1_Ch. 13- Oceans & Seas

1_Ch. 13- Oceans & Seas

1. Oceans are vast bodies of salt water that separate the continents

   • They cover~ 71% of all the earth's surface
     • Hold over~ 97% of all the water on the planet
       • Absorb most of the sun's heat
         • Influence the earth's weather
           • Make climate more uniform compared to that of other planets
             • Most of the oxygen in our atmosphere comes from photosynthetic organisms living in the ocean
               • Without oceans, little to no life on earth would exist
   • Origin of the Ocean. Old Earth:
     • Appeared within the first 500 million years of earth's formation
       • Maybe from icy comet impacts that deposited water
         • Maybe from early solar nebula

2. Sea: a large section of ocean mostly surrounded by land or islands

3. Gulf: Similar to seas, but usually smaller than seas

4. Bay: Generally smaller than gulfs

5. Straits: A narrow ocean passage separating bodies of lands

6. Origin of the Ocean. Young Earth:

   • Earth began as a water planet