AF 447 Search to resume (part2)

[auv-ee]

Googleearth

Originally Posted by [FONT=Arial

KTVaughan[/FONT]]The terrain patterns shown in the LKP maps here are different from the terrain depictions in "regular" Google Earth. Can anyone explain?
For example, the abbyssal plane described for the final debris location looks like very broken/steep terrain in Goole Earth, not a flat sandy bottom.

Others may know better, but...

Not much of the ocean bottom has been mapped at high resolution, and in many areas only by sparse tracks-of-opportunity from passing ships having deep fathometers. Most of the topography that Googleearth uses is based on sea surface altitude data collected from satellites. It turns out that dense mass under the ocean (sea-mounts and such) draws water toward itself, thus raising the sea surface slightly. This is a reasonable analog for water depth where there is no other information, but it is not very precise. Where Google has better bathymetry data, they include that.

Introduction to Physical Oceanography : Chapter 3 - The Physical Setting - Measuring the Depth of the Ocean

The maps that BEA is using are based on multi-beam bathymetry collected during Phase 2 (I think, someone will correct if it was collected at some other time).