Energy and Motion in the Oceans: Introduction
Seventeen-year old Zac Sunderland made international headlines in July 2009 when he became the youngest person ever to sail around the world alone. He sailed 27,500 nautical miles in 13 months and 2 days, setting the world record as the youngest person to solo circumnavigate the globe. A few months later, another teenager named Mike Perham, who was younger than Zac by two months, beat his record.
The goals of these two teenagers are not unlike the goals of sailors through centuries of world history. The oceans present us with remarkable challenges and opportunities for adventure and exploration. In this section, you will learn about energy and motion in the oceans—how surface currents move and how the deep waters of the ocean slowly journey across the globe. You will see how sailing trips like Zac’s and Mike’s are only made possible because of the connection between the atmosphere and the oceans. This connection drives the global winds and the global movements of ocean waters, making sailing adventures and world records possible.
