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Fathoming the Depths for the First Trans-Atlantic Cables

Charles H. Stirling

Abstract: In the 1850s when the first transatlantic telegraph cable was envisioned very little was known about the deep ocean and its seabed. However, hydrographic information was considered essential to determine the practicality of the project. This presentation will discuss the hydrographic surveys completed for the transatlantic cable project, the hydrographers who did them, how the survey’s data contributed to the project’s success and a scientific controversy related to the surveys.

Listen to Charles H. Stirling’s lecture: