This is the story of the most challenging mapping project on planet Earth - that of mapping the oceans, which constitute nearly three-fourths of our world. In this illuminating book, Ruth Brindze traces the history of sea charts and explains in easy-to-understand language the techniques and electronic devices used today by seagoing surveyors. She tells of the discovery of underwater mountains and of canyons greater than any on land. There are chapters on charting the oceans' invisible currents, on tracking icebergs that drift from the Arctic into North Atlantic shipping lanes, and on the actual production of sea charts. The book describes how recent improvements in aerial and satellite photography are making mapping easier and how Scuba divers are deployed to make exact measurements of underwater obstructions that constitute hazards to shipping. 

Vividly and simply, this book presents what man has accomplished in the awesome task of charting the oceans and points out why it can never be completed. For young adults and anyone interested in the exploration of the sea, Charting the Oceans is an exciting introduction to a fascinating aspect of oceanography.

From the dust jacket