Studies natural phenomena occurring in the world's oceans. Physical phenomena and processes in the ocean. Meeting point of the Baltic Sea with the North Sea

Even primitive people began to accumulate knowledge about what surrounded them. As humanity developed, this knowledge became more and more abundant. People wanted to know as deeply as possible the world. Gradually arose and began to develop various sciences. Some of them explore nature, others - the lives of people, their spiritual world, history, culture, economics.

In the old days, nature was called “nature”. Therefore, the natural sciences received common name natural Sciences. They study a variety of bodies, substances and natural phenomena. Any object can be called a body, any Living being. Substances are what bodies are made of. And phenomena, as you already know, are any changes that occur in nature.

Let's get acquainted with the basic sciences of nature.

Astronomy

The name of this science comes from the Greek words “astron” - “star”, “nomos” - “law”.

Astronomy is the science of celestial bodies: their origin, structure, composition, movement in outer space.

The world of celestial bodies, perhaps, seems to us a particularly mysterious part of nature. And probably everyone, more than once peering into the distant, bewitching starry sky, felt that all people and the whole Earth were a small part of a huge, vast world - the Universe. Astronomy has already revealed many mysteries of the Universe and continues to unravel them, striking people’s imagination with new discoveries.

Physics

Translated from Greek language the word “physis” means . "nature" is calling.

Physics is a science that studies various natural phenomena.

We often encounter many of these phenomena in Everyday life. For example, the movement of bodies, changes that occur with bodies when heated and cooled, electricity, sound, light. It is physics that answers the questions of why lightning flashes and thunder roars, how an echo occurs, what a rainbow is... But physics not only explains what can be seen in nature. It is the basis of technology. Without knowledge of physics it is impossible to create a car, an airplane, a refrigerator, a crane, or a computer. It is difficult to even imagine what our life would be like if the science of physics did not exist.

Chemistry

The origin of the name of this science is not precisely known, perhaps from the Greek word “himeusis” - “mixing”.

Chemistry is the science of substances and their transformations.

You already know that bodies are made of substances. Water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, sugar, starch, table salt - all these are examples of substances. There are a lot of them known now - several million. Each substance has its own properties. At certain conditions From some substances others can arise. There is no miracle or magic in such transformations. Thanks to chemistry, people have learned to obtain in laboratories and chemical plants those substances that are needed in the household and in everyday life.

Geography

This is another earth science. Its name comes from the Greek words “geo” - “earth”, “grapho” - “writing”, i.e. “land description”.

Indeed, geography describes our planet: what oceans and continents are there, seas, lakes and rivers, lowlands, hills and mountains, what countries, cities and villages arose on Earth, what is the life and economy of the peoples inhabiting our planet. Geography studies many questions. As you can see, they concern not only nature, but also life, economic activity of people. You will learn about what main sections geography is divided into and what they study, as well as what geographical sciences exist, from the next paragraph.

Biology

Translated from Greek, the word “bios” means “life”, “logos” means “science, teaching”.

Biology is the science of living nature.

It is impossible to imagine our planet without living things. A variety of creatures - bacteria, protozoa, fungi, plants, animals - inhabited the oceans and land, plains and mountains, soil and even deep, mysterious caves. We ourselves are part of living nature. Biology answers many questions: what living beings are on Earth and how many there are, how a living body is structured and works, how organisms reproduce and develop, how they are connected to each other and to inanimate nature.

Ecology

The name of this science comes from the Greek words “ekos” - “house”, “logos” - “science, teaching”.

Ecology is the science of the relationships of organisms with each other and with their environment, of the interaction between man and nature.

Ecology arose as a part of biology, but now it is increasingly spoken of as an independent science - the science of the natural home of humanity. The word “ecology” is often heard on radio, television, and appears in newspapers. This is because our natural home is in danger. To save it, every person should be at least a little familiar with the environment.

People have always sought to understand the world around them. Gradually, various sciences arose and began to develop. The sciences of nature are called natural sciences. They study a variety of bodies, substances and natural phenomena. The basic natural sciences include astronomy, physics, chemistry, geography, biology, geology, and ecology. Astronomy is the science of celestial bodies. Physics examines various natural phenomena. Chemistry is the science of substances and their transformations. Geography studies our planet. Biology is the science of living nature. Ecology is the science of the relationships of organisms with each other and with their environment, of the interaction between man and nature.

1. What is the common name for the natural sciences?
2. What are bodies, substances and natural phenomena? Give examples of bodies and substances that you encounter in everyday life.
3. List the natural sciences you know.
4. What does each of the natural sciences study (astronomy, physics, chemistry, geography, biology, ecology)?
5. The great English scientist Isaac Newton wrote: “I don’t know about others, but I feel like a child who wanders all day at the water’s edge, finding now a shell, now a wave-polished pebble, while the vast ocean of truth stretches out before him, boundless, unexplored.” How do you explain these words?

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Let's remember: What is the World Ocean? What parts is it divided into? What are the main shapes of the ocean floor? How does the temperature of ocean waters change? What are the types of water movement in the ocean? Under the influence of what causes are sea waves, tsunamis, ocean currents, ebbs and flows formed? What are the characteristics of marine plants and animals and how are they distributed in the ocean? What resources of the World Ocean are used by humans? What are the negative impacts of humans on the ocean? How to combat pollution of the world's oceans?

Keywords:expedition ships, drifting stations, underwater vehicles, artificial satellites and spaceships.

1. Study of the ocean in the past. The ocean has always amazed people with its vastness, power, and mysterious distances.

Ancient people tried to explain in their own way strange phenomena in the ocean. In their imagination, it was not natural processes that arose, but sea spirits, and then deities. For the ancient Greeks it was Poseidon, and for the Romans it was Neptune.

If there are not many unexplored territories left on land, then in the depths of the ocean there are still a lot of unknown and even mysterious things. First of all, people became acquainted with what happens on the surface of the ocean and in its coastal, shallow parts.

The first ocean explorers were divers for pearls and sea sponges. They dived without any equipment and could stay under water for only a few minutes.

2. Modern research of the World Ocean. It took a long time before researchers had heavy, hard suits - spacesuits connected by a hose and cable to the ship. In the forties of the 20th century, J.I. Cousteau invented scuba gear. This opened the way for exploring the depths of the sea for a wide range of people: archaeologists, geologists, oceanologists, and submariners (Fig. 110).

Despite the dangers that await researchers in the ocean, its study does not stop.

Ocean exploration is carried out using special expedition ships, drifting stations, artificial Earth satellites, and underwater vehicles. One of them - a bathyscaphe - is called an underwater airship (Fig. 111).

Rice. 111. Bathyscaphe

On the bathyscaphe "Trieste" in 1960, Swiss scientist Jacques Picard and his assistant descended into the Mariana Trench to a depth of about 10,500 m. Sometimes underwater houses - laboratories are installed at a depth of 10-20 meters.

An important role in the study of oceans and seas belongs to artificial Earth satellites and spacecraft. From satellites, for example, they study sea currents, monitor the warm Gulf Stream, sea waves and ice.

The ocean is studied comprehensively. The properties of water, its movement at different depths, the characteristics of marine organisms and their distribution are determined, depths are measured, and samples of bottom sediments are taken and examined.

When it is necessary to study large areas of the ocean, scientists different countries join their efforts. Dozens of special vessels, aircraft, underwater vehicles, and artificial Earth satellites participate in such research.

The research results are of great importance for shipping, fishing, mineral exploration and extraction.

1. How do they study the World Ocean? 2. What role do they play in ocean exploration? artificial satellites Earths and spaceships? 3. Why is it necessary to study the ocean? 4* Do you know when the Neptune festival is held and what ritual is it accompanied by?

Incredible facts

The ocean is full of secrets. People traditionally fear the ocean and prefer to admire it from the shore. There are places in the world's oceans that people are especially afraid of. Planes and ships disappear there without a trace. There are also giant whirlpools, waves and mysterious luminous circles on the water. However, in addition to the well-known Bermuda Triangle, there are several other similar frightening places.

Sargasso Sea

Many people confuse the Sargasso Sea with the Bermuda Triangle. The sea is located southeast of the triangle. Moreover, there are many who are trying to find the answer to the mysteries of the triangle in this sea. However, the sea is in the center Atlantic Ocean. There is a certain feature due to which the sea got its name. Ocean currents move clockwise.

However, the sea is a giant whirlpool that lives by its own laws. The water temperature inside the pool is much higher than outside. While staying in this place, people often see wonderful mirages; for example, it may seem that the sun rises in both the east and the west at the same time.

Richard Sylvester, a scientist at the University of Western Australia, has suggested that the giant whirlpool of the Sargasso Sea is a centrifuge that creates smaller whirlpools that reach the Bermuda Triangle area. Whirlpools cause mini-cyclones in the air. Cyclones are supported by the spiral movements of water that cause them to appear. This may be the cause of small aircraft accidents.

Devil's Sea

This is the region Pacific Ocean around Miyake Island, which is about 100 kilometers south of Tokyo. This “relative” of the Bermuda Triangle cannot be found on any map, however, sailors prefer to stay away from this sea. A storm there can begin completely unexpectedly, and also end. There are no whales, dolphins, or even birds living in this region. Since the early 1950s, 9 ships have gone missing in this region. The most famous of the incidents is the disappearance of Kaiyo Maru No. 5, a Japanese research vessel.

This area is also characterized by high seismic activity. The seabed is constantly moving, volcanic islands appear and disappear. The region is also known for very active cyclonic activity.

Cape Good Hope

This area is off the coast South Africa also known as the Cape of Storms. Over hundreds of years, many ships have been wrecked in this region. Most disasters occurred due to bad weather, in particular due to rogue waves. Scientists also call them solitary waves. They are very large, reaching up to 30 meters in height. They are formed by two coherent waves and become one huge wave. They do not change their shape while moving, even if they collide with other similar waves along the way. They can "move" over very long distances without losing their power. Such huge waves create very deep cavities in front of them, the depth of which corresponds to the height of the wave.

There are many other places in the world's oceans where similar waves form, but in this regard, the region near the Cape of Good Hope is extremely dangerous.

Eastern Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf

This area is known for its very spectacular and mysterious phenomenon- giant, luminous and rotating circles on the surface of the water. German oceanographer Kurt Kahle believes that the luminous circles appear as a result of underwater earthquakes that cause plankton to glow. This hypothesis is criticized in Lately, because it cannot explain the logic of the round shape. Modern science also can't explain it. Moreover, scientists cannot explain the origin of the rays that emanate from the center of the circles. UFO's version in this case comes to the fore.

Maelstrom Maelstrom

This whirlpool does not have planetary significance like the whirlpool in the Sargasso Sea. However, sailors know dozens of chilling stories about this amazing phenomenon. This whirlpool occurs twice a day in the western Norwegian Sea, off the northwest coast of Norway. The word "maelstrom" was popularized by Edgar Poe in his story "Descent into the Maelstrom." A whirlpool is a very strong and large body of “swirling” water that has a significant downward air flow. The water surface of the cavity in the center of a powerful vortex is tens of meters below the surface of the ocean. The strength of the whirlpool is ten times greater than the strength of the general current.

Oddly enough, the whirlpool changes its direction to the opposite once every 3-4 months. Maelstrom eddies can occur in other areas, including the Bermuda Triangle. It is believed that the Maelstrom is a vortex that rotates counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere, which is explained by the rotation of planet Earth.

When I graduated from school, the Unified State Exam had not yet been invented. Now I often hear that tests are very difficult, and I decided to test myself by looking at the list of approximate topics and tasks in geography. That's what came out of it.

Ocean Science

I got into the section geographical sciences. The first question concerned science studying processes occurring in the World Ocean. I knew that its name was oceanology. This science covers so many points in this area that it has been divided into more highly specialized ones:

1. Chemical oceanology.
2. Physical.
3. Technical.
4. Interaction between the ocean and the atmosphere.
5. Marine.
6. Promyslovaya.

Soils for structures

The behavior of soils intended for structures and their interaction with elements of the technosphere is studied by engineering geology. Its structure includes three component sections: engineering geodynamics, soil science and regional engineering geology.

Climate and topography of the Earth

The climatic conditions of the Earth, the patterns of climate formation and their location on the planet are studied by the science of climatology.

Relief, the nature of the surface, the history of development and the origin of landforms, the patterns of their distribution are studied by geomorphology. In this science, relief levels are studied in detail: elements, forms and complexes.

Earth's crust

Composition, structure, nature of the surface, as well as patterns of development earth's crust our planet are included in the circle of interests of the science of geology. It covers many separate sciences, which have their own specific objects of study and use their own research methods. Examples of these sciences: tectonics, volcanology, mineralogy, paleontology, and even the aforementioned engineering geology.

Population and the influence of the specifics of the territory on its health

The science that focuses on the Earth's population, patterns of distribution and reproduction, its migration, numbers, and composition is called demography.

The influence of the characteristics of the geographic environment on people’s health and the order of spread of diseases are studied by medical geography.

Land occupies less than 30% of the surface of our planet. The rest is covered by seas and oceans. Dozens of secrets and amazing natural phenomena are associated with them. And, despite the fact that scientists have successfully explained the reasons for these phenomena, they remain magnificent works of nature that capture the imagination of people. Let's learn about 10 unusual and exciting phenomena related to the World Ocean.

Icebergs don't always look perfectly white!

It's no secret that the water temperature in the ocean differs from one place to another. geographical latitudes. At the equator, the surface layer can warm up to +28°C and above, but in areas close to the poles - no more than +2°C. Therefore, large icebergs can float in the Arctic and Antarctic for decades. And sometimes they turn... into striped icebergs!

Striped icebergs form when water first thaws and then freezes again. In between, small particles of dirt, minerals, etc. get into it. After freezing, the color of the fresh layer of the iceberg is different from the others. Thanks to this process, many multi-colored stripes can be observed on the surface of the ice block. That is, not all icebergs are white or transparent, as they are shown in the pictures. In some of them we can observe an amazing play of colors and shades. Moreover, the older the iceberg, the more stripes there are on it. Looking at them, it may seem that nature itself decorated these blocks of ice with a skillful hand.
9. Whirlpool

Whirlpool - a huge funnel with a lower draft that sucks in everything that is nearby

The word “whirlpool” seems to deliberately warn people that they should be wary of this phenomenon. Interestingly, it was first used by the famous writer Edgar Allan Poe. He described it as a "destructive current." In fact, the ocean whirlpool is a powerful funnel with a lower draft, slowly but surely sucking in everything that is nearby. They are of three types - permanent (always existing in the same place), seasonal (caused by certain climatic conditions) and episodic (occurring, for example, during earthquakes).

In the seas and oceans, whirlpools are most often caused by the collision of tidal waves with oncoming currents. Moreover, the water in them can move at speeds of hundreds of kilometers per hour.

This is interesting: The width of the whirlpools sometimes reaches 3-5 kilometers. Not only small yachts and fishing boats, but also large liners can become victims of such phenomena. You may remember the shocking incident in 2011 when a ship with hundreds of passengers on board was sucked into a whirlpool formed after an earthquake off the coast of Japan.

Previously, people believed in legends that claimed that whirlpools would certainly drag them to the very bottom of the ocean. But scientists have debunked such myths.
8. Red Tide

The largest red tide can be seen in Florida Bay

Waves of rich, bright red and orange hues are an amazingly beautiful natural phenomenon. But enjoying red tides too often is harmful to your health, because they are fraught with considerable danger.

Algae blooms (which cause the water to turn scarlet) can be so intense that the plants begin to produce all sorts of toxins and chemicals. Some of them dissolve in water, some enter the air. Toxins harm aquatic life, seabirds and even humans.

The largest Red Tide on the planet occurs annually off the Florida Gulf Coast in June and July.
7. Brynicle (salted icicle)

Brynicle spreads an ice net along the bottom of the sea, from which no living creature can escape.

An amazing work of nature - a salty icicle, is something unimaginable. When the brynicle is finally formed, it looks something like a crystal dipped into water. Salty icicles form when water from melting ice seeps into the sea. Considering that the formation of salty icicles requires very low air and water temperatures, they can only be observed in the cold waters of the Arctic and off the coast of Antarctica.

This is interesting: Brainicles pose a great danger to the flora and fauna of the ocean. At the moment of contact with them sea ​​stars, fish and even algae either freeze and freeze, or receive significant cuts.

The generally accepted model for the formation of brainicles was described by oceanographer Silje Martin back in 1974. For more than 30 years, only scientists could witness this vibrant oceanic performance. But in 2011, the process of formation of a sea icicle was filmed by a BBC cameraman.

The stream of salty water flowing from the ice block is so cold that the surrounding liquid freezes almost instantly. Within seconds of being in the ocean, Brynicle forms a fragile armor of porous ice around it. When the critical mass is reached, the icicle collapses to the bottom. Then she begins to spread her cold nets further. Any animal caught in them is doomed to death. Before the eyes of the operators, the “killer icicle” grew several meters in 3 hours and reached the ocean floor. After that, in just 15 minutes, Brynicle destroyed all marine life within a radius of four meters.
6. The longest wave on Earth

Brazilians call the process of formation of the longest wave of Poroca

Weather conditions have a huge impact on ocean waters. It's no surprise that some natural phenomena can be observed only in a certain season with a combination of many contributing factors.

Thus, the longest wave on the planet can be seen in Brazil no more than 2 times a year. At the end of February and then at the beginning of March, a huge volume of water from the Atlantic Ocean rises up the mouth of the Amazon River. When the current of a river collides with the tidal forces of the ocean, it creates the longest wave on Earth. In Brazil this phenomenon is called Pororoca. The height of the waves formed during this phenomenon sometimes reaches 3.5-4 meters. And you can hear the sound of a wave half an hour before it hits the shore with a roar. Sometimes Pororoka destroys coastal houses or uproots trees.
5. Frosty flowers

Thousands of amazing frosty flowers in Arctic waters

Few people know about the existence of these delicate, charming flowers. Frosty flowers are formed quite rarely - only on young ice in cold sea water. Their formation occurs at low temperatures in windless weather. The diameter of such formations usually does not exceed four centimeters, and they look like crystal copies of real flowers. They contain a lot of salt, which explains the crystallized appearance of frosty flowers.

This is interesting: If millions of similar flowers form in some small area of ​​​​the sea, they begin to “release” salt into the air!

The sea can not only create conditions for life and support it. It changes itself, like a living organism. And frosty flowers are an example of one of the most beautiful objects of art created by the World Ocean.
4. Rogue waves

Rogue rogue waves can reach heights of 25 meters or more. The reasons for their formation are not reliably known.

As a rule, determining the moment of wave formation is not difficult. But there are so-called rogue waves, which essentially appear out of nowhere and show no signs of their approach.

This is interesting: Typically, rogue waves are found in the open ocean far from land. They can appear even in clear weather in the absence of strong wind. The reasons have not yet been established. Their size is simply colossal. The height of wandering rogue waves can reach 30 meters, and sometimes more!

For a long time, scientists considered wandering waves to be an invention of sailors, because they did not fit into any existing mathematical models occurrence and behavior of waves. The fact is that, from the point of view of classical oceanology, a wave with a height of more than 20.7 meters cannot exist in terrestrial conditions. There was also a lack of reliable evidence of their existence. But on January 1, 1995, on the Norwegian oil platform Dropner, located in the North Sea, instruments recorded a wave 25.6 meters high. It was called the Dropner wave. Research soon began as part of the MaxWave project. Specialists monitored water surface Earth using two radar satellites launched by the European Space Agency. In just 3 weeks, 10 single wandering waves over 25 meters high were recorded in the oceans.

After this, scientists were forced to take a fresh look at the deaths of huge ships - container ships and supertankers. Rogue waves have been included among the likely causes of these disasters. It was later proven that in 1980, the 300-meter English cargo ship Derbyshire sank off the coast of Japan after colliding with a giant wave that pierced the cargo hatch and flooded the holds. Then 44 people died.

Rogue waves are a sailors' nightmare, appearing in many stories and legends. There is something mysterious and sinister hidden in them. It seems incredible that it is almost impossible to predict the appearance of such a wall of water. The thought of rogue waves will definitely make you reconsider your relationship with the ocean. It is unlikely that you will continue to believe that in calm weather you can sail on a boat or yacht far from the shore without fearing for your life.
3. Meeting place Baltic Sea with Northern

On the left is the North Sea, on the right is the Baltic Sea. Surprisingly, their waters do not mix

In the Danish province of Skagen, you can observe an amazing phenomenon that previously caused a lot of controversy among scientists. In a picturesque place, 2 neighboring seas meet - the Baltic and the North. Surprisingly, they do not mix, as if being separated by an invisible wall. The color of the water in each sea is different, this allows you to visually determine the boundary between them.

According to oceanologists, the density of sea waters differs, as does their salinity (in the North Sea it is 1.5 times higher). Because of this, each sea remains on its own side of the “watershed”, without mixing with the neighboring one and without yielding to it. In addition to the composition of the water, the border is so clearly expressed due to the opposing currents in the two straits. Running into each other, they form colliding waves.

It is interesting that the meeting of the North Sea with the Baltic Sea is mentioned in religious literature - in the Koran. It is not clear how the ancient Muslims reached the territory of modern Denmark to see this fantastic spectacle.
2. Bioluminescence

The glow of the ocean in coastal waters is a fantastic sight

Bioluminescence of water is a phenomenon that looks amazing in photographs and is even more spectacular in reality. The glow of the ocean is caused by the simplest algae - dinoflagellates, which make up most of the plankton.

The tiny molecule, the substrate luciferin, is oxidized by the enzyme luciferase and oxygen. The released energy does not turn into heat, but excites the molecules of the substance, which emits photons. The type of luciferin determines the frequency of light, that is, the color of the glow.

It is best to observe the glow of the ocean during the reproduction of unicellular algae (usually no more than 3 weeks a year). There are so many tiny lights that the sea water looks like milk, albeit colored bright blue. However, one should be careful when admiring the bioluminescence of the sea or ocean: many algae produce toxins dangerous to human health. Therefore, during the period of their reproduction and the greatest intensity of the glow, it will still be better to observe the bright tide while on the shore. And definitely at night! It may seem that there are huge spotlights hidden under the water, illuminating it from the depths.
1. The phenomenon of the Milky Sea

The glow of the ocean caused by the phenomenon of bioluminescence can sometimes be seen even from space!

The Milk Sea phenomenon is observed in the Indian Ocean, and this is one of the manifestations of the bioluminescence process.

This is interesting: Certain areas of the ocean create ideal conditions for the growth of bacteria. Then huge volumes of salt water begin to glow and are colored with light blue lights. Sometimes bacteria illuminate such large areas of water that they can be easily seen even from space. Such a spectacle will not leave anyone indifferent!

This phenomenon has been observed for more than a century. The glow of water was often observed by sailors in ancient times; it made them gaze enthusiastically into the depths of the ocean. However, if earlier people could not find an explanation for this phenomenon, in our time everything is known about its nature. But this does not prevent the glow of water from remaining a fantastic sight.

Such phenomena show the beauty and diversity of the majestic World Ocean. Watching them, you involuntarily catch yourself thinking that human civilization, no matter how developed it may be, will not be able to create anything like this! After all, people are only temporary guests on this amazing planet. And we must not destroy, but preserve all the splendor of nature for future generations.