Aquarius: Ocean Circulation

Notes from our reviewers

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• Teaching Tips
  An additional video is provided that discusses how Aquarius helps climate modelers to understand the ocean-atmosphere processes that are changing Earth's climate. A transcript is provided as well.
• About the Science
  Ocean circulation plays a key role in distributing solar energy and maintaining climate by moving heat from Earth's equator to the poles. The Aquarius satellite's salinity data combined with data from other sensors that measure sea level, rainfall, temperature, ocean color, and winds provide a picture of complex ocean dynamics. Comments from expert scientist: The video also emphasizes the importance of ocean density to deep water circulation, and makes it clear that ocean density is primarily a function of water temperature and salinity. It asks a couple clear and pertinent questions about climate change, particularly about how water, precipitation, and ocean salinity might become affected.
• About the Pedagogy
  The transcript of the video and glossary of terms are provided. Some background and static images to complement the video are offered.
• Technical Details/Ease of Use
  The video size and format are easy to use. The visual graphics on ocean currents are clear and visually engaging.