Adventures In Ocean Exploration

Jason Project year 4.

Traces the history of sea exploration, introducing some of the most notable seamen of the past and discussing the development of navigation and marine science; and provides photographs and narratives in which oceanographer Robert Ballard describes his adventures locating underwater wrecks, discovering life forms, and trying out new research technology.

In the summer of 1803, Thomas Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on a journey to establish an American presence in a land of unqualified natural resources and riches. Is it fitting that, on the 200th anniversary of that expedition, the United States, together with international partners, should embark on another journey of exploration in a vastly more extensive region of remarkable potential for discovery. Although the oceans cover more than 70 percent of our planet's surface, much of the ocean has been investigated in only a cursory sense, and many areas have not been investigated at all. Exploration of the Seas assesses the feasibility and potential value of implementing a major, coordinated, international program of ocean exploration and discovery. The study committee surveys national and international ocean programs and strategies for cooperation between governments, institutions, and ocean scientists and explorers, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in these activities. Based primarily on existing documents, the committee summarizes priority areas for ocean research and exploration and examines existing plans for advancing ocean exploration and knowledge.

In 1985, Robert Ballard the oceanographer, using a miniature diving bell complete with sophisticated underwater camera craft, discovered the long lost wreck of the White Star liner the Titanic, two miles deep in the north Atlantic. Two years later, using the same equipment he rediscovered the wreck of the World War II German battleship, the Bismarck. Since then, he has conducted dramatic underwater surveys of the lost World War II ships of Guadalcanal in the pacific, and most recently, the Cunard liner, the Lusitania, the ship whose sinking off the Irish coast brought the Americans into World War I.

The legendary explorer of Titanic and Lusitania looks back on his life behind his famous exploits and unveils a major new discovery on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the Titanic find. Best known for finding the wreck of the Titanic, celebrated adventurer Robert Ballard has a lifetime of stories about exploring the ocean depths. From discovering new extremophile life-forms thriving at 750°F hydrothermal vents in 1977 to finding famous shipwrecks including the Bismarck and PT 109, Ballard has made history. Now the captain of E/V Nautilus, a state-of-the-art scientific exploration vessel rigged for research in oceanography, geology, biology, and archaeology,leads young scientists as they map the ocean floor, collect artifacts from ancient shipwrecks, and relay live-time adventures from remote-controlled submersibles to reveal amazing sea life. For the first time, Robert Ballard gets personal, telling the inside stories of his adventures and challenges as a midwestern kid with dyslexia who became an internationally renowned ocean explorer. Here is the definitive story of the danger and discovery, conflict and triumph that make up his remarkable life.

The author participated in 38 sea going expeditions including the first manned-submersible project to explore the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the past 45 years of sea floor exploration. It summarizes the mineralogical and petrological composition of sea floor rocks, ocean floor volcanism in relation to the geological setting and the discovery of hydrothermal activity. In addition to learning about various scientific missions and their objectives, the reader is introduced to rift zones where the sea floor is being created, as well as to fracture zones, intraplate volcanoes, and the structural setting of subduction zones

"Featuring a new preface by the author."