Final answer:
Oceans play an essential role in the Earth's energy balance by absorbing and transporting solar energy, which affects global climates and weather patterns. The alteration of ocean currents and chemistry due to global warming and CO2 emissions has significant ecological impacts, including ocean acidification and rising sea levels.
Step-by-step explanation:
The oceans have a crucial role in balancing the Earth's energy through the absorption and transportation of solar energy. They absorb large amounts of solar energy, especially near the equator, and migrate this heat via ocean currents across vast distances, impacting regional climates. Oceans' capacity for heat absorption results in milder maritime climates compared to continental ones, exhibiting less extreme temperature variations.
Moreover, global climate change and increasing carbon dioxide levels pose a severe risk to coral reefs, affecting local ecosystems. The acidification of the ocean due to CO2 absorption is disrupting marine food webs. Natural changes in the sun’s activity and Earth's orbit may also influence the amount of solar energy reaching the planet's surface. Significant climate determinants include the positioning of continents, which shapes ocean and atmospheric circulation and thus the transfer of heat from equatorial to polar regions.
Events like El Niño alter global weather patterns and can lead to extreme weather conditions. Climate change is expected to cause rising sea levels, jeopardizing shorelines, island habitats, and the freshwater cycle. The Coriolis effect due to Earth's rotation affects atmospheric and oceanic flow patterns, contributing to the redistribution of heat across the planet.