Is there anything left to explore on Earth?

[CrayonX]

Has every mountain been scaled?
Has every ocean depth been mapped?
Has every jungle been navigated?

Basically, the question is, is there any part of our planet left to explore? (and "Middle Earth" doesn't count ).

 

[Maj]

Depends on what you mean by explore. Do you mean using remote sensing techniques to gain a visual sense of an area's dimensions? Do you mean sending a manned expedition to survey an area for its dimensions or various other features (e.g. biology)? Or maybe something else?

There is still a wealth of information on the Earth's geology, topography, oceanography, etc. that remains to be properly explained and understood (what "proper" means is itself a large philosophical debate).

But in terms of the Earth's actual shape and the geometry and spatial distribution of its surface features ... I believe the information can paint a relatively complete picture.

But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.

-Maj

 

[Nahuixtelotzin]

Of course there's things left to explore. In the asian mountain massifs there are still enough mountains to be climbed, same thing in the andes.
But even beside that, just think of how many ancient ruins still lie in the forrests of Yucatan. In the american rainforrests new plants are being discovered almost daily, even nowadays some tribes have had very few contacts with Brazilians, so I guess their territory is not much known either. Parts of Papua New Guinea, high up between the mountains have still been mapped only from air and I'm pretty sure there is much I don't know off

 

[CrayonX]

I was basically thinking - "places we haven't seen yet" in the broadest sense of the word...so sonar, radar, etc counts as "explored".

I heard last year someone discovered a new mountain in Papua, New Guinea. Does anyone know if it's true?

 

[Apollo]

One thing that hasn't really been explored is the oceans. Our technology prevents us from going very deep, even with unmanned robots. There's a lot down there we don't know about. Have you ever heard about the giant squid? Its been proven that they exist because their remains have been found inside the stomachs of sperm whales, and I think a dead one washed up on shore once. Sperm whales go down to the depths of the oceans to feed on these giant squid, and get scars all over from fighting with them. The thing is, a live giant squid has never been seen!

There are many creatures in the depths of our oceans that we don't know about, as well as some in remote parts of the rainforests around the world.

 

[knowltok]

Kinda like the caocanth <horribly misspelled> The fish that everyone thought had been extinct for millions of years until some guy caught one off of Madagascar.

There is also my mother-in-law's basement. Could be where they eventually find Jimmy Hoffa.

 

[kobayashi]

Originally posted by Apollo
One thing that hasn't really been explored is the oceans. Our technology prevents us from going very deep, even with unmanned robots. There's a lot down there we don't know about. Have you ever heard about the giant squid? Its been proven that they exist because their remains have been found inside the stomachs of sperm whales, and I think a dead one washed up on shore once. Sperm whales go down to the depths of the oceans to feed on these giant squid, and get scars all over from fighting with them. The thing is, a live giant squid has never been seen!

There are many creatures in the depths of our oceans that we don't know about, as well as some in remote parts of the rainforests around the world.

Recommend everybody watch the award winning BBC series - the Blue Planet. One episode talks about the deep sea including whole new ecosystems discovered that do not depend on sunlight or photosynthesis.

(Another episode shows killer-whales playing waterpolo using a baby seal as the ball)

 

[Stefan Haertel]

I think I understand very well how CrayonX feels. I myself have had some weird kind of feeling when I once looked on a map showing the great voyages of discovery.
You see, nobody knows every spot on earth. I think every inch (well, perhaps not in the arctic and antarctic ice, or the high mountains, but certainly in Africa and Latin America) has been known to somebody before it was discovered for the world (i.e. discovered by european explorers). There are a lot of spots on earth nobody has ever set foot on-islands in the pacific, rainforests in Africa and South America. And some places are still very poorly mapped because they are known only from sattelites etc.
But also think about how many ancient artifacts and treasures are still waiting to be excavations. Imagine, small towns, totally unknown to us, but still once the place where people lived, built buildings, etc.-something has got to remain.
But the age of great discovery treks is definately a thing of the past.