September 2009

The JR has set sail on Expedition 324: Shatsky Rise. During this expedition, about 1500 km east of Japan, scientists are testing two different hypotheses about ocean plateau formation. Some scientists think plateaus like the Shatsky Rise were formed from plumes of magma rising from the EarthÕs mantle. Others think they result from the movements of plates. WhoÕs right? Hopefully this expedition will shed light on this question!
This newsletter includes updates on The JR’s missions and latest learning materials available at thejr.org

Want to learn more, check out: http://joidesresolution.org/node/621

Name: Nasseer Idrisi

Position: Educator at Sea

JOIDES Resolution Career Mosaic

I was talking with Mike Widdowson about the process of interpreting the data from the cores recovered from the drill site. It is not an easy task. One uses the information gathered from a pin hole in the vertical to extrapolate over a landscape (or seascape) in the horizontal, thinking about it again, definitely not an easy task. But this is the task at hand.

Mike said, its like a mosquito pricking an elephant and asking the mosquito to describe the elephant. Its a similar situation in oceanography, where we drop the CTD and collect temperature/salinity measurements over depth (in the vertical) and describe ocean layer structure in the horizontal, also not an easy task. But when we are able to make many measurements in the vertical and interpolate these points coupled with the scientific knowledge about the vertical/horizontal structure and dynamic processes that create these horizontal structures, we are more confident in drawing the lines between the points. I have to say though, its much easier in oceanography because its easier to poke holes in the water than it is to poke holes in the earth's crust!

New Robot Travels Across The Seafloor

Like the robotic rovers Spirit and Opportunity, which wheeled tirelessly across the dusty surface of Mars, a new robot spent most of July traveling across the muddy ocean bottom, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) off the California coast.

Site Survey Expedition Sea90E
For grades 3-12.
This great poster features the work of our 2007 Teacher at Sea on board the Sea90E site survey cruise in the Indian Ocean. Explore the ship’s track, bathymetry plots from the expedition, and science challenges faced by the crew along the way! Check out our blog to see what our current Teacher At Sea is doing.

JR Papercraft Model
For grades K-12.
Let your students assemble this fun papercraft model of The JR.

Find more classroom resources here

Science Question:

Ocean drilling helps us understand:

a. Changes in Earth’s history
b. How CO₂ has affected life on earth
c. Why the Arctic ice cap is melting
d. All of the above