History of Oceanography Brian Schuster Polynesians colonized islands

History of Oceanography Brian Schuster

Polynesians § colonized islands in the Pacific Ocean (Hawaii, Tahiti, Easter Islands, etc. ) § navigated with stars § sailed in large canoes § made “stick charts” from bamboo and wood to diagram islands

§ § § Mediterranean Sea first maps were made of this sea several civilizations navigated here Greeks were the first to sail out of sea into ocean; they observed currents Eratosthenes determined Earth’s circumference to be 25, 000 miles Phoenicians greatly improved navigation Phoenicians circumnavigated Africa in 590 BC

Age of Discovery (1500 s 1800 s) § stimulated by the lust for resources and better trade routes § 1513 Balboa finds the Pacific Ocean § 1519 Victoria, led by Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan, circumnavigates the world; 3 of 5 ships are lost on voyage; Magellan is killed in Philippines, then del Cano takes over § 1768 English James Cook charts Australia region aboard Endeavor; prevents scurvy by getting sailors enough Vitamin C § 1772 Cook charts islands of Pacific with Resolution and Adventure; killed by natives of Hawaii

Age of Discovery (1500 s 1800 s) § 1728 John Harrison make a marine chronometer, which allowed navigators to determine longitude on ships § 1769 Ben Franklin and Tim Folger map the Gulf Stream § 1842 Matthew Fontaine Maury (“Father of Oceanography”) systematically collects wind and current data; charts North Atlantic § 1831 Charles Darwin sails aboard HMS Beagle as the naturalist; accurately describes atoll formation

HMS Challenger (1872 -1876) § § § first true oceanographic research expedition renovated a British corvette, a small warship led by Charles Wyville Thomson and his assistant, John Murray § discovered Mariana Trench; deepest spot was later given the name Challenger Deep § discovered mid-ocean ridge and collected water data

Oceanography Pioneers § Victor Hensen (1800 s): plankton studies § Alexander Agassiz (1800 s): studied corals aboard the Albatross § Fridjtof Nansen (1800 s): drifted in ice with the Fram near the North Pole § Walfrid Ekman (1900 s): Scandinavian who studied physical oceanography § 1909 Robert Peary reaches North Pole § 1911 Roald Amundsen reaches South Pole

Further Exploration (1900 s+) § Ocean Drilling Program: collected data about sea floor; started with Glomar Challenger (1968), then JOIDES Resolution and Chikyu (“Planet Earth”) § Meteor: German ship; studied South Atlantic currents § FLIP (Floating Instrument Platform): sits still in the water § FAMOUS (French-American Mid-Ocean Undersea Study, 1974): studied Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Further Exploration (continued) § Trieste: bathyscaphe that still holds the deepest dive to 11000 m in Challenger Deep; designed by Auguste Piccard § SCUBA (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, 1943): initially developed by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Emile Gagnon § SEASAT (1978): short-lived satellite; pioneer in oceanography remote sensing § TOPEX/Poseidon (1992 -2006): satellite that measured sea surface height to reveal info about circulation; successful mission

Modern Submersibles of Today § Alvin (max: 4000 m): manned DSV; discovered hydrothermal vents, recovered missing bomb § Sea Cliff II (max: 6000 m): went deeper than Alvin § Jason/Medea: pair of ROVs attached to each other