Abyssal Plains & Hills

 Define Abyssal Plains (AP)

Abyssal Plains is an underwater plain on the deep ocean floor 

 

Describe where AP are found

AP are found at depths between 3000 and 6000 m. Lying generally between the foot of a continental rise and a mid-ocean ridge,  

 

Describe its features

The continental shelf. The extreme depth is obviously the first, but this area is also very flat, with an extremely gentle slope. The flat plain is covered in millions of years of sediment washed from the continents and deposited by various sea creatures. 

 

How much of the earth do AP make up?

Abyssal Plains make up most of the seafloor in terms of square kilometers.

 

 

 

Adaptations of sea cave creatures.

What are some typical adaptations for these animals, and why?
- the typical adaptations are lack of pigmentation, reduction in the size of eyes and development of sensory mechanisms that do not depend on light for detecting food or predator helping them to live in a different environment.

Why is oxygen NOT plentiful in caves, and how do creatures deal with the lack of oxygen?
- anchialine caves tend to be oxygen-depleted because there is no photosynthesis and very limited water circulation in the caves. Those adaptations help them to reduce the oxygen.

Why do adaptation occur?
- adaptation happen with random events, and if they provide an advantage, the organism is more likely to survive and reproduce than other organism with these some adaptations.

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Hydrothermal Vents Essential Questions

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   What exactly was described as "the biggest biological discovery on Earth?

Where in the oceans was the discovery made?


What was “interesting” about Tube Worms?


How are species able to survive without sunlight? (What’s the process, if it’s not photosynthesis)



Where on Earth are hydrothermal vents located?

Describe the theory of how life on Earth may have began at hydrothermal vents?

Essential Questions - THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2013

NOAA: who are they, and what do they do?

NOAA stands for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA scientists study the skies and the oceans. They also protects the coasts and beaches to make sure the sand and water are clean. 

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1. The intensity of a sonar echo tells scientists what?

The intensity of a sonar echo tells scientists that they can have detailed structure of the sand.

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1. How does an R.O.V. assist scientists?

This robot help scientists to have a sound and also ultrasound of underwater. The ROV was designed for aquatic work environments.

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Why are these studies important to society?

Is too important because they can find important data and how the oceans works.

Essential Questions - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013

• Bathymetry: what is it (define the word)? What’s the difference between a bathymetric map and a topographic map Bathymetry is the measurement of the depth of water in oceans, rivers, or lakes. The difference between a bathymetric map and a topographic map is that bathymetric maps connect points of equal depth and topographic map, the lines connect points of equalelevation.

• How did Oceanographers map the ocean floor in the past, and what were the results? In the past, scientists would conduct bathymetric measurements by throwing a heavy rope over the side of a ship and recording the length of rope it took to reach the seafloor. To get a clear picture of the seafloor, scientists would have had to take thousands of rope measurements. 

• How do oceanographers map the oceans now, and how accurate and effective is this method? Now, oceanographers map the oceans use  echo sounders to make bathymetric measurements. An echo sounder sends out a sound pulse from a ship’s hull, or bottom, to the ocean floor. An echo sounder is able to measure a small area of the seafloor. However, the accuracy of these measurements is still limited. 

• Why are multibeam echo sounders so effective? Multibeam echo sounders are so effective because they can also provide information about the physical characteristics of a seafloor feature.

• What’s an example of an underwater discovery that was made possible by multibeam echo sounders? For example, thousands of seamounts were discovered in the central Pacific Ocean, near the U.S. state of Hawaii.

• Why do oceanographers map the oceans below the surface? Why is this important to society?  Because their bathymetric measurements support safe navigation and protect marine environments around the globe.