Earth

Planet Ocean
The single most striking fact about the Earth is that it's awash with water. Dominating our planet's surface and affecting the lives of everyone, even those who live far inland, the Earth's ocean -- the vast expanse of water circling the globe and comprising the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and numerous smaller seas -- has long been a source of wonder and awe. From the earliest recorded times, men and women have sought to understand the behavior of the ocean and of the life within it. Our knowledge of the ocean is far from complete, but is steadily advancing -- thanks in great part to new developments in mathematics.

Millennia of trial-and-error experience led to practical and sometimes elegant solutions to problems in ship-building, navigation, fishing strategy, and the anticipation of oceanic activity ranging from rough seas to the rhythm of tides. During the last few centuries, our understanding of the ocean has become increasingly scientific. The observations and ...