Oceanography Basins
The physical sciences are a massively diverse discipline. Within the context of the physical sciences, one might explore a wide range of phenomena, utilizing a wide range of differing methodologies and theoretical perspectives. For instance, the same discipline that emphasizes the study of organisms, their function, and interaction with the ecosystem in the field of biology, may also emphasize the study of the earth itself and natural geological processes in the field of earth science and oceanography. Earth science is a particular discipline of scientific inquiry which has been invaluable in constructing a coherent narrative of the geological history of the planet, as well as in understanding the nature and character of certain natural phenomena, such as weather and temperature effects. Oceanography addresses more specific concerns by studying the deep oceans and the shallow coastal oceans. Biology, chemistry, geology and physics together make oceanography a richly interdisciplinary science. With recent cultural emphasis being placed upon ecological and conservational concerns such as global warming and ecological development, oceanography studies are growing in importance and relevance. As an example of this, one might take a brief look at one particular topic of inquiry in oceanography, the study of ocean basins, and its relevancy towards present day environmentalist discussions, concerns and historical importance. This paper defines the concept of an ocean basin and to establish a foundation for the rest of the paper. To begin a study into ocean basins and how they are relevant to ecological concerns, one must first clearly understand what an ocean basin is. The ocean basin, also known as the abyssal plain is the part of the ocean consisting of the “deepest waters above oldest oceanic lithosphere,” (Allen, 2004). Imagine that one were on a shore and walking out into the ocean; as one progressed, one
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