As part of the General Chemistry Virtual Textbook, this site examines a variety of topics related to the hydrosphere and the oceans. Topics covered include where the water came from, the hydrologic cycle, Oceanic circulation, atmospheric...

This lesson provides students the opportunity to investigate the relationship between winds, surface currents, sea temperature and upwelling and downwelling off the coast of Oregon and Washington.

The climate of our planet is greatly affected by Earth's oceans. Learn here about the different oceanic currents and the role those currents play on climate.

Use this site to learn what the Navy has to say about ocean currents and then test your knowledge with their quiz.

This c.o.o.l. Project focuses on tiny sea plankton and how they move in the oceans. Follow the scientific process outlined on the left, calculate and collect data to form your own predictions.

This textbook chapter looks at the role of temperature in sustaining life on Earth and on weather and climate. It discusses the Earth's movements and the seasons, the circulation of the oceans, wind and weather, and the water cycle....

This is the story of the infamous Nike shoes that washed off a cargo ship. The shoes later showed up along beaches, giving oceanographers another clue as to how ocean currents move.

The atmosphere forces the ocean in three ways: addition and removal of heat, precipitation and evaporation, and wind stress. The former two processes influence the density of sea water. Gravity acts on these density differences to cause...

To discover the link between ocean temperatures and currents as related to our concern for current climate change.

In this activity, students learn about ocean currents and the difference between salt and fresh water. They use colored ice cubes to see how cold and warm water mix and how this mixing causes currents. Also, students learn how surface...

This collection of photographs from space-shuttle missions shows some features of oceanic circulation that simply cannot be seen from any other vantage point. This site is a great resource for many different topics of study.

Students and teachers can explore the work of marine scientists and observe the ocean from their computers. Learn about Rutgers Coastal Ocean Observation Laboratory, discover why oceanography is important, and see what life is like in...

Young students are introduced to the complex systems of the Earth through numerous lessons on its natural resources, processes, weather, climate and landforms. Key earth science topics include rocks, soils and minerals, water and natural...

In this field investigation, students will investigate processes of deposition that have contributed to the current Minnesota sediments and landscape. After learning about weathering and erosion and having a short introduction to...

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is an interesting and somewhat publicized environmental problem. A swirling soup of trash up to 10 meters deep and just below the water surface is composed mainly of non-degradable plastics. These...

A live, real-time data global map of all current earthquake activity.

La Nina is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, as compared to El Nino, which is characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific. Find more general info, Forecasts,...

This page tells you what El Nino is, provides links to animations and videos on El Nino, explains how to recognize El Nino, and discusses the history of significant El Nino events.

This URL will start you out at the site map for Rice University's study of longitude and navigation. Scroll to the section titled "Oceans" and you will find some very good information on surface currents, especially those of the South...

Students examine the relationships among sea surface height, sea surface temperature, and wind vectors in classifying the ocean characteristics of an El Nino.

Walther Meissner discovered while working with Robert Ochsenfeld that superconductors expel relatively weak magnetic fields from their interior and are strongly diamagnetic. This phenomenon, commonly known as the Meissner effect or the...

A current history of our exploration and general facts about the Moon.

Windows to the Universe provides a general overview of the importance of the oceans and seas to the Earth. Content includes information on how the oceans impact Earth's weather and contribute to the water cycle.

Understand the basic characteristics of circulation in the Chesapeake Bay, by allowing students to change the wind speed and velocity, and the freshwater forcing through a number of subestuaries, and observe the resulting surface height,...