Division on Earth and Life Studies & National Research Council 
Ocean’s Role in Global Change [PDF ebook] 
Progress of Major Research Programs

What role does the ocean play in global climate change? Although not fully understood, there is general agreement that it is significant. Therefore, the scientific community has initiated large-scale research programs based on studies of the ocean and its relation to global climate and climate-related processes. This volume provides brief summaries and reports on the progress of the major oceanographic research programs. It looks at both programs that study processes that occur over periods ranging from days to hundreds of yearsthe contemporary systemand those that seek to understand long-term variations ranging from thousands to millions of yearsthe geological perspective.