The Growth of The Growth of OceanographyOceanography

Why study oceanographyWhy study oceanography??• Scientific Curiosity – How do oceans operate and interact

with entire earth system?• Need for Marine Resources – We need both food and

mineral resources from oceans to survive.• Impact on Human activities – Must maintain a balance

between nature and human activities to protect the coastal zones, prevent over polluting, ensure safe transportation/recreation on the world’s oceans and better prepare for natural hazards.

There are three major stages in the history of ocean research:

1. Ocean exploration was the period when people explored the ocean boundaries.

Historical Review of Oceanography

Notable explorers include:• Phoenicians - explored the eastern Atlantic

Ocean reaching England and sailing around Africa.

Notable explorers include:• The Greek Pytheas circumnavigated England

and reached Iceland

Notable explorers include:• The Polynesians- sailed and explored the

western Pacific Ocean in log rafts.

Notable explorers include:• Herodotus- prepared a world map in 450 BC

illustrating three continents surrounded by a vast ocean.

Herodotus (450 B.C.) Herodotus (450 B.C.) (recreation)(recreation)

Map compiled by Herodotus

Shows the extent of understanding of world geography

Notable explorers include:

• The Vikings- dominated marine exploration during the Middle Ages reaching North America.

Notable explorers include:• Bartholomew Diaz- reached the southern tip of

Africa in an attempt to reach India in 1480s.

Notable explorers include:• Vasco de Gama- reached India in 1498 by sailing

around Africa.

Notable explorers include:• An expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan, and

continued after his death by Juan Sebastian Elcano, circumnavigated the globe from 1519 to 1522.

•Early Explorers VideoEarly Explorers Video

2. Early scientific investigations began when people began to describe the

ocean.

Notable explorers include:• James Cook

In his ships the Endeavour, Resolution, & Discovery, made three voyages in the late 1700’s; these voyages:-Visited Tahiti-Charted New Zealand-Mapped the Great Barrier Reef-Circumnavigated the Globe at high

southerly latitudes (71oS)-“Discovered” Hawaii

Notable explorers include:• John Harrison: in 1728 invented the

chronometer, a clock that was spring driven, thus could work at sea and be used to determine longitude

Notable explorers include:• Matthew Fountaine Maury- published The Physical

Geography of the Sea in 1855 and became known as the father of physical oceanography. He was also born in Virginia!

The Voyage of the HMS Beagle Charles Darwin was a naturalist aboard a 4 1/2 year voyage

that began in 1831 and later led to Darwin’s book “Origin of Species”

3. Modern oceanographyBegan in the twentieth century withinterdisciplinary oceanic research anduse of complex scientific instruments.

HMS Challenger• HMS Challenger 1872, first purely scientific sailing

expedition; • 4 year voyage discovered 4,717 new species• Took global ocean salinity, temperature, and water density

measurements• The “Challenger Report”, a 50 volume set documenting the

findings of the Challenger expedition provided the foundation for modern oceanographic study

Early Scientific Exploration• In the 1920s the German vessel SMS Meteor

studied the salinity, temperature, oxygen content, and sea floor topography of the South Atlantic.

Current Research• Major institutions were established. In the U.S.

these include: Scripps Institute of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, and Lamont Doherty Geological Observatory.

• NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) founded in 1970, government branch that conducts oceanography research and weather monitoring.

Phoenician Boat Mission

Timeline• Please make a timeline (with at least 10 pictures) from

the chart in your books, use the following years: (read across! )

4000BC 2000-500 BC 1000-600 BC 450 BC 325 BC AD 150 AD 982 AD 995 1492 1513 1519-1522 1569 1769-1770 1768-1779 1831-1836 1855 1868-1870 1872-1876 1873 1884-1901 1888 1893 1903 1912 1925-1927 1930 1949 1959-1965 1970’s 1998

So You Think You Can So You Think You Can Explore?Explore?

• In 6 groups, you will be given a card describing an explorer or peoples.

• Using the kit given to you, you must create a skit (about 2 minutes long) that describes what is on your card.

• Make sure you include who your card is about, where they explored, how they did it and what time period they were active in.

Phoenicians:– Explored eastern Atlantic

reaching England and sailing around Africa

– Stuck to shoreline– Great boat builders! Vikings:

– Also called Norsemen– Used longships to sail the

oceans– Got as far west as Russia and

Constantinople and as far east as Greenland and Newfoundland (Canada)

– First N. American settlement by Leif Eriksson

Pytheas the Greek:– Sailed around England and reached

Iceland– Found ice around the Arctic and

brought back Celtic culture to Europe– Took many notes about his journey

Bartholomew Diaz:– Portuguese knight who tried to

find a sea route to India– Got as far as southern tip of

Africa– Claimed the “Cape of Good

Hope” for Portugal.

Ferdinand Magellan:– Led first mission to circumnavigate

(sail around) the world from 1519-1522

– Died before end, finished by Juan Sebastian Elcano

– First to cross Pacific Ocean, named after “peaceful sea”

– Brought back enormous amounts of spices, worth a fortune in his time.

James Cook:– Explorer and Cartographer, late 1700s– Made 3 voyages to the Pacific where he made contact

with Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii.– Kept many journals, which were published and widely

read as entertainment.– Witnessed many native rituals and ceremonies

previously unknown.

Explorers Quiz – Next classExplorers Quiz – Next classSummarize the achievements of the

following:

James Cook Pytheas the Greek

Bartholomew Diaz The Vikings

Polynesians Juan Sebastian Elcano

Charles Darwin SMS Meteor

HMS Challenger M. F. Maury

Phoenicians John Harrison