Bathymetric Mapping

An abyssal plain is an underwater plain on the deep ocean floor, usually found at depths between 3000 and 6000 m. Lying generally between the foot of a continental rise and a mid-ocean ridge, abyssal plains cover more than 50% of the Earth’s surface. An underwater sea mount is an underwater mountain rising from the ocean floor and having a peaked or flat-topped summit below the surface of the sea. The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. A submarine canyon is a steep-sided valley cut into the sea floor of the continental slope, sometimes extending well onto the continental shelf. A mid-ocean ridge is a general term for an underwater mountain system that consists of various mountain ranges (chains), typically having a valley known as a rift running along its spine, formed by plate tectonics. An island arc is a type of archipelago, often composed of a chain of volcanoes, with arc-shaped alignment, situated parallel and close to a boundary between two converging tectonic plates.
 The topograph of our surveyed area was mostly 12 inches but varied from about 10 to 14 inches as well. The advantages to usuing a remote sensing techonolgy is that one can know the depth of the sea floor without actually having to go and explore the entire abyss. The advantages to using this technique is that you can picture things rising over a slow grade over a long time better. 1). How does the clay represent the different parts and texture of the ocean floor? 2). Does surveying the bottom of the ocean sound like an interesting occupation?
It shows us how different and interesting the ocean floor and cracks and shelves are and how truly much we have yet to explore. 

Field Trip 10/3/13

The field trip to Hampton Harbor yesterday was a nice field trip. The crew on the boat was very resourceful and knew what they were talking about. The different stations on the boat trip each had a unique characteristic about them and were, for the most part, enjoyable. My favorite one was the station with the huge lobster. After stopping for beach pizza (which was delicious) and going to the beach we learned about erosion, and the importance of the sand dunes to the sand and the rest of the beach. How they were held together by the roots of the sand grass. It was a good field trip.

Ocean Literacy

My Ocean Literacy has really been expanded since beginning Oceanography. I have found out a lot about explorers of the past and present. The ocean is vastly larger than the land on the Earth and a great portion of it has still been undiscovered. My explorers were the Vikings and I found out that the discovered Scandinavia and there ship designs were closely looked at and someone copied by later sea travelers. Another explorer that stuck out was Columbus, Ben did a great job explaining his travels and his contributions to the world.

Why Study Oceanography

How is Science Important to Me

Science is worth studying because it gives us a better understanding about the natural world that surrounds us.