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Dive into the fascinating world of oceanography and discover the rich history, interdisciplinary nature, and modern advancements in studying Earth's oceans. Explore the motivations behind early exploration, from trade to defense, and learn about key figures and expeditions that have shaped our understanding of the oceans. Gain insights into the origins of the solar system, the layered structure of the Earth, and the immense timescale of geological processes. This course provides an overview of the interdisciplinary fields involved in oceanography and the cutting-edge technologies used in modern research.
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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
Layered Earth Density stratification Core Mantle Crust Oceans and Atmosphere Lithosphere Asthenosphere
Geologic time • Details not important here • Vast length of time very important • Compare to human time