Sounding tracks around Hawaii: Lines depicting where ship-based soundings have been made radiate from the Hawaiian Islands. They are part of an update of Google Earth's ocean terrain. (Credit: Image courtesy of Scripps Institution of Oceanography)
ScienceDaily (Feb. 2, 2012) — Internet information giant Google updated ocean data in its Google Earth application this week, reflecting new bathymetry data assembled by Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, NOAA researchers and many other ocean mapping groups from around the world. The newest version of Google Earth includes more accurate imagery in several key areas of ocean using data collected by research cruises over the past three years. Check out Google Earth."The Google map now matches the map used in the research community, which makes the Google Earth program much more useful as a tool for planning cruises to uncharted areas," Sandwell added.
For example, the updated, more precise data corrects a grid-like artifact on the seafloor that was misinterpreted in the popular press as evidence of the lost city of Atlantis off the coast of North Africa.
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Another interesting map of Hawaii from a US Geological Survey Publication.
Hawaii's Volcanoes Revealed by Barry W. Eakins, Joel E. Robinson, Toshiya Kanamatsu, Jiro Naka, John R. Smith, Eiichi Takahashi, and David A. Clague
Prepared in cooperation with the Japan Marine Science and Technology Center, the University of Hawai‘i, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.
The Japan Marine Science and Technology Center (JAMSTEC) funded and led a four-year collaborative survey of the underwater flanks of Hawaii's shield volcanoes. This exploration, involving scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and other Japanese and U.S. academic and research institutions, utilized manned and unmanned submersibles, rock dredges, and sediment piston cores to directly sample and visually observe the sea floor at specific sites. Ship-based sonar systems were used to more widely map the bathymetry from the sea surface.The state-of-the-art multibeam sonar systems, mounted on the hull of GPS-navigated research vessels, convert the two-way travel times of individual sonar pings and their echoes into a line of bathymetry values across the ship track. The resulting swaths across the ocean bottom, obtained along numerous overlapping ship tracks, reveal the sea floor in stunning detail.
More about this is discussed on the site Hawaii's Volcanoes Revealed.
We will talk more about HI volcanoes soon.
15 comments:
I think it's interesting that Google Earth have updated their maps on the ocean to now be similar to what researchers get to see. I have used Google Earth before and it is an easy tool to look up a specific location and see the exact point of where it is.
Britini Irwin
I like how Google Earth can now show more in depth imagery of the ocean for cruises, I bet the Italian cruise ship is wishing the captain was looking at when driving the ship. But this is a great reassurance for a lot of people who are now scared to take a cruise, but it allows the crew members to see what is going on around them and what is in there path.
Also in class we were just talking about Pangaea and i watched the music video "without you" and if you haven't seen it, it shows the continents "moving" back together and at the end it shows how it looked. It was really cool to watch this music video after we just learned about it. The link is posted below if you want to check it you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUe8uoKdHao
Angela Borisuk
I think that the innovations that have been made in maps and the imagery shown is astounding. To think that people use to have to draw out maps using their hands, and now we can use science to have sound help us see things. Rather it be how the sea looks or volcanic activity underground, it will be interesting to see what type of improvements will be made in the future.
Devin Robinson
I wasn't even aware that Google Earth had already mapped the ocean floor; apparently I'm a little behind. But the maps look great-- not exactly like maps we have of continents, but great. I wonder how long it will take for us to able to actually see, up close, landforms on the ocean floor the way we look at photos of the stuff on continents. Maybe we already can, I'm not sure. We talked in class about extremophiles, creatures living in what we thought to be unlivable conditions. I think it would be even more interesting to see those creatures than to see the maps.
Julie Lisak
Even though this article was focusing more on the geography side of Google Earth, I just wanted to mention how crazy it is that we have this kind of technology today. To be able to see the things we can now-a-days would be incredible to someone that lived just 100 years ago. Technology has come a long way and it continues to advance everyday. On the other hand it is incredible how now we can get images of cruises. Just think about the things we will be able to see another hundred years from now.
-Jayna Brennan
I am so amazed at how advanced our knowledge of the ocean floor is becoming. I heard before that we know just as much about outer space as we do about the entire ocean. I don't really know how accurate that is, but regardless, it is awesome that we're figuring out more information about the ocean floor and even being able to map it out. It's so great that cruises can use Google Earth to plan cruises to unmapped areas, but I don't think I'm interested in going anywhere that is unmapped anyway.
Technology is always being updated. I think it is extremely awesome that we can view and learn from some of the same maps that scientists use. Google Earth is such an outstanding program that people of all ages can learn and benefit from on a different level than ever before.
I think it it truly amazing how much technology is advancing our understanding if Earth. Google Earth will prove to be a useful tool in many occupations and applications. In addition, this is just another example of how little we know about our Earth. For example, I was reading the other day about a newly discovered chameleon in Madagascar. This species only grows to be a half inch. If anyone is interested here is a link:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/46388892/ns/today-today_tech/t/some-spot-color-meet-worlds-tiniest-chameleon/#.Tz1_Z4H2ors
Carley Pfleger
Before reading this I had no idea that Google Earth could even map out the ocean floor. Maybe now we can find out whether or not the Loch Ness monster exists. But all kidding aside, this is a great technology for safe water travels and studying the landforms of the ocean.
- Andrew Hagan
I always new that google maps had land maps but it is really interesting to see that they also map the sea floor. Its interesting to see how much we are starting to learn so much about the world and we are learning more and more. It is also cool that they are letting everyone access this information about the earth so scientists are not just learning more but we are too.
-Caitlin Corey
I've always used google maps for it's basic purpose of finding directions and I knew you could see aerial images of the continents, but I didn't know you could see topography of the ocean floors which is very interesting. It would definately be a good tool to use in the classroom so you can show the topography of the ocean floor.
Tarah Kohler
Brittyne Griffin
ESCI 111 Sec 001
It's so strange how satellites capture data in the sky like this. Technology will soon be able to stop these natural disasters. I was under the impression that Google earth was updated by taking small pixels of pictures every so many years. If we can see the sea-floor in detail without ever having to submerge beneath water, we are off to a good start.
It is amazing how much scientists can discover about the Earth through technology like sonar. I think that in the near future scientists will be able to find out so much more about our world with even better tools. -Hannah Peters
I have actually been to Hawaii, and I think it is awesome to discuss this miraculous island. I have seen the volcanoes and I have been to the places that we have discussed in class. Hawaii is awesome because it is so "new" compared to the age of Earth. We are living and seeing new landmass form everyday. When you visit Hawaii you can see how the Earth evolves and forms. Also, it is amazing to see the technology that scientists have to gather advanced data like this article portrays.
David Kasich
Technology is so amazing and interesting to me. Just how we can figure out just about anything through our developed technology. It not only gives us research material, but it also gives everyone else knowledge about what has been happening over decades and decades and it is truly amazing.
Jacob Wood
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