How many years lasted the journey of the HMS Challenger?
The 1870s voyage of HMS Challenger lasted 1,000 days and covered more than 68,000 nautical miles. Many consider it to be the first true oceanographic expedition because it yielded a wealth of information about the marine environment.
When did the British Challenger expedition take place?
Dec. 7, 1872
Challenger Expedition, prolonged oceanographic exploration cruise from Dec. 7, 1872, to May 26, 1876, covering 127,600 km (68,890 nautical miles) and carried out through cooperation of the British Admiralty and the Royal Society.
What hypothesis was being tested during the Challenger expedition?
HMS Challenger sailed on 21 December 1872 for a 4-year voyage around the world to cover 127,000 km (79,300 mi)–a distance more than three times the diameter of the Earth. An important hypothesis to test was that because of extreme pressure and no light, no life could exist below a depth of 550 m.
What did the HMS Challenger expedition discover?
Halfway through the journey, in the spring of 1875, Challenger made one of its greatest discoveries: the Mariana Trench, containing the deepest point on Earth. The Mariana Trench is located near Guam, about 1,500 miles east of the Philippines.
What animal did they catch on the challenger?
shark
Fun Facts About the Drawing of the deck of the Challenger. Seamen catching a shark during the voyage of the Challenger.
Who funded the Challenger expedition?
The Royal Navy lent the venture a strong, sturdy ship that had spent the first decade of its life on active duty: HMS Challenger. Preparations then began in earnest. Fifteen of the ship’s 17 guns were removed to make space for on-board laboratories and workrooms.
Who led the Challenger expedition?
The expedition was led by British naturalist John Murray and Scottish naturalist Charles Wyville Thompson.
How long did the HMS Challenger expedition last?
The route of HMS Challenger. The expedition lasted 1,000 days and covered more than 68,000 nautical miles. Click image for larger view. Scientific ocean exploration began in the 19th century, using wooden sailing ships. At that time, explorers had none of the technological sophistication and tools available today.
Who was the captain of the HMS Challenger?
After much provisioning of the vessel, the HMS Challenger Expedition started out in the year 1872, on the seventh of December under the skippering of Captain Nares, an exemplary seafarer and under the educational guidance of Sir Thompson. The crew comprised of motley of members, hailing from myriad backgrounds.
Where was the first leg of the Challenger expedition?
Track of HMS Challenger from December 1872 till May 1876. The color contours represent ocean surface density. The first leg of the expedition took the ship from Portsmouth (December 1872) south to Lisbon (January 1873) and then on to Gibraltar.
Where did Charles Wyville Thomson get the idea for the Challenger expedition?
In 1870, Charles Wyville Thomson (right), Professor of Natural History at Edinburgh University, persuaded the Royal Society of London to ask the British Government to furnish one of Her Majesty’s ships for a prolonged voyage of exploration across the oceans of the globe.