Ocean Definition and 190 Threads

I was thinking about Europa today and considering how life might exist on it. Spacecraft and models have shown that all of the ingredients for life is there, but I was wondering about the evolution of life after it forms. Earth had a lot of very diverse environments, which greatly accelerated...

if I throw a ball of iron on the ocean, the velocity in which it will sink will be lower at the beginning and higher getting near the deepest part of it? As it may be forced by the pressure of water? (the weight of water)

Okay, so there is a large floating mass of ice in the sea. We know the time it takes to melt: it's 168 hours, or 604800 seconds. The temperature of the air is 25 degrees Celsius. The surface area of the ice is 2408 km^2. Temperature of the ice is -1 degrees Celsius. Thermal conductivity of...

Back home, the average depths of the world's oceans--and the Mediterranean Sea--are as follows: Atlantic--3926 meters Pacific--4028 meters Indian--3963 meters Arctic--1205 meters Southern--4500 meters Mediterranean--1500 meters In this alternate Earth, the average depths are as follows...

Underground magma ocean could explain Io's 'misplaced' volcanoes Tides flowing in a subsurface ocean of molten rock, or magma, could explain why Jupiter's moon Io appears to have its volcanoes in the "wrong" place. New NASA research implies that oceans beneath the crusts of tidally stressed...

At least according to NASA's interpretation. Both measurements of the gravitational field and of the rotation rate of the surface agree on that. If the surface is not connected to the core, its libration is stronger, and apparently the observed magnitude is not compatible with a solid...

Homework Statement I am attempting to replicate the IPCC estimates of the amount of sea level rise due to thermal effects on the seawater. The earth, black-body temperature is 16C but there are projections of a 1C increase in less than 100 years. Ignoring ice melt and land flooding, how much...

http://www.ibtimes.com/hidden-ocean-found-underneath-chinas-largest-basin-larger-five-great-lakes-combined-2031541

I heard that the analysis of wave measurements close to shore verifies that as long as wave amplitudes are small with respect to mean depth a Rayleigh distribution remains satisfactory of wave heights, but how ?

Of the few occasions I've seen Airfoil Lift described to general audience (on documentaries), it has focused on the top-side curve of the Airfoil causing air on the topside to move faster than the bottom-side. This is said to reduce air pressure on the topside and result in lift. If a wave is...

Homework Statement Which formula could be correct for the speed v of ocean waves in terms of the density ρ of sea-water, the acceleration of free fall g, the depth h of the ocean and the wavelength λ? The possible answers listed are: 1. v = \sqrt{gλ} 2. v = \sqrt{g/h} 3. v = \sqrt{ρgh} 4.v =...

Homework Statement Explain, using Huygen's Principle, why ocean waves break parallel to the shore. Homework Equations None The Attempt at a Solution Okay, I know that the speed of the waves decreases as the water gets shallower. Therefore, since the frequency is the same, the wavelength...

Hi all! In the absurd hypothesis that we could take all water from Earth's oceans and distribute it equally through the sky ceiling (as shown below). We have the point of view of an observer in the land. Questions: 1. We know that the water pressure rises as we come closer to Earth's core...

why gravity on Earth is very strong on the north atlantic ocean? ok, obviously where there is thick crust like himalaya (everest), huge land mass - more gravity, but the ocean?! where the crust is thin?! source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:GRACE_globe_animation.gif

To simplify this question, let's say the ocean is 3800 meters deep and 1 meter wide in either direction. Now let's add water equaling 1 cu meter on top. How much higher does the ocean get?

http://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/oceanNoiseGenerator.php how are they making these sounds? it sound a lot better than just pink noise and brown noise...

Hello, I just finished my freshman year, and I am curious about the field of ocean engineering. I started as an engineering major before switching to physics, but I am still in a position where I could easily change. Exploration of the unknown, as well as the study of the ocean, have always been...

Homework Statement A solid sphere of aluminum (density 2.7 g/cm^3) is gently dropped into a deep ocean. (The density of ocean water is approximately 1.03 g/cm^3.) Calculate the sphere's acceleration at the point where it is completely submerged into the ocean. As the sphere drops deeper...

How would one work out the total mass for the top 3.2 meters of the ocean? Thanks in advance!

Halo everyone. I am new to here! I am working with a project of ocean wave energy. I would like have a device that can measure the wave length, pitch those wave parameter when I testing my wave energy device. Anyone have a clue what kind of device can complete my task?

Scientists discover huge freshwater reserves beneath the ocean http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131208085304.htm

I did my research and the answer I got is deeper I go the more weight from the water above me that I have to handle just like lifting weight. Like in the picture below It is reasonable that I will feel the pressure on the top of my head and on the upward side on my arms ( like in the...

Homework Statement Hello everyone, I am having some problems with a question about the coriolis acceleration in a particular region. Attached is an image showing velocity measurements going in a circular motion at the surface of the ocean. A to B is 200 km and the fastest velocity is .5...

Why don't they just place spent fuel rods in canisters and put them on the bottom of the ocean (at a traceable location, of course)? Water is one of the best radiation shields. You wouldn't have to worry about digging out mountain caverns and such.

Can the fabric of space ripple like a gentle wave in the ocean?

Lets say there is an exoplanet with 0.5 Earth masses and is 0.8 Earth radii. This planet has an atmospheric pressure of 0.10 bar/10% as thick as Earths atmosphere with an average surface temperature of 285 K. Can this planet have a body of liquid water the size of an ocean with the low...

The ocean’s average temperature has risen by approx 0.375°C over the century. Use this value to estimate by how much the ocean water might have expanded in items of percentage increase. This is what i started doing but I do not think this is right. Coefficient of Cubical Thermal Expansion...

Hi everyone, i am planing to write an article as a review of the Ocean Bathymetry (acoustics Vs ALB) system. Is there anyone who can help me with some reading materials or books that i can take help from? I will waiting to hear from you. thanks (Please give me some book name...

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/19/science/earth/iron-dumping-experiment-in-pacific-alarms-marine-experts.html Last fall. His intention is the stimulate the growth of phytoplankton, thus absorbing CO2. He also did so in violation of several UN charters (or whatever their rules are...

So I am not sure exactly how high the seas will rise if the ice sheets of Antarctica and the Arctic continue to melt by 2100. My best guess would be a rise of about 3-5 feet. Would that seem reasonable. Its just this whole 50 foot increase doesn't really make sense in that time frame that I've...

How would decreasing ocean salinity affect surface tension, and how would this reduced surface tension affect coastal zones? Seems to me that a decrease in salinity will decrease surface tension because density decreases with decreasing salinity. So I would think decrease in density would...

Homework Statement what do the H+ ions do to the CO3 in the CaCO3? this is a report on ocean acidity and i need help to explain what H+ ions do to the CO3 in CaCO3 Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution please help!

What is the feasability to utilizing the convergent ocean trenches as a means of recycling nuclear material and heavy metals? Basically, return to the Earth where the stuff came from in first place?

Hi everyone: Since there are many ions in ocean water, and these ions are carried by ocean currents, and they are moving through the Earth's magnetic field, by the electromagnetic induction laws, wouldn't there be a induced electric field in the ocean? if i want to detect this electric field...

This visualization shows ocean surface currents around the world during the period from June 2005 through December 2007. The visualization does not include a narration or annotations; the goal was to use ocean flow data to create a simple, visceral experience. (beware, the downloadable...

Homework Statement A submarine that weighs 10,000kg in air and has a volume of 12m3 floats in a harbor. How much of its volume do we need to flood in order to just begin sinking it in salt water with a density 1.02 g/cm3? Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution Fgravity = mass...

Homework Statement a) A sailor uses a rope to lower an iron ball of radius 30 cm a to a depth of 80 m below the surface of the ocean. What is the pressure (in atm) at that depth? b) Find the tension in the rope in the previous problem. The density of iron is 7.86 *103 Kg/m3. Homework...

Hi there, I'm a mechanical engineering student who's extremely interested in going into physical oceanography after finishing undergrad. I'm trying to find a good source for the wave equation as it relates to physical oceanography, as well as orbital paths of particles, and have yet to find...

I have checked with doctors and even some molecular biologist and can't get a solid answer. I like to wade fish in the ocean and I have Menieres disease. I have to really watch salt in my body. If I fish waist deep in the ocean for 5 or 6 hours a day will the skin allow salt to enter the...

I am reading George Gamow's book on gravity and in his book he says: The American physicists AA Michelson found from his experiments that every 12 hours the the surface of the Earth is deformed by one foot, as compared with a 4-5 foot deformation of the ocean's surface. This seems...

A professor at my university is currently working on using "complex network theory to study the coherence of flows in ocean circulation". If I'm interested, I could possibly do my bachelor thesis on this subject. Before I go talk to him, I'd like to at least have some idea of what this is...

I've tried researching this question and I couldn't find a satisfying answer. How come the water on Earth hasn't been absorbed by the ground over billions of years? The Earth's water evaporate but get's replenished when it comes back down as precipitation. Is there a similar process that...

Homework Statement Find the speed of an ocean wave whose vertical displacement y as a function of time t is given by y(x,t) = 3.7 cos(2.2x - 5.6t), where all quantities are in SI units. Homework Equations v=-ωAsin(kx-ωt) The Attempt at a Solution I'm really not at all sure...

Homework Statement Scientists have found evidence that Mars may once have had an ocean .5km deep. The acceleration due to gravity on Mars is 3.71m/s^2. (a) What would be the gauge pressure at the bottom of such an ocean, assuming it was freshwater? (b) To what depth would you need to go...

Homework Statement Explain why it may be difficult to precisely date ocean crust aged between 85 and 125 million years old using magnetic anomalies on the sea floor. (2 marks) The Attempt at a Solution At first I thought about how long it takes for the Earth's magnetic field to...

Okay, I've composed a letter to Mythbusters regarding the https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=544619" thread. (I started a separate thread here to avoid any weird recursivity issues in case the Mythbusters ever follow up on my link).Before I submit it, can you guys offer any...

I was taking with my dad and we got on the subject of what would happen if you dropped a spring into the ocean. Well, I said nothing it would sink to the bottom and not compress because pressure is pushing on it equally from all directions. He agreed. Then I said what would happen if you...

Can we float an ocean liner in bucket full of water spread to a large area?

Just a random practise question I've been given. Is it because the closer you are to the coast, the cooler it is, because you are closer to a large amount of cooler substance? (only theory I've come up with:P) please reply! thankyou :D

I have been advised by some helpful PF folks that Ocean Engineering might be a good path for someone like me who is interested in engineering but wants to maintain a connection to nature and the ocean. A friend who is a PhD at Scripps in San Diego says that more than anything they need...