Until a few decades ago, the ocean depths were almost as mysterious and inaccessible as outer space. Oceans cover two-thirds of the earth's surface with an average depth of more than two miles--yet humans had never ventured more than a few hundred feet below the waves. One of the great scientific and archaeological feats of our time has been finally to cast light on the "eternal darkness" of the deep sea. This is the story of that achievement, told by the man who has done more than any other to make it possible: Robert Ballard. Ballard discovered the wreck of the Titanic. He led the teams that discovered hydrothermal vents and "black smokers"--cracks in the ocean floor where springs of superheated water support some of the strangest life-forms on the planet. He was a diver on the team that explored the mid-Atlantic ridge for the first time, confirming the theory of plate tectonics. Today, using a nuclear submarine from the U.S. Navy, he's exploring the ancient trade routes of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea for the remains of historic vessels and their cargo. In this book, he combines science, history, spectacular illustrations, and first-hand stories from his own expeditions in a uniquely personal account of how twentieth-century explorers have pushed back the frontiers of technology to take us into the midst of a world we could once only guess at. Ballard begins in 1930 with William Beebe and Otis Barton, pioneers of the ocean depths who made the world's first deep-sea dives in a cramped steel sphere. He introduces us to Auguste and Jacques Piccard, whose "Bathyscaph"descended in 1960 to the lowest point on the ocean floor. He reviews the celebrated advances made by Jacques Cousteau. He describes his own major discoveries--from sea-floor spreading to black smokers--as well as his technical breakthroughs, including the development of remote-operated underwater vehicles and the revolutionary search techniques that led to the discovery and exploration of the Titanic, the Nazi battleship Bismarck, ancient trading vessels, and other great ships. Readers will come away with a richer understanding of history, earth science, biology, and marine technology--and a new appreciation for the remarkable men and women who have explored some of the most remote and fascinating places on the planet.

The legendary explorer of Titanic and Lusitania reveals the secret military missions behind his famous exploits and unveils a major new discovery on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the Titanic find. Best known for finding the wreck of the Titanic, celebrated adventurer Robert Ballard has a lifetime of stories about exploring the ocean depths. From discovering new extremophile life-forms thriving at 750°F hydrothermal vents in 1977 to finding famous shipwrecks including the Bismarck and PT 109, Ballard has made history. Now the captain of E/V Nautilus, a state-of-the-art scientific exploration vessel rigged for research in oceanography, geology, biology, and archaeology, he leads young scientists as they map the ocean floor, collect artifacts from ancient shipwrecks, and relay live-time adventures from remote-controlled submersibles to reveal amazing sea life. Now, for the first time, Robert Ballard gets personal, telling the inside stories of his adventures and challenges as a midwestern kid with dyslexia who became an internationally renowned ocean explorer. Here is the definitive story of the danger and discovery, conflict and triumph that make up his remarkable life.

Bob Ballard has often come to the discussion of instrumental music to accompany singing in worship. In 25 years of Bible College teaching the discussion has surfaced in the classroom often. Being in instrumental churches most of his life, he also has many friends in the non-instrumental churches of Christ. He is now attending both fellowships. Both groups love the Lord and have a desire to follow the scriptures in seeking God's will and attempting to please Him. This book is an attempt to get dialogue between the two groups. In recent years much progress has been made in bringing fellowship and unity between two groups with the same roots, but have been far apart over a disagreement over the use of the instrument with the signing of the worship service. This book refers to the over 180 places in the Bible where instrumental music is used to praise God. The book tries to arrive at the conclusion a man would derive if he had never read the Bible before and now reads it for the first time, using all the scriptures in the Bible on instrumental music. The motive behind the writing of this book by Bob Ballard is to develop fellowship and unity between brothers.

""Archaeological Oceanography" is a must-have book for anyone interested in this emerging field. Never has there been a collection of articles as comprehensive as this one. For the first time in a single source are authoritative articles on the technology, field techniques, and even the preservation of these irreplaceable deep-water cultural resources with discussions on ways to bring them to the public's eye. The contributors are experts in their fields and present readable, data-packed overviews. The book will be the standard for many years to come."--Donny Hamilton, Texas A&M University

"An excellent and accessible introduction to the work that Robert Ballard and his colleagues have done in the pioneering field of archaeology in the deep sea. This challenging new domain requires a mix of oceanography, archaeology, and engineering, and this volume shows how the best research seamlessly interweaves the three. A must-read for anyone interested in exploring our sunken past."--David Mindell, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

"A significant and major contribution. This is a valuable work that will have relevance and importance to professional audiences in the fields of oceanography, deep-sea technology, and public policy in regard to ocean science, robotics, and various subdisciplines of archaeology. This work will be viewed as an essential read, and will become the standard reference."--James P. Delgado, executive director of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology

"This book addresses a subject of very widespread interest among the general public as well as for professional archaeologists and oceanographers. Moreover, the authors are all firsthand experts with considerableexperience in the subject matter they describe and discuss."--Patty Jo Watson, professor emerita, Washington University in St. Louis

"There is nothing else like this book. Dr. Ballard and his coauthors have led the way in exploring deep shipwrecks. They are the world leaders in deepwater archaeology. Their credentials are unquestioned. The book will be a significant contribution to the field."--George F. Bass, professor emeritus, Texas A&M University

"There is no doubt that when it comes to the investigation of very deepwater sites, this group has been at the forefront of the technological developments to prospect for and then map such archaeology. A very useful anthology of their work."--Justin Dix, University of Southampton

When the volcano Tambora erupted in Indonesia in 1815, as many as 100,000 people perished as a result of the blast and an ensuing famine caused by the destruction of rice fields on Sumbawa and neighboring islands. Gases and dust particles ejected into the atmosphere changed weather patterns around the world, resulting in the infamous ''year without a summer'' in North America, food riots in Europe, and a widespread cholera epidemic. And the gloomy weather inspired Mary Shelley to write the gothic novel "Frankenstein."

This book tells the story of nine such epic volcanic events, explaining the related geology for the general reader and exploring the myriad ways in which the earth's volcanism has affected human history. Zeilinga de Boer and Sanders describe in depth how volcanic activity has had long-lasting effects on societies, cultures, and the environment. After introducing the origins and mechanisms of volcanism, the authors draw on ancient as well as modern accounts--from folklore to poetry and from philosophy to literature. Beginning with the Bronze Age eruption that caused the demise of Minoan Crete, the book tells the human and geological stories of eruptions of such volcanoes as Vesuvius, Krakatau, Mount Pelee, and Tristan da Cunha. Along the way, it shows how volcanism shaped religion in Hawaii, permeated Icelandic mythology and literature, caused widespread population migrations, and spurred scientific discovery.

From the prodigious eruption of Thera more than 3,600 years ago to the relative burp of Mount St. Helens in 1980, the results of volcanism attest to the enduring connections between geology and human destiny."

Explore the Titanic with the discoverer of the sunken ship in this Hello Reader! chapter book. Ocean explorer Robert D. Ballard tells how he and his crew found the Titanic, and also describes the ill-fated voyage through the eyes of 12-year-old passenger Ruth Becker. Photos and paintings of the ship and the underwater wreckage will surely fascinate your child.