-
U.S. Coast Survey
President Thomas Jefferson signed "An Act to provide for surveying the coasts of the United States." It was to produce nautical charts and to expose the problems of the new nation. -
Undersea Canyon
James Alden was a commanding officer with the Coast Survey Streamer Active. He discovered a deep submarine valley in the middle of Monterey Bay, off the coast of California. Alden had discovered the first known seafloor canyon, that's now called Monterey Canyon. -
The Sinking of the Titanic
The Titanic sinks in the Atlantic Ocean when it hits an iceberg, and claimed the life of 1500 people. It was leaving the United Kingdom and headed to New York City. -
Discovery of Magnetic Striping on Ocean Floor
Scientists had found that the rock on the ocean floor formed patterns of magnetized stripes. The stripes hold a record of reversals in the Earth's magnetic field. The rock on the ocean floor contains iron, and the iron bits inside lined up in the direction of Earth's magnetic poles.
