What is a subsurface topography?
Subsurface. Topography. The study of the surface of the ocean floor; topography studies the shape of the land.
What is the topography of the ocean floor?
The term “topography” implies the study of numerous landforms that exist on or below the earth. Ocean floor topography refers to the different forms in which the ocean floor bottom can exist. You may perceive the ocean floor to be flat and sandy like the beach, but the truth is there are many different surfaces.
What are the two main topography of the ocean floor?
The ocean floor is almost entirely underlain by mafic oceanic crust (mostly basalt and gabbro, as described in more detail below), while the continental slopes are underlain by felsic continental crust (mostly granitic and sedimentary rocks).
What are the three major parts of the ocean topography?
The ocean floor or seabed can be divided into three major regions: the continental margins, abyssal plains, and mid-ocean ridges. These regions are easily distinguished by topographical characteristics.
How do we know the topography of the ocean?
The accurate determination of ocean topography is made by first measuring the precise height of the spacecraft above the center of the Earth. NASA’s Global Positioning System receiver and the CNES Doris tracking system on board the satellites provide precise, continuous tracking of the spacecraft’s location.
Where is the ocean surface?
The surface ocean extends from 0 to roughly 100 meters (330 feet) depth across the entire ocean. This is where the ocean meets the atmosphere and absorbs carbon dioxide from the air—a key link in the planetary carbon cycle and primary cause of ocean acidification.
Are oceans topographic features?
Ocean and land topography are defined exactly the same way. Both give the height of the ocean or land above the geoid. The geoid is the shape the sea surface would have if all the currents and tides stopped. Tides and currents are the two major factors that contribute to the dynamic topography of the ocean’s surface.
What is the topography of the Atlantic Ocean?
The bottom topography of the Atlantic Ocean is characterized by a great submarine mountain range called the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It extends from Iceland in the north to approximately 58 degrees south latitude, reaching a maximum width of about 1,000 miles (1600 km).
What does the topography of the bottom of the ocean indicate?
The shape of an ocean basin is defined by its bottom topography, including its intersection with the top surface, the coastline. Topography has a profound influence on the direction of currents, especially near the bottom.
What is the most important topographic feature of the ocean floor?
The main features of the Pacific Ocean floor are the continental slopes, which drop from about 200 m to several thousand metres over a distance of a few hundred kilometres; the abyssal plains — exceedingly flat and from 4,000 m to 6,000 m deep; volcanic seamounts and islands; and trenches at subduction zones that are …
What is ocean topography called?
ocean dynamic topography
Ocean surface topography or sea surface topography, also called ocean dynamic topography, are highs and lows on the ocean surface, similar to the hills and valleys of Earth’s land surface depicted on a topographic map.
What does the topography of the ocean indicate?
Accurate measurements of ocean surface topography are important for studying ocean tides, circulation and the amount of heat the ocean holds. The observations are used to help predict short-term changes in weather and longer-term climate patterns.