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The
oceans, which cover more than 70% of the earth’s surface,
play a fundamental and complex role in regulating climate.
The oceans absorb huge amounts of solar energy; ocean currents
transport this heat from the equator toward the Poles. In the
past, long-term, natural oscillations in the oceans’ capacity
to store and transport heat have led to global temperature changes.
Future climate changes—whether natural or human-induced—will
also be strongly influenced by the powerful dynamics of the
seas.
As part of a vast planetary cycle of evaporation and rainfall,
the oceans are also fundamental to the movement of water around
the globe. Measuring changes in precipitation patterns, and
understanding how they may lead to droughts in some regions
and flooding in others, is a major part of predicting the potential
effects of global climate change on human activities and natural
ecosystems.
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