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Deep-sea exploration is the investigation of physical, chemical, and biological conditions on the sea bed, for scientific or commercial purposes. Deep-sea exploration is a relatively recent human activity, the depths of the sea are still a largely unexplored part of the planet earth.

Contents

History

Advancements

References

History

Deep-sea exploration began when French scientist Pierre Simon de Laplace calculated the average depth of the Atlantic ocean, by observing tidal motions registered on Brazilian and African coasts. He determined this depth to be 3,962 m (13,000 ft). Deep-sea lifeforms were discovered in 1864 when Norwegian researchers sampled a stalked crinoid at a depth of 3,109 m (10,200 ft). More important discoveries have been made since 1870, the British Government sent out the Challenger expedition (a ship called the H.M.S. Challenger) in 1872 which discovered 715 new genera and 4,417 new species of marine organisms over the space of 4 years.
The first instrument used for deep-sea investigation was the sounding weight, used by British explorer Sir James Clark Ross, it reached a depth of 3,700 m (12,140 ft) in 1840. The Challenger expedition used a similar instruments called Baillie sounding machines to extract samples from the sea bed, the sounding weights had a tube on the base which forced the seabed in when it hit. Viking soldiers also used this instrument in a similar fashion, using a lead weight, they measured the length of the rope when they hauled in on board in fathom's, this unit of measure is still used today for nautical depths.

Advancements

Deep-sea exploration has advanced exponentially in the 1900s with a series of new inventions, ranging from sonar — a system for detecting the presence of objects underwater through the use of sound — to manned deep-diving submersibles such as DSV Alvin.

References

★ http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761567573/Exploration_Deep-Sea.html

★ http://www.floridasmart.com/subjects/ocean/deepsea.htm

★ http://www.learnersonline.com/weekly/archive99/week25/index.htm

★ http://www.eurekalert.org/features/kids/2005-03/aaft-det030205.php

★ http://www.ocean.udel.edu/deepsea/level-2/tools/history.html

★ http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-diving-d.html

★ http://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/

★ http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/history/history.html

★ http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/gallery/gallery.html

★ http://www.explore.noaa.gov/

★ http://celebrating200years.noaa.gov/rarebooks/challenger/welcome.html

★ http://celebrating200years.noaa.gov/rarebooks/depth/welcome.html

★ http://www.titanic-titanic.com/discovery_of_titanic.shtml

★ http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/people/A0848555.html