Shipwrecks Options

[Jerry]

With the equipment you are using to scan the sea floor, have you found any shipwrecks?

Jerry
Mrs. Wilmoth's 3rd prd Bio class

[Ute_Kaden]

The SEA BEAM system sends a sonar signal (ping) at 12 kHZ to the sea floor. The sonar signal travels to the sea floor and is reflected back. Hydrophones mounted across the bottom of the ship listen to the reflection signal. Computers process the signals based on time and signal intensity. Actually the system can be used and was originally build for the purpose to locate submarines and ships wrecks on the bottom of the ocean. We did not see any wrecks and the area we are in has no records of it. However, we surveyed a very interesting area in the Lomonosov ridge. The scientists tried to find a "Gap" in an undersea mountain range where the water exchange between east and west is occurs. When the Healy team did the bathymetric survey, they found no 2300 or 2600 meter gap. They did find a 2000 meter deep gap. This sparked some discussion because it contradicts previous data sets. It turns out that there are areas in the Arctic Ocean that never got surveyed before and processes take place including the cyclic climate changes that we are not fully understand. More research needs to be conducted and young scientists like you with ideas are needed!

During the last Healy cruise in July biologists went diving and found two never before seen species of life. Students, there are opportunities in science! Things need to be explored. We do not know everything! Actually we know very little.

Cheers Ute