The Bottom of the Atlantic
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
It has now been satisfactorily ascertained by Lieut. Maury that the basin of the Atlantic ocean is a long trongh, separating the Old World from the New, and extending probably from pole to pole. From the top of Chimbo-razo to the bottom of the ocean, at the deepest place reached by the plummet in the northern Atlantic, the distance in a vertical line is nine miles. The deepest part of the north Atlantic is probably somewhere between the Bermudas and the Grand Banks. The waters of the GnU of Mexico are held in a basin about a mile deep in the deepest part. There is at the bottom of the sea between Cape Race and Newfoundland and Cape Clear in Irelanu, a remarkable steppe, which is already known as the " telegraphic plateau." The great circle distance between these two shore lines is sixteen hundred miles, and the sea along this route is probably nowhere more than ten thousand feet deep.
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
