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Seabed Mapping

All articles tagged with #seabed mapping

science2 hours ago•12 min saved

Earth’s ocean floor remains the least-charted giant landscape on the planet

Less than 30% of the world’s ocean floor is mapped to modern standards, while Mars and the Moon have globally detailed maps created with laser altimetry. Seawater absorbs measurement signals, so ship-based sonar remains the primary method for deep-sea mapping, leaving most of Earth’s largest landscape uncharted. The Seabed 2030 project and SWOT-derived data are gradually expanding coverage, but about 258 million square kilometres still lie outside the 28.7% currently charted, and progress depends on continued surveys and new data sources.

via Space Daily|

#bathymetry #gebco #oceanography

science3 years ago•8 min saved

The Risks and Rewards of Exploring the Ocean's Depths

The vast majority of the ocean's depths remain unexplored, with only about 20% of the seafloor mapped. Deep-sea exploration is risky due to the high levels of pressure, darkness, and extreme cold temperatures. While there have been efforts to explore the ocean's depths, including the recent loss of a submersible vehicle carrying tourists to the wreckage of the RMS Titanic, advances in technology such as deep-sea robots and high-resolution underwater imaging may make human exploration unnecessary. Mapping the ocean is important for understanding ocean currents, marine life, and seismic hazards, and the ocean's compounds have led to several biomedical breakthroughs.

via CNN|

#biomedical-breakthroughs #deep-sea-creatures #ocean-exploration