Marine Science: An Illustrated Guide To Science (science Visual Resources)

SCIENCE VISUAL RESOURCES MARINE SCIENCE An Illustrated Guide to Science The Diagram Group Marine Science: An Illustrated Guide to Science Copyright © 2006 The Diagram Group Editorial: Gordon Lee, Jamie Stokes Design: Anthony Atherton, Richard Hummerstone, Lee Lawrence Illustration: Peter Wilkinson Picture research: Neil McKenna Indexer: Martin Hargreaves All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact: Chelsea House An imprint of Infobase Publishing 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 For Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data, please contact the publisher. ISBN 0-8160-6166-1 Chelsea House books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at 212/967-8800 or 800/322-8755. You can find Chelsea House on the World Wide Web at http://www.chelseahouse.com Printed in China CP Diagram 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is printed on acid-free paper. Introduction Marine Science is one of eight volumes of the Science Visual Resources set. It contains seven sections, a comprehensive glossary, a Web site guide, and an index. Marine Science is a learning tool for students and teachers. Full- color diagrams, graphs, charts, and maps on every page illustrate the essential elements of the subject, while parallel text provides key definitions and step-by-step explanations. Geography of the oceans provides an overview of the physical dimensions of the bodies of water that cover 70 percent of Earth. Geology of the oceans examines the geological processes that have shaped Earth’s surface and features that are unique to the marine environment. It covers the regions of intense volcanic activity that lie deep beneath the sea, and the shifting boundaries between water and land. Chemistry of the oceans is concerned with the nature of seawater and with the global cycles that carry vital elements, such as carbon and nitrogen, from the oceans to the atmosphere to the land, and back to the ocean again. Ocean-atmosphere system details the engines that drive global climate. The cycling of heat from warmer to cooler latitudes, the impact of Earth’s rotation on ocean currents, and the daily ebb and flow of the tides are covered here. Biology of the oceans is an overview of the wealth of plant and animal life that lives in, on, or near the oceans. Food chains stretching from bacteria to blue whales are described, as well as the unique communities that thrive in the pitch black of the deep ocean floor. Every class of animal and plant found in the marine environment is articulated. Marine exploration and Marine economics focus on the human relationship with the sea. It covers the technology that has allowed explorers to span the globe and probe the depths of the ocean. The vital role of marine food sources in the health and wealth of the world is also examined. Contents 1 GEOGRAPHY OF THE OCEANS 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Earth’s water Earth’s oceans The Eastern Hemisphere The Western Hemisphere Major seas Pacific Ocean Atlantic Ocean Indian Ocean Arctic Ocean 17 Southern Ocean 18 Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico 19 Sargasso Sea 20 Mediterranean Sea 21 North Sea 22 Red Sea 23 Persian Gulf 24 Depth zones 2 GEOLOGY OF THE OCEANS 25 The first oceans 26 Oceanic and continental crust 27 Primeval continental drift 28 Recent continental drift 29 Seafloor spreading 30 The Wilson