The Mysterious Depths of the Ocean: Snowfall, Towers, and Mountains

❄️Marine snow, organic matter that sinks in the ocean, is an essential part of ocean food webs and the global climate.

🌊The ocean floor is not a flat landscape but is full of valleys, canyons, mountains, and plains.

🌍Carbon in marine snow helps regulate the planet's temperature by storing it in the deep sea and forming carbon-rich rocks like chalk and limestone.

🗺️Marie Tharp's work revolutionized our understanding of the ocean floor and revealed the massive mountain range in the Atlantic Ocean.

❓How does the increasing acidity of the ocean affect marine snow and its ability to store carbon?

What is marine snow?

—Marine snow is organic matter, such as dead plankton and fecal pellets, that sinks from the surface to the deep sea and plays a crucial role in ocean food webs and the global carbon cycle.

Why is the ocean floor not flat?

—The ocean floor is full of valleys, canyons, mountains, and plains due to tectonic activity and other geological processes, shaping the underwater landscape.

How does marine snow help regulate the planet's temperature?

—Carbon in marine snow can be stored in the deep sea, forming carbon-rich rocks like chalk and limestone. This helps remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, regulating the planet's temperature.

Who is Marie Tharp and why is she important?

—Marie Tharp was a researcher who revolutionized our understanding of the ocean floor. Her work, including mapping the massive mountain range in the Atlantic Ocean, provided crucial insights into the Earth's geology.

How does ocean acidity affect marine snow?

—Increasing ocean acidity can disrupt the formation of carbon-rich oozes and impact plankton communities, potentially affecting the amount of carbon that reaches the ocean floor.

00:01The ocean is a mysterious place with fascinating features and phenomena.

01:10Marine snow is organic matter that sinks from the surface and plays a crucial role in ocean food webs and the global climate.

02:18The ocean floor is not flat but has valleys, canyons, mountains, and plains similar to the Earth's surface.

04:56Carbon in marine snow helps regulate the planet's temperature by storing it in the deep sea, forming carbon-rich rocks like chalk and limestone.

08:30Marie Tharp's work revolutionized our understanding of the ocean floor and revealed a massive mountain range in the Atlantic Ocean.