Ocean floor features are measured and mapped using a variety of current acoustical technology. A bathymetry measures the depth of large bodies of water and the data obtained by the use of bathymetry, and are the depth is known as bathymetric units. Contour lines are the estimated demarking line that shows a like measurement. An isobath contour line shows the depth, and they show temperature.The isolume lines show the light. A Fathom is used as a nautical measurement of length equal to six feet. An isobath is a line of contour that shows the same estimated depth. A side scan sonar is used of two or multiple sonar systems to provide three dimensional images of the features found on the ocean floor. As we used in class "sounding" is an individual measurement of depth. Ocean floor maps can be used in the commercial, military, and private sectors with the new technology " multibeam sonar". These produce depth soundings significant distances perpendicular to the ships track as well as directly below. This allows the development of detailed complete maps showing the bottom contour.
Conclude and Communicate:
2.)Flat Abyssal Plain-Abyssal plains consist of beds of volcanic rock topped with sediments that are up to thousands of feet thick. Most of the sediments wash off the continents, and are carried to the depths by dense currents. Over time, the sediments spread out to provide a smooth, level surface.
Underwater Seamount or Guyot- A flat-topped, extinct submarine volcano having an elevation of over 1,000 m (3,280 ft) above the ocean floor. Guyots are thought to form as volcanoes in sea-floor spreading zones and to become extinct as they move away from the spreading zones through plate tectonic forces. Their flat tops are believed to form by the erosion action of waves when they initially project above sea level.
Continental Shelf, Break, Slope, and rise- submerged border of a continent that slopes gradually and extends to a point of steeper descent to the ocean bottom.
Submarine Canyon - any of a class of narrow, steep-sided valleys that originate on the continental shelf and cut into continental slopes and continental rises of the oceans.
Mid- Ocean Ridge-A mid-ocean ridge or mid-oceanic ridge is an underwater mountain range, formed by plate tectonics.
Trench and Island Arc System- The oceanic trenches are hemispheric-scale long but narrow topographic depressions of the sea floor.
3)Analysis Questions
1.) The topography of our seafloor model is very rigid on the corners and has a very low trench between the two ends.
2.) I believe using the stick to survey the seafloor is definitely an advantage, because its modern and not technological at all. So when observers cant actually get into the water they can measure from the surface instead.
3.) the stretching shows the wider image and visual of the seafloor spread apart.
4)New Research Questions
1.) What is the most useful measurement of depth for seafloor measurement?
2. What is the most useful technological equipment used for mapping the seafloor for the Navy?
5.) The value and importance of this activity is so we start to learn how we actually do access the researching of the ocean floor with the use of technology so the don't always have to be physically down on the ocean floor. We must know whats going on in this whole ocean of life that takes up more than half the globe.
