Into the Deep
Part of the Climate Change exhibition.
Part of the Climate Change exhibition.
Earth's climate depends on the ocean: evaporation of ocean waters brings moisture to land areas and transfers energy to the atmosphere, where it helps drive weather systems. Further, ocean currents move heat from the equator to the poles. The ocean's enormous influence on climate hinges on its impressive size: together, the world's oceans contain over 1 billion cubic kilometers (over 240 million cubic miles) of water.
The ocean's average temperature is around 3.6ºC (38.5ºF), but fortunately for families headed to the beach, the surface is much warmer. In fact, since water density depends on both temperature and salt content, the ocean is divided into three layers of different temperatures and salinities.