A paper for oceanography based off of the book called The Eskimo and the Oil Man by Bob Reis - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages 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 ...Download file to see next pagesRead More