Sounding the Sea

Research question 1. Ocean floor features can be measured and mapped by using current acoustical technology that emits sound that bounces back to the instrument and gives scientists an idea of what the ocean floor’s geography looks like. Ocean floor maps can be used commercially for fishermen looking for the best spots to fish. These maps can also be used in the military by providing a detailed map of underwater features that might pose a hazard to submarines or other underwater military activity. 2. An Abyssal plain is an underwater plain on the deep ocean floor. An underwater Guyot is an isolated underwater volcanic mountain. A continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. A continental slope is the sloping region between a continental shelf and rise. A continental rise is an underwater feature that is found between a continental slope and the abyssal plain. A submarine canyon or ridge is a steep sided valley cut into the sea floor of a continental slope. A mid ocean ridge is a general term for an underwater mountain system that consists of many ranges. An oceanic trench is a deep narrow depression in the ocean floor. An island arc system is an archipelago of volcanic islands. 3. 1) Based on our seafloor model our project had a large zigzag oceanic trench that resembled a lightning bolt. Besides that, there were many underwater mountains. 2) The advantages of using remote sensing technology instead of direct observation is that it is more accurate. 3) The advantage of using a vertical exaggeration in constructing the profile of the sea floor is that the features are more prominent. 4. 1) Which feature is the easiest to identify? 2) Can using a seafloor map be useful in navigation? 5. The value and importance of this activity is learning the different features of the oceans geography