Bob King's blog

The JR is equipped with the latest in scientific equipment.

The ship is kept in position by thrusters on each side of the ship and using a combination of GPS from satellites and an accoustic beacon that is dropped to the sea floor.  In spite of waves and and wind, the center of ship never varied from a 10 meter circle.

We have fun fortunate to have had good weather and calm seas.  We even have been visited by wildlife such as popoises, dolphins, and whales. 

I got to witness the deployment of a re-enty cone.  It finally descended to it depth of almost .8 miles.

The Joides Resolution is an amazing ocean research drilling ship.  It is 470 feet long and 70 feet wide.  The first thing that captured my attention is its drilling derrick which stretches 202 feet above the water line and is capable of drilling through 27,000 feet (over 5 miles) of water.  The purpose of this derrick is to drill and obtain cores from the ocean bottom.