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'Moonpool' in center of drillship JOIDES Resolution
The "moonpool," a 22-foot hole in the center of the ocean drillship JOIDES Resolution equiped with a drill string that's dropped through the hole to the seafloor. Logging data are returned up through it, en route to laboratories.
The JOIDES is a dynamically positioned drillship and floating lab that can drill down more than 2,000 meters into the sea floor in waters as deep as 7,000 meters. On-board the JOIDES, scientists from all over the world lead expeditions aimed at the deep biosphere and sub-seafloor ocean; environmental change, processes and effects; and solid earth cycles and geodynamics. These are the principal science themes for the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), the international endeavor for which the new and improved JOIDES will primarily work. Already a 20-year workhorse of scientific ocean drilling, the JOIDES has been completely overhauled, resulting in a new U.S. drilling vessel for IODP. Lab space has been increased by 34 percent and is designed for greater efficiency in handling cores. There are 16 additional berths and all staterooms are double occupancy. Drilling capabilities and ship stability have been enhanced.
The National Science Foundation is one of several IODP funding agencies. To learn more about the program, visit the IODP website. (Date of Image: 2007)
Credit: Integrated Ocean Drilling Program
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