Oceanography: Answer Questions - Essay Example

First Last Dr. TeacherFirst TeacherLast 13 January Oceanography Shooting stars: debris from super novas or dying stars streaming across the night sky? When a star begins to age, its nuclear fusion process slows down and consequently the energy levels are reduced. At the stage, the dying star generates a gravitational pull towards its center. This results in an increase in the gravitational energy which generates so much heat that the star eventually expels its outer layer with a big force. This explosion and the associated light indicates a supernova phenomenon and this is one of the ways that supernovas are created.

As is clear, the dying star does not send large amounts of debris into space but in fact pulls its outer layers inwards. When a supernova is created, the explosion of stellar proportions causes heavy debris to be spread around and away from it. Now considering shooting stars, these are small astronomical objects and debris that enter the earth because of its gravity. As they enter the atmosphere, the friction causes them to burn thus getting the nomenclature of “shooting star”. This debris is said to come mostly from asteroid collisions, comets, or space debris (“Meteors & Meteorites”) as discussed previously.

Why isn't the Earth’s largest reservoir of water found in the Ocean Water? The saline water of the oceans constitutes more than 97% of the Earth’s total water on or near its surface. However, if the amount of water beyond just on or near the surface is considered, the proportion of ocean water becomes very small. In fact, more water is trapped inside our planet than on its surface (Garrison 2). Scientists believe that more than three to five times as much water as in the oceans is trapped in crystal form inside the deep recesses of the Earth (“Earth's Interior May Contain Oceans Of Water”).

Works Cited Duiker, William J., and Jackson J. Speilvogel. The Essential World History. 6th ed. Florence KY: Wadsworth, 2007. Print. "Meteors & Meteorites". Solar System Exploration. NASA, n.d. Web. 12 Jan 2011. . Garrison, Tom. Essentials of Oceanography. 5th ed. Belmont, CA: Cengage, 2009. 2. Print. "Earth's Interior May Contain Oceans Of Water, Geologist Says". Science Daily. NASA, 17 Dec 1997 Web. 12 Jan 2011. .