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Climate and Oceans

You may know that being close to an ocean can impact the climate of an area. In fact, the world’s ocean has a huge impact on climate. Scientists constantly monitor it with satellites, ships, and buoys. There are over 4,000 buoys and floats that take daily measurements. This data is sent back to scientists who analyze this data. Data is collected at both the surface as well as thousands of feet below. Data about ocean temperature, chemical composition, ocean currents, sea level, sea ice, and heat content are collected. All these factors are important to scientists as they monitor Earth’s climate.

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Historic Climate

Past climate, or paleoclimate, cannot be measured directly. Instead, scientists study past climates indirectly. They can find clues about past climates in many ways. For example, they can gain clues from tree rings, coral skeletons, glaciers, fossils, and sediments. These natural records help us learn about past climates.

The Importance of the Research

By looking at past and current climate data, a lot can be learned about what might happen in the future. You have probably heard more than once that you should plan. That’s exactly what scientists are trying to do. The key is knowing what to plan for. Knowing how both natural and manmade factors affect climate can help society plan for the future. To help the world’s citizenry, scientists from around the globe now strive to learn as much about Earth’s climate as possible.