Download Introduction - Winthrop Chemistry, Physics, and Geology

Introduction
Course overview
History of Oceanography
Intro to Earth
Course web page
chem.winthrop.edu
 Click on Courses on left column
 Find GEOL 220 link
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Syllabus, topic outlines, schedule, etc.
Interdisciplinary
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Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Geology
Geography
Political Science
Mathematics
Computer Science
History of Oceanography
Early
 Middle Ages
 Age of Discovery
 Discovery with Science
 Modern Oceanography
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Different motivations at different times
The Oceans
Atlantic
 Pacific
 Indian
 Arctic
 Southern Ocean
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Early history
Reasons: trade, fishing, defense
Self centered view of Earth
 Examples
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Early history (2)
Difficult to navigate without shorelines
 Phoenicians
(approx. 1000 BC)
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Polynesians (300-600 AD most
important)
Early history (3)
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Greeks (approx. 500 BC)
– Erasthosthenes (working in Egypt) –
circumference of earth
– Pliny the Elder – phases of moon and tides
– Ptolemy (approx. 150 AD) – vast ocean, used lat
and long
Middle Ages
Very little exploration except
Vikings (approx. 1000 AD)
Arabs
Age of Discovery (1)
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Travel for economic, political and
religious reasons
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Portugal:
– Prince Henry
– Dias (1497)
– Vasco Da Gama (1498)
Age of Discovery (2)
Spain
 Columbus (1492)
 Vespucci (~1500)
 Balboa (1513)
 Magellan (1522)
Discovery with Science
Discovery with some science
 James Cook (1768-1780)
 Ben Franklin (1769)
 Matthew F. Maury (early 1800s)
Purely scientific
Challenger Expedition (1872-1876)
 Extremely significant
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More for science
Voyages of Nansen aboard Fram
(end of 1800s)
 Meteor expedition (1925-27)
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Modern Oceanography
(since 20th century)
International
 Interdisciplinary
 Scientific
 Complex instruments
 “Modern” technology
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Modern Oceanography
US funding
 Oceanographic institutes
 Drill ships, satellites, for example
 International cooperation
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Origin of solar system:
nebular hypothesis
Layered Earth
Density stratification
Core
Mantle
Crust
Oceans and Atmosphere
Lithosphere
Asthenosphere
Geologic time
Details not important here
 Vast length of time very important
 Compare to human time
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