After doing researches on fossils and rock, scientist studied the ocean floor to further support the continental drift theory. Harry Hess, a navy officer, used sonar technology to gather information about the ocean floor. Hess presented a theory, known as “sea floor spreading” to explain the drifting of continents. Upon exploring the surface of the ocean, he found that earth’s crust had been moving. “He suggested that the new ocean crust was created at the ridges, split apart, moved away from the ridges and, later disappeared back into the deep Earth at trenches.” (Thurman, Trujillo, 44). He also suggested that the oceans were low in depth at the center and discovered that the mid ocean ridges “rises more than 2.5 kilometer (1.5 miles) above
INTRODUCTION The Cretaceous Period, spanning 65.5-146 million years ago (Mya), was a world different from what we are familiar with today. Planetary changes during this period included the extinction of dinosaurs and drastic global warming. The breakup of the super continent Pangea had started about 30 Mya, and seaways had begun to form and cover landmass that had once been a part of the super continent (Geologic Time). Today, scientists know that one of these landmasses, the North American continent as we now know it, was at one point covered by a vast inland sea known as the Western Interior Seaway.
There is one big reason rocks are not found on the sea floor that could be attributed to the dynamics of nature. One of them is because the sea floor is constantly changing thanks to seafloor spreading. So, the seafloor now is not the same as it was years ago. Seafloor spreading happens because of the earth’s plates constantly moving meaning the rocks on the seafloor will soon be shifted inward toward the mantel or shifted to another side. 2.
Pierre Shale Formation is 80 million years old. The grain size and mineral is clay. Pierre Shale Formation recorded the transgression of intercontinental sea
When the layers of the Earth move it causes the tectonic plates (aka: plate tectonics) to move which causes the Alaskan Way Viaduct to collapse. The layers of the Earth are the inner core, outer core, mesosphere, asthenosphere, upper rigid mantle, oceanic crust, and the continental crust. The Density Column lab showed how things can have different densities like the layers of the Earth. It also showed how things that are most dense stay more towards the bottom and least dense stuff stays more towards the top.
The sites stratigraphy was studied again in the 80s and it was
Mapping out the ocean floor enabled to Ballard to observe where he should travel to in order for his trip underwater to be safe. He was able to map out the obstacles that could be in his way and disrupt his explorations. With the investigation of unknown species, Ballard was able to observe their lifestyles and extracted information that could be essential to his research besides the abandoned shipwrecks. “On one of his most famous expeditions, Dr. Ballard and a team of scientists traveled to the Galapagos Islands in 1977 and discovered hot springs on the ocean floor called hydrothermal vents” (Education through Exploration). The
Well, there are many theories. There is the aboriginal legend, the Bible theory and then the scientist theory. All of which lead to the same conclusion, however, the processes of getting to the conclusion are completely different. Scientist's believe that 30-22 million years ago the continent was thought to be moving over a 'hot-spot' in the earths mantle beneath the crust.
The lower parts have been submerged and desiccated, shown by the layers of travertine, strand formations, and beaches (9). Scientists can infer that the basin was once filled with seawater due to the discovery of fossilized marine shells, corals, and oysters in the rock (9). The fossils are now above tide-level showing a change in elevation of the region (9). Dr. Stephen Bowers, who studies the region, writes, "The water of the old Tertiary Sea, which once prevailed here, must have been extremely favorable to the propagation and growth of mollusks, especially oysters”. There is also evidence of volcanic activity around the area in the form of craters stemming from Pinacate, an extinct volcano (9).
Weatherford states that most of the “great discoveries” that Columbus proved were already known. “Columbus did not prove that the world was round; educated people had known that for centuries.” Jack Weatherford believes we
Harry Hess helped with the plate tectonic theory. In 1945, when he was the commander of the USS Cape Johnson, he discovered that the sea-floor was spreading. While he was traveling around, he would leave the sounding equipment on that would take measurements of the sea floor. One of the main things he worked on is proving that the sea-floor is spreading.
The Choctaw had a story in which they describe how the earth was made. The earth is describes as floating and suspended by cords. The believed that the earth would grow old and the people would die and that the earth fall and begin anew. Once this happen the earth would be very wet and soft. The animals wanted to be free and birds were sent out to see if the land was dry.
Charles had discovered a bed of modern shells and fossils at 1,300 feet above sea level. Later that same day, an earthquake happened and he then saw that the same mussel beds were only
The idea of catastrophism or “consecutive creations”, is the theory that changes earth’s crust geological history from sudden violent and unusual events. Catastrophism is the idea that Earth has been affected in the past by sudden, short-lived, violent events, possibly worldwide in space. This view holds that the present is the key to the past, and that all things continue as they were from the beginning of the
Exploring the ocean could help people understand Earth better to.
In addition in 1942, the explorer Cristopher Columbus talked about “The New World.” When he was in the Bermuda Triangle’s area he said he saw strange lights in the ocean and that the direction of the wind was uninformed (“The Mystery of the Bermuda Triangle”