The ocean plays a fundamental role in many ways: from affecting the global climate and its variability, to phenomena such as El Niño, to the dispersal of pollutants such as oil spills. Understanding the dynamics controlling the ocean is essential to the prevention of potential negative long-lasting effects.

This Reading elaborates on the concepts presented in the Activities: Water: The Sum of Its Parts; The Ocean; The Tides: A Balance of Forces; Waves; and The Ocean: A Global View from Project Earth Science: Physical Oceanography, Revised 2nd Edition. Although the Reading was written especially for this volume with the teacher in mind, students should also be encouraged to read them for both interest and additional study.