Properties of the Oceans: Introduction
Oceans cover nearly 70 percent of Earth’s surface and affect nearly every phase of Earth’s dynamics. They hold 97 percent of Earth’s water and are the major source of water vapor that eventually becomes precipitation such as rain or snow. The oceans also store vast amounts of heat and thus moderate seasonal temperature changes and slow long-term climate change. The oceans are connected to life on Earth as well; they were the first places on Earth to support complex life forms and are currently home to millions of species.
The oceans and the atmosphere are intricately connected in a great cycle that moves water from the surface to the atmosphere and back to the surface again. This cycle is called the water cycle, and it is the process whereby water evaporates from the oceans, rises into the atmosphere, cools, and comes back down as precipitation.
In this section you will learn about the properties of the oceans. You will learn about the features of the seafloor, the composition of seawater and the role of the oceans in moderating global climate change.
