Ocean Climatology
Climatology is the study of various types of weather conditions. Because
much of the earth's climate is dependent upon interactions between the
ocean and the atmosphere, there are close ties between the scientific
fields of climatology and oceanography. Some theoretical and practical
topics of interest to ocean climatologists include the study of storm
systems that form over water, the climate effects of ocean currents, and
marine weather forecasting.
Storm Systems
Typhoons and hurricanes are catastropic storm systems that form over oceans and often result in significant disaster on land devastating human habitat as well as natural habitat such as Temperate Rainforests. They begin their formation when temperature differences between the air at the ocean surface and the air above the surface lead to a convection process that creates a tunnel of moving air. Over time, this tunnel of air can become extremely turbulent and surrounded by thunderstorms. When a steering current pushes the storm spiral onto land, it causes damage due to strong winds and massive amounts of precipitation. Ocean climatologists across the world are actively engaged in investigting how these types of ocean storm systems form, how to predict their movement across water and onto land, and even how to prevent their formation in the first place.
Ocean Currents
Climatologists are also interested in investigating how ocean currents create large-scale climate patterns. When ocean water flows from colder to warmer regions of the earth, it leaves climate change in its wake. For example, the Gulf Stream, a warm ocean current that flows from the Gulf of Mexico all the way to the coastlines of Western Europe, results in a relatively temperate climate in a region that would otherwise be quite frigid. The opposite results when cold currents flow to a warm area, such as the California Current which results in a net cooling effect for the Hawaiian Islands.
Marine Weather
A final topic that is of interest to ocean climatologists is marine weather -- the study and forecasting of weather patterns over water. Marine weather forecasting is a vital subject of interest to sailors and mariners, whose lives may depend on the accurate prediction of storms and bad weather conditions. International cargo transportation over waterways, which is a multi-billion dollar industry, also depends upon marine weather prediction. Climatologists can examine the interaction of ocean currents and ocean atmospheric effects to provide practical information for safe ocean passage.