rivers and streams) and solid water (glaciers) over the landscape. Discover how water moves beneath the surface and how this groundwater constitutes an important freshwater reservoir for terrestrial life. Conduct your own environmental assessment to locate a source of pollution. Discover how scientists measure the slow movement of glaciers. Learn how and why hurricanes form over warm oceanic waters and how hurricanes threaten coastal environments. Join scientists chasing tornadoes to learn more about another deadly weather phenomenon. Explore the vertical structure of the atmosphere and discover how heat from the Sun causes air to rise and why moisture condenses to form clouds. Fire a virtual cannon to discover how the Earth's rotation gives rise to the Coriolis effect. Discover the principles of weather forecasting, observe global weather patterns from the vantage point of a weather satellite, and even build your own weather station from common household components! |
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