Did You Know…about 56% of the Earth’s surface remains unmapped! That area corresponds to 80% of the ocean floor. Amazing to think that we know more about the surface of the moon — and we had the surface of Mars completely mapped back in 1999! — than we do about our own planet. The Nippon Foundation – GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project aims to map ALL of Earth’s ocean floor by the year 2030. Their mission: “to empower the world to make policy decisions, use the ocean sustainably and undertake scientific research based on detailed bathymetric information of the Earth’s seabed.” The shape and terrain of the ocean’s surface is critical to understanding circulation patterns which affect climate, weather patterns, tides, water action sediment transport, tsunami wave propagation and underwater plates and vents.
Learn more at BigThink.com and Seabed2030.org