introduction course overview history of oceanography intro to earth
TRANSCRIPT
Introduction
Course overview
History of Oceanography
Intro to Earth
Course web page
chem.winthrop.edu Click on Courses on left column Find GEOL 220 link
Syllabus, topic outlines, schedule, etc.
Interdisciplinary
Biology Chemistry Physics Geology Geography Political Science Mathematics Computer Science
History of Oceanography
Early Middle Ages Age of Discovery Discovery with Science Modern Oceanography
Different motivations at different times
The Oceans
Atlantic Pacific Indian Arctic Southern Ocean
Early history
Reasons: trade, fishing, defense
Self centered view of Earth Examples
Early history (2)
Difficult to navigate without shorelines Phoenicians (approx. 1000 BC)
Polynesians (300-600 AD most important)
Early history (3)
Greeks (approx. 500 BC)– Erasthosthenes (working in Egypt) –
circumference of earth– Pliny the Elder – phases of moon and tides– Ptolemy (approx. 150 AD) – vast ocean, used lat
and long
Middle Ages
Very little exploration except
Vikings (approx. 1000 AD)
Arabs
Age of Discovery (1)
Travel for economic, political and religious reasons
Portugal: – Prince Henry– Dias (1497)– Vasco Da Gama (1498)
Age of Discovery (2)
Spain Columbus (1492) Vespucci (~1500) Balboa (1513) Magellan (1522)
Discovery with Science
Discovery with some science James Cook (1768-1780) Ben Franklin (1769) Matthew F. Maury (early 1800s)
Purely scientific Challenger Expedition (1872-1876) Extremely significant
More for science
Voyages of Nansen aboard Fram (end of 1800s)
Meteor expedition (1925-27)
Modern Oceanography (since 20th century)
International Interdisciplinary Scientific Complex instruments “Modern” technology
Modern Oceanography
US funding Oceanographic institutes Drill ships, satellites, for example International cooperation
Origin of solar system: nebular hypothesis
Layered Earth
Density stratification
Core MantleCrustOceans and Atmosphere
Lithosphere Asthenosphere
Geologic time
Details not important here Vast length of time very important Compare to human time