The initial intent of the CORK was to develop a way to collect in situ data about the fluids that travel in the deep sea sediments and rock. In order to get an accurate picture of what is going on in the subseafloor environment, there was a need to engineer a tool that could prevent sea water to flow in and allow the natural processes to restore to normal …hence the CORK idea. Just like a cork that seals the liquid of a wine bottle, the CORK that Earl and Kier was designed to serve a similar same purpose. The hope was that by taking pressure and temperature measurements from this deep environment, new knowledge about how fluids flow and change could be obtained.  This data, especially when collected over time (for years!), helps scientists pursue a range of questions about how our world operates.