What is needed are specific detectors that take advantage of the fact that tsunamis are felt throughout the ocean's depths, unlike wind-generated waves, which affect only its surface.

ECONOMIST: New ways of tracking these killer waves may help save lives

Land use changes matter because different types of surface strongly affect the atmospheric distribution of the Sun's energy.

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Meanwhile, questions have begun to surface over the event's affect on the cruise industry.

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"The dispersant is moving the oil down out of the surface and into the deeper waters, where it can affect phytoplankton and other marine life, " said John Paul, a marine microbiologist at the University of South Florida.

CNN: Allen: 'Our first goal is to do no harm' in Gulf

Surface waters are expected to form more stable layers as the oceans warm, which will affect the availability of nutrients and, it is increasingly feared, of oxygen.

ECONOMIST: Ocean acidification