September 28, 2014
Marianas Trench:
The Marianas Trench is the deepest place on Earth. It is 1.580 miles long and 36,069 (give or take 131) feet deep. The deepest point of the Marianas Trench is Challenger Deep. The deeper you dive into the ocean the greater the pressure gets. At the bottom of Challenger Deep, the pressure is 1,000 times that of the air pressure you feel on the surface. The temperature at the bottom of Challenger Deep is 1-4 degrees Celsius. Despite the extreme pressure and temperatures, creatures still live in the trench. Only 2 missions have ever been made to the bottom of Challenger Deep. The first was the Trieste in 1960. It took so long to get to the bottom of the trench that it only had 20 minutes to explore the trench before resurfacing. Then in 2012, filmmaker James Cameron dived to the bottom of Challenger Deep on a 9 hour long mission it took him 1.5 hours to descend and 1.5 hours to ascend, leaving him 6 hours for exploration and sampling. There were also dives with ROVs in 1996 and 2009. There is not much life at the bottom of the trench. There are diatoms, a type of algae, and shrimp. In 1960, the Trieste saw a flatfish 0.98 feet long, however it is believed to be a sea cucumber. There are also large, single-cell creatures called amoebas, that grew to 4 inches.
Marianas Trench:
The Marianas Trench is the deepest place on Earth. It is 1.580 miles long and 36,069 (give or take 131) feet deep. The deepest point of the Marianas Trench is Challenger Deep. The deeper you dive into the ocean the greater the pressure gets. At the bottom of Challenger Deep, the pressure is 1,000 times that of the air pressure you feel on the surface. The temperature at the bottom of Challenger Deep is 1-4 degrees Celsius. Despite the extreme pressure and temperatures, creatures still live in the trench. Only 2 missions have ever been made to the bottom of Challenger Deep. The first was the Trieste in 1960. It took so long to get to the bottom of the trench that it only had 20 minutes to explore the trench before resurfacing. Then in 2012, filmmaker James Cameron dived to the bottom of Challenger Deep on a 9 hour long mission it took him 1.5 hours to descend and 1.5 hours to ascend, leaving him 6 hours for exploration and sampling. There were also dives with ROVs in 1996 and 2009. There is not much life at the bottom of the trench. There are diatoms, a type of algae, and shrimp. In 1960, the Trieste saw a flatfish 0.98 feet long, however it is believed to be a sea cucumber. There are also large, single-cell creatures called amoebas, that grew to 4 inches.
September 21, 2014
Submersible:
Submersibles are small underwater vehicles. They are similar to a submarine, however, they are smaller than a submarine. Two pilots and a researcher go down in a submersible. Submersibles are used to do research and explore the ocean and the sea-life that lives there. An example of a submersible is the Shinkai 6500. This submersible can dive to 21,325 feet. Shinkai 6500 can stay underwater for 8 hours. It takes it 2.5 hours to reach its maximum depth and the same amount of time to come back to the surface, leaving 3 hours for research and exploration. Today, we will also will discover how a submersible such as the Shinkai 6500 dives. We will break the dive into stages to discover how a submersible dives.
Stage 1: The submersible is lowered into the water by a large ship that carries it called the support ship.
Stage 2: The submersible has things called ballast tanks. These are filled with either water (to dive) or air (to rise). In this stage, the ballast tanks fill with water, allowing the submersible to dive down.
Stage 3: Some of the water in the ballast tanks is released to slow down its dive.
Stage 4: The submersible slowly descends (or dives down) to the sea floor using thrusters.
Stage 5: Things called dive trim tanks adjust so that the submersible can cruise, stop, collect samples, and observe the sea floor and sea life.
Stage 6-7: Once the research is done, water is emptied from the ballast tanks and the submersible begins to rise.
Stage 8: The Submersible comes to the surface and is taken back onto the support ship.
There are many different parts to a submersible. Here is a list of parts and what those parts do.
Current Meter: This measures speed and direction of the water flow.
Navigation Sensor: This sensor senses exactly where the submersible is.
Ballast Tank: This is the tank that allows the submersible to rise and descend. It fills with water to descend and then is filled with air to rise.
Rear Thruster: This is a propeller that moves the submersible forward.
Horizontal Thruster: This allows the submersible to turn left or right.
Searchlights: These lights light up the ocean for up to 33 feet ahead of the submersible.
TV and Still Cameras: These cameras are used to record discoveries.
View Port: Here the crew can view the ocean.
Sample Basket: This holds tools and samples to bring back up to the surface.
Pressure Hull: This is the part of the submersible that protects the submersible and the crew inside of it. It is made of strong metal that can resist the pressure of the deep sea.
Vertical Thruster: This makes the submarine move slightly up and down.
Main Battery: This rechargeable battery provides power.
Robotic Arms: These arms allow the submersible and crew to pick up samples.
Now you know all about submersibles and how they work!
Submersible:
Submersibles are small underwater vehicles. They are similar to a submarine, however, they are smaller than a submarine. Two pilots and a researcher go down in a submersible. Submersibles are used to do research and explore the ocean and the sea-life that lives there. An example of a submersible is the Shinkai 6500. This submersible can dive to 21,325 feet. Shinkai 6500 can stay underwater for 8 hours. It takes it 2.5 hours to reach its maximum depth and the same amount of time to come back to the surface, leaving 3 hours for research and exploration. Today, we will also will discover how a submersible such as the Shinkai 6500 dives. We will break the dive into stages to discover how a submersible dives.
Stage 1: The submersible is lowered into the water by a large ship that carries it called the support ship.
Stage 2: The submersible has things called ballast tanks. These are filled with either water (to dive) or air (to rise). In this stage, the ballast tanks fill with water, allowing the submersible to dive down.
Stage 3: Some of the water in the ballast tanks is released to slow down its dive.
Stage 4: The submersible slowly descends (or dives down) to the sea floor using thrusters.
Stage 5: Things called dive trim tanks adjust so that the submersible can cruise, stop, collect samples, and observe the sea floor and sea life.
Stage 6-7: Once the research is done, water is emptied from the ballast tanks and the submersible begins to rise.
Stage 8: The Submersible comes to the surface and is taken back onto the support ship.
There are many different parts to a submersible. Here is a list of parts and what those parts do.
Current Meter: This measures speed and direction of the water flow.
Navigation Sensor: This sensor senses exactly where the submersible is.
Ballast Tank: This is the tank that allows the submersible to rise and descend. It fills with water to descend and then is filled with air to rise.
Rear Thruster: This is a propeller that moves the submersible forward.
Horizontal Thruster: This allows the submersible to turn left or right.
Searchlights: These lights light up the ocean for up to 33 feet ahead of the submersible.
TV and Still Cameras: These cameras are used to record discoveries.
View Port: Here the crew can view the ocean.
Sample Basket: This holds tools and samples to bring back up to the surface.
Pressure Hull: This is the part of the submersible that protects the submersible and the crew inside of it. It is made of strong metal that can resist the pressure of the deep sea.
Vertical Thruster: This makes the submarine move slightly up and down.
Main Battery: This rechargeable battery provides power.
Robotic Arms: These arms allow the submersible and crew to pick up samples.
Now you know all about submersibles and how they work!
September 17, 2014
ROV:
An ROV is a small robotic vehicle that is used by scientists to explore the ocean. ROV stands for Remotely Operated Vehicle. ROV are smaller than submarines, allowing them to reach tighter spaces. They are controlled by an operator that is on the shore or on a boat. An ROV will usually have a camera on it to capture video and images of the deep-sea and the creatures that live there. They also have lights so that the operator can see where the ROV is going. An ROV will also usually have some sort of sampling device so that it can collect samples of deep-sea life. ROVs are also used in education and by companies. There are a few types of ROVs. A micro ROV is small in size and weight. They are used for places where a diver couldn't fit like a sewer, pipeline, or small cave. A mini ROV is a little larger. They have a similar job to a micro ROV. Then there is a general ROV. These ROVs have a maximum dive depth of 1,000 to 7,000 meters. These ROVs sometimes carry a sonar unit which is used for mapping the sea floor. These ROVs usually have 3 arms for grasping things. Then there are three very similar types of ROVs: Light Workclass, Heavy Workclass, and Trenching and Burial. These ROVs are used for work on pipelines and other undersea structure.
ROV:
An ROV is a small robotic vehicle that is used by scientists to explore the ocean. ROV stands for Remotely Operated Vehicle. ROV are smaller than submarines, allowing them to reach tighter spaces. They are controlled by an operator that is on the shore or on a boat. An ROV will usually have a camera on it to capture video and images of the deep-sea and the creatures that live there. They also have lights so that the operator can see where the ROV is going. An ROV will also usually have some sort of sampling device so that it can collect samples of deep-sea life. ROVs are also used in education and by companies. There are a few types of ROVs. A micro ROV is small in size and weight. They are used for places where a diver couldn't fit like a sewer, pipeline, or small cave. A mini ROV is a little larger. They have a similar job to a micro ROV. Then there is a general ROV. These ROVs have a maximum dive depth of 1,000 to 7,000 meters. These ROVs sometimes carry a sonar unit which is used for mapping the sea floor. These ROVs usually have 3 arms for grasping things. Then there are three very similar types of ROVs: Light Workclass, Heavy Workclass, and Trenching and Burial. These ROVs are used for work on pipelines and other undersea structure.
September 6, 2014
SCUBA Diving:
One way Oceanographers and other ocean scientists explore the ocean is by SCUBA diving. SCUBA stands for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. SCUBA divers wear air tanks on their backs that supply them with air. SCUBA divers move through the water by swimming and they wear flippers to help push them through the water. Sometimes they will use a diver propulsion vehicle that moves them through the water quicker. SCUBA divers use a device called a re-breather. This removes harmful carbon dioxide gas and reuses oxygen. SCUBA diving let's scientists access locations they couldn't normally get by snorkeling or by breath-holding diving. SCUBA divers can dive to 130 feet, but beyond that only SCUBA divers with lots of experience can dive. These divers can dive down up to 1,043 ft., which is the deepest dive using SCUBA gear. SCUBA diving does have its limits though. It only allows scientists to study sea life that live on the very top part of the ocean such as coral, sea plants, algae, whales, dolphins, sea turtles, etc.. It doesn't allow scientists to go to a depth wear geological features and deep-sea animals are found.
SCUBA Diving:
One way Oceanographers and other ocean scientists explore the ocean is by SCUBA diving. SCUBA stands for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. SCUBA divers wear air tanks on their backs that supply them with air. SCUBA divers move through the water by swimming and they wear flippers to help push them through the water. Sometimes they will use a diver propulsion vehicle that moves them through the water quicker. SCUBA divers use a device called a re-breather. This removes harmful carbon dioxide gas and reuses oxygen. SCUBA diving let's scientists access locations they couldn't normally get by snorkeling or by breath-holding diving. SCUBA divers can dive to 130 feet, but beyond that only SCUBA divers with lots of experience can dive. These divers can dive down up to 1,043 ft., which is the deepest dive using SCUBA gear. SCUBA diving does have its limits though. It only allows scientists to study sea life that live on the very top part of the ocean such as coral, sea plants, algae, whales, dolphins, sea turtles, etc.. It doesn't allow scientists to go to a depth wear geological features and deep-sea animals are found.
August 29, 2014
Introduction to Ocean Exploration:
Welcome to the new monthly spotlight for September, Ocean Exploration. Our planet is 70% water, yet we now more about the surface of the Moon than we do about the ocean floor. But, the ocean is a wonderful place. It is filled with thousands of species of sea life. Our oceans can reach up to 36,000 feet deep and contain some of the strangest sights. Scientists that study the ocean called Oceanographers explore the ocean in many different ways such as SCUBA diving and using submarines. This month, we will explore the ways that oceanographers and marine biologists (scientists who study sea life) explore the ocean.
Introduction to Ocean Exploration:
Welcome to the new monthly spotlight for September, Ocean Exploration. Our planet is 70% water, yet we now more about the surface of the Moon than we do about the ocean floor. But, the ocean is a wonderful place. It is filled with thousands of species of sea life. Our oceans can reach up to 36,000 feet deep and contain some of the strangest sights. Scientists that study the ocean called Oceanographers explore the ocean in many different ways such as SCUBA diving and using submarines. This month, we will explore the ways that oceanographers and marine biologists (scientists who study sea life) explore the ocean.
Ocean Floor Explorer Game
How To Play: Explore the Ocean Floor! Press the space key to move the submarine! Click on a creature or the deep-sea geyser to learn more about them!