I’ve just learned that different parts of the ocean can have different levels. How does this work? If I drop water into a cup, the entire level of water in the cup rises. How is this not true for the ocean? Are their just parts of the ocean that are uneven? Where do they meet?
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Oceans have different levels primarily due to the effects of gravity, but also due to varying levels of ocean temperatures. For gravity, it’s pretty simple: the side facing the moon feels gravity’s effect more, so it gets pulled toward the moon slightly. Not enough to take off, but enough to vary a small amount. On the opposite side of the earth, the *earth* is being pulled toward the moon more than the water, so there the water level is higher as well. On the sides not facing the moon, the water level is lower, since more of the water is moved towards the sides where the water is being pulled away from the earth or the earth pulled away from the water.
For temperatures, areas of the ocean that are warmer will have slightly higher water levels, as water expands very slightly with temperature.
> If I drop water into a cup, the entire level of water in the cup rises. How is that not true for the ocean?
It does – eventually, anyway, as the drop needs time to spread out, but if you put water in, it raises the level of the ocean as a whole.
> Where do they meet?
Everywhere. Think about it this way: the ocean is like a very, very, very gently sloped hill. There’s no part where there’s a sudden elevation change, but wander a quarter of the way around the earth and maybe you change elevation by a few meters.
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