THE SEAMOUNT CATALOG IN EARTHREF.ORG

Seamount research offers a wide range of data to be used in education — from mapping underwater volcanoes to the study of plate tectonics. We have developed a Seamount Catalog at EarthRef.org to make a diverse set of seamount data accessible through the http://earthref.org/databases/SC/ website. The primary goal of our effort is to provide access to the widest possible variety in digital data files as related to seamount research. The materials archived include easy-to-access maps that require no more than a mouse-click to view, while other materials require expert knowledge to create maps or interpret geophysical data. Expert levels in the seamount catalog are described by a 1-through-9 grading system. Level 1 starts at grade school level, as is illustrated by maps downloaded from this website; while Level 9 requires research experience to turn multibeam data into a similar map. Expert levels allow the user to pre-screen information to fill their personal educational needs. More importantly, it allows for seamless transitions between basic education and advanced research, while offering many opportunities for discovery-based learning.

Each seamount is described in terms of its location and basic morphological features such as length, width, volume, azimuth, elongation, irregularity and morphological class. For each seamount four screen-optimized base maps are available for viewing (in the JPEG format). These base maps can also be directly downloaded in higher resolution in either the PS, PDF and AI file formats. These maps include one map with multibeam data only (i.e. representing the ship tracks), one map with the Smith & Sandwell (1996) predicted bathymetry as derived from satellite altimetry data, one map with both previous datasets merged, and one map showing the differences between those datasets.

We are currently establishing interoperability with other databases. For each seamount, one base map and grid are now shared with the http://SIOExplorer.ucsd.edu project at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography using the *.MIF technology of Helly et al. (2003). These developments represent the first steps towards a digital research/education environment including access to seamount data, uploading of new data, and ultimately also the tools for working with the data — on any expert level.