At deep ocean trenches, subduction allows part of the ocean floor to sink back into the mantle, over tens of millions of years. You may have heard this fact before, and while true, there is a logical explanation as to why. Bathymetry is part of mapping the ocean floor because it is the study of beds or floors of water bodies. Thus bathymetric measurements can determine the topography of the ocean floor, and have shown that the sea floor is varied, complex, and everchanging, containing plains, canyons, active and extinct volcanoes, mountain ranges, and hot springs. Geological wonderland revealed in new seafloor map live.
The topography of the northern atlantic ocean is shown in figure 18. The pacific ocean basin has spread the greatest distance. Ocean floor continental margin part of the continent made of continental crust that is mostly granite rock this crust is older and thicker water is shallower here deep ocean basin part of the ocean floor made of oceanic crust that is mostly basaltic rock this crust is younger and thinner water is deeper here. Digital issueread online or download a pdf of this issue. This study is extensive, and it has been established that the ocean floor has similar features of mountains and valleys as on the earth. At sites of plate convergence where one moving plate descends beneath another and plunged back into the mantle. The continental rise is the gently sloping section of the continental margin. The creation of the ocean floor when most individuals think about the ocean they visualize water, and the creatures of the sea. There are many amazing and fun facts about the ocean floor you may not know. Nordic seas and atlantic ocean interface the overflow waters that flow from the nordic. However, the lowest point in the world ocean is much deeper than the highest point on land.
The creation of the ocean floor the creation of the. The topography of an area could refer to the surface shapes and features themselves, or a description especially their depiction in maps. Like dry land, the ocean floor has various features including flat plains, sharp mountains, and rugged canyons fig. This is a california state science standardsbased project dealing with the ocean floor and its topography. The ocean floor has as much variation as the continents as far as their topography. Explorations after 1950 revealed the true complex nature of the ocean floor. Man has been searching for wonders that lay on the ocean floor for centuries. A summary of major bathymetric features is given here. There are singular mountains sea mounts and canyons. The first person in line will relay to collect the vocabulary word that matches the definition. The processes of subduction and sea floor spreading can change the size and shape of the oceans.
Geological wonderland revealed in new seafloor map live science. Data collected by satellites and remote sensing instruments were used to created a model at least twice as. Sea floor spreading and plate boundaries are not a common subject to anyone outside of a scientific or marine biology lab. Get an answer for what features of the ocean floor provide evidence of plate tectonics. Examples given here, from several ocean basins, illustrate the importance of such bathymetric features. There are three primary types of tectonic plate boundaries. A new topographic map of earths mysterious ocean floor reveals thousands of towering volcanoes, hidden gashes where supercontinents ripped apart and other neverbeforeseen features once veiled. The outstanding feature of the atlantic floor is the midatlantic ridge, an immense median mountain range extending throughout the length of the atlantic, claiming the centre third of the ocean bed, and reaching roughly 1,000 miles 1,600 km in breadth. Deepest places on earth mariana trench 36,000 ft deep. Ocean floor topography kettering city school district. The hypsographic curve for the ocean floor is compared to a theoretical one which would be produced by sea floor spreading. Oceanfloor bathymetry the term bathymetry is defined as the depth of water relative to sea level. Ocean floor topography the study of numerous landforms that exist on or below the earth. Slope is about the same as a movie theater aisle h.
Subduction is the process by which the ocean floor sinks beneath a deep ocean trench and back into the mantle. The continental shelf is the shallow seabed just adjacent to the continents. Bathyetry helps us understand where the oceanfloor features are and how deep the oceans are. The ocean floorfeatures underwater using sonar, seismic profiling, satellites, and underwater research vehicles, oceanographers have discovered that the topography, or shape of the ocean floor is quite similar to many of the dramatic sights we see on the landforms on earths continents. The placement of these regional maps into a global image is presented here. Subduction is the process by which the ocean floor sinks beneath a deepocean trench and back into the mantle.
G4 u8 l2 lesson 2 into the deep national oceanic and. Bathymetry is the measurement of ocean depths and the charting of the shape or topography of the ocean floor. At the dark bottom of our cool oceans, 85 percent of the earths volcanic eruptions proceed virtually. Apr 27, 2017 ocean floor topography and features 1. The ocean floor covers more than 70 percent of the planets surface. Ocean floor topography worksheet answers floor roma.
Arctic smallest the southern hemisphere is dominated by water. Hidden waves can shape topography of the ocean floor ars. Sep 03, 2015 ocean floor topography the study of numerous landforms that exist on or below the earth. Ocean floor bathymetry the term bathymetry is defined as the depth of water relative to sea level. However, there are similarities and differences between the landforms found on the continents and those found on the ocean floor. The worlds oceans cover more than 71 percent of the earths surface, but people have only explored about five percent of it. Read this lesson to learn about what youll see on the ocean floor from abysses and slopes to hydrothermal vent. What is the ocean depth if the signal time of return is 5. Choose from 500 different sets of the ocean floor topography flashcards on quizlet. Hidden waves can shape topography of the ocean floor new research shows that complex flows that form as a result of the oscillatory matt ford jun 6, 2008 4. Bathyetry helps us understand where the ocean floor features are and how deep the oceans are. The water to produce serpentine of the oceanic crust comes from the. Identification of various topographic features based on their characteristic appearance in colored contour maps of the seafloor.
Pacific ocean ridge crest ocean floor crust south atlantic ocean fed c b a 39 km 2 million years north atlantic ocean 0 20 40 km scale answers to procedure questions 1. The areas covered by the detailed respective maps are summarized in the table below. The processes of subduction and seafloor spreading can change the size and shape of the oceans. Sep 18, 2007 it has tall mountain ranges, chains of volcanoes, valleys, trenches, canyons, plateus, or flat regions called abyssal plains, etc similar to that of land, except some of the features are much more vast, like the midoceanic ridge, for example. Bathymetry with bathos meaning depth and metry meaning measurement is the measurement of ocean depths and the charting of the shape or topography of the ocean. The ocean floor may be more exciting to explore than any mountain above sea level. The ocean floor worksheets unit atlantic ocean floor topography lab 4th edition classical conversation science worksheets with chapter the ocean floor. There are valleys and mount ranges ocean ridges where the plates are move apart. Some of our planets natural disasters are a result of these plate boundary interactions. They learn about the continental slope, continental rise, abyssal plain, mid ocean ridge, trench and much more. Ocean floor topography and features linkedin slideshare. Comparison of different topographic features and assessment of the nature of their formation by tectonic processes. Gloria sidescansonar mosaic of the sea floor off oregon and.
The topography of an area could refer to the surface shapes and features themselves, or a description especially their depiction in maps topography is a field of geoscience and planetary science and is concerned with local detail in general, including not only relief but also natural and artificial features, and. The seabed is the bottom of the ocean, no matter how deep. Geologic map of the ocean floor off oregon oregon department. Continental rise the gently sloping surface at the base of the. Some features of ocean basins include chains of volcanoes, tall mountain ranges, trenches, and large submarine plateaus. The morphometric analysis of the riftgeneous and volcanicblock morphostructure points to. Lesson 2 into the deep lesson at a glance students pose questions about the ocean fl oor and make a prediction about what they think the ocean fl oor might look like and the kinds of earth materials that make up the ocean fl oor. Almost all of these features are volcanoes, and most are much younger than the oceanic crust on which they formed. Mapping the ocean floor geography of the ocean floor. The ocean floors can be divided into four major divisions. Data collected by satellites and remote sensing instruments were.
The creation of the ocean floor 2 the theory of plate tectonics explains most of our plants geographical features. The topography of the ocean floor is as diverse as that of continents. The creation of the ocean floor the creation of the ocean. There are different theories regarding the formation of our planet and creation of the ocean floor including the. Form at the edge of two plates that are moving together. What are the three main groups of life that live in the ocean. Ocean floor topography and features of the ocean floor. These are displayed in plan overhead views with differences in depth indicated by color. Topography is the study of the shape and features of land surfaces. In some places, the ridge is above water, iceland, but mostly it is under hundreds of meters of water. Researchers today published the most detailed map of the ocean floor ever produced. The topography of the ocean floor is as diverse as that of the continents.
The ocean floor is a mysterious place that marine geologists and oceanographers have struggled to fully grasp. The two conspicuous linear features are the blanco fracture zone. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Name some of the resources of the ocean and describe their use. The ocean floor is continually being formed and destroyed. Bathymetry with bathos meaning depth and metry meaning measurement is the measurement of ocean depths and the charting of the shape or topography of the. The continental shelf is the part or area of the ocean floor onto which you first walk out from the beach. The details of all publications are in the researchgate in full text pdf forms. With our online resources, you can find atlantic ocean floor topography lab answer or just about any type of ebooks, for any type of product. Impacts of seafloor trawling extend further than thought. From the late 19th century, when the norwegian explorer fridtjof nansen first discovered an ocean in the central arctic, until the middle of the 20th century, it was believed that the arctic ocean was a single large basin.
Ocean floor and its features geography notes for upsc. Continental slope the steep gradient that leads to the deep ocean floor and marks the seaward edge of the continental shelf the continental slope begins at the shelf edge. It has tall mountain ranges, chains of volcanoes, valleys, trenches, canyons, plateus, or flat regions called abyssal plains, etc similar to that of land, except some of the features are much more vast, like the mid. The continental slope is the part of the ocean floor that extends downward from the continental shelf. Students are to draw the given crosssection of the ocean floor in class and then draw and label it again on large poster paper. This retrospective paper chronicles the major progress realized in accurately mapping the static component of ocean surface topography and how as a result our knowledge of the global ocean floor s. Arctic ocean arctic ocean topography of the ocean floor. At deepocean trenches, subduction allows part of the ocean floor to sink back into the mantle, over tens of millions of years. Arctic ocean topography of the ocean floor britannica. Various models of ocean depth as a function of crustal age are used to. Todays technologyparticularly sonar, satellites, and submersiblesallows scientists to study the ocean floor in a. Deep ocean floor can focus tsunami waves live science.
You will be glad to know that right now atlantic ocean floor topography lab answer pdf is available on our online library. Explore the worlds most detailed map of the seafloor. In fact, scientists have mapped more of the surface of the moon, mars, and venus than the surface of our ocean. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary science and is concerned with local detail in general, including not only relief but. Atlantic ocean floor topography lab answer pdf atlantic ocean floor topography lab answer pdf are you looking for ebook atlantic ocean floor topography lab answer pdf. An oceanic basin is the land surface under an ocean that includes the topography under the water.
Ocean floor topography involves the study of ocean bottom features, including the outer continental shelf, continental slopes and ocean waves desktops. The first part of the exercise involves exploration of bathymetric features in maps of ocean floor topography for specific regions of the ocean. An image from an animation of the devastating magnitude 9. They are estimated to account for 75% of annual magma output. Age of the ocean floor noaa national geophysical data center. Heath and company purposeto draw a profile of the ocean floor of the atlantic ocean from cape may, new jersey, to cape roca, portugal along the parallel 390n backgroundlisted in the table below are echo surroundings giving the atlantic oceans depth from cape may to cape roca along the 390 north. Learn the ocean floor topography with free interactive flashcards. The under water topography maps have been developed by the study of ocean floor topography.
550 163 552 423 241 299 1049 1027 599 564 1301 513 1188 285 514 9 1194 361 895 1293 1044 1066 501 764 771 1484 1279 755 190 184 38 871 251 798 1337 599 1471 488