Essentials of Oceanography

The fifth edition of ESSENTIALS OF OCEANOGRAPHY conveys Garrison's enthusiasm for oceanography to non-science students taking the introductory course. It is a streamlined version of his bestselling OCEANOGRAPHY text, but was created specifically to meet the needs of the shorter course. This text provides a basic understanding of the scientific questions, complexities, and uncertainties involved in ocean use, and the role and importance of oceans in nurturing and sustaining life on the planet.

Named Outstanding Marine Educator by the National Marine Technology Society, Tom Garrison writes market-leading textbooks that enliven students' interest in the ocean, as well as a regular column on ocean education for the journal OCEANOGRAPHY. His knowledge, combined with a gift for engaging writing, has garnered Tom an Emmy Award for his work on the OCEANUS television course and a prestigious Excellence in College Teaching Award from the Salgo-Noren Foundation. Garrison also served as a writer and science advisor for THE ENDLESS VOYAGE for PBS. Tom's books, born out of his desire to share his excitement about the ocean with others, are widely used at colleges and universities throughout North America, Asia, and Australia. These oceanography texts have allowed him to reach beyond the walls of Orange Coast College and into the minds and imaginations of tens of thousands of students. Tom is a regular lecturer at Hong Kong University and will be consulting with the Peoples Republic of China on their national ocean education at Peking University starting this summer.

1. Origins. 2. History. 3. Earth Structure and Plate Tectonics. 4. Ocean Basins. 5. Sediments. 6. Water. 7. Atmospheric Circulation. 8. Ocean Circulation. 9. Waves. 10. Tides. 11. Coasts. 12. Life in the Ocean. 13. Pelagic Communities. 14. Benthic Communities. 15. Uses and Abuses of the Ocean. Afterword. Appendix I: Measurements and Conversions. Appendix II: Geological Time. Appendix III: Latitude and Longitude, Time, and Navigation. Appendix IV: Maps and Charts. Appendix V: Working in Marine Science. Glossary. Credits. Index.