Welcome to week three of the HPW online thingumabob. Last week we saw that a static atmosphere was not enough to ensure a habitable planet - the atmosphere has to move to redistribute heat. Another vital component of the Earth's heat redistribution system is the oceans. This week we learn from Puseletso that the physics of the ocean is very similar to that of the atmosphere, but the ocean is heated from above not below (and also can be salty).  Water, as we will note later, has a very high specific heat capacity, giving the oceans a much greater potential to transport heat when compared to the atmosphere. This is offset, however, by the fact that the "winds of the ocean", ocean currents, are much slower than those on land. The interaction of the slow ocean and speedy atmosphere produce one of the most interesting and talked about climate phenomenon: El Niño. This was also one of the first climate phenomena to be studied with computer modelling. In our second talk this week, Carl gives us a brief introduction to this field, in order to help us engage more meaningfully when confronted with data from this often misunderstood tool. Intriguingly, we will find out that all models are wrong (!), but some, at least, are useful. 

1. This Week's Lectures

2. This Week's Reading

If you read nothing else at all this week, please make sure it's catching on up Clouds with Prof. George Philander .

If you are interested in oceanography and want to learn more (beyond this course) here are some interesting other courses and sites to visit:

• International

  • NOAA 

  • National Oceanography Centre, UK

• Local (contact for information on postgrad courses): 

  • UCT Oceanography

  • Marine Science at CPUT

3. Special South Africa

When Charles Darwin’s voyage on the HMS Beagle reached the Galápagos Islands, the scientists on board were astounded to discover that the surface ocean here was freezing cold, despite the proximity to the equator. Trying to provide a theory to explain this strange observation initiated the science of physical oceanography. To this day, many oceanographers are still concerned with trying to explain why some oceans are warm, but others are cold. South Africa is unique in the world because it is the only place you can drive from a hot ocean to a cold one in under a day. As such, it offers a unique location to study oceanography. This is illustrated nicely in the media below.

4. Critical Eye From a Science Guy (or Girl)

Once again, we have called in the experts to figure out what was overlooked in our core talks, or perhaps, to better tease out what critical thinking questions arise from the material presented. 

6. This Week's Test