Audience: Middle and High School Students
Fun Fact: We know more about the surface of the moon than the ocean floor. Photo by NEOM from Unsplash.
As a child, I lived in perpetual awe, and fear, of the ocean. My family would take long drives down to the beach, and I would avoid the water, choosing instead to bury myself in the warmth and grit of the sand. I was content there, drinking in the vast ocean with my hungry eyes, visualizing the wondrous creatures that I was convinced lurked beneath its unassuming ripples. I scoffed in the face of reality and turned to my storybooks, imagining myself twenty years older in a glass submarine, searching fervently for signs of mythical life in the furthest depths of the Atlantic. As I eventually shed myself of this impossible desire, losing my youthful ignorance to the ever-approaching hands of maturity, my wonder of the ocean never diminished. Only later did I find that the subject of my intrigue, ocean exploration, is actually an interdisciplinary science called oceanography. While this field of science is relatively new, it is growing to become an integral part of the scientific world, in discovering more about the biggest, most mysterious natural wonders on Earth. Both non-physical and physical measures have been exhausted by scientists in hopes to grow our understanding of the sea.
To begin understanding ocean exploration, we must conceptualize the ocean. Roughly 139 million square miles, the ocean takes up 71% of Earth’s surface. The number of named sections of ocean differ from place to place, but normally there have been four major oceans: the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic. Despite these saltwaters dominating our planet, comparatively, we know very little about the sea — only about 5%.
What’s stopping exploration into the other 95%? This is mainly due to ocean pressure. Many swimmers are familiar with the feeling of increased pressure in their ears as they sink to the bottom of the pool. This is caused by a change in pressure, since pressure and depth are directly proportional. The deeper you dive, the increased pressure on your body. The deepest known area of the ocean is called the Challenger Deep, at an outstanding 10,935 meters. At these depths, scientists have struggled creating technology that has the ability to withstand such crushing amounts of pressure. Additionally, light cannot penetrate such depths, leaving zero visibility and extremely low temperatures.
Now that we understand why humans have struggled to explore the ocean, let’s review the attempts that have been made to unravel the mysteries of the deep blue. A myriad of physical exploration measures have been implemented with this mission in mind, starting with submersibles. Submersibles are underwater vehicles that are released into the sea for marine data collection and oceanographic imaging. While submersibles are still being improved upon and used in the present day, due to the many limitations of physical exploration in harsh ocean conditions, oceanographers have moved to buoys and water column samplers as an easier way of collecting data on seawater. Coring devices, cylindrical devices used to drill holes and collect samples, have been particularly crucial in gathering sediment from the ocean floor for further research. Similarly, sonar vehicles, autonomous underwater vehicles that can effectively traverse every section of the ocean, are currently in production.
While physical exploration methods are very important, the biggest leap in oceanography-related technology has been in the non-physical department. At this point in time, scientists simply do not have the resources to create technology that can withstand the harsh conditions of the ocean floor. Instead of sending probes directly into the water, oceanographers have been working on sonar systems, an efficient way of searching the ocean floor through the use of sound waves. With this method, there is no risk of losing materials while going through the extensive process of testing new technology at further depths. Sonar systems are becoming the new face of ocean exploration, as they’re used to measure water depths, aid in the detection of shipwrecks, and arguably most importantly, map the seafloor. Another type of non-physical technology that has been developed and utilized in oceanography is satellite systems. Before penetrating the deep waters of unexplored parts of the ocean, scientists must first gain a critical understanding of its surface. Thus, while satellites may not be functional for traversing deeper into the oceans, they are very beneficial to scientists observing the topography of oceans. Features in the water, such as coral reefs, can also be identified through satellite imaging.
Although exploration of the ocean may be ramping up, this doesn’t necessarily mean that we will know everything about the sea in our lifetimes. However, as new depths of the ocean are being touched by human technology for the first time, there is an endless possibility for what we might find. While the sailor-luring sirens and monstrous krakens may only exist between the pages of storybooks, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t incredible creatures out there, just waiting to be discovered. Only time, patience, and the diligence of oceanographers will reveal the wonders of the great blue.
Bibliography:
“Deep Dive into Oceanography.” Education, education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/deep-dive-oceanography/. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.
“Ocean Exploration: Technology.” Education, education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/ocean-exploration/. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.
US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “How Are Satellites Used to Observe the Ocean?” NOAA’s National Ocean Service, 1 Nov. 2016, oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/satellites-ocean.html#:~:text=Mapping,water%2C%20such%20as%20 coral%20 reefs. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.
US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “How Many Oceans Are There?” NOAA’s National Ocean Service, 1 June 2013, oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/howmanyoceans.html#:~:text=There%20is%20only%20one%20global%20ocean.&text=Historically%2C%20there%20are%20four%20named,are%20the%20most%20 commonly%20 known. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.
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