This book provides an introduction to ocean sciences that is engaging, evocative and accessible to non-experts interested in marine geoscience, while sparking readers' interest in important unsolved mysteries in marine science.

Chapter1. The ocean begins.- Chapter2. Oceans created - oceans destroyed.- Chapter3. Where did continents come from?.- Chapter4. How deep is the ocean?.- Chapter5. The ocean in motion !.- Chapter6. The lungs of the ocean.- Chapter7. Frozen ocean - ice ages and climate change.- Chapter8. The continental shelf.- Chapter9. The face of the deep.- Chapter10. An ocean of mysteries.

This book provides an introduction to ocean sciences that is engaging, evocative and accessible to non-experts interested in marine geoscience, while sparking readers' interest in important unsolved mysteries in marine science. The scope of the book is quite broad, but focuses on the physical ocean and its geological evolution, including the author's experiences working as an oceanographer over the last thirty years. Across ten chapters, the book traces the origins of the ocean from its formation 4 billion years ago, reviews the discoveries of the theory of plate tectonics, the ice ages and the great ocean conveyor, and discusses seafloor features (canyons, seamounts, trenches, abyssal plains, etc.), how they formed and their current environmental issues. The book concludes with a prognosis for the future ocean we might expect with global climate change and other human impacts.  

“‘Mysterious Ocean’ should appeal to a diverse set of interests, especially to anyone wanting to learn about the earth and the origin of the oceans. This would include young students studying physical sciences, adults with an appetite to learn more about how the oceans came about and their present state of health, and professionals of all disciplines that want to know how the earth evolved and what to expect in the future. I would certainly recommend the book to any of my students that are studying geological oceanography as the book is packed with most all of the salient knowledge needed to progress in learning what the oceans offer and what should be done to mitigate global warming, sea level rise, and potential extinction of ecologically important species. This is a must-read book. I encourage anyone the bit interested in our oceans to pick up and read this book. It serves as an excellent factual reference to the general State-of-Knowledge of our planet.” (H Gary Greene, Professor Emeritus of Geological Oceanography, San Jose State University)  “Even for those of us who study the ocean, this vast, submerged part of most of our planet still holds too many mysteries. Mysterious Ocean is a delight regardless of your expertise. In clear, communicative language and with a wealth of intuitive maps and figures, Peter Harris weaves a narrative of the ocean that is near encyclopedic in scope but wonderfully accessible. And tremendous kudos to him, as this is the book that many of us have been wanting to write ourselves, or hoping that someone else could. The chapters of Mysterious Ocean are needed now more than ever with our planet in such crisis, and requiring so much more exploration and discovery. Dive into the mystery!” (Dawn J. Wright, Chief Scientist of the Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri))  

Discusses the evolution of the ocean and the seafloor Bridges the gap between popular TV shows and textbooks on oceanography and marine geology Written for an audience of general ocean science enthusiasts

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