At first the students will not know what the data represents. They should be encouraged to infer the relationship. Influence of the world's ocean currents on the carbon cycle Students will demonstrate how salinity and water temperature affect the ocean's currents which in turn affect the amount of carbon dioxide available in the oceanic and atmospheric systems. This activity could be used to introduce the carbon cycle. It is an inquiry designed to model the flow of a carbon atom as it travels through the carbon cycle.
Students also make connections about how human activities affect the carbon cycle.