Oceanographic History Chapter 1 and 2 Oceanographic History
How do the oceans influence the Earth? Produce 2 influences The weather and world climate patterns Where organisms live on land Provide important resources Food, oxygen, and natural resources
How much of the ocean have we seen? Have seen the entire surface The part we have seen would be the size of the period at the end of this sentence.
4 branches of oceanography Biological Studies the diversity of life in the ocean and the ocean’s role as their habitat Chemical Studies the chemistry of seawater Geological Studies the composition of marine sediments and rocks Physical Studies water movement
Why study oceanographic history? It is connected to the world’s overall history. It helps you understand how current research questions developed and how we use it today. It is interesting.
First Recorded Sea Voyage Earliest recorded sea voyage is from 3200 B.C. Was from Phoenicia to Egypt
Phoenicians Established the first trade routes throughout the Mediterranean Stayed within sight of land Used landmarks by day and stars by night to mark their course
Polynesians Vessels resembled dugout canoes Made voyages of up to 3,200km (2000mi) Made the first regular open ocean long distance voyages beyond the sight of land
Ancient Greeks First to apply mathematics to navigation Produced sophisticated maps Recognized the world was spherical
Pytheas Credited with discovering how to determine north-south positioning using the angle of the North Star above the horizon Discovered the connection between the lunar cycles and tides in the Atlantic
Eratosthenes Calculated the Earth’s circumference Invented the latitude/longitude system System was irregular because he altered the lines to go through important landmarks Hipparchus Developed the latitude/longitude system we use today
Herodotus Published a map that was one of the earliest maps of the world
Ptolemy Published a map depicting the Earth as a sphere Divided Hipparchus’ latitude/longitude system into degrees, minutes and arc seconds
Latitude/Longitude System Purpose is to identify specific locations on Earth Divided into lines of latitude and longitude
Latitude Latitude lines that run east and west Never intersect Equidistant 0° parallel is called the Equator Parallels at the poles are each 90° Parallels north of the equator are designated north latitudes and those south are designated south latitudes.
Longitude Run north and south and are called meridians Originate and converge at the north and south poles 0° longitude is called the Prime Meridian From the Prime Meridian east, east longitude and from the Prime Meridian west, west longitude.