Technology Used To Map The Ocean Floor

Through satellite oceanography surface maps have been created that would take years to construct through the conventional bathymetry means of vessels mapping the floor through echo sounding.

Technology used to map the ocean floor.

Tools used to map the ocean floor today s technology lets scientists to study the ocean in a quicker and precise way. Their project dubbed seabed 2030 aims to map the entire. The first modern breakthrough in sea floor mapping came with the use of underwater sound projectors called sonar which was first used in world war i. An international team of scientists is hoping to rectify this by developing new technologies to chart deep below the surface of the sea.

Satellite technology using altimeters that infer seafloor topography from the way its gravity affects the surface of the ocean above it but it does not give a sufficiently high resolution. Harry hess was a professor of geology at princeton university usa and became interested in the geology of the oceans while serving in the us navy in world war ii. What new technology was used to map the seafloor beginning in 1940 1950 answers it was sonar directing pings of sound toward the ocean floor and measuring how long before the echos returned. His time as a navy officer was an opportunity to use sonar also called echo sounding then a new technology to map the ocean floor across the north pacific.

Geographic information systems gis are mapping tools that can essentially create a virtual ocean inside of a computer. By the 1920s the coast and geodetic survey an ancestor of the national oceanic and atmospheric administration s national ocean service was using sonar to map deep water. An array of ground based laser radar stations also tracks the satellites giving their precise location and altitude. Seabed 2030 aims to achieve a resolution of at least 100m over every part of the ocean floor.

Synthetic aperture sonar sas technology which is a high resolution acoustic sensor developed by the norwegian defence research establishment and kongsberg maritime has collected data that represents a quantum leap in quality and accuracy compared to traditional methods says ødegård. Sonar is a type of electronic depth sounding equiptment made in the 1920 s it is an acronym for sound navigation and ranging.