In some of the deepest parts of the ocean, at the bottom of the continental slope, a vast underwater plain can stretch for thousands of miles. While people can’t make their homes there, many other animals do. Can you spot any of these sea creatures in (A) living amidst the muddy sediment? At times, an avalanche of sand and mud rumbles down the continental slope and forms a thin layer. This underwater avalanche is called a turbidite. You can see many layers from ancient turbidities in (B).
How do people get to the deep sea? Using a submersible like Alvin!
Back to the Table of Environments
(A) Martin Miller, University of Oregon, courtesy of Earth Science World Imagebank and (B) Courtesy of NOAA.
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TES XXVI, 3 fall 2010
The
Fall 2010 issue of The Earth Scientist, focuses on rocks and minerals, including articles on minerals and mining, the use of minerals in society, and rare earth minerals, and includes 3 posters!
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In early March, an international team of scientists will set sail aboard the drill ship JOIDES Resolution on the first of two Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) expeditions to the equatorial Pacific
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Each type of mineral is made of a unique group of elements that are arranged in a unique pattern. However, to identify minerals you don’t need to look at the elements with sophisticated chemical tests.
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