seabed exploration; submarine prospecting
Technical and general term for surveying, probing, or prospecting the ocean floor, often for scientific, resource, or engineering purposes.
New mineral resources were discovered through seabed exploration.
Seabed exploration is being conducted in this sea area.
海洋探査 is broader, covering the entire ocean (water column, currents, etc.), while 海底探査 specifically targets the seabed.
深海探査 focuses on deep-sea exploration, often with submersibles, whereas 海底探査 can include shallower continental shelf surveys.
Compound of 海底 (seabed) + 探査 (exploration, survey). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning.