A Quick Update and Some Links to Enjoy – Day 35, 8/8/2009

Submitted by Doug LaVigne on Sun, 08/09/2009 - 04:28

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Just a quick update to let you know how things are going. Drilling is going very smoothly on site U1343. We are almost done with hole C at this site. If things continue we should have enough time to get in two more sites before we head to Yokahama. Pretty exciting, as the opportunity to find out more of the history of the Bering Sea is really close. I expect that the information we've already gotten will be amazing when all the pieces are put together.

But for tonight let me leave you with a few more links to some videos I've made:

Another video tour of the JR. During the filming of the prior clip of the F-deck, we spotted a cargo ship off the port side. This is what happens any time something different happens, like spotting a whale, seal, porpoise, cargo ship, sunset... anything.

www.youtube.com/watch

A walking tour to the bridge deck from the F-deck. We had to ask a question of Captain Alex, and I'll see if you can guess the answer: How far can you see out on the horizon from the main deck? From the Bridge deck? Maybe I'll get the Captain to explain how he arrives at his answer to this question on video later! He got called away to important business. You may notice there is a lot of magic on this ship...

www.youtube.com/watch

This is the place where the cores first enter the labs. Lots of testing, poking, prodding and sampling take place on this deck. I'll get into more detail soon, and show some of the iscientists in their natural habitat.

www.youtube.com/watch

A quick interview with Ivano Aiello, one of the sedimentologists on board the JOIDES Resolution for Expedition 323. He explains a bit about one of the things we are looking at (micro fossils in the sediments), and how they help us understand the history of climate.

www.youtube.com/watch

Sedimentologist Beth Caissie shows off the core imaging camera and explains a bit about cleaning up the cores before making these images. Taken on the JOIDES Resolution during Expedition 323 to the Bering Sea.

www.youtube.com/watch

Comments

Marika Rosser 4th block

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 08/18/2009 - 18:18.

The boat that you are on is very pretty. Does the boat have a name? How old is the boat? What type of boat is it?

JOIDES Resolution

Submitted by Doug LaVigne on Wed, 08/19/2009 - 04:00.

Hi Marika,
The ship is named the JOIDES Resolution. If you read my older blog about the HMS Resolution you can learn about the ship that she is named after. The JOIDES part stands for the Joint Oceanographic Institutions for Deep Earth Sampling. She was built in 1978 and is classified as a Dynamically Positioned Scientific Research Drill Ship, so you might sometimes see an RV (research vessel) in front of her name. She was originally an oil exploration vessel, but she was converted for scientific use and started her new life in 1985.

Hi Caissie. It is so much

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 08/12/2009 - 22:43.

Hi Caissie. It is so much fun to see this done! Jackie

the boat is so pretty. but

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 08/17/2009 - 15:22.

the boat is so pretty. but is it hard drilling holes in the ground?

Drilling

Submitted by Doug LaVigne on Tue, 08/18/2009 - 02:55.

The drillers work all day and night when we are on site. They have a variety of jobs from monitoring drill position to actually attaching the pipe pieces that extend into the sea floor. It is a tough job. The act of drilling is run by power from the ship so we don't see how much force goes in to it, but at the moment the drilling is taking place more than 3.5 kilometers below the ship! Pretty impressive.