What role does the ocean play in the water cycle and in climate change?
Ocean currents act much like a conveyor belt, transporting warm water and precipitation from the equator toward the poles and cold water from the poles back to the tropics. Thus, ocean currents regulate global climate, helping to counteract the uneven distribution of solar radiation reaching Earth’s surface.
Why are the oceans important to the water cycle quizlet?
Why are the oceans important to the water cycle? Oceans are important to the water cycle because most of Earth’s surface is ocean water, and the oceans provide most of the water vapor. The water cycle is the process which water leaves the Earth’s surface, enters the atmosphere, and is returned to the surface.
Why are oceans important?
The air we breathe: The ocean produces over half of the world’s oxygen and absorbs 50 times more carbon dioxide than our atmosphere. Climate regulation: Covering 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, the ocean transports heat from the equator to the poles, regulating our climate and weather patterns.
What is the main role of the water cycle?
The water cycle shows the continuous movement of water within the Earth and atmosphere. It is a complex system that includes many different processes. Liquid water evaporates into water vapor, condenses to form clouds, and precipitates back to earth in the form of rain and snow.
What activity accounts for the greatest percentage of fresh water used worldwide?
In most regions of the world, over 70 percent of freshwater is used for agriculture.
How did Earths oceans form?
The ocean formed billions of years ago. Water remained a gas until the Earth cooled below 212 degrees Fahrenheit . According to this theory, the ocean formed from the escape of water vapor and other gases from the molten rocks of the Earth to the atmosphere surrounding the cooling planet.