Sea Surface Salinity and the Freshwater Cycle

Susan Lozier

Professor of Ocean Sciences
Duke University

Dr. Lozier is a physical oceanographer with interests in large-scale ocean circulation. Her research focuses on understanding the physical controls on ocean productivity, including how the ocean's primary productivity will respond to climate change and whether ocean stratification plays a role in those expected changes.

Webinar Clip
The freshwater cycle and the salinity cycle operate at very different time scales, with the freshwater cycle changing and evolving much more rapidly than ocean salinity. In this video, Dr. Lozier makes the case, through asking inquiry-based questions, that there is evidence showing an intensification of Earth's water cycle. This has the potential to greatly impact salinity's role in the global ocean.

Full webinar: Using Aquarius Data: How is Inquiry-Driven Education Brought to the Undergraduate Classroom?

Click here for a transcript of this clip (PDF, 53.5 KB).

Resources
Applicable Science Standards
  • Asking Questions and Defining Problems Asking Questions and Defining Problems. A practice of science is to ask and refine questions that lead to descriptions and explanations of how the natural and designed world(s) works and which can be empirically tested.
  • Analyzing and Interpreting Data Analyzing and Interpreting Data. Scientific investigations produce data that must be analyzed in order to derive meaning. Because data patterns and trends are not always obvious, scientists use a range of tools - including tabulation, graphical interpretation, visualization, and statistical analysis - to identify the significant features and patterns in the data. Scientists identify sources of error in the investigations and calculate the degree of certainty in the results. Modern technology makes the collection of large data sets much easier, providing secondary sources for analysis.
  • Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information. Scientists and engineers must be able to communicate clearly and persuasively the ideas and methods they generate. Critiquing and communicating ideas individually and in groups is a critical professional activity.