The Floors of the Ocean: 1. The North Atlantic Text to accompany the physiographic diagram of the North Atlantic

The book presents the first in a series of marine physiographic charts, focusing on the North Atlantic basin. Accompanying a massive, wall‑sized diagram at a scale of about 1:5 million, the text walks the listener through the major ridges, troughs, and plateaus that shape the ocean floor, explaining the names and origins of each feature.

The authors draw on soundings collected by research vessels such as the Vema, Atlantis, and Albatross, integrating measurements taken after World War II by the Lamont Geological Observatory and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Along the way they describe the geological history, the geophysical signatures, and the methods used to map this hidden landscape, offering a glimpse into the teamwork between scientists, the Navy, and academic partners that made the chart possible.