Major Issues of Oceanography - Essay Example

Essay on Oceanography [School] Number] September 9, Oceanography is the earth science that deals with the study of oceans, their biotic constituents and as well as physical attributes surrounding the ocean structures. This encompasses vast multi-disciples, focusing on the marine organisms and ecosystem dynamics, ocean currents waves as well as the geophysical properties. Notwithstanding, the plate tectonics and the geology of ocean floor as well as the fluctuations of the chemical substances and physical properties form an integral part of oceanography. The study of the oceans has enabled the understanding of the global climates and the trending climatic concerns such as the global warming and the possible impacts on the ecosystem dynamics and the life supporting atmospheric portion i.e. the biosphere at large. The atmosphere and the biosphere are interrelated through the natural processes of evaporation, precipitation and the natural heat exchange processes. At a general broad prospect, oceanography is divided into the following branches: 1. Biological oceanography This refers to the study of the ecology of the marine ecosystems with regards to their surrounding ocean environment. Marine biologists study the life in the oceans (marine ecology) and as well as the total organic production in the seas and oceans. The marine life consists of the floating or weakly swimming organisms known as planktons and rapidly swimming organisms referred to as nektons. Marine oceanographers map the floors of oceans, analyze the problems of the shorelines, and study the deposits and other sediments of the ocean floor and rock layers of the earth’s crust. Biological oceanography therefore looks into the influence of the ocean’s physical, chemical and the geological characteristics on the marine ecology or ecosystems. 2. Chemical oceanography (Marine Chemistry) This is the study of the Chemistry underlying the ocean environment and the processes of its interactions with the atmosphere. Chemical oceanography is looks into the chemistry of seawater, the major salts it contains, and other trace elements found in the oceans. 3. Marine Geology ( Geological oceanography) This refers to the study of the geology of the ocean floor with regards to the paleoceanography and the plate tectonics. 4. Physical Oceanography (Marine Physics) This is the study of the physical processes of the oceans such as the mixing, waves, tides, ocean currents, water transparency density and temperature; as well as under water acoustics and sound transmission. In his book, The Eskimo and the Oil Man: The Battle at the Top of the World for America’s Future, Bob Reiss is particularly concerned with the Oil exploration strategy by the Shell Company on the North Arctic coast of Alaska, focusing on the potential threats to the Ocean, impact on the marine ecosystems and the Americans living within the neighborhood. This intertwines all the mentioned branches of oceanography with views on the related impacts to the ocean and its environs. Reiss describes offshore oil exploration, which generally involves operations beyond three miles from the shoreline. This exploration has been especially facilitated by the continuous recession of ice at the coast of Alaska due to the changes in weather and climate patterns, a region that has been for many years covered by ice. Amongst other challenges of offshore exploration is the control of the dynamic changes in the temperatures and pressures when drilling across the rock formations in their strata deep beneath the ocean that may result in to dangerous oil-well blowouts that emit a buoyant plume of oil, produced water and natural gas. The ice recession at Arctic is a concern of the oceanography which tries to look into the prospective repercussions of offshore oil drilling activities on to the local and global climate. It also tries to explain the possible impacts on the surrounding environment as the ice continue to disappear. This phenomenon has been occasioned by global warming as a consequent factor of the climate change causing the melting of the polar ice caps due to increased temperatures. At the extreme end, Reiss projects such fatal consequences that will oversee the Arctic experiencing the harsh climatic conditions such as that of the Saudi Arabia as the ice continue to melt while humans continue with such destructive activities such as offshore oil explorations, an extreme contrary to the previous prevailing climatic conditions. There is rapid development of issues that is most probably going to affect the lives of Americans in as much as the Oil explorations and drilling activities at the Arctic are concerned. Oceanography through its branches attempts to explore these impacts such prospects would have unfavorable influences on the oceans as well as the surrounding environment. Such activities which are known to contribute to the global climate change such as offshore oil drillings and developments in the oceans are the major concerns. These are the major great issues addressed by Reiss. Other activities also include fossil-fuel consumption and therefore if the Arctic offshore areas shall be found to contain new oil deposits, then the areas would really help to sustain the consumption and uses of fossil fuels that has continued to put the lifestyle of the Eskimos and other surrounding organisms at risk through their contribution to the global climate change. The offshore waters has been of great importance to the Eskimos who largely depend on the hunting of the bowhead whales as their innate cultural practice and although they have always reaped great benefits from the onshore development, there has emerged a major concern about the prospects of offshore oil development and the possible impacts on the whales. What is feared most is the suitability technology to be adopted for use in the oil prospects; their efficiency and the effects on the ocean water; as in whether they would cause the disappearance of the whales and the marine diversity. With regards to the Biological oceanography, it is noted that advancing oil prospects will impact negatively on the marine ecology, depending on the kind and the level of technology used during the exploration. These impacts include: 1. The possible oil spills in the oceans This is the major issue as it has the greatest impacts on the marine organisms. The spillage would lead to water pollution thus affecting the wellbeing of the marine life and consequently cause the disappearance of whales. This is because oil spills are known to block the air percolation into the water, consequently causing the death of the underlying biotic life. 2. Possible destruction of the marine ecosystems and biodiversity This follows as a constituent of oil spillage and pollution effects. Various fauna and flora life will be at risk of migration, disappearance or even depletion, depending on the magnitude of negative impacts, destruction and damages from the oil vessels and equipment used in the activity. The technology used for the study of oceans has evolved over time, ranging from the traditional devices that were weighted sound lines, which obtained the local water depth; and the rope-suspended scoops that brought sediments and the marine life which dwells in the bottom to the surface on to a ship’s deck. Presently a variety of ocean instruments have been made available, simplifying the activities of oceanography. The ocean currents can be tracked offshore by constant-depth floats that acoustically report their positions while the sea-bottom currents are measured by the inclinometers. The near shore currents are followed by stationary floats hooked to recorders. The oceanographers can therefore collect and correlate data to for the analysis of the marine ecosystem. Physical measurements is done for the current speed and direction at different depths. Mechanical and visual tide gauges have been used for a long time, and the electronic sensors are now used in telemeter tidal data to central processing centers with computer outputs. Waterproofed photoelectric cells are used to measure the amount of light that passes through water up to different depths with respect to the reading at the surface. For chemical measurements, special instrumentation packages known as fish can be lowered on a cable, and are capable of sampling the data continuously with that data fed into a computer. A typical fish can collect data and information about depth, amount of temperature, level of salinity, amount of carbon dioxide and oxygen, heavy metals and other pollutants on a single lowering. Meteorological monitoring uses monster buoys that are doughnut-shaped, and contain telemetering devices that relays meteorological information from remote. They relay data regarding barometric pressures, wind speeds as well as their directions, and the wave heights and directions to shore-based monitoring stations where they are analyzed. When used alongside satellite and near shore sensory data, this information enables meteorologists to predict weather, sea, and swell conditions which are essential for shipping and other offshore activities. Seabed sampling can be carried out using mechanical devices known as grabs, while dredges can be towed across the bottom by ships as they collect more samples for analytic studies. Very deep coring samples are obtained by some special drilling crane while deeper sampling is achieved by using strong acoustic pulses that can penetrate up to over many thousands of meters and sends back echoes that would reveal underlying rock layers. These prospects has made it possible to undertake various activities on oceanography in different places and make more explorations. It is possible to gather enough data and information on different areas of interest and carry out analysis thereby facilitating the research activities regarding the oceans. This is fundamental to address the expected effects on climate patterns and changes as well as the impacts on marine life that ultimately has a stake on our activities, such as whale hunting activities by the people in the Arctic. The impacts of offshore oil exploration and production at the North Alaska and the surrounding environment shall be quite complex and widespread on marginal land that over the years has remained under ice. The petroleum, resultant water, and the chemicals used for extracting petroleum from under the ocean shall have mechanical, toxic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic effects on marine life and the humans who depend on such marine products as the source of food. Most importantly, the combustion of petroleum creates a major contributor of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere which in turn, accelerates the global warming and ocean acidification and consequently impacting negatively on the oceans and its constituents. The decision for allowing the Shell company by the Federal government to undertake oil exploration and production in the coast of Alaska and the offshore strategy should be based on more than public opinion and the analysis of its prospective effects on the America’s future both economically as well as the impacts on the physical marine environment and ecology. References Reiss, B. (2012). The Eskimo and The Oil Man: The Battle at the Top of the World for Americas Future. USA: Business Plus. Read More