Talk:Bathymetry

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First line

Up until June of this year, the first line of this page said, "Bathymetry is the underwater equivalent to topography" instead of "Bathymetry is the underwater equivalent to altimetry". For a layman like myself, "topography" provides a much more meaningful comparison. Mendelbob 03:04, 26 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

As far as I am aware, "altimetry" is the measurement of altitude, while "topography" is the shape or structure of the land. But I have frequently heard the word "bathymetry" being used to mean both "underwater topography" and "measurement of depths/ seabed shape". I might have a go at thinking of a more layman-friendly (and hopefully accurate) definition, although I've just spent three hours reviewing/correcting assorted hydrography-related wiki pages, and really need a break now! Wardog 16:24, 23 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Third dimension?

What is the significance of the words 'third dimension' in the opening line 'Bathymetry is the study of underwater depth of the third dimension...' supposed to mean? Sounds like someone from the 80's using the new cool buzzword or something. Technically, depth is a one-dimensional measure. I guess when you combine the different depths of a 'two dimensional region' you get something that could qualify as three dimensional, but I just think it feels a bit out of place. JohanK (talk) 20:53, 15 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]