World Atlas of the Oceans: More than 300 Maps and Charts of the Ocean Floor

by Manfred Leier (Editor)

Just as humans scale the highest mountains, they also explore the deepest depths of the world's oceans. In this lavish atlas, a variety of maps depict the fascinating geographical landmarks of the ocean volcanoes that rise suddenly from the deep ocean; seamounts and ridges that contain rich mineral deposits; shipwrecks (the Titanic is only one example among many); and marine life in the hidden depths of the ocean that until now has been invisible to humans. Deep-sea exploration is one of the great achievements of the twentieth century. Expeditions to the bottom of the sea, for example Picard's groundbreaking explorations in a submersible, made sensational news. Still, these excursions to the deepest places on earth were isolated events. It wasn't until after the Second World War that a comprehensive picture of the ocean floor began to emerge. World Atlas of the Oceans brings these images together in a new and truly unique look at the oceans. The General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (or GEBCO), contained in this atlas, has never been published. And, relief maps and satellite images of the oceans provide detailed pictures of the hidden recesses of the world's oceans. World Atlas of the Oceans is the only cartographic work of its kind to document the ocean floor with its mountains, volcanoes, fracture zones, and outline of tectonic plates in such amazing detail.

264 pages, Hardcover

First published October 6, 2001