Ocean Technologies  and Organizations

Welcome to our virtual field trip on different topics in oceanography.  During our trip you will be visiting sites to look at different technologies that are used to explore the ocean floor and how some of these have changed over time, at the strengths and weaknesses of different technologies and at Canadian institutions that support scientific research involving the ocean.  Hopefully, along the way you will read some interesting ocean trivia.

Directions:

At each stop, just click on the picture and you will be taken to a web site that will give you the answers to the questions which are written to the right of the picture.  The answers are to be put on the paper copy that you are passing in to the teacher.  At the last stop you will be gathering information to use in a presentation.

While on our field trip please remember to stay inside the bus (do not go on any side trips by linking to other sites), do not take back any specimens (no cut and paste, when possible answers must be in your own words) and have fun!!

At stop 1 you will discover the variables concerning the ocean floor that make it necessary to use different technologies than on land.
 

1.  The 3 variables listed here are temperature, darkness and pressure.  What about each one would make ocean floor exploration more difficult? 2.(a)  How deep is Mariana Trench?    (b)  What is the pressure like at this depth?

At stop 2 you will look at a past method for tracking ocean currents.
 

1.  What radioactive element had been used to track ocean currents and how fast did it travel? 2.  Why do you think this was banned?

At stop 3 you will look at two interesting ways of tracking ocean currents.
 

Read the neat story about shoes.

Scroll to the third story (on tracking currents). Neat use of the world's largest bathtub!

At stop 4 you will examine how oceanographers do tests on the ocean floor.
 

Give 3 key facts regarding core drilling.

At stop 5 you will discover how sonar or echo sounders work.
 
 

1.  How does sonar work? 2.  How would this technology be useful? 3.  Where have you seen or heard of this before?

At stop 6 you will analyze various diving types developed over time.
 
 

For each of the 6 types of diving discussed at this site give an advantage and a disadvantage.  For heavy-walled diving also give the 2 definitions.

At stop 7 you will examine a technology from the diving site above in more detail.
 
 

1.  The Alvin is a sub or ___ made of ___.  It can go to a depth of ___.  Alvin can dive for ___ hours carrying ___ people. 2.  List the equipment the Alvin has for underwater exploration.

At stop 8 you will discover how satellite imagery is used in the field of oceanography.
 
 

1.  Give two things satellites can measure in regards to oceans.  For each tell how this information is used or what it tells researchers. 2.  What is IUSS and what are two uses of this?

At stop 9 you will research a Canadian organization that supports scientific research on oceans.  Remember you are gathering information for a presentation to the class.
 

Select the organization you have been instructed to research from the list.  Your presentation to the class should include the who, what, where, when and why of the organization.

Congratulations! You have finished the tour.  Be sure to include the answers to all the questions in your paper copy to your teacher and then prepare for your class presentation.
 

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Credits