history of ocean floor research ms. bridgeland 6 th grade
TRANSCRIPT
History of Ocean Floor research
Ms. Bridgeland 6th Grade
Why have people been interested in using the ocean since ancient
times?
3 Major Reasons
• 1) Ocean provides FOOD
• 2) Serves as a route for TRADE
• 3) Is a way to TRAVEL – Travel to have accurate maps– Fame for scientific discoveries
James Cook led first expedition for OCEAN RESEARCH in the late 1700s
The Challenger expedition in 1872
*inspired Charles Darwin to study marine biology informed his Theory of Evolution later
*led to discovery of organisms, data on temperature, currents, water chemistry, and ocean floor deposits
When did we actually begin studying the ocean floor?
Exploring the Ocean Floor
• No helpful ocean floor research until 1925
• WHY did it take so long to explore the ocean floor?
The ocean floor is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon
1925: Big breakthrough --SONAR
Conditions are very HARSH
• There is NO sunlight at this depth
• The water is very COLD
• Deep water exerts tremendous PRESSURE
•SONAR: Sound navigation and ranging
• a system that uses sound waves to calculate the distance to an object• Pulses bounce off the ocean floor
and return to the ship
When was SCUBA diving developed?
S.C.U.B.A.
• 1943: self-contained underwater breathing apparatus
• A tank containing compressed air that is strapped to a diver’s back and connected by a tube to a mouthpiece
• Only enables divers to explore to a depth of 40 meters
1960 -Submersibles
• “Trieste”
• Thick metal could withstand pressure help them safely reach lower depths
• Moved 3 ft per second and reached the ocean floor in about 4 hours
What is the difference between a submarine and a submersible?
Modern Day Submersible – Alvin was used to study the Titanic wreckage in 1986
1986 –Remote Underwater Manipulator
• A device like a small car controlled by a computer that could collect samples, take photos, and map the ocean floor without a crew
Remote Underwater Manipulator
2003: Deep Flight Aviator
• A new type of submersible was launched in San Francisco Bay.
• Moved faster and more easily than others• Passengers could see more
Deep Flight Aviator 2003“underwater airplane”
Deep Flight Aviator 2003
Exploring Titanic Wreckage 2004• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
6Z7REEnwKOQ
Modern technology oceanographer Sylvia Earle uses:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRd612BrDKU