Lab 31: ocean: ocean floor mapping

1. Introduction to Ocean Floor Mapping
Objective: Introduce the concept and importance of ocean floor mapping.
Activities:
Warm-Up Question: “What do you know about the bottom of the ocean?”
Presentation:
Explain why the ocean floor is mapped (e.g., understanding ecosystems, navigation, natural resource exploration, studying plate tectonics).
Share key statistics (e.g., over 80% of the ocean floor is still unmapped).
Briefly introduce mapping methods: sonar, satellite altimetry, and submersibles.
Media: Show a video or animation about ocean floor mapping (e.g., NOAA or National Geographic resources).
2. Techniques for Mapping the Ocean Floor (20 minutes)
Objective: Explore the tools and methods scientists use to map the ocean floor.
Activities:
Interactive Presentation:
Sonar (Sound Navigation and Ranging): Explain how sound waves are used to measure depth and create a profile of the seabed.
Satellite Altimetry: Discuss how satellites measure sea surface height to infer underwater topography.
Submersibles and ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles): Explain how they are used to explore and map areas in detail.
3. Features of the Ocean Floor (20 minutes)
Objective: Identify key ocean floor features and their formation.
Activities:
Presentation with Diagrams:
Highlight features like mid-ocean ridges, trenches, seamounts, abyssal plains, and underwater volcanoes.
Discuss how plate tectonics shapes these features.
Interactive Activity:
Using google earth, create an island map of the sea floor
4. Application: Importance of Ocean Floor Mapping (15 minutes)
Objective: Relate ocean floor mapping to real-world applications.
Activities:
Case Studies:
Tsunami Prediction: Explain how mapping helps identify earthquake-prone areas.
Marine Conservation: Discuss how it informs habitat protection (e.g., coral reefs).
Search and Recovery: Highlight its role in finding shipwrecks or lost aircraft (e.g., MH370).
5. Hands-On GIS Activity: Visualizing Ocean Floor Data (20 minutes)
Objective: Use technology to explore real-world ocean floor data.
Activities:
Use an online tool like Google Earth Ocean or NOAA Bathymetry Data Viewer.
Explore and identify key features (e.g., the Mariana Trench, Mid-Atlantic Ridge).
Questions:
What is the deepest part of the ocean you can find?
Identify a mid-ocean ridge and describe its location.
What patterns do you notice in ocean floor features?
Migrated from Apple Server Wiki. Original page ID: E6_5b5Y