Over the Edge
A bathymetry is the measurement of the depths of oceans, seas, or other large bodies of water. The tools of bathymetry has evolved through time. Early voyages utilize heavy ropes or cables as a technique of measuring the depth of the ocean. They would lower the heavy ropes on the side of the ship, measuring one point at a time. Sea explorers then realized that this technique was inefficient. It wasn't until the HMS Challenger that the Soundings were developed. This new technique had a detachable weight which helped to ensure that the line struck the ocean floor and was not too derailed by the movement of the ship or the currents, increasing the accuracy of the measurements.
Not only has the technique of bathymetry evolved, but many other tools utilize on a voyage has been modified due to modern technology. For instance, the satellite was improved on ships to be able to determine the ship's location at all times. Before this invention, ships would only have minimal contact to see where they are located out in the ocean. This transformation is beneficial to sea voyages now because it makes it quicker and more accurate for their studies. Another technique that was developed was the CTD. The CTD is torpedo-shaped and may be deployed by itself, attached to a submersible, or as part of a larger metal water sampling array known as a rosette, or carousel. Multiple water sampling bottles are often attached to the rosette to collect water at different depths of the cast. Such modern developments have made it easier for scientists to explore the ocean.
Beneath our ocean is more than just massive amount of water. The floor of our ocean varies with different shapes, depths, and features. These profound features were caused by the motion of tectonic plates and erupted volcanoes. Our ocean contains features and boundaries such as continental shelf, shelf break, slope, and rise. The continental shelf is a smooth, flat surface that is close to the shores. Pass the continental shelf is the continental break and slope. Which is the earth's crust at a steep and deep slope that then leads towards the continental rise. The rise sets and builds up at the bottom of the slope.
Through conducting limited-scope experimentation with the existing generation of manned and unmanned systems undersea, we can learn a tremendous amount about their capabilities and limitations. At the same time, we can gain insight into the command structures at sea and ashore needed to man, train, and equip a truly combined undersea force; even unmanned systems require maintenance, support, and in some cases remote operators. Learning about the communications and physical interfaces will enable us to launch, control, and recover these unmanned systems. It’s an exciting time to be participating in the next step of undersea warfighting. UUVs can become invaluable force-multipliers, as the following fictional scenario illustrates.
This uplifting of the ocean floor occurs when convection currents rise in the mantle beneath the oceanic crust and create magma where two tectonic plates meet at a divergent boundary. The mid-ocean ridges of the world are connected and form a single global mid-oceanic ridge system that is part of every ocean, making the mid-oceanic ridge system the longest mountain range in the world, with a total length of about 60,000 km.
Hydrothermal vents were surrounded by large numbers of organisms that had never been seen before. These biological communities depend upon chemical processes that result from the interaction of seawater and hot magma associated with underwater volcanoes. The cold seawater is heated by hot magma and reemerges to form the vents. Seawater in hydrothermal vents may reach temperatures of over 340°C (700°F).
Abyssal plains consist of beds of volcanic rock topped with sediments that are up to thousands of feet thick. Most of the sediments wash off the continents, and are carried to the depths by dense currents. Over time, the sediments spread out to provide a smooth, level surface. Abyssal plains are most common in the Atlantic; in the Pacific, deep trenches around the continents trap most of the sediment before it reaches the open ocean.
Not only has the technique of bathymetry evolved, but many other tools utilize on a voyage has been modified due to modern technology. For instance, the satellite was improved on ships to be able to determine the ship's location at all times. Before this invention, ships would only have minimal contact to see where they are located out in the ocean. This transformation is beneficial to sea voyages now because it makes it quicker and more accurate for their studies. Another technique that was developed was the CTD. The CTD is torpedo-shaped and may be deployed by itself, attached to a submersible, or as part of a larger metal water sampling array known as a rosette, or carousel. Multiple water sampling bottles are often attached to the rosette to collect water at different depths of the cast. Such modern developments have made it easier for scientists to explore the ocean.
Beneath our ocean is more than just massive amount of water. The floor of our ocean varies with different shapes, depths, and features. These profound features were caused by the motion of tectonic plates and erupted volcanoes. Our ocean contains features and boundaries such as continental shelf, shelf break, slope, and rise. The continental shelf is a smooth, flat surface that is close to the shores. Pass the continental shelf is the continental break and slope. Which is the earth's crust at a steep and deep slope that then leads towards the continental rise. The rise sets and builds up at the bottom of the slope.
Through conducting limited-scope experimentation with the existing generation of manned and unmanned systems undersea, we can learn a tremendous amount about their capabilities and limitations. At the same time, we can gain insight into the command structures at sea and ashore needed to man, train, and equip a truly combined undersea force; even unmanned systems require maintenance, support, and in some cases remote operators. Learning about the communications and physical interfaces will enable us to launch, control, and recover these unmanned systems. It’s an exciting time to be participating in the next step of undersea warfighting. UUVs can become invaluable force-multipliers, as the following fictional scenario illustrates.
This uplifting of the ocean floor occurs when convection currents rise in the mantle beneath the oceanic crust and create magma where two tectonic plates meet at a divergent boundary. The mid-ocean ridges of the world are connected and form a single global mid-oceanic ridge system that is part of every ocean, making the mid-oceanic ridge system the longest mountain range in the world, with a total length of about 60,000 km.
Hydrothermal vents were surrounded by large numbers of organisms that had never been seen before. These biological communities depend upon chemical processes that result from the interaction of seawater and hot magma associated with underwater volcanoes. The cold seawater is heated by hot magma and reemerges to form the vents. Seawater in hydrothermal vents may reach temperatures of over 340°C (700°F).
Abyssal plains consist of beds of volcanic rock topped with sediments that are up to thousands of feet thick. Most of the sediments wash off the continents, and are carried to the depths by dense currents. Over time, the sediments spread out to provide a smooth, level surface. Abyssal plains are most common in the Atlantic; in the Pacific, deep trenches around the continents trap most of the sediment before it reaches the open ocean.