Voyages of Discovery 1405-1433: Chinese

exploration of western Pacific. Voyages ended when they decided other societies had little to offer.

European explorations focused on gaining wealth.

1480-1495: Chrisoforo Columbo (Columbus). Landed in Dominican Republic in 1492.

1500’s: Ferdinand Magellan. First person to circumnavigate the globe.

1452-1512: Amerigo (sound familiar?) Vespucci.

Mapped 6000 miles of South American Coast.

1513: Ponce de Leon lands in Florida looking for the Fountain of Youth.

Jamestown 1607: Established the

first British Colony in the New World.

Left England in December. Why not in summer?

Arrived in April and settled in May.

Primary goals were to make money. Hoping to find precious metals and a northwest passage.

James Cook 1768-1780 British, Considered first scientific

explorer of the oceans. 3 Missions

1. HMS Endeavor: Measure the distance from the sun to the earth using the transit of Venus.

2. HMS Resolution: Find the southern continent (Australia)

3. HMS Discovery: Find northern passage from Atlantic to Pacific

On last voyage, Cook lands in Hawaii and is beaten to death by locals when his crew started stealing things.

HMS Challenger 1876 First expedition dedicated to the

study of oceans. Major findings included:

First plot of currents and temperatures in oceans

Map of ocean sediments Outline of main contours of ocean

basins Discovery of mid-atlantic ridge

(baffled them) Mariana Trench measured at

26,000 feet. Deepest point in ocean.

4,717 new ocean life forms discovered.

Discovery of life at depths greater than 18,000 feet.

Ocean Exploration Today Integrated Ocean Drilling

Program (IODP) JOIDES Resolution Woods Hole and Scripps

oceanographic institutes National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)