Glomar Challenger

The 120m long "Glomar Challenger" was a deep sea research and scientific drilling vessel for oceanography and marine geology studies. It was designed by the American National Science Foundation and University of California. The vessel was operated by the Global Marine cooperation. The "Glomar Challenger" was given its name as a tribute to the accomplishments of the oceanographic survey vessel HMS "Challenger". Glomar is a truncation of Global Marine.

Accomplishments

Starting from August 1968, the ship embarked on a year-long scientific expedition, the Deep Sea Drilling Program, criss-crossing the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between South America and Africa and drilling core samples at specific locations. When the age of the samples was determined by paleontologic and isotopic dating studies, this provided conclusive evidence for the seafloor spreading hypothesis, and, consequently, for continental drift.

In 1970, when doing research in the Mediterranean Sea, geologists aboard the vessel brought up drill cores containing gypsum, anhydrite, rock salt, and various other evaporite minerals that often form from drying of brine or seawater. These were the first solid evidence for the ancient desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea, the Messinian salinity crisis.

Scrapping

After being in operation for fifteen years the "Glomar Challenger" was taken out of active duty in November 1983 and was later scrapped. In 1985 its successor, the "JOIDES Resolution", was launched.

ee also

* Mediterranean Sea
* Scientific drilling
* Continental Drift
* USNS "Glomar Explorer" (T-AG-193)

External links

* [http://www-odp.tamu.edu/glomar.html Glomar Challenger: Drillship of the Deep Sea Drilling Project]
* [http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/ships/html/sh_038600_glomarchalle.htm Ships of the World: Glomar Challenger]
* [http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/infobank/programs/html/platforms/html/Glomar_Challenger.html USGS CMG Platform (Glomar Challenger) Data & Metadata]