1. WHY STUDY OCEANOGRAPHY? A Few Answers

2. Why Study Oceanography? Oceans are still a frontier –Much research needed –Compare to surface of Moon Major food source –Nova Scotia Fisheries: ~7 000 jobs, ~$400 M wages, ~$400 M product value Recreation (especially coastal regions) Mineral sources –Sand & gravel –Manganese nodules –Other minerals Energy source (ca. 30% of oil & gas – offshore drilling & production from manmade platforms) (+40% for USA)

3. Why Study Oceanography? Canadian Offshore Petroleum Resources –Scotian Shelf (gas & oil) Venture gas discovered 1979 –Producing today, pipline system Cohasset oil production 1992 –Grand Banks (oil) Hibernia giant oil field 1979 Production began in 1998! –Beaufort Sea (oil) Amauligak giant oil field 1986 –Labrador Shelf (gas known – severe iceberg/climate problems) –Baffin Island Shelf (reasonable hope for oil/gas) –Canadian Arctic islands (oil & gas known – climate factor) –British Columbia Shelf (hopes)

4. Why Study Oceanography? Discovery of plate tectonics in ocean basins has revolutionized our view of Planet Earth Oceans greatly influence our weather & climate because of high heat capacity of water Transportation – still an important means of human travel

5. Why Study Oceanography? About 90% of intercontinental trade is by marine shipping –For example, chart below shows the m ajor crude oil sea distribution routes Oil Tanker

6. Why Study Oceanography? 71% of Earth’s surface is covered by the oceans Pollution (waste disposal problems & abuse) Communication (e. g., undersea cables) Hazards (coastal, shelf, open ocean, deep-sea) Military uses (e. g., national defense) Coastal Zone –Environmentally diverse –Multiple use management –Erosion and pollution control problems –Overpopulated Salt source (evaporation) Water source (desalination)

7. Why Study Oceanography? Source of water for Earth’s water cycle Oceans are the destination of continental water (& sediment) runoff.

8. Why Study Oceanography? Destination of continental sediments –ca. 90% of all sediments are marine: Continental shelves = 15% Continental slopes = 40% Continental rises = 25% –Sediment transport agents Ice (glaciers), wind (dunes), water (rivers, marginal seas) Sea-level changes (due to ice ages)

9. Why Study Oceanography? Major role in geologic history of Earth –Continental drift, seafloor spreading, magmatic arcs Canada borders three oceans –Atlantic –Pacific –Arctic Canada Has the Longest Coastline –Atlantic: 45,000 km long19% of Canadian coastline –Pacific: 26,000 km long11% of Canadian coastline –Arctic: 173,000 km long71% of Canadian coastline 19% 11% 71%

10. Why Study Oceanography? Political and legal problems: –NS & NF are in a dispute over their offshore boundary –Canada’s 200 nt mile fishing zone declared in 1977 –Not all countries signed 1982 Law of the Sea Treaty –USA-Canada Eastern boundary dispute Gulf of Maine-Georges Bank Alaska-BC offshore boundary “NW passage” –Smuggling along remote coasts –Arctic sovereignty (ownership?) –France-Canada Grand Banks dispute

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