Definition Of Ocean Floor Topography

The ocean floor is literally the floor of the ocean.

Definition of ocean floor topography.

Ocean floor topography involves the study of ocean bottom features including the outer continental shelf continental slopes and ocean waves desktops. From the late 19th century when the norwegian explorer fridtjof nansen first discovered an ocean in the central arctic until the middle of the 20th century it was believed that the arctic ocean was a single large basin. Plate tectonics and the ocean floor. Ocean surface topography or sea surface topography also called ocean dynamic topography are highs and lows on the ocean surface similar to the hills and valleys of earth s land surface depicted on a topographic map these variations are expressed in terms of average sea surface height ssh relative to the earth s geoid.

This study is extensive and it has been established that the ocean floor has similar features of mountains and valleys as on the earth. Benthos is the community of organisms which live on in or near the seabed the area known as the benthic zone. The main purpose of measuring ocean surface topography is to understand. Explorations after 1950 revealed the true complex nature of the ocean floor.

Arctic ocean arctic ocean topography of the ocean floor. The under water topography maps have been developed by the study of ocean floor topography.