Oceans and Ocean Floor Structures

There are four oceans

1. Atlantic

a. Named after the continent that sank

b. Getting larger

There are four oceans

1. Atlantic

a. Named after the continent that sank

b. Getting larger

2. Pacific

a. Largest feature on Earth

b. Getting smaller

There are four oceans

1. Atlantic

a. Named after the continent that sank

b. Getting larger

2. Pacific

a. Largest feature on Earth

b. Getting smaller

3. Indian

a. By India

b. Very active geologically

There are four oceans

1. Atlantic

a. Named after the continent that sank

b. Getting larger2. Pacific

a. Largest feature on Earth

b. Getting smaller3. Indian

a. By India

b. Very active geologically

4. Arctic

a. Smallest, some say it is only a sea

Pacific is largest

Atlantic is next largest

Indian is pretty big

Arctic is smallest

Oceanography is the study of the ocean

The Challenger (British) kind of started the whole thing in 1872.

Underwater Research is usually done with SUBMERSIBLES

Bathysphere is one that is held by a cable, and just kind of dangled from a ship

Underwater Research is usually done with SUBMERSIBLES

Bathysphere is one that is held by a cable, and just kind of dangled from a ship

Bathyscaph is self-propelled

SONAR is ofted used to measure depth of ocean floor.

Sound Navigation And Ranging

Ocean floor has two parts

Continental Margin

1. Shallow

2. Made of continental crust (granite)

Deep Ocean Basin

1. Deep

2. Made of oceanic crust (basalt)

Continental Margin

1. Not the shoreline

2. Starts at the shoreline with the continental shelf

a. Slopes very gently

b. Very wide in some places (Florida)

c. Very narrow in others (Oregon)

d. Often exposed during ice ages

Continental Margin

1. Continental Shelf

2. Continental Slope

a. Much steeper than the continental shelf

b. Contains Submarine Canyons

c. Experiences Turbidity Currents

Continental Margins

1. Continental Shelf

2. Continental Slope

3. Continental Rise

a. Gentle slope to ocean floor

b. Made of sediment from the Continental Shelf and Slope

Deep Ocean Basin

1. Trenches

a. Made from subducting oceanic crust

b. Deepest part of the Earth

c. Location of HUGE earthquakes

Deep Ocean Basin

1. Trenches

2. Abyssal Plains

a. Flattest parts of the Earth

b. Deep

c. Very fine “mud”

Deep Ocean Basin

1. Trenches

2. Abyssal Plains

3. Mid-Ocean Ridges

a. Longest mountain range on Earth

b. Result of splitting of the Earth’s crust

c. Comes up to land in Iceland

d. Topped by a rift.

Deep Ocean Basin

1. Trenches

2. Abyssal Plains

3. Mid-Ocean Ridges

4. Seamounts

a. Isolated Island (like Hawaii)

b. Can become flattened by waves

i. Called a guyout if it is below water

ii. Named after a friend of the guy who discovered them.