The Water Cycle pred
Water circulates
throughout Earth's
spheres in a severeiding
syde powered by the sun.
scene water terase
Ocean Research: A Cost-Benefit Analysis
Exploding the areas is costly to human survival. It allows
Funding of an observatory scientists to make predictions
network by the National
about corrents, weather, and
Science Foundations is about dimate patterns, Monitoring
S25 milion per year. However, ocean health and the impact of
ocean data is extremely useful pollution on ocean organisms
and valuable. Understanding is also critical for preserving
and having up-to-date
food supplies. For example.
Information about the oceans mure than one-third of the
allows scientists to monitor shellfish-growing waters in the
the planet and to study
United States are affected by
how it is functioning as a coastal pollution. Knowledge
systein. Earth has four major of the ocean can help us act
subsystems: the atmosphere responsibly to protect it. Ocean
(air), the hydrosphere (water). waves are also the major cause
the biosphere (life), and the of coastal erosion in areas
tithosphere (land). These not protected by marshlands.
spheres constantly interact. The Understanding how the ocean
ocean is the largest part of the interacts with Earth's other
hydrosphere. Understanding spheres and has an impact on
the ocean and its impact on them allows humans to make
Earth's other spheres is critical informed choices.
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