National Geographic Atlas of the Ocean: The Deep Frontier by Sylvia A. Earle, National Geographic, 拢35, ISBN 0792264266
WHEN student Marie Tharp and oceanographer Bruce Heezen began drawing maps of the ocean floor from ships鈥� echo-sounder traces in the 1950s, they created an inspiring image of the hidden face of our planet. Their maps continue to fascinate generations of would-be deep-sea explorers, inviting us to pore over every lonely seamount and ponder each mysterious trough.
Tharp is one of the contributors to the new National Geographic Atlas of the Ocean, along with other researchers whose reflections on their work dot the book like an archipelago. Each ocean gets its own chapter, starting with a map, but this atlas is more than just a collection of maps.
Advertisement
It traces the history of exploration and sketches the hot topics of marine science, from deep-sea vents and El Ni-o to bioluminescence and polar ice packs. The book concludes by considering the possible future for the oceans, with emphasis on using crewed vehicles in ocean science, but perhaps less consideration of equally promising autonomous techniques.
Stunning pictures throughout offer a rare glimpse into the depths-and like Tharp and Heezen鈥檚 maps, this atlas is a powerful reminder of the tantalising swathes of our world that we have yet to see.