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Tag: Seafloor

The seafloor is explored in this collection of accurate, accessible science graphics, designed to make understanding the Earth’s underwater landscapes clear and engaging. These visuals illustrate mid-ocean ridges, trenches, abyssal plains, and seamounts, showing how plate tectonics, volcanic activity, and sedimentation shape the ocean bottom. Perfect for educators, students, and geoscience enthusiasts, this seafloor graphic collection turns complex marine geology concepts into visually rich, easy-to-grasp resources for teaching and learning about Earth’s hidden landscapes.

Magnetic Seafloor Anomalies

Global map of magnetic anomalies imprinted onto the seafloor of the Earth in form of characteristic stripes and other patterns.


Global map of magnetic anomalies imprinted onto the seafloor of the Earth in form of characteristic magnetic stripes and other patterns. The magnetic anomalies are not only observable on the seafloor, but also provide insight into the subsurface structure and composition of the Earth’s crust. Anomalies trending parallel to the isochrons (lines of equal plate age) in the oceans reveal the temporal growth of oceanic plate and crust: seafloor spreading.

Ever so often the Earth’s magnetic field flips its polarity in an occurrence called a geomagnetic reversal. These reversals throughout Earth’s history are recorded in solidifying rocks, such as in the ones making up the growing oceanic crust at mid-oceanic ridges. The successive bands of ocean floor representing alternating magnetic polarity parallel with mid-ocean ridges was important evidence for seafloor spreading, the concept central to the acceptance of the early theory of plate tectonics.

The data plotted is from the global Earth Magnetic Anomaly Grid (EMAG2) and was compiled from satellite, ship and airborne magnetic measurements.

  • Various other map projections included
  • Dark and light background versions
  • Transparent background
  • Colour-vision deficiency friendly
  • Readable in black&white
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Oceanic plate age (poster)

Visually accessible global map for poster print of oceanic plate age designed for color-blind readers.

Visually accessible global maps of oceanic plate age designed for color-blind readers. Highlighted are subduction zones (wide black lines) and other plate boundaries (thin black lines). Ages of the oceanic crust range from 0 (depicted in light colours) to approximately 200 Million years (depicted in dark colours), illustrating the dynamic process of ongoing plate motion and recycling through ocean-plate tectonics. This comprehensive representation is based on global seafloor age data from Müller et al. (1997), visualised on a custom Interrupted Mollweide map projection developed by Crameri et al. (2020a), with a specific focus on the world’s oceans. The ‘batlow‘ Scientific color map ensures accurate data representation and inclusivity for all readers.

  • Creator: Fabio Crameri
  • This version: 19.11.2023
  • License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
  • Specific citation: This graphic by Fabio Crameri using data from Müller et al. (1997) is available via the open-access s-ink.org repository.
  • Related references:
    Müller, R. D., et al. (1997). “Digital isochrons of the world’s ocean floor.” J. Geophys. Res. 102(B2): 3211-3214.
    Crameri, F., V. Magni, M. Domeier, G.E. Shephard, K. Chotalia, G. Cooper, C. Eakin, A.G. Grima, D. Gürer, A. Király, E. Mulyukova, K. Peters, B. Robert, and M. Thielmann (2020a), A transdisciplinary and community-driven database to unravel subduction zone initiation, Nature Communications, 11, 3750. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17522-9
  • Printable version in CMYK and vector format
  • Suitable for light & dark backgrounds
  • Perceptually uniform colour map
  • Colour-vision deficiency friendly
  • Readable in black&white
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Paleotopography

Reconstruction of the Earth’s surface paleotopography and paleobathymetry between present day and 540 Million years ago as still images.

Reconstruction of the Earth’s surface paleotopography and paleobathymetry between present day and 540 Million years ago as still images. Shown is the Scotese & Wright (2018) paleo-digital elevation model (PaleoDEMS) based on tectonic plate reconstruction. The Scientific colour map ‘bukavu‘ is used to represent data accurately and to all readers.

  • Transparent background
  • Perceptually uniform colour map
  • Colour-vision deficiency friendly
  • Readable in black&white
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Paleotopography (animated)

Animated reconstruction of the Earth’s surface paleotopography and paleobathymetry between present day and 540 Million years ago.

Animated reconstruction of the Earth’s surface paleotopography and paleobathymetry between present day and 540 Million years ago. Shown is the Scotese & Wright (2018) paleo-digital elevation model (PaleoDEMS) based on tectonic plate reconstruction. The Scientific colour map ‘bukavu‘ is used to represent data accurately and to all readers.

  • Transparent background
  • Perceptually uniform colour map
  • Colour-vision deficiency friendly
  • Readable in black&white
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Oceanic plate age

Colour-blind friendly global oceanic plate age maps with plate boundaries.

Colour-blind friendly global oceanic plate age maps with subdution zones (wide black lines), other plate boundaries (thin black lines), and volcanoes (grey triangles). The ages vary between 0 and around 200 Ma due to ongoing plate motion and recycling (i.e., ocean-plate tectonics). The global oceanic plate age data from Müller et al. (1997) visualised on a custom Interrupted Mollweide map projection from Crameri et al. (2020a) focussing on the World’s oceans. The Scientific colour map ‘batlow‘ is used to represent data accurately and to all readers (Crameri et al., 2020b).

  • Creator: Fabio Crameri
  • This version: 03.09.2023
  • License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
  • Specific citation: This graphic by Fabio Crameri using data from Müller et al. (1997) is available via the open-access s-ink.org repository.
  • Related references:
    Müller, R. D., et al. (1997). “Digital isochrons of the world’s ocean floor.” J. Geophys. Res. 102(B2): 3211-3214.
    Crameri, F., V. Magni, M. Domeier, G.E. Shephard, K. Chotalia, G. Cooper, C. Eakin, A.G. Grima, D. Gürer, A. Király, E. Mulyukova, K. Peters, B. Robert, and M. Thielmann (2020a), A transdisciplinary and community-driven database to unravel subduction zone initiation, Nature Communications, 11, 3750. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17522-9
    Crameri, F., G.E. Shephard, and P.J. Heron (2020b), The misuse of colour in science communication, Nature Communications, 11, 5444. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-19160-7
  • Additional map projection versions
  • Alternative colour map versions
  • Light & dark background versions
  • Perceptually uniform colour map
  • Colour-vision deficiency friendly
  • Readable in black&white
Download

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Surface topography cross-section art

The global bedrock relief model of the Earth’s surface along the equator integrating land topography and ocean bathymetry reveals the vastness of the ocean depths.

No time to dive: The global bedrock relief model of the Earth’s surface along the equator integrating land topography and ocean bathymetry reveals the vastness of the ocean depths. Seeing the vastness of our global ocean that spans more than 70% of the planet’s surface, and hosts about 94% of wildlife, makes it clear why more than 80% has never been mapped, explored, or even seen by humans. Artwork is based on the data visualisation from s-ink.org/surface-topography-cross-section.

  • Vector-format version
  • Colour-vision deficiency friendly
  • Readable in black&white
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Surface topography cross-section

Global cross-section of the Earth’s surface topography showing the bedrock elevation across oceans, land, and ice sheets.

Global cross-section of the Earth’s surface topography along the equator. Shown are the bedrock elevation across oceans, land, and ice sheets. The data is ETOPO1 (Amante and Eakins 2009), a 1 arc-minute global relief model of Earth’s surface that integrates land topography and ocean bathymetry. Alternative crosssections are included.

  • Alternative cross-sections
  • Transparent background
  • Light & dark background versions
  • Colour-vision deficiency friendly
  • Readable in black&white
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Paleo surface topography

Earth’s reconstructed global surface topography from the beginning of the Cenozoic era (66 Million years ago) until today.

Still images of the Earth’s global surface topography reconstructed through the Cenozoic time (66 – 0 Ma). Shown is the Straume et al. (2020) paleogeography model. The Scientific colour map ‘bukavu‘ is used to represent data accurately and to all readers.

  • Various time snapshots
  • Alternative map projections
  • Transparent background
  • Light & dark background versions
  • Perceptually uniform colour map
  • Colour-vision deficiency friendly
  • Readable in black&white
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Paleo surface topography (animated)

Animations of the Earth’s global surface topography reconstructed through the Cenozoic time (66 – 0 Ma).

Animations of the Earth’s global surface topography reconstructed through the Cenozoic time (66 – 0 Ma). Shown is the Straume et al. (2020) paleogeography model. The Scientific colour map ‘bukavu‘ is used to represent data accurately and to all readers.

  • Alternative map projections
  • Transparent background
  • Light & dark background versions
  • Perceptually uniform colour map
  • Colour-vision deficiency friendly
  • Readable in black&white
Download

Faulty or missing link? – Please report them via a reply below!

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