ocean mapping Archives

A map of underwater ocean sounds created by commercial ships in the North Atlantic. The darker orange areas are higher levels of noise.

Mapping the Sounds of the Ocean

Using arrays of underwater microphones, called hydrophones, scientists can use sound to create images of the environment by converting sound waves to electrical signals.

Visualization of ocean currents off the east coast of the United States.

Mapping Ocean Currents

by Mark Altaweel

Mapping ocean currents and understanding how they vary is critical for geographers and scientists, especially as our globe changes.

Maps showing the different in detail and resolution of International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean (IBCAO) between Ver. 3.0 (500 × 500 m resolution) and Ver. 4.0 (200m x 200m resolution) in two areas of the Lomonosov Ridge. Source: Jakobsson, M., Mayer, L.A., Bringensparr, C. et al. The International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean Version 4.0. Sci Data 7, 176 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-020-0520-9

How Geospatial Technologies are Helping to Complete the Effort to Map the World’s Ocean Floor

by Mark Altaweel

Only 20% of the ocean’s floor has been mapping in detail.

Seafloor Mapping Techniques

by Mark Altaweel

Today, seafloor mapping is essentially a form of remote sensing that uses similar concepts and applications to satellite-based systems, albeit adapted to the complex environment of the oceans.

Jason-2 Satellite to Help Improve Maps of Sea Floor

by Elizabeth Borneman

Jason-2 will be collecting data about the sea floor every 5 miles, which will be used to create a high-definition estimate of the average surface height of the ocean in various places around the globe.