When in search of information on any topic, there are two types of sources you can look up depending on the amount of information required. If in search of some general information that get’s to the point, your best bet will be a secondary source due to it being ‘short and sweet’. The other type would be a primary source which is usually much longer and detailed that way you can get all the information needed. While comparing primary and secondary sources, one can notice the difference in the quantity and quality of the content given. In order to help prove these points, I had chosen a primary and secondary source on the issue of rising sea level due to global heat.
The primary source studied was a journal released through the American Meteorological Society called; Warming of Global Abyssal and Deep Southern Ocean Waters Between the 1990s and 2000s: Contributions to Global Heat and Sea Level Rise. This source was a detailed report (30 pages long) all about the cause of the rising sea levels due to the warming of deep sea water and how big of an effect it has. It also included data, an analysis of the data and some estimates on the sea level rise at the local and global scale. As for the secondary source, it was an online article much shorter than the journal. This article, Deep Ocean Heat, is basically a summary of the journal with some original thoughts. Both articles are informative and helpful, the only difference is that one is a little bit more resourceful than the other.
Deep Ocean Heat was posted on September 20th, 2010 by Ari Jokimäki. This article as mentioned previously is the secondary source based on ocean warming within the deep waters. Throughout his written work, Ari quotes three small sections of the journal based on some of the findings. As well he manages to summarize the journal in a much less complex manner in comparison to the journal making it much easier to absorb the information being in taken. The main strength of this article is the amount of information contained within it while not be excessively long. The simplicity of the words used is also a plus since it makes it much easier for just about anyone to understand and not just those who have a background in science. One of the weaknesses of this article is the fact that the author’s opinion is hardly heard since it’s basically just about the information within the journal. His only opinion mentioned states that ‘This study seems to suggest that in the warming of the deep world ocean the Southern Ocean plays a remarkably large role. The warming found in this study has been poorly known before, so this study seems to make the ocean heat budget, and even the whole Earth heat budget, more accurate.’ Other than those weaknesses and s
trengths, Ari Jokimäki could have put in a bit more of his own opinion instead of just continuously paraphrasing the original journal.
The Journal Warming of Global Abyssal and Deep Southern Ocean Waters Between the 1990s and 2000s: Contributions to Global Heat and Sea Level Rise was first submitted on February 16th, 2010 and then accepted on August 18th, 2010. The version of the journal used is an early online release, meaning that the official journal has yet to be officially published. This journal is a research paper based on the affects of warming ocean waters on the rise of sea levels. This study was researched and presented by two individuals, Sarah G. Purkey and Gregory C. Johnson. Their journal contains tons of data and descriptions based on their findings. The report is greatly detailed which is a plus, but the language used throughout the paper can make it very hard for some individuals to understand, especially those who have no scientific background. There are many terms used throughout the report that many would not have heard before, which could have been briefly explained. The detail within this article is very affluent which leaves very little room for misconception. This amount of detail is good for a primary source since all the data collected gives a lot of evidence for their claims that the increase in climate temperatures is causing the depths of the ocean to warm and thus causing a rise in sea level. Even though the changes are minimal at the moment, as time progresses the changes will become more noticeable since the warming if the climate is continuously going on. Overall the journal article is a great resource, but some of the information given within seems a little redundant and could have been shortened in some way.
Other than the obvious differences between the sources of the authors and the length, there are also a few others, as well as similarities. The article Deep Ocean Heat focuses more on the causes of sea level rise as well as mentions a few points on the warming and heat flux results. While the journal focuses more on the data retrieved that provides evidence on their study of the effects global warming has on ocean depth temperature and rising sea levels. Both sources are good representations of the effects global warming has on the issue of rising sea levels; the only difference is the audience it attracts.
References
Jokimaki, Ari. "Deep ocean heat" AGW Observer. N.p., 20 Sept. 2010. Web. 21 Sept. 2010. http://agwobserver.wordpress.com/2010/09/20/deep-ocean-heat/.
Purkey, Sarah G., and Gregory C. Johnson. "Warming of Global Abyssal and Deep Southern Ocean Waters Between the 1990s and 2000s: Contributions to Global Heat and Sea Level Rise." American Meteorological Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2010. http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/pdf/10.1175/2010JCLI3682.1
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