Sea and Space

# Oceans of Water

This sub-programme aims at investigating basic properties of the predominant element of the oceans water. Water is not only present in the oceans and rivers, but can be found in the atmosphere, trees (as biomasse), in rocks and in human beings. Each second, our planet transforms huge quantities of water, from liquid to gas, from gas to liquid, from liquid to solid, from solid to liquid, from gas to solid, from solid to gas. But there is also water in space.

Recent research has shown water to be present in much larger quantities than thought before, in the outer solar system, in the atmospheres of giant stars and in the interstellar clouds of dust and gas. This part of the Sea and Space programme aims at explaining the ubiquitous nature of this molecule that is so crucial for life on Earth. It gives the opportunity to introduce various interdisciplinary aspects (physics, chemistry, mathematics, geography, biology, astronomy) and to determine where there is water and how this precious resource influences the habitability of our planet, as compared to its sister planets, Mars and Venus.

Most of this activity will be web-based, with plenty of related links, selected exercises, etc. The outcome may be "an article" in the Contest "Newspaper" (see contest page), describing different, yet important aspects of the overall theme Sea and Space. The principal investigative methods to be used by the participants will be:

- Observation
- Comparison of different geographic areas
- Evaluation of satellite images
- Detection in space of extraterrestrial water liquid and molecules
- Investigations of the water cycle of water in organisms, in plant, in general life, in industry, on Earth or in space.

Oceans of Water

Programmed by
Advanced Systems & Software
for UNIX and Internet