Globe with Ocean Floor Topography
The globe, measuring 7 m in diameter and engraved with the suboceanic topography, stands aloft in the soaring two-story hall. The topographic features are helpful in understanding the theory and process of plate tectonics.
Because of the very high pressure in the deep ocean, only a very small part of the oceanic floor has been surveyed directly by mankind.
Nevertheless, we have surveyed much of the submarine topography by indirect means, such as sonic and seismic surveys, and eventually have acquired a general global view of the suboceanic topography.
The globe shows the suboceanic topography of the Pacific Ocean around the Korean Peninsula and part of the Indian Ocean, which was depicted with specialist advice. Various topographic elements including an oceanic ridge, trench, and transform fault are portrayed.
Oceanic Ridge
An oceanic ridge is a fractured swell with a central rift valley and usually rugged topography. Along the valley, new crustal materials spread bilaterally and numerous transform faults are developed.
Deep Sea Trench
A deep sea trench is an elongate depression of the sea floor, often situated along a continental margin where oceanic crust descends beneath the continental crust. The Challenger and Vitias Deeps are the deepest seas ( > 10,000 m ) in the world.
Background of the Tsunami of 2004
The devastating tsunami that hit South Asian coastlines and resulted in the deaths of many thousands of people originated along the Java Trench where the Indian Ocean plate descends beneath the continental crust.