Oceans: A Very Short Introduction Stow Dorrik Director Institute of Petroleum Engineering Heriot Watt University
Oceans: A Very Short Introduction Stow Dorrik Director Institute of Petroleum Engineering Heriot Watt University The importance of the oceans to life on Earth cannot be overstated. Life on Earth…
Specifikacia Oceans: A Very Short Introduction Stow Dorrik Director Institute of Petroleum Engineering Heriot Watt University
Oceans: A Very Short Introduction Stow Dorrik Director Institute of Petroleum Engineering Heriot Watt University
The importance of the oceans to life on Earth cannot be overstated. Life on Earth began in the oceans over 3.5 billion years ago and remained there for the great majority of that time. Liquid water covers more than 70% of our planet's surface and, in past geological time, has spread over 85%.
Our oceans are vital for the regulation of climate, and with global warming and decreasing land area, they have become increasingly important as the source of food, energy in the form of oil and gas, and for their mineral wealth. Today the seas still provide 99% of habitable living space, the largest repository of biomass, and holds the greatest number of undiscovered species on the planet. Oceans also form a key part of the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, and other elements critical to life.
Nutrients in upwelling areas are spread by ocean currents, and the plankton of the seas supports