02 the Oceans and Importance of Geography

8/17/2019 02 the Oceans and Importance of Geography

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The Oceans and theimportance of

geography


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The Oceans: Descriptive data

The global ocean (world ocean)

The continuous body of saline water on the Earth’s surface

Covers approximately 71 of Earth’s surface

361,000,000 sq. km.

139,000,000 sq. mi.

!verage oceanic salinity" #$% (#% parts per thousand)

The principal component of the global hydrosphere

&ydrosphere" The total mass of water in Earth’s biosphere 'ceans inland water underground water glaciers

atmospheric water (rain snow clouds)

!verage depth" 1*#+ ft$ (#7,+ m)


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The Oceans: Major divisions

The global ocean is commonly divided into % ma-or

oceans based on geologic features such as continents

The Pacific Ocean

The largest of the world’s oceans

65,300,000 sq. mi.

169,200,000 sq. km.

*. of Earth’s surface water (# of total surface)

/arger that all landmass on Earth combined

The 0eaceful 2ea3

4amed by ortuguese explorer 5erdinand 6agellan


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acific 'cean" hysical geography

eographic bounds"

2outh" 2outhern 'cean 4orth" !las8a 4E 9ussia (:ering 2ea)

East" The !mericas ;est" !sia !ustralia (2trait of 6alacca)


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The acific 'cean basinContains the 09ing of 5ire3

? *++++ 8m horseshoe (4orth ;est East of pacific basin)

? *% volcanoes (@%+ of Earth’s total volcanoes)? ,+ of all world earth>ua8es (@A+ of ma-or >ua8es)

?


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http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Pacific_elevation.jpg


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The Atlantic Ocean

The nd largest of the world’s oceans

41,100,000 sq. mi. 106,400,000 sq. km.

Covers approximately 1B% of Earth’s surface

4amed after !tlas from ree8 mythology

The !tlantic has the highest saline content of all oceans

The e>uator divides the 4orthern and 2outhern !tlantic


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!tlantic 'cean" hysical geographyeographic bounds"

2outh" 2outhern 'cean 4orth" reenland !rctic 'cean

;est" The !mericas East" !frica Europe


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The Indian Ocean

The #rd largest of the world’s oceans

28,400,000 sq. mi.

73,556,000 sq. km.

Contains approximately + of Earth’s surface water

9elatively warm overall water temperature

&ome to the ulf of !den (2omali piracy)


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Dndian 'cean" hysical geographyeographic bounds"

2outh" 2outhern 'cean 4orth" !sia

East" Dndonesia !ustralia ;est" !frica


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The Arctic Ocean

The smallest of the world’s oceans

5,440,000 sq. mi.

14,056,000 sq. km.

!pproximately 1$% times the siGe of the $2$

The shallowest of the world’s oceans

6a-ority covered by sea ice most of the year

/owest level of salinity of all oceans /ow evaporation

6ore freshwater inta8e

4arrow connections to more saline oceans


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!rctic 'cean" hysical geography

eographic bounds" 2urrounded by Eurasia and 4orth !merica

6a-or coasts" Canada reenland !las8a 4orthern Europe 9ussia

Contains the 4orth ole (geographic)

Dn middle of !rctic 'cean

Ds where 2anta Claus livesHright I


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The Southern Ocean

The *th largest of the world’s oceans

7,848,000 sq. mi.

20,327,000 sq. km.

6ost recent official designation (+++)

Dnternational &ydrographic 'rganiGation (D&') ruling

The Limits of Oceans and Seas

4ew focus on ocean currents

!ntarctic circumpolar current


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2outhern 'cean" hysical geography

eographic bounds" The 2outhern 'cean completely encircles the !ntarctic continent

Dts outward boundaries are the southernmost points of the acific!tlantic and Dndian oceans

The !ntarctic Treaty 2ystem (!T2)


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So, Why does oceanSo, Why does ocean

geography matter?geography matter?


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Power, Wealth, and Place

? The study of politics is broadly constructed asthe study of the ac>uisition of power andwealth by nations

articularly in Dnternational 9elations

? 5or much of human history the ac>uisition of

power and wealth has involved the control of0land3 J physical place


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Control of placeControl of place

0;ithout 8nowledge both of man’s physical habitatthe earth and of his everchanging ad-ustment andrelationship to that habitat there can be no real

understanding of the rise and decline of nations ofnational aims and policies of the causes ofinternational strife or of man’s repeated attempts toestablish a more stable political order upon theearth3

K &arold and 6argaret 2prout


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Power, Wealth, and Space

? 2ince the beginning of the +th century nationshave increasingly realiGed that physical control of

physical land J place J is not essential

? 2tates can be wealthy and powerful by controllingspace J that is having influence over the 0land3

that is important to you


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World Trade Flows 2!2


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Political geography, powerand wealth

2tates ac>uire wealth and power"

? Through their own geography" natural resources ocean

access rivers etc? Through how they manage their relationship to their own

geography

? !nd through how they manage their relationship to worldgeography

J Dn light of constantly changing technological advancesand policy preferences


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Important Concept #1

olitical geography ac8nowledges that"

?;hile hard physical realities are largely

immutable a nation’s relationship to them

will change given technological advances


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For example"

? The development of navigation techni>ues of

bigger and faster ships or 2ubmarinelaunched

ballistic missile (2/:6s) of deepsea mininge>uipmentH$

? &ave all changed our relationship to the physical reality of the ocean


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"eo#raph$ and the relationship

%etween land and sea

? !lfred Thayer 6ahan (1A,+)

? 2ir &alford 6ac8inder (1,+*)

? 4icholas Lohn 2py8man (1,**)

?


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!lfred Thayer 6ahan

? The influence of sea powerupon history (1A,+)

? The importance of sea

power to a nation

? The sea is the 0greathighway3

? Dt is the ultimatedeterminant of the wealthand strength of states

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:AlfredThayerMahan.jpeg


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The importance of seapower

4ations that have controlled the seas have

consistently emerged as the great powers of history

J reat :ritain J &olland

J 2pain

J ortugal

J The nited 2tates

J (4ote on China)I


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Ac!iring sea power

The extent to which the sea is used successfully by a

state depends on its"

J /ocation

J hysical configuration J Territory

J 9esources

J opulation

J 4ational character

J Type of governmentI


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A note on Africa&

? 2ome political geographers believe !frica

remained so underdeveloped in part due to its

lac8 of good deepwater ports to supportinternational shipping

? Therefore it was cut off from the age of

exploration and the stimulating influences of

international trade and interaction


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Donald Meini# '!()s*

? 4ations that are both

sea and land states may

change their orientationfrom one to the other

? 'ceans give states a

choice

? 4ote" China is doing

this today


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In %rief

? !lfred Thayer 6ahan (1A,+)

J Dmportance of sea power

?


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Political "eo#raph$:

A su++in# up

? These theories help us remember the

importance of the physical

? 4ations in order to be successful must deal

with their natural world to their advantage

or ris8 the loss of power and wealth


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I+portant ,oncept -2

? Relevant e!"aphical space (92) J thatgeographical area important to a nation’s economic

political social and military wellbeing

? ;e will focus on the ability of nations to controltheir 92 given their available capabilities

? 5or example China and the 2 may have the same92 but the 2 can do more about it


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I+portant ,oncept -.

? !ccess to J or control of J the world’s

oceans matter to a nation’s power (even if

the nation is landloc8ed)

? ;e can spea8 then of a nation’s "elevant

e!"aphical !ceans

Documents

02 the Oceans and Importance of Geography