«Because the ocean is in contact with the atmosphere, there's heat exchange between the atmosphere and the surface ocean,» he said. (scientificamerican.com)
It is in contact with the atmosphere and with the oceans beneath. (realclimate.org)
In a first - of - its - kind feat of science and engineering, a National Science Foundation (NSF)- funded research team has successfully drilled through 800 meters (2,600 feet) of Antarctic ice to reach a subglacial lake and retrieve water and sediment samples that have been isolated from direct contact with the atmosphere for many thousands of years. (spaceref.com)