The oceans

The oceans cover more than 70 per cent of our planet. In this free course, The oceans, you will learn about the depths of the oceans and the properties of the water that fills them, what drives the ocean circulation and how the oceans influence our climate.

• Introduction
• Learning outcomes
• 1 The effect of the oceans on climate
• 1 The effect of the oceans on climate
• 1.1 Summary of Section 1
• 2 Mapping the oceans
• 2 Mapping the oceans
• 2.1 Mapping the deep
• 2.1.1 Bathymetry techniques
• 2.1.2 Bathymetric data online
• 2.2 Summary of Section 2
• 3 Seawater
• 3 Seawater
• 3.1 Salt in the oceans
• 3.2 The density of fresh water and seawater
• 3.3 The surface properties of the oceans
• 3.3.1 The surface temperature
• 3.3.2 The surface salinity
• 3.4 The vertical distribution of properties
• 3.5 The water properties along the Atlantic Ocean
• 3.6 Summary of Section 3
• 4 Ocean currents
• 4 Ocean currents
• 4.1 The global surface circulation
• 4.2 The effect of the wind on the oceans
• 4.3 Ekman drift
• 4.4 Divergence and convergence
• 4.5 Surface water masses
• 4.6 The frozen seas
• 4.7 The global ocean circulation
• Conclusion
• Glossary
• Acknowledgements