The 19th Century Science That's Fighting Climate Change Today

The Challenger expedition laid the foundation for modern oceanography, providing valuable data still used today to understand climate change's impact on oceans. By analyzing historical data, scientists can infer changes in ocean salinity and the water cycle, revealing that dry areas are becoming drier and wet areas wetter. This highlights the ongoing climate crisis and its potential consequences, emphasizing the need for preparedness and mitigation strategies.

What was the significance of the Challenger expedition in the field of oceanography?

How did the data collected from the Challenger expedition contribute to our understanding of climate change?

What methods did researchers use to estimate historical ocean salinity from the Challenger data?

In what ways have the salinity levels in different parts of the ocean changed since the 1870s?

What implications do the changes in ocean salinity have for global climate patterns?