Oceanography: Exploring Earth’s Final Wilderness

Overview

Course No. 1730

Probe the ocean depths in this intriguing course that explores what we know about the world’s oceans—from the tidal zones to the deepest points on the ocean floor.

Oceanography: Exploring Earth’s Final Wilderness takes you on a scientific expedition to fathom the ocean’s mysteries. These 36 intensively illustrated half-hour lectures are delivered by ocean scientist and Professor Harold J. Tobin of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a researcher who has visited and mapped landscapes on the seabed that no human eyes had ever seen before.

Oceanography encompasses a wide range of fields, from biology and ecology to geology, meteorology, chemistry, physics, and ocean engineering. No background in science is needed to follow these lectures, which provide a thorough appreciation for the ocean as a system that is arguably more intricate and fascinating than the continents—not least because it is a fully three-dimensional world, from the tidal zone to the deepest point on the ocean floor.

Video Lectures

Module 1: Introduction to Oceanography

1. Diving In: The Ocean Adventure (31 min)

• Begin your study of the ocean from every angle, examining Earth’s watery realm through geology, biology, chemistry, meteorology, and more.

1. Explorers, Navigators, Pioneering Scientists (33 min)

• Relive the exploits of early mariners and the transition to scientific ocean exploration.

Module 2: Ocean Geology & Mapping

3. Ocean Basics and Ocean Basins (32 min)

• Discover how the seabed is shaped by geological forces unlike those on land.

3. Mapping the Sea: Soundings to Satellites (34 min)

• Explore the technologies used to measure the ocean floor, from weighted ropes to sonar and satellite radar.

3. Habitats: Sunlit Shelves to the Dark Abyss (32 min)

• Classify ocean zones and the factors influencing marine life.

3. The Spreading Sea Floor and Mid-Ocean Ridges (33 min)

• Learn how new oceanic crust forms and drives plate tectonics.

3. The Plunging Sea Floor and Deep-Sea Trenches (32 min)

• Investigate subduction zones, trenches, and volcanic hotspots.

Module 3: Origins & Chemistry of the Ocean

8. The Formation of the Earth and Its Ocean (30 min)

• Trace Earth’s cosmic history and the origins of seawater.

8. The Early Ocean and the Origins of Life (34 min)

• Explore theories of life’s beginnings around deep-sea vents.

8. Marine Sediments: Archives of the Ocean (31 min)

• Study sediments as records of ocean and climate history.

8. Offshore Oil and Gas: Resources and Risks (34 min)

• Examine petroleum formation and deep-water drilling challenges.

8. The Enduring Chemistry of Seawater (30 min)

• Probe the mysteries of ocean salinity and stability

Module 4: Ocean Physics & Life

13. How the Physics of Water Controls the Ocean (32 min)

• Analyze water’s unique properties and their role in sustaining life.

13. Waves: Motion in the Ocean (30 min)

• Chart the dynamics of wind-generated waves.

13. Rogue Waves and Tsunami (32 min)

• Understand the science behind freak waves and seismic sea waves.

13. Tides in Theory and Practice (30 min)

• Learn the complex forces behind tidal patterns.

13. Marine Life, Energy, and Food Webs (34 min)

• Trace energy flow through oceanic ecosystems.

13. Tiny Plankton: The Most Abundant Life on Earth (31 min)

• Survey the diverse world of plankton.

13. Soft-Bodied Life in the Dark, Open Depths (33 min)

• Discover deep-sea organisms rarely seen by humans.

13. Swimming: The Many Fish in the Sea (34 min)

• Study fish adaptations and mollusks like octopuses and squid.

13. Marine Birds, Reptiles, and Mammals (34 min)

• Explore marine vertebrates, from albatrosses to whales.

Module 5: Human Impact & Future

22. Whaling, Fisheries, and Farming the Ocean (34 min)

• Examine the history and sustainability of marine resource use.

22. Where Sea Meets the Land and Why Coasts Vary (32 min)

• Learn how erosion, tectonics, and sea-level change shape coastlines.

22. Where Rivers Meet the Sea: Estuaries and Deltas (30 min)

• Investigate biologically rich zones where freshwater and seawater mix.

22. Coastal Erosion: Beaches and Sea Cliffs (31 min)

• Assess human-engineered solutions to coastal change.

22. Tidal Life, Sea Forests, and Coral Reefs (32 min)

• Explore benthic ecosystems in shallow waters.

22. Deep Bottom Life and Hydrothermal Vents (32 min)

• Discover life thriving in extreme deep-sea conditions.

22. Trade Winds: The Circulation of Heat and Wind (29 min)

• Link atmospheric patterns to ocean currents.

22. Heavy Weather: Storms and Hurricanes (34 min)

• Study hurricane formation and impacts like storm surges.

22. The Gulf Stream to Gyres: Vast Surface Currents (32 min)

• Track wind-driven currents and their global effects.

22. Upwelling, Downwelling, and El Niño (32 min)

• Analyze cyclical disruptions like El Niño.

22. The Deepest, Slowest River: Polar Bottom Water (32 min)

• Follow the slow movement of deep polar water masses.

22. The Ocean and Global Climate (32 min)

• Examine the ocean’s role in climate regulation.

22. The Warming, Rising Sea (34 min)

• Assess the consequences of melting glaciers and rising seas.

22. Marine Pollution: The Impact of Toxins (34 min)

• Confront threats like plastic waste and acidification.

22. The Future Ocean (36 min)

• Explore ways to protect marine ecosystems for generations.