Ocean Engineering and Designing for the Deep Sea

Ocean Engineering and Designing for the Deep Sea — page 3
ZONES AND LANDFORMS Five connected oceans cover more than two thirds of the planet Did you know they contain most of Earth's life forms They also have about 97 percent of the planet s water The oceans are vital to human survival These global waters affect climates They hold natural resources and information about Earth s materials and processes However most of the oceans remain unexplored Technologies designed by ocean engineers help humans discover more about ocean waters and landforms Studying the seafloor Some scientists research how Earth formed by studying landforms on the seafloor Earth's top layers called the crust and the upper mantle divide into massive tectonic plates that cover the planet Thermal energy or heat from inside Earth shifts them very slowly As they move magna escapes through the plate boundaries The magma builds up over time to underwater form mountain chains called mid ocean ridges when sea water seeps through cracks in the surrounding Crust magma heats it The hot water mixes with minerals Hydrothermal fiuid to create hydrothermal Aluid This Aluid shooting through shoots back up through vents Hydrothermal vents a vent looks like to smoke when it hits and other parts of the seafloor are challenging cold ocean water study engineers design deep sea vessels and Ocean sampling tools to help scientists explore