DEFINITIONS OF OCEANOGRAPHY:-

• According to H.A. Marmer: “Oceanography the

science of the sea, includes primarily the study of the

form and nature of the oceans basins, the

characteristics of the water in these basins and the

movement to which these water are subject to.”

• According to J. Proudman: “Oceanography studies

the fundamental principles of dynamics and thermodynamics in relation to the physical and biological
properties of the sea water.”

Branches of oceanography
• There are generally six branches of oceanography:

1. Physical oceanography, or marine physics

attributes including temperature, salinity structure, mixing, waves,

internal waves, surface tides, internal tides, and currents.

2. Chemical oceanography, or marine chemistry, is the study of the

chemistry of the ocean and its chemical interaction with the

atmosphere;

3. Biological oceanography, or marine biology, is the study of the plants,

animals and microbes of the oceans and their ecological interaction with

the ocean;

4. Geological oceanography, or marine geology, is the study of the geology

of the ocean floor including plate tectonics and paleoceanography;

5. Meteorological oceanography, the study of the interactions of the

atmosphere and the ocean in the hydrosphere.

6. Applied oceanography:-This branch of oceanography is concerned with

the application of the oceanographic knowledge to practical problems.

Nature of Oceanography
• also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science

that studies the ocean.

• Oceanography is an interdisciplinary science that involves the study of the

entire ocean.

• It covers a wide range of topics, including

 marine organisms

 Ecosystem dynamics ( study of aquatic life, planktons);

 ocean currents, waves and tides,

 geophysical fluid dynamics;

 plate tectonics

 the geology of the sea floor;

 fluxes of various chemical substances (various chemical reactions)

 physical properties( like temp. pressure, salinity, density of ocean

water) within the ocean and across its boundaries.

• These diverse topics reflect multiple disciplines that oceanographers blend to

further knowledge of the world ocean and understanding of processes within

it:

• biology, chemistry, geology, meteorology, and physics as well as geography

A Geographical approach into

Oceanography
Oceanography is a part of Physical Geography.

• Oceanography is significant to geography because the fields have

overlapped in terms of navigation, mapping and the physical and

biological study of Earth's environment.

• A Geographical approach into Oceanography include the studies of:-

 The inter-relation between sea and atmosphere and the effect on

weather.

 The problems and prospects of ocean navigation.

 the possibilities of developing plank-tonic food resources.

 The development and conservation of world fisheries and exploration

of other food resources.

 The Geographical research with the aim of knowing the reflects of

various forces under the sea.

The atmosphere and ocean are linked because of evaporation and

precipitation as well as thermal flux and solar insolation.

Wind stress is a major driver of ocean currents while the ocean is a sink for atmospheric carbon
dioxide.

Scope of Oceanography
• This branch of climatology is concerned with the scope of the

oceanographical knowledge to practical problems of the oceans

• It analyses the relationship of oceanography to other sciences.

• Applied oceanography can be of great help for many problems related to

coastal industries, shore communities (settlements), military and naval

establishments, ports and harbours, and other ocean problems.

• The main purpose is to find out the ways and means to make use of our

knowledge for the betterment of human life and the life in the oceans. of

oceans

• Data derived from the work of Oceanographers is used in marine

engineering, in the design and building of oil platforms, ships, harbors,

and other structures that allow us to use the ocean safely.

• Oceanographic data management is the discipline ensuring that

oceanographic data both past and present are available to researchers.

Importance of Oceanography
1. Throughout history humans have been directly or indirectly

influenced by the oceans.

2. Ocean waters serve as a source of food and valuable

minerals.

3. Ocean waters serve as vast highways for transport and

commerce

4. Increasingly, people are turning to the oceans for their food

supply either by direct consumption or indirectly by

harvesting fish that is then processed for livestock feed.

5. It has been estimated that as much as 10% of human protein

intake comes from the oceans.

6. Other biological products of the oceans are also

commercially used.

7. For example, pearls taken from oysters are used in jewellery,

and shells and coral have been widely used as a source obuilding material

Conti…
8. Ocean water is processed to extract commercially valuable

minerals such as salt, bromine, and magnesium.

9. Extensive deposits of petroleum-bearing sands.

10. On the deep ocean floor manganese nodules, formed by the

precipitation of manganese oxides and other metallic salts

around a nucleus of rock or shell, represent a potentially rich

and extensive resource.

11. Ocean water itself could prove to be a limitless source of

energy in the event that nuclear fusion reactors are

developed, since the oceans contain great quantities of

deuterium.

12. The oceans also have become more important for recreational

use, as each year more people are attracted to the sports of

swimming, fishing, scuba diving, boating, and water-skiing.