It can be inferred from the passage that acoustic signals are preferred over optical or radar signals in the deep ocean because:
The abyssal plains, spanning more than half of the Earth's total crustal surface, remain less systematically mapped than the surfaces of the Moon or Mars. Deep ocean bathymetry was historically hindered by the attenuation of electromagnetic signals in water, which limits satellite altimetry to low-resolution approximations. In recent years, high-endurance autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) equipped with multi-beam swath bathymetry systems and synthetic aperture sonars have revolutionized oceanic cartography. Navigating untethered along pre-programmed trajectory grids hundreds of meters above the seafloor, AUVs record sub-meter bathymetric topography, identify manganese nodule distributions, and detect sub-seafloor hydrothermal circulation with unprecedented accuracy.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Sound waves propagate through dense water over much greater distances than light.
- Step 1: Synthesize the passage details contrasting electromagnetic (optical/radar) waves with acoustic (sonar) systems.
- Step 2: The text explains that electromagnetic signals suffer severe attenuation in water (limiting satellite radar/optical imaging to coarse approximations), whereas AUVs achieve sub-meter resolution using acoustic systems (sonar). This directly implies that sound waves propagate through water with far less relative dissipation over depth than electromagnetic signals.
Answer
Sound waves propagate through dense water over much greater distances than light.
Practise more Academic Reading: Environment and Society.
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More Academic Reading: Environment and Society questions
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