Bathymetry - related image preview

JPEG

Bathymetry - related image preview

3600 x 1800
2 MB - JPEG

Bathymetry - related image preview

21600 x 10800
33 MB - PNG

Bathymetry - related geotiff image preview placeholder

10800 x 10800
31 MB - GeoTIFF

Bathymetry - related geotiff image preview placeholder

10800 x 10800
42 MB - GeoTIFF

Bathymetry - related geotiff image preview placeholder

10800 x 10800
33 MB - GeoTIFF

Bathymetry - related geotiff image preview placeholder

10800 x 10800
33 MB - GeoTIFF

Bathymetry - related geotiff image preview placeholder

10800 x 10800
13 MB - GeoTIFF

Bathymetry - related geotiff image preview placeholder

10800 x 10800
35 MB - GeoTIFF

Bathymetry - related geotiff image preview placeholder

10800 x 10800
30 MB - GeoTIFF

Bathymetry - related geotiff image preview placeholder

10800 x 10800
36 MB - GeoTIFF

Bathymetry

Bathymetry is a digital image of the undersea land surface and water depth. Bathymetry is the underwater equivalent of land topography. In the maps provided here, shading indicates changes in slope or depth. Much of the data on ocean bathymetry come from "soundings." To collect a sounding, scientists use sonar devices to emit a sound wave that passes into the water. By measuring how long it takes the sound wave to bounce off the ocean floor and return to the sonar, scientists can estimate the depth of the water. Other characteristics of the returned sound wave can help reveal the shape and size of features on the sea floor.

These images represent ocean depths between -8000m and 0m (surface). Land regions are black in the colored versions. The full resolution of these images has been broken up into tiles as listed below. To understand the naming scheme please read about our global image grid.


Imagery by Jesse Allen, NASA's Earth Observatory, using data from the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) produced by the British Oceanographic Data Centre.

Published July 21, 2005

Source:
In situ Measurement
Topics:
Oceans > Bathymetry > Seafloor Topography
Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Bathymetry
Collection:
Blue Marble