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Ocean

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An ocean (from Greek Ωκεανός, Okeanos (Oceanus)) is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface (an area of some 361 million square kilometers) is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas. More than half of this area is over 3,000 meters (9,800 ft) deep. Average oceanic salinity is around 35 parts per thousand (ppt) (3.5%), and nearly all seawater has a salinity in the range of 30 to 38 ppt.

For more information about Ocean, read the full article at Wikipedia.
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News tagged with ocean

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Glider robot a sleek ocean explorer

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created 17 hours ago | popularity 4.5 / 5 (8) | comments 1

The sea was heaving, the skies gray. The captain of the research ship was worried about the weather. About 120 miles off the coast of Spain, three Rutgers University scientists had a narrow window of opportunity to find and ...


Shallow Origins

Shallow Origins

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Dec 22, 2009 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (13) | comments 2

In finding answers to the mystery of the origin of life, scientists may not have to dig too deep. New research is shedding light on shallower waters as a possible location for where life on Earth began.


Ancient Pacific islanders brought to light

Ancient Pacific islanders brought to light

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created Dec 21, 2009 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (5) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- A find of 60 headless skeletons summer 2009 may reveal the identity of the people who first inhabited the Pacific Ocean archipelago Vanuatu 3000 years ago.


A dolphin swims off the coast of Rangiroa

Oceans becoming noisier thanks to pollution -- report

Space & Earth / Environment

created Dec 20, 2009 | popularity 4 / 5 (4) | comments 4

The world's oceans are becoming noisier thanks to pollution, with potentially harmful effects for whales, dolphins and other marine life, US scientists said in a study published Sunday.


Computer simulation strengthens link between climate change and release of subsea methane

Computer simulation strengthens link between climate change and release of subsea methane

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Dec 17, 2009 | popularity 4.1 / 5 (23) | comments 64

(PhysOrg.com) -- A first-of-its-kind computer simulation that mirrors real-world observations of methane bubbling up from a seabed in the Arctic Ocean provides further evidence that warming oceans may unleash ...


From greenhouse to icehouse -- reconstructing the environment of the Voring Plateau

From greenhouse to icehouse -- reconstructing the environment of the Voring Plateau

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Dec 15, 2009 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (8) | comments 1

The analysis of microfossils found in ocean sediment cores is illuminating the environmental conditions that prevailed at high latitudes during a critical period of Earth history.


Hypoxia increases as climate warms

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Dec 15, 2009 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (6) | comments 3

A new study of Pacific Ocean sediments off the coast of Chile has found that offshore waters experienced systematic oxygen depletion during the rapid warming of the Antarctic following the last "glacial maximum" period 20,000 ...


New species of coral, sponges found near Hawaii

Biology / Ecology

created Dec 15, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

(AP) -- New and dramatic species of coral and sponges have been found in the Pacific during deep sea dives near the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, scientists said Monday.


Tropical Cyclone Mick forms quickly, hits Fiji in the southwestern Pacific

Tropical Cyclone Mick forms quickly, hits Fiji in the southwestern Pacific

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Dec 14, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Tropical Cyclone Mick formed over the weekend in the southwestern Pacific Ocean and made a quick landfall over Fiji's main island of Viti Levu earlier today, December 14. Mick made landfall as a Category ...


The koala faces starvation as the nutritional quality of eucalyptus leaves declines, the report says

Koalas, penguins at risk of extinction: study

Biology / Ecology

created Dec 14, 2009 | popularity 3.3 / 5 (3) | comments 0

Climate change threatens the survival of dozens of animal species from the emperor penguin to Australian koalas, according to a report released Monday at the UN climate summit.


Tropical Cyclone 05B forms southeast of Chennai, India

Tropical Cyclone 05B forms southeast of Chennai, India

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Dec 11, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Tropical Cyclone 05B has formed out of "System 96B" in the Northern Indian Ocean and is forecast to approach southeastern India by Sunday, December 13 and make landfall on Monday.


New discoveries could improve climate projections

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Dec 11, 2009 | popularity 3 / 5 (3) | comments 0

New discoveries about the deep ocean's temperature variability and circulation system could help improve projections of future climate conditions.


What's so funny about global warming?

Other Sciences / Other

created Dec 10, 2009 | popularity 3 / 5 (2) | comments 1

Ian Leung has wanted to do something about global warming for almost two decades. Ever since he switched careers in 1991 from science advisor to the Ontario Ministry of Environment to pursue a career as an actor, the environment-and ...


Understanding ocean climate

Understanding ocean climate

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Dec 10, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

High-resolution computer simulations performed by scientists at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (NOCS) are helping to understand the inflow of North Atlantic water to the Arctic Ocean and how ...


Oceans' Uptake of Manmade Carbon May Be Slowing

Oceans' Uptake of Manmade Carbon May Be Slowing

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Dec 09, 2009 | popularity 3.5 / 5 (20) | comments 10

(PhysOrg.com) -- The oceans play a key role in regulating climate, absorbing more than a quarter of the carbon dioxide that humans put into the air. Now, the first year-by-year accounting of this mechanism ...