Tag Archives: oceanography

Main image: A composite image from NASA's Suomi ocean science satellite in 2016, showing the distribution of phytoplankton in the California Current (depicted in green). Inset: Astronaut Kathy Sullivan viewing Earth through the Space Shuttle Challenger's windows in 1984.
1993: The Pioneering Role of Satellites in Oceanography

Revolutionizing oceanographic studies, space-based remote sensing, initiated by the Seasat mission and advanced by figures like Kathryn Sullivan, has dramatically enhanced our understanding of ocean dynamics and their impact on Earth’s climate

Black smokers and tube worm communities at "Strawberry Fields" in the Endeavour Hydrothermal Vent Field in the northeastern Pacific Ocean, situated approximately 7,380 feet (2,250 meters) below sea level.
1977: Exploring Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents – Earth’s Underwater Volcanic Wonders

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents, discovered in the 1970s, are underwater volcanic structures hosting unique ecosystems reliant on chemosynthesis

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's remotely operated robotic submersible Deep Discoverer, used in 2016 to explore the geology of layered rocks in the Mariana Trench, at depths of around 20,000 feet (6100 meters).
1960: Mariana Trench – The Deepest Point on Earth

The Mariana Trench, the deepest point on Earth, was first explored by Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard, revealing a world of deep-sea biodiversity

Top: Marie Tharp in 2001. Bottom: Section of a contemporary map illustrating the topography of the seafloor in the southern Atlantic Ocean.
1957: Marie Tharp’s Legacy – Unveiling the Mysteries of the Seafloor

Marie Tharp's pioneering work in seafloor mapping provided critical insights into ocean topography and played a crucial role in developing plate tectonics theory

The Moon, Earth, and Sun are gravitationally connected, a concept developed by Sir Isaac Newton. They exert powerful gravitational forces on each other based on their masses and the inverse square of their distances. These gravitational interactions are manifested as tides in Earth's fluid oceans.
1686: Isaac Newton and the Science of Tides

Isaac Newton's groundbreaking work in the 17th century established the scientific understanding of tides as a result of gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and Sun on Earth's oceans. This understanding revolutionized our knowledge of [...]