Ocean Dead Zones
Oceanographers are using robotic undersea "gliders" to study "dead zones" in the seas. Agricultural runoff, carried to the ocean by rivers, can cause plankton blooms which lower oxygen levels in the water. Lacking oxygen, many marine creatures die. Climate change may influence the frequency and extent of these blooms.
Right-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) here to download a copy of this video in QuickTime format.
Shop Windows to the Universe Science Store!
We have beautiful specimens of
banded iron formation in our
online store from Nature's Own, along with many other
mineral specimens.
You might also be interested in:
Plants need nitrogen to grow. Plants are not able to use the nitrogen that is in the atmosphere for this, even though there is tons of it available. It’s just not in a form that plants can use. So they
...more
Have you heard about rivers, lakes, or streams becoming polluted? Sometimes the pollution comes from trash, oil spills, sewage, fertilizers, or chemicals. However, sometimes the source of water pollution
...more
Oxygen (O2) is a kind of gas. A lot of the air you breathe is oxygen. That's a good thing, since we need oxygen to stay alive! About 4/5ths of the air in Earth's atmosphere is nitrogen (N2). Almost all
...more
Over 100 years ago, people worldwide began burning more coal and oil for homes, factories, and transportation. Burning these fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
...more
Altocumulus clouds are part of the Middle Cloud group (2000-7000m up). They are grayish-white with one part of the cloud darker than the other. Altocumulus clouds usually form in groups and are about
...more
Altostratus belong to the Middle Cloud group (2000-7000m up). An altostratus cloud usually covers the whole sky and has a gray or blue-gray appearance. The sun or moon may shine through an altostratus
...more
Cirrocumulus clouds belong to the High Cloud group (5000-13000m). They are small rounded puffs that usually appear in long rows. Cirrocumulus are usually white, but sometimes appear gray. Cirrocumulus
...more
