history of marine science Flashcards
main reason early people travelled
economic reasons
- Benefits of mobility and greater access to food supplies
- Any coastal culture skilled at raft building would have advantage over less-skilled competitors
- hunted edible near-shore resources
who was probably the first regular ocean traders
the Phoenicians
where was the First evidence of voyaging in records of trade
Mediterranean Sea - Greeks began to explore outside the Mediterranean - they believed only rivers had currents
what is marine science
The organized study of the ocean
what did marine science begin with and where did it progress
Began with technical studies of voyagers
Progress began at the Library of Alexandria, Egypt
when was the size and shape of the Earth known
by ~230BCE, more than 1,700 years before Columbus’ voyages
what did Eratosthenes, second librarian at Alexandria find out
heard from travelers returning from Syene that at noon on the longest day of the year, the sun shone directly onto the waters of a deep vertical well
what is latitude
lines go across – measure up to down
what is 1 degree of latitude
distance = 111km
what is longitude
lines go up to down – measure across
how does the degree of longitude vary
equator = higher degree of longitude than at the poles
How Do Researchers Determine Dates and Locations of Polynesian Migration
Data from DNA
Strains of bacteria
Radiocarbon dating
Language studies
Fossil Remains
In addition to the compass what did the Chinese invent
the central rudder, watertight compartments, fresh water distillation for shipboard use, and sophisticated sails on multiple masts
what are the key aspects of Viking exploration
- Vikings built fast, strong, and stable ships
- conducted successful raids across Europe
- covered Newfoundland (Vinland) while exploring westward
- Initial attempts to establish peaceful relations with Indigenous peoples failed
- Vinland settlement was abandoned
when did The Chinese intentionally abandon oceanic exploration
1433
some misconceptions about Columbus
- never even saw North America
- made the smallest estimate of Earth’s size by any navigator in modern history (~half of its true size)
- Mistook the New World for his goal of India/Japan
what was the first circumnavigation of the globe
Magellan’s Expedition (1519-1522)
- marked the culmination of the European Age of Discovery
- demonstrated the feasibility of global navigation and set the stage for future explorations
what was the beginning of scientific oceanography
HMS Endeavour’s departure (1768) under James Cook
what were the key aims of Cooks’ HMS voyages
- assert British presence
- observe the transit of Venus across the sun
- explore unknown southern territories
Cooks’ key discoveries on his HMS voyages
- Found New Zealand + mapped the Great Barrier Reef
- 1772: charted Tonga + discovered New Caledonia ,Pacific and South Georgia in the Atlantic
- First to circumnavigate the world at high latitudes
- 1776: Commissioned to find northwest passage around Canada
- Stumbled upon Hawai’i - annoyed the locals and was killed
**It is likely Cook can be considered a first marine scientist who changed the map of the world more than anyone in history
how would cook be able to tell what latitude he is
in northern hemisphere: can measure latitude by measuring the angle between the horizon, your eye, and the north polar star
how would cook be able to tell what longitude he is
with a clock
- Determine local noon; observe shortest shadow of vertical pole and set clock
- Travel west; time of noon will be different from that on your clock
- Can use rotation of Earth to calculate westward position
what did John Harrison from Yorkshire create
chronometer
- in Columbus’ time – no clocks were practically accurate at sea (pendulums)
- British Government formed ‘The Board of Longitude’ – 20,000GBP prize
what was the first genuine only-for-science expedition
British Challenger in 1872
what was the first hybrid expedition
U.S. Exploring Expedition in 1838 by Wilkes
- the legacy of the expedition was hindered by his disagreeable behaviour
what did Matthew Maury do
- compiled worldwide patterns of winds and ocean currents
- Issued charts free to mariners in exchange for logs of their own new voyages
- Perhaps the first person to undertake the systematic study of the ocean as a full- time occupation
what is the longest continuous scientific oceanographic expedition
HMS Challenger
who is Nansen
The first professor of oceanography - won Nobel Peace Prize in 1922
how do we get a Bottom Profile of the Seafloor
Echo Sounder – beams sound down – waves reflect back
what factors can effect echo sounder results
Anything influencing the speed of sound in water
- temperature
- salinity
- elasticity
3 modern ways we can collect data about the oceans
- The Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI)
- Remotely Operated Vehicles
- Earth-Observing Satellites – main way we know about the ocean now
