Overview

Four billion years old, the oceans formed as the Earth's scorching surface cooled, the primordial atmosphere condensed, and torrential rains fell. Their color is the unique signature of our blue planet, their composition a chemical cocktail of remarkable variety, their waters a theater of constant change. Oceans: An Illustrated Reference tells the story of this last great frontier. With hundreds of beautiful full-colour photographs and explanatory diagrams, charts, and maps, Oceans combines the visual splendor of ocean life with up-to-date scientific information to provide an invaluable and fascinating resource on this vital realm. Covering all major areas of oceanographic knowledge and research, Oceans is divided into two parts. The first, ""Ocean Systems,"" examines the physical nature of the oceans, including plate tectonics, temperature and climate, waves and tides, natural resources, and much more. The second, ""Ocean Life,"" explores biodiversity, evolution and adaptation, marine ecosystems and complex communities, and the preservation of fragile marine environments. Oceans also offers readers a host of tools to better understand the magnificent world of the sea. A special section of bathymetric maps - made possible by satellite observation, deep-towed surveying craft, and remotely operated submarine vessels - provides a view of the depth and texture of ocean floors around the globe, giving us a glimpse of worlds rarely seen. And throughout the book, engagingly written special features delve into specific marine environments and phenomena such as the lost Tethys Ocean, from which the Himalayas were born. Cross-references and a detailed index help readers navigate this multifaceted volume, and a glossary provides clear definitions of scientific vocabulary. Although the oceans are vast, their resources are finite. Oceans clearly presents the future challenge to us all - that of ensuring that our common ocean heritage is duly respected, wisely managed, and carefully harnessed for the benefit of the whole planet. Lavishly illustrated and filled with current research, Oceans is a step in that direction: a rich, magnificent, and illuminating volume for anyone who has ever heard the siren song of the sea.

Full Product Details

9780226776644

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Reviews

"""There is a lot we don't know about the oceans' structure, processes, and inhabitants. Much of the knowledge we do have has been skillfully compiled in Oceans: An Illustrated Reference. This beautifully designed volume will introduce you to a fascinating and complex world, and help you better understand the role that oceans play in our lives. You will also learn how the oceans - and ocean sciences - are being transformed as the twenty-first century begins."" - From the Preface by Charles F. Kehnel, director, Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego"""

There is a lot we don't know about the oceans' structure, processes, and inhabitants. Much of the knowledge we do have has been skillfully compiled in Oceans: An Illustrated Reference. This beautifully designed volume will introduce you to a fascinating and complex world, and help you better understand the role that oceans play in our lives. You will also learn how the oceans - and ocean sciences - are being transformed as the twenty-first century begins. - From the Preface by Charles F. Kehnel, director, Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego

Author Information

Dorrik Stow is professor of ocean and earth science at the Southampton Oceanography Centre, Europe's leading center for ocean research. A world-renowned oceanographer and marine geoscientist with a specialty in the deep sea, Stow has published numerous books, papers, and edited volumes. He has sailed all the world's major oceans.

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