Ocean salinity variations result from five primary physical processes that work simultaneously across global marine systems. Evaporation increases salinity by removing pure water while leaving...

As an oceanographer who has spent decades sampling the vast waters of our planet, from the frigid poles to the balmy tropics, I can tell...

How Latitude Affects the Distribution of Solar Radiation If Earth were a flat surface oriented perpendicularly to the Sun, solar rays would be distributed uniformly...

Ocean heating phenomenon refers to the systematic redistribution of thermal energy from low-latitude oceanic regions to polar areas through atmospheric and oceanic circulation systems. Near...

What Causes Earth’s Seasons? This seemingly straightforward inquiry often leads to a common misunderstanding: Although Earth follows an elliptical trajectory around the Sun that deviates...

What Resources Do Marine Sediments Provide? The ocean floor harbors a wealth of potential mineral and organic assets. However, a substantial portion of these resources...

How are Pelagic and Neritic Deposits Distributed in the Ocean? Pelagic and neritic deposits are distributed based on water depth and proximity to land. Neritic...

Cosmogenous sediment (cosmos = universe, generare = to produce) originates from extraterrestrial sources. Origin, Composition, and Distribution of Cosmogenous Sediment Although constituting a very small...

Hydrogenous sediment (from hydro, meaning water, and generare, meaning to produce) originates from substances that have been dissolved within aquatic environments. Origin of Hydrogenous Sediment...

Biogenous sediment (from bio, meaning life, and generare, meaning to produce)—also known as biogenic sediment—originates from the preserved hard remains of once-living organisms. Origin of...

Lithogenous sediment (from lithos meaning stone and generare meaning to produce) originates from pre-existing rock formations that are found on continental landmasses or islands. These...

The deep-ocean region extends beyond the continental margin province—which comprises the shelf, slope, and rise—and encompasses a diverse range of notable geological features. Abyssal Plains...