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150
Ptolemy's ideas of the ocean
Ptolemy erroneously assumed a short circumference of the earth, which ended up influencing Christopher Columbus that he could reach Asia by sailing west from Europe. Additionally, Ptolemy showed the Indian Ocean as a large inland sea, bordered on the south by Terra Incognita (unknown land). The idea of a large southern continent sparked countless expeditions. -
276
Eratosthenes BC Circumference Calculations
Discovered calculations to determine the earth's circumference. His calculations were only 25 miles off the accurate answer. By discovering the world's circumference, this definitley benefited navigation techniques. -
320
Pytheas B.C. Discoveries of moon relations
Pytheas is the first recorded greek to visit and describe the British Isles and the Atlantic Coast of Europe. He came about the idea of the moon affecting the ocean tides. -
Jan 5, 1400
Prince Henry "The Navigator" Marine Observatory
Established a marine observatory to improve Portuguese sailing endeavors and conquered one of the greatest trade problems- getting around the tip of Africa -
Jan 5, 1513
Vasco Nunz de Balboa sights the Pacific Ocean
Vasco sighted the Pacific ocean for the first recorded time from atop a mountain . -
Jan 5, 1521
Magellan's Voyage
First Circumnavigation of the world. -
Benjamin Franklin Charted Gulf Stream
First scientist to study and graph wind speeds and current depth, speed, and temperature. He also graphed the Gulf Stream. This help navigators discover currents. -
James Cook's Discovery
He determined the outline of the world's largest ocean and first person known to voyage across the Atlantic. -
Maury Helped Dangerous Situations
Complied naval charts and instrumentations that allow sailors to avoid dangerous weather conditions, currents, and tides. -
Challenger Expedition
Challenger returned to Spithead. Hampshire conducting 496 deep sea surrondings, 133 bottom derdges, 151 open water trawls, 263 serial water temperature observations, and discovered 4700 new species of marine life -
SONAR
american engineers developed their own underwater sound detection technology that they started using during World War two aka radar. -
Bathysphere
William Beebe descends to a depth of 3027 ft off the bermuda in a tethered bathysphere to observe deep ocean life. -
Early Sailings Polynesians BC
Circumnavigated Africa and the North Atlantic. Navigated by watching wave patterns and made maps of shells and sticks. -
Herodotus BC Map of Mediterrean Sea
A grecian that constructed a map of the Mediterrean Sea. -
Vikings discover new land through new routes
Leif Ericson discovers New Foundland and navigates through icy waters, discovering a limitation of that ocean area.
