This document is a student paper discussing the topic of oceans. It begins with the student explaining their choice to write about oceans over other topics like weather or hurricanes. The paper then provides background on the size and composition of oceans, noting there is technically one global ocean divided into 5 regions. It discusses theories on the formation of oceans and details various ocean floor features like trenches, ridges, and volcanoes. The paper also examines powerful ocean phenomena like tsunamis and earthquakes. It explains ocean circulation driven by factors such as wind, the Coriolis effect, and thermohaline circulation. In closing, it briefly touches on climate patterns influenced by ocean currents like El Niño and La Niña.

1. 2015
Beth Schoren
UST 289
11/10/2015
The Great Motion of the Oceans
and all the Power they Contain

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UST 289 | Fall 2015 | Professor Ruth Ruud | Beth Schoren
Due Date: October 18th
, 2015 – Short Paper – choose one of three
Topic on Oceans
Narrative on choosing the topic: Of the three topics available for the short paper discussion one was on North
East Ohio’s climate and weather. Even though this topic is interesting I just completed Exercise two in which I
discussed how the Great Lakes were formed but also don’t consider it to be as interesting as hurricanes or
oceans. So the next choice was hurricanes and tornadoes. Now this is a subject that I can discuss the power
of hurricanes, the storms they produce and how they affect people and this is interesting very much. But if you
put both subjects together they don’t put as much curiosity to my mind as the motion of the ocean and
everything that the ocean does for the entire planet inside and out. Besides the details in which are required for
the paper are not yet anything I have done any significant research on yet and I would really like to know more
about something so vital to our lives. So that is how I came to my paper topic conclusion for a choice.
Because the Oceans are such a large percentage of the Earth’s surface they play a role in many things. Things
happen globally because of the oceans motion, some things happen to the oceans as a result of mankind’s
interrelation to them and still yet some things involve the oceans without relation to itself or mankind. This is
what the topic of oceans will entail because the oceans have great motion and they contain great power.
Even though the Earth is divided into three major layers [core, mantle and crust] and the largest volume of
those three is the mantle with 80% (Timothy Foresman, 2012, pp. 244-5) but of the lessor layers is the crust
and the oceans makes up 71% of the that lithospheric layer of Earth (Timothy Foresman, 2012, p. 262). Since
it takes up such a large percentage of the surface space of the Earth it is important to examine just how it
impacts the inhabitants of Earth.
First of all the list of oceans is somewhat confusing because current day perspective is that there is ONE
GLOBAL OCEAN but five distinctive regions not four as was historically nor seven as the stories were always
told. The reason there are 5 and not 4 is because the historical names of the Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, and
Pacific did not recognize the Southern or Antarctic
influence till 2000 and is still yet to be accepted into the
International Hydrographic Organization (National
Ocean Service - Ocean Facts, n.d., p. How many
oceans are there). There are also not “seven seas” like
we always remembered from stories. The seven seas
Oceans of Earth
The New Millenia Historic list Seven Seas
One Global Ocean Arctic Modern version
- 5 distinctive regions Atlantic Arctic
Arctic Indian North Atlantic
Atlantic Pacific South Atlantic
Indian North Pacific
Pacific South Pacific
Southern Indian
Southern

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were originated differently throughout the ages with Greek literature, Medieval European literature and also
after Europeans “founded” America but more often than not the seven seas were to indicate the shipping or
trade routes (National Ocean Service - Ocean Facts, n.d., p. What are the seven seas). It is accepted that the
oceans are “geographically divided into distinct named regions”.
There are of course several versions of how the oceans were created one of which all believers will hold true
that in the beginning God created the heaven and earth, day and darkness, land between waters in Genesis
1:1-13 (Anthoni, 2000). In science the process of the oceans being formed where in very small steps over eons
of time. Starting after the origin of earthly firmament occurred at some 4.5 billion years ago the first bacterial
life begun approximately 4 billion years ago. That allowed photosynthesis to occur and an atmosphere started
around 2 billion years ago. Then
nearly 600 million years ago the
oceans began developing molluscs,
corals and fishes (Railsback, n.d.).
A German Meteorologist and
Geophysicist by the name of Alfred
Wegener had a theory of Pangea
which showed how the land would
have logically been one connected
continent [supercontinent] until the
physical process of lithospheric plates started moving them apart (Timothy Foresman, 2012, p. 263). This
process is easiest to see and understand when you look at the constant news about the Indian tectonic plate
converging with the Eurasian plate in the Himalayan Mountain ranges like occurred on April 25th
, 2015. This
tectonic movement was along a 90 by 30 km area in Nepal, created a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake
that killed 8,000 and injured no less than 19,000 (Earth Observatory, 2015). Then of course there is the
CERN’s theory with the particle accelerator which showed the collision of atoms created matter (CERN
Channel, n.d.).
Understanding that the tectonic plates move our lithosphere especially continental formations thereby changing

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our oceans as well over millennia a map might be helpful to show their geographic location and changes.
Image is current status of oceans: (Oceans: Facts & Information, n.d.) Pangea portrayal above
Knowing what the ocean floors are made of might also be helpful to better understand how they can be moving
along with continental lithospheric masses. Over the billions of years the planet was being formed active lava
came flowing out of the mantle through vents we call volcanoes. This thick molten rock [magma] is constantly
being made because our planet has a very hot solid core of 3,000-5,000⁰C composing mostly of iron that then
heats the next layer which is the mantle. The mantle has temperatures
between 2,800-5,100⁰C and is made up of a magnesium and iron bearing
silicate called mafic. This mafic near the earth’s surface is softer with
hotspots from radioactive decay that drives earthquakes and volcanoes
(Timothy Foresman, 2012, p. 244). This lava then erupts through the
vents, fractures or fissures and begins to solidify, this action then creates more land mass in the form of
igneous rock. This igneous rock cools very fast on the surface or in the oceans from the cold temperatures, is
very hard and resistant to chemical breakdown but has a lot of silicon dioxide which is the most common
mineral like on the beaches (Timothy Foresman, 2012, p. 249).
The bulk of the oceans crust is a mere 60 million years old compared to the
age of other mass land at 1 billion and the youngest of earth’s crust is along
the mid-ocean ridges where tectonic plates spread apart and continually fill
with magma rising and cooling (Timothy Foresman, 2012, pp. 263, 275). Most of the volcanoes on earth are
located at “subduction zones” where the oceans lithosphere meets another tectonic plate and one dives

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beneath the other. In doing so it causes plate motion and some rises and some sinks and carries with it
material thereby leaving an open space (FAQ on Earth Sciences, n.d.). This becomes the location of some of
the deep ocean trenches like the Mariana Trench.
Some of the most unique parts of the oceans are the trenches that are often used in movies. Here are some of
those details: (The 5 Oceans of the World, n.d.) Those deep trenches are found beyond the edge of the
continent where there is first a continental
shelf that reaches 200 m, then the
continental slope which leads down to the
abyss. The abyss sounds deep [up to
5,000 m] but it isn’t the trenches [as much as 11,033 m] as you can see the difference in the image below. An
abyssal plain is the depth of and abyss but flatter and covered with clay and sand and gravel from sediment
runoff. The fracture zone is the point where the ocean plates slide past each other relieving tension in the
seafloor. There are long-mountain ranges extend up to 65,000 km (Ocean, n.d.) referred to as ridges where so
much growth occurs from the volcanic activity in the part called a rift. The volcanos often rise above the sea
level appearing as islands,
like Hawaii Islands. Some
ridges have extinct
volcanoes, seamounts - a
singular mountain and then
the ocean trenches (Looking at the Sea - Physical Features of the Ocean, n.d.). Some of the mountains within
the ocean are higher than on land because Mauna Kea in the Pacific Ocean is over 10,000 m tall compared to
the 8,848 of Mount Everest even though the later has the record for highest altitude above sea level the Mauna
Kea is “tallest” from the vertical rise from its base to its summit (Records - Highest Mountain in the World, n.d.).
When a “submarine volcano” erupts it creates a new ocean floor in a process that moves the plates apart by 1
to 15 centimeters per year (Ocean Explorer - Shaping Earths Features, n.d.). All this activity with regard to the
ocean floor and how it develops over time is but a small portion of the actual movement created by the oceans
and all the processes and cycles that it is a part of but those things occur to the ocean not because of the
Oceans
Name Size - sq km Greatest Depth - ft Name Given
Pacific 155,557,000 35,827 Mariana Trench
Atlantic 76,762,000 30,245 Puerto Rico Trench
Indian 68,556,000 24,460 Java Trench
Southern 20,327,000 23,737 Southern Ocean
Arctic 14,056,000 18,456 Arctic Basin

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ocean. When you look at an event like a movement in tectonic plates at a subduction zone it not only has
volcanic activity but it also is responsible for the greatest of earthquakes. When this happens “it displaces a
large volume of water” which ultimately become tsunamis (Timothy Foresman, 2012, p. 288). So the following
image shows locations of volcanoes, nearby mountains and clearly defined plate boundaries including where
the convergent
boundary aka
subduction zones
are. This is not just
where the new
oceanic crust comes
from it represents
which motion it is
taking which leads
to the causative
reaction of
earthquakes and resulting tsunamis.
The deadliest tsunami happened in 2004 as a result of an earthquake at 9.0 magnitude off the island of
Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. That day reports kept coming back with increasing death tolls and at long last
they discovered 250,000 people died in one single day. The tsunami reached 18 countries within 75 minutes
extending 600 km and leaving 1.7 million homeless. That one earthquake released enough energy into the
ocean as would 1,000 atomic bombs thereby creating gigantic waves (Tsunami 2004 Facts and Figures,
2013). Water markings on buildings and trees was the approach to gaining insight to the height of the tsunami
waves and on the west coast of Sumatra the waves reached 30 m high and other areas were up to 15 m high
(The 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami: Initial Findings from Sumatra, n.d.). This is but one kind of
wave created in the ocean but not by the ocean itself which indicates how the ocean is one body because
these massive tsunami waves can reach so far but are faster than normal oceanic waves in its normal
circulatory cycle or state. In order to show how much and how far the ocean can move about from the
devastating earthquakes and resulting tsunamis there was another 9.0 magnitude earthquake near the east

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coast of Honshu, Japan on March 11, 2011 that shook for six minutes where it then created waves up to 38 m
tall smashing down on Japans coast. Those waves carried over the Pacific to Hawaii, California and up the
North American coastline into Canada. Just two days prior there had been a 7.2 and several 6.0 earthquakes
within a 40 km range of the 9.0 adding to the shock and devastation to the situation that accounted for 125,000
buildings to “wash away” into the ocean (Japan's megaquake and killer tsunami, n.d.). The major problem in
this situation was the three nuclear power plants that were risk of core meltdown. One of them was under flood
water and another had a radiation leak which caused an evacuation. The pictures below show how items
washed away from Japan took a longer time in getting to a different continent but they still did.
This picture is from Alaska Aug. 27, 2012 with
some urethane foam resulting from the Mar 2011
tsunami in Japan
Here is an image of the first “confirmed” piece found on
California coast on April 7, 2013 from the 2011 incident
(Japan Tsunami Debris Cleanups, n.d.)
This had a worldwide impact as emergency persons came from over 45 countries to help deal with the force of
the events on that day (Andrew Hough, 2011). This all works to show the power of the ocean and how it moves
by extreme forces that were not of its own doing but about what the ocean is capable of pertaining to its power
and force. What about its own natural circulation? There are several things that cause the ocean to have a
circulation and not just because of a water cycle. Sure the ocean is part of the hydrologic cycle where the
ocean’s sea spray create the condensation nucleus that attract water molecules and form clouds and clouds
create precipitation and that evaporates or freezes and these clouds help create our planets source of fresh
water needed for our survival (Timothy Foresman, 2012, p. 108). Certainly this is important but what might be
considered more important is its cycle of movement by currents and how this has a global impact that is of
energy from one global location to a different locale.

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The ocean moves energy by means of something called the “thermohaline circulation” and this creates the
currents. For the most part this is a process of mixing deep cold
waters with warm surface waters onward to different latitudes
which helps to transfer the colder waters and warmer waters to
unlikely regions that end up being a normally pleasant feature of
the ocean. This involves wind on the surface to create waves and
wind has its own process and circulation [pictured on the right].
As the
ocean is in
motion with the winds it also works with the Coriolis effect
of deflection which is due to the earth’s rotation [pictured
left] as used with the Ekman transport (Unit 3: Oceans,
n.d.) [shown right].
While these three
processes combine
together moving the water into a downward spiral effect the deeper you
go the more dense the cold water is and sinks in high latitudes it
becomes replaced with the warmer tropic waters (Unit 3: Oceans, n.d.).
These circulation patterns are referred to as gyres [shown below]. The
easiest way to put this is there is a deep cold current that heads toward the equator and rises to the surface as
the waters begin to warm and then a warm current which originates in the equatorial tropical region heading
westward pushed by the winds. When those winds reach
mid latitude the winds move in an eastward motion
thereby creating a new circulation rotation in the northern
hemisphere water begin to cool and sink as they become
denser and the cycle starts over (Timothy Foresman,
2012, pp. 150-1).
This is also part of an “energy budget” where solar

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energy is moved towards the poles from the equatorial region where it is the most abundant. The ocean has a
24/7 job working nonstop to transfer this solar energy toward the Polar Regions and is called “Earth’s Heat
Engine” when coupled with the atmosphere. This is also part of how our climate is made (Earth Observatory,
2015, p. Climate and Earth's Energy Budget).
Another part of the oceans circulation is a shift in the barometric pressure between the east and western
southern oscillation in Pacific waters that change every so often. This natural cycle used to happen every 3 to
8 yrs. but now occur as often as every year or two (Timothy Foresman, 2012, p. 154). When it shifts to colder
waters pushing further west from the strong winds it is called La Nina. When winds weaken and the cold
waters cease to uplift and the warm surface waters push toward the east of the Pacific it is called El Nino and
those warm waters create a wide range of
temperatures and precipitation globally. Most often
El Nino creates more precipitation [rain in summer,
snow in winter] the one in 2015 is predicted to
remain strong into spring of 2016 and will continue
into the northern hemisphere. This is expected to
bring more precipitation and lower temperatures in
the southern states and warmer temperatures and
less precipitation than normal in the northern states (El Nino/Southern Oscillation Diagnostic Discussion ,
2015). This is one of the global affects that happen as a result of the ocean.
Another normal part of the circulatory system of the ocean is the tides that occur in the ocean but not by the
ocean. That is because an external force or forces create the event, those being the moon and the sun. Tides
are a “rhythmic rise and fall of sea level” due primarily to the gravitational pull of the moon but also the sun’s
just to a lesser degree (Timothy Foresman, 2012, p. 407). On the side of earth facing the moon its gravity pulls
the water into a bulge. On the opposite side of the earth
inertia creates the bulge which is a normal force created by
the rotation of earth. Both of these bulges are in relation
to the moon and as the earth rotates wherever the moon

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is becomes the location of the bulges thus creating two high tides and two low tides each 24 hour revolution.
The sun’s effect works the same as the moon only half the strength because of its distance but when the sun,
moon and earth are all in alignment this creates a greater bulge and this is referred to as a spring tide and a
neap tide is when the sun and moon are at right angles to each other (Timothy Foresman, 2012, p. 408). The
two high tides that occur every day are called flood tides and the low tides are referred to as ebb tides. Have
you ever heard the phrase “ebb and flow”? This is a rhythmic movement of back and forth much like the motion
of the ocean as it moves back and forth with relation to the gravitational pull of the moon and sun.
As a result of all the motions in the ocean and its circulation it is then important to see what happens to the
ocean as a result of human interaction to this. Recall the tsunami action and force where building material
shows up on the opposite side of the ocean [page 6] from whence it came. Well the ocean actually has multiple
“garbage patches” because of humans allowing trash to get into the ocean. This is an important fact that needs
explored because of the detriment to our “One Global Ocean” that everyone needs.
Only one percent of the 260 million tons of plastic produced each year get recycled and one third of that is
disposable some of which is sent to landfills others end in the oceans five garbage patches. The largest one
between Hawaii and Baja California is called “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch”, one near Chile, and two in
the Atlantic Ocean – one near Bermuda and one between South America and South Africa and one in the
Indian Ocean. The largest of these is nearly the size of the entire state of Texas (Scripps, n.d.). These
locations are because of the normal circulatory patterns in the oceans currents referred to as “GYRES”. The
image [on page 7] might be helpful in locating the 5 gyres in the oceans and as you can see the pattern in
which they flow. This image shows the
trail of how the garbage is collecting in
piles in those five gyres. This garbage
comes from many sources including
from rivers, streams, off of boating or
shipping vessels and from natural
events such as tsunamis like the one in
Japan that sent 20 to 40 million ton of

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debris out into the ocean (Scripps, n.d.). Other sources of this garbage come from litter blown by wind or
picked up with high tides on dirty beaches (Andrews, 2012). The UN is more specific in pointing out culprits
toward the pollution getting into the oceans by stating all the things associated with a beach such as piers and
marinas but also list the types of ocean vessels like cruise liners. They also include untreated municipal
sewage, storm water and industrial and medical waste (Trash in world's oceans threatens wildlife, economy
and human health, UN warns, 2011). The plastics in the ocean was discovered dating all the way back to 1997
when a catamaran racer, Charles Moore, took the Northern Pacific Gyre back home and discovered on his 7
day journey an “endless sea of floating garbage” (Scripps, n.d.). If you have a problem believing that beaches
can be part of the problem then take a look at the following photos.
Beaches not only cause debris in the ocean but
also collect what comes in via wind and waves.
The reason the information about the ocean garbage patches is so important is because of the natural habitats
the plastic particles are interfering with are the food sources to many creatures including our own food sources.
When plastic enters the ocean is might be normal in size but with the heat of the solar energy on the ocean,
the wind and the waves, the motion from the ocean currents the plastic then breaks down. Plastic when broken

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down is also very toxic. Plastics contain lead, cadmium, mercury, diethylhexyl phthalate [DEHP], bisphenol-A
[BPA] all of which are very toxic to both marine life and humans (Andrews, 2012). The United Nations [UN] has
stated that “trash in our oceans is a symptom of our throw-away society” and it is affecting every country and
every ocean. They further state from a report that 270 species worldwide become affected with 86% of all sea
turtles, 44% of all seabirds’ species and 43% of all marine mammals. They acknowledged that coral reefs can
be damaged and ruin feeding spots for marine animals (Trash in world's oceans threatens wildlife, economy
and human health, UN warns, 2011). The plastics found in the ocean have typically broken up into small
pieces that birds, fish and sea mammals then eat because they think it is food. A 2012 report shows that more
than 100,000 sea turtles and birds are dying each year from ingesting or becoming entangled in the garbage
(Andrews, 2012). Another interesting report that was completed in 2005 from the UN counted “on average
more than 13,000 visible pieces of plastic litter” was floating in any given square km or ocean (Earth
Observatory, 2015, p. Blog: Plastic Ocean). Here are a few images showing how creatures of the ocean are
being affected by humans’ trash in the oceans.
an albatross
consumed all this
plastic thinking it
was food
This bird has been
tangled up in plastic
roping with several
attached pieces
here a shark
died as a
result of the
plastic in its
ocean
here is yet another
bird with a stomach
full of plastic pieces
It is easy to see if animals are eating the trash and dying from it, you can imagine what fish are going to look
like eating all the small broken pieces of plastic they think is plankton but is not. That means when humans
ingest the foods that are captured from the oceans we then consume the plastic. According to a study done by
Rolf Halden he states that plastics and additives are found not only in animals but in humans’ blood and urine
and get there when we heat or wash our plastics and the chemicals “leach” out. Halden goes on to state that

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the plastic in the oceans outweigh plankton by six fold (Impact of plastics on human health and ecosystems,
2010). So what might people do to stop this process from happening more and making it worse and what can
be done to reverse the situation now that it has become increasingly important to the health and welfare of all
global citizens?
Some people have already taken their role and created programs to collect from beaches. Others have
devised nets that will pick up fine materials and have sessions of trolling to pick up debris. In 2012 Hong Kong
was acknowledged for having a volunteer program to clean up water at the garbage patch (The Great HK
Garbage Patch, 2012).
Here is a group collecting from beaches what has washed up Above is some of the plastic soup collected
Image left is an invention by a young man
who was 19 at the time [2012] by the name
of Boyan Slat. He devised a plan to clean
the ocean with a device anchored that
would keep out plankton but take in plastics.
(The Ocean Cleanup Project - Boyan Slat,
n.d.)
The attempt to clean up the oceans might seem like a great idea but unless they have a water vacuum to clean
the coral reefs then all the plastics will have forever harmed them as reefs need to be “free of suspended

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sediment” for coral growth to occur. Coral reefs are often found around volcanos which would melt the plastics
and are typically near the water surface that have wave action. They need these conditions as well as warmer
waters but not too hot in order to survive in which they provide a “highly productive ecosystem” for many life
forms in the oceans. There are already half of the coral reefs in jeopardy because of humans and natural
causes (Timothy Foresman, 2012, pp. 415-16).
The natural salinity of ocean water [3.5%] and the acidity or pH is around 8.0 both will also be part of the
reason that the plastics become so degraded even though they are not biodegradable. The composite of all the
elements that go into ocean waters is phenomenal but the main ones are Chloride, Sodium and Sulfate. Other
composition is needed for seaweed growth and the plankton survive on iron as an essential element. The
oceans have lower salinity when glacial melting occurs because fresh water dilutes the volume only slightly
(Anthoni, Oceanography , 2000, p. Chemical
composition of seawater). In the ocean biodiversity
there is a “photic zone” sometimes referred to as
epipelagic zone that is the open waters down to
100m and this is where much of the fish feed and is
where the phytoplankton and krill live because of
the bright sun. As you go down into the ocean the
fish in the middle or mesopelagic zone have large
eyes that have lanterns that can turn on in order to
feed. Now would that be a shame to loose such a creature with features built in like that? Further down still in
the bathypelagic zone are fish that almost have no eyes at all because they cannot see to eat nor is there
much to eat so they live alone. There are certainly some humans that can understand this plight. The fish on
the seabed or abyss plains live in complete darkness where food is scarce and their body is watery and they
have soft bones like flounder. There are also dead zones in which oxygen is lost because of human factors
with nutrients (Anthoni, Oceanography , 2000, p. Marine habitats). So our food comes from the oceans and
creatures of the deep will bring us new scientific ideas so we should not spoil this habitat because without it we
lose many things. If we ruin our oceans with pollutants not only will lose a food source we could lose our
seasons if the currents become messed up with all the ocean garbage to bounce off of.

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So in summation, the motion of the ocean is a very complex set of variables that cause the ocean to move and
react. They are things like wind helping currents form, solar radiation helping to warm the ocean which give us
seasons when the warmed waters become part of the currents circulation process. Earth’s rotation causing a
Coriolis Effect is part of the currents circulation process as well. The moon and the sun creating tides help to
move the waters about adding to the circulatory process of the global ocean and help shape the earth
formations by erosion and sedimentation. The ocean floor moves about because of plate tectonic movement
and volcanic lava creates more oceanic land mass these in turn create earthquakes which create tsunamis that
cause great global waves that carry matter from one location to another. El Nino’s and La Nina’s create
different weather patterns but are all part of the global ocean as they increase in frequency as the oceans
warm.
Warmer ocean waters melt more of the pollutants especially plastics that humans are careless with and this
creates a biologic hazard for the ocean habitats ultimately reducing our human food supply. The planet is
already over populated and to reduce our food supply is going to make things much worse. So people need to
start caring about what they throw out. People need to start recycling items especially of plastics. People need
to pick up trash if they see it lying about outside. If each and every person tries to do their part then the world
just might bounce back but everyone must participate in a global effort even the littlest person no matter how
small. Just like the story of Horton Hears a Who.
Pretty much all the information contained herein is new to me and I am grateful for having the opportunity to
learn this material for such an important part of humanity. There are many initiatives in the political world who
are trying to step up to the ball plate to try to make a difference and I certainly hope they do.
References
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Anthoni, D. J. (2000). Oceanography . Retrieved from SeaFriends:
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