The circulatory system of a living planet. Reflections of an oceanographer

All macroscopic living creatures possess circulatory systems with a spatial structure and timing patterns which optimise the distribution of fluids. The Earth is no exception: it has a system of currents that share many characteristics of the circulation systems of the most complex living creatures. What is the Earth’s heart? At what frequency does it beat? What are our planet’s arteries and veins, and how do they function? In this lecture, the speaker will answer all these questions, and we will discover that oceanography and physiology have more in common than we ever could have imagined.  

Cycle: Science on Monday: The Blue Planet. Aproaches to our Knowledge of the Marine Environment

Organized by: The Residence for Researchers, CSIC-Delegación en Cataluña, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM)