Discovering new facts about the oceans Scientists gather facts about Earth
New facts are constantly being discovered as scientists research and gather new information about our planet. Did you know that new evidence is being discovered about coral reefs and their importance to the ecosystems in the oceans? Deep water corals
For a long time, it was believed that coral reefs only formed in shallow water. Today we know that deep water corals grow in all the world’s ocean basins. These corals grow on continental shelves, continental slopes, ocean canyons and on tall seamounts. They have even been found off the coast of Antarctica. Map of the global mid-ocean ridge system in all the oceans NOAA
Earth is known as the blue planet 70% of Earth is covered with water
Earth is known as the blue planet because approximately 70% of the planet is covered with water. The oceans influence the way we live and where we live. According to NOAA, as of 2018, less than 5% of the seafloors had been explored. Oceanographers like to say we know more about the dark side of the Moon than we know about the oceans. We know even less about the seafloors. Earth’s Tectonic Plates Tectonic plates cover the Earth’s surface
Tectonic Plates are the plates that cover the Earth’s surface. There are seven major plates and several smaller plates. The 7 major tectonic plates are the African plate, Antarctic plate, Eurasian plate, Indo-Australian plate, North American plate, Pacific plate and the South American plate, Moving plates
Prior to World War II people did not know that tectonic plates could move on the surface of the Earth. Abraham Ortelius in 1596 speculated that continents might drift to different places. No one followed up on his ideas until 1912 when Alfred Wegener proposed his Theory of Continental Drift. Magnetite in basalt
Magnetite in basalt lines up with magnetic north when it is erupted at a divergent boundary today. Scientists discovered that reversals in the magnetic orientation of the Earth reversed on both sides of a divergent boundary. Dating the rocks in the reversals and they were the same age. These findings led to the Theory of Plate Tectonics. Satellites today track the movement of tectonic plates around the globe. I think you will like our Earth Science book because it has so much information and fascinating facts about our planet. Chapters in the book include Plate Tectonics, Volcanoes Worldwide, and Marine Habitats.