Name(s) _Gil Puga, Izabela Sinor, Cody Lawrence_

Oceanography Lab
Part 1: Match the lettered term on the diagram with the correct term.

_L___ 1. Shoreline __E__ 2. Coral reef __F__ 3. Continental Shelf

__B__ 4. Continental slope __K__ 5. Continental rise __A__ 6. Submarine Canyon

__i__ 7. Abyssal Plain __C__ 8. Seamount __G__ 9. Guyot

_H___ 10. Trench __D__ 11. Midocean Ridge _J__ 12. Rift Valley

Part 2: Mapping the Ocean Floor

Read the information below and then scan the table. In this activity, you will learn how scientists use math to
find out about the ocean floor. The data in the table below represents various measurements of the depth of
the Atlantic Ocean between Cape May, New Jersey and Cape Roca, Portugal. You will use this data to construct
a profile, or side view, of the floor of the Atlantic Ocean between these points. You will need a pencil, a ruler,
and graph paper. Questions 1-3 will help you construct an appropriate graph. Once your graph is completed,
use it to help answer the remaining questions.

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1. The ocean depths in the table are measured in fathoms, where 1 fathom equals 6 feet. This means to solve
the depth in feet, multiply the depth in the table by 6. Find the minimum and maximum depths in the table.
What does the maximum depth represent? (Choose from the ocean floor features from page one.)

Minimum depth = 0 feet

Maximum Depth = 3,125 fathoms/18,750 feet
The floor feature represented by the maximum depth of 18,750 feet is a rift valley

2. What is the maximum ocean depth between New Jersey and Portugal in feet? In miles? (Hint: one mile
equals 5,280 feet, so you will divide your feet by 5280 to determine how many miles it is).

Maximum ocean depth in feet = 18,750 feet

Maximum ocean depth in miles = 18,750/5,280 = 3.6 miles

3. Notice that the data for ocean depth at a distance of 2,725 miles is missing from
the table. Estimate the depth at this point. Add your estimate to the table and
explain any assumptions that you made.

The estimated depth at a distance of 2,725 miles would be 2,200 fathoms. We make this assumption because
there is an 800 fathom drop from the 2,700 to 2,800 mile markers, so a 1/4 or 25% (25 miles from the first
point) of the 800 foot drop would be a 200 fathom depth increase.

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4. Now construct a graph of the depth of the ocean floor, with ocean depth as the
vertical axis and distance between New Jersey and Portugal as the horizontal axis.
Do not connect the points on the graph yet. Before making your graph, carefully
consider what intervals you will use for each axis and where sea level should be
located. Once you complete the graph, write a brief description of it, in particular
noting any significant changes in depth. There is a graph grid on the last page.

There are several steep drops and climbs noting the continental slopes near the shorelines of the two
locations, and various ocean floor features inbeween.

5. Did you choose the same interval for both the vertical and horizontal axes of your
graph? Why or why not? What is the effect of your choice on the shape of the
graph?

Yes, because it seemed like a good measure proportionally for the space available. The effect emphasizes the
dramatic declines and inclines.

6. One of the points in the graph represents an island. Which point do you think this
is? Explain your reasoning.

At the 2,475 mile mark, the vertical depth reaches 0 which means it breaks the surface of the water, therefore
an island.

7. The longest mountain range on Earth runs underwater, stretching nearly 80,000
km through all of Earth’s oceans. In the Atlantic Ocean, this mountain range is
called the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Locate and label this feature on your graph.

From about the 1,400 mile mark and the 2,800 mile mark seems to denote this mountain range in profile.

8. (a) The Mariana Trench in the South Pacific is the deepest known region of any
ocean at about 36,200 feet. How much deeper is this then the deepest point
between New Jersey and Portugal?

We know the deepest point here is at 18,750ft, so 36,200 – 18,750 = a 17,450 foot difference.
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(b) Make a bar graph comparing the depth of the Mariana Trench with the height
or depth of the following: Mt. Everest (29,035 feet), the Grand Canyon (6,000
feet), and the Empire State Building (1,472 feet, including the TV antenna on
top.) Use positive numbers for all heights/depths. (This means that you plot there are no negative numbers.
You will plot the depth of the trench as if it were a mountain, and not a trench.) There is another graph paper
page at the end to do this on.

9. Oceanographers measure the depth of the deep ocean using sonar, a technology
originally invented to detect submarines. Sonar equipment aboard a ship sends out
sound waves, which bounce off the ocean floor and return to the ship. The longer
the time interval for the waves to return, the deeper is the ocean floor at that point.
Oceanographers use the formula: D = v *t, where D is the ocean depth, v is the
speed of sound in water (5,806 ft./sec), and t for the time interval in seconds
between sending and receiving the sound wave, to make this calculation. Use this
formula to complete the following table of sonar data for two locations, rounding
to the nearest 10 fathoms. Add the results to your graph and the table on the
previous page. Then connect all the points on your graph.

D = 5,806 x 6.0, D = 34,836ft, Fathoms = 34,836/6 = 5,806/2 = 2,903

D = 5,806 x 2.07, D = 12,018.42 ft, Fathoms = 12,018.42/6 = 2003.07/2 = 1,001.5

10. Would you consider this a reasonable lab for this class? What would you change, add, or take out?
There is not wrong answer here, but please be specific if you can.

I would say the graph work and matching exercises were relevant to the subject and were good exercises.

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 Use this page for the bar graph

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