HW 8_Ocean Exploration
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University Of Arizona *
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160
Subject
Geography
Date
Dec 6, 2023
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Pages
7
Uploaded by CorporalMorningOtter32
1 Homework 8 – Ocean Exploration (27 pts total) The Earth’s oceans are a vast frontier for exploration, with much left to learn about. Less than one quarter (23.4%) of the Earth’s seafloor has been mapped to a high resolution, and even these maps don’t tell us everything, as they do not provide 3-D information. Additionally, the oceans are extremely dynamic, and change is always happening, due to plate tectonics, water circulation, and even the diverse ecosystems that exist in the seas. Part 1 - Read the Sonar Fact Sheet posted on d2l and watch the videos Mapping the Seafloor and Scientists See the Ocean Floor. Then answer the following questions: 1. Why do scientists use sound waves instead of radar or light to map the ocean floor? (1 pt) 2. How do scientists use sound waves to figure out depth to the ocean floor, which ultimately creates ocean floor topography? (Hint: look in the paragraph How does Sonar work) (2 pts) 3. SONAR is used to create bathymetric maps of the sea floor. What does a bathymetric map show? (1 pt)
2 4. List two reasons why it is important to generate bathymetric maps of the ocean floor (2 pts) 5. What is split-beam sonar used for? (1 pt) 6. Describe one reason why scientists want to map the ecosystems of the ocean? (1 pt) 7. Why is it important to use Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) cameras to actually look at deep ocean habitats in addition to mapping them with SONAR? (2 pts) Part 2
– Look at the following images of bathymetric maps of portions of the Earth’s seafloor. Depth is color coded – from shallow to deep the colors are Red (shallowest), Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple (deepest). Continental shelves (the gently sloping surfaces of a coastal area covered by shallow water) appear red, while trenches appear purple. Look at each image carefully, noting where you see shallow and deep features. Then answer the questions for each image.
3 The following three images are bathymetric maps of the seafloor in a portion of the western Pacific Ocean. The top image is the most zoomed out, and the others are zoom-ins on the curved purple feature in the top image. 2. 3. 8. On the top image, circle a portion of the map that shows the shallowest water (i.e., it is not far down to the ocean floor) (1 pt) 9. What is the purple arc-shaped (curved) feature near the right side of the top image? (This is a one word answer related to plate tectonics) (1 pt) 10. Why do you think this curved purple feature is what you called it (what tells you this)? (1 pt) 11. Notice how on the left of the curved purple feature there are features that mimic the shape of the purple feature but are in yellows and reds. What does their color indicate about these features? (1 pt) 12. What might these features be? (1 pt)
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4 The following image is a bathymetric map of the Juan de Fuca Ridge off the coast of the Pacific Northwest, USA. Notice the zig-zag shape of the ridge system due to the places where transform motion is happening. 13. What does the ridge indicate is happening tectonically in this area (think about types of plate motion)? (1 pt) 14. To the right of the ridge, adjacent to the continent (dark green on right) there is a linear feature that is narrow and dark blue/purple. What do you think this feature is, and what does it tell you is happening next to the continent, tectonically? (2 pts) 15. Based on your answer to #14, what do you think the red features that appear in a line on the continent are (far right of the image)? Why? (2 pts)
5 The following image is a bathymetric map of the seafloor of the San Francisco Bay and adjacent coastal waters. 16. The red linear feature across the upper-mid of the image represents the Golden Gate bridge. Beyond the bridge (toward upper left of photo) is the bay, and the lower part of the image shows the bay opening up out into the Pacific Ocean. Do you see any features of the ocean floor that you would say are created by plate tectonics (i.e., ridges, trenches)? Look carefully and compare to what you have seen in previous images. If so, describe. If not, just say there are no tectonic features. (1 pt) 17. Describe where the deepest water is in the above image (you can use landmarks). (1 pt)
6 18. Based on your answer for #16, what do you think creates the deepest part of the seafloor you see in the image? (Think like a geologist – if you are not sure, think about what we have been talking about in class this week) (2 pts) 19. Choose one of the three locations you just studied using the bathymetric maps. Tell us which image you are choosing (first set of three on page 3, second image on page 4, or third image on page 5). Describe what you think goes on here tectonically – earthquakes, volcanoes, one or the other, none…etc) and why. Think about what features you saw there when answering this question (3 pts)
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