Geological Oceonagraphy

71% of the earth is covered by water * N. Hemisphere ~ 60% * S. Hemisphere ~ 81%
Oceans are the main source of saltwater * 5 oceans that scientists identified but refer to as the main bodies that create waves, currents, and other ocean phenomena * Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, Arctic * Out of the 5, the Southern is the newest, relatively identified * Pacific is the largest/deepest * Atlantic is the second largest, and the smallest is the Arctic. The Southern Ocean is the second smallest
Earth is created based on density * Density: how much something weighs in a particular area * The more weight is spread out, the easier it is to manage * Ex) An 80-pound cell phone versus an 80-pound ceiling. You can hold up the latter in one hand
\ 1. Oceanic Crust (Oceanic plates/Continental plates) * Younger, thinner, but extremely heavy
\ 2. Continental crust * Older, thicker, but lighter
Both of them are lighter than the mantle
Diverging plates vs Converging plates * Diverging plates: * Move away from each other * Forms mid-ocean ridge * Big crack in the Atlantic Ocean, from the N. Pole to S. Pole, the only part of Earth where new land is being formed constantly is in the Atlantic Ocean * Convergent plates: * 2 oceanic crusts form a subduction zone * Deep sea trench * Lots of lifeforms in these environments are undiscovered
Subduction zones: The region where an oceanic plate sinks down into the asthenosphere at a convergent boundary, between continental and oceanic plates
Hydrothermal vents: * Organisms are constantly being found and identified in the hydrothermal vents, they’re a land of their own * Lots of bacteria and fish
The Pacific Ocean has converging plates, the Atlantic Ocean has diverging
Further elaboration: You can walk around 100 yards in the Atlantic Ocean on the East Coast and still be only ankle high. However, if you take a few steps in the Pacific, you’ll be met with a steep drop because there is only a tiny portion of the water is shallow
Earthquake activity is increased towards the Pacific, a tsunami is formed by earthquakes, and there’s more earthquake activity there
A huge amount of energy in a small space increases its pressure. The pressure creates a massive tsunami, and the drastic change of slope forces the water to be pressurized * Earthquakes have to happen in the open ocean