Ocean science giant Alvin set for upgrade

BBC ^ | December 16, 2010 | Jonathan Amos

[decimon]

Few research tools in the history of science can match the achievements of Alvin, the US manned deep-submersible.

It was this 46-year-old vessel which discovered the hot volcanic vents on the ocean floor that transformed ideas about where and how life could exist.

The sub is also famed for finding an H-bomb lost at sea and for making one of the first surveys of the Titanic.

But this veteran of the abyss has been withdrawn from service this week as it gets ready for a major re-fit.

Alvin is to undergo a two-phase, $40m (£26m) upgrade that will allow it eventually to stay down longer and to go deeper - much deeper than its current 4,500m (14,800ft) limit.

"Going to 4,500m means we can dive in about 68% of the ocean," explained Susan Humprhis from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).

"When we go to 6,500m, we will have access to 98% of the ocean. That will make a huge difference; there is so much more to see down there," she told BBC News.

[decimon]

[decimon]

Shipmunk ping.

[Bigh4u2]

“The sub is also famed for finding an H-bomb lost at sea”

That statement right there should make anyone nervous about who has control over our defenses...

Dang!

[OKSooner]

""When we go to 6,500m, we will have access to 98% of the ocean. That will make a huge difference; there is so much more to see down there," she told BBC News. "

You first.

[bgill]

Hard to believe Alvin is that old, but yeah, I guess so.

[Daffynition]

Cannnot think about Alvin w/out thinking of these two gentleman...

[puppypusher]

That H bomb I believe was lost over Spain in the 1960’s when a B-52 collided with a KC-135 refueling plane

That was NOT the first time we lost an H bomb either.

[pillut48]

I had an opportunity years ago to hear Dr. Ballard speak about the study of the oceans and Alvin (and a student and I got to meet him, what a nice guy, he didn’t talk down to the kid, was
very good with him)—I wish I was younger sometimes, I’d love to explore the oceans with Alvin and other ROVs!

[decimon]

You’re in good hands with all the State.

[Thermalseeker]

That statement right there should make anyone nervous about who has control over our defenses...

They never did find the Mk15 nuke they lost off the coast of Tybee Island, GA, in 1958. 1966 Congressional testimony by then Assistant Secretary of Defense W.J. Howard, stated that the Tybee Island bomb was a "complete weapon, a bomb with a nuclear capsule," and one of two weapons lost up to that time that contained a plutonium trigger.

[decimon]

You first.

Yeah, I think it's probably better to watch the videos they produce than to spend time in that claustrophobic chunk of steel.

[Bigh4u2]

Ya’ll aren’t making me feel any better.. Ya know?

lol!

[onedoug]

But for the adventure....

[texmexis best]

You brought back some good memories. That was when NatGeo was one of the most exciting magazines on the market. I never missed an issue.

Global warming killed it.

[decimon]

But for the adventure....

Which might begin months in advance and with tubes stuffed into every orifice. Or maybe not but I'm guessing they would require a thorough physical and a mess of red tape.

[Daffynition]

Bobby Ballard is still doing great and wonderful things. He has to continually prostitute himself [to NATGeo]to find funding for his incredible research.

[SunkenCiv]

· GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach · · join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic · subscribe ·
	Antiquity Journal  & archive  Archaeologica  Archaeology  Archaeology Channel  BAR  Bronze Age Forum  Discover  Dogpile  Eurekalert  Google  LiveScience  Mirabilis.ca  Nat Geographic  PhysOrg  Science Daily  Science News  Texas AM  Yahoo  Excerpt, or Link only?	Thanks decimon. This will be great for underwater archaeology, it would be nice to have about ten of these capable of 4,500m depth. "Going to 4,500m means we can dive in about 68% of the ocean," explained Susan Humprhis from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). "When we go to 6,500m, we will have access to 98% of the ocean. That will make a huge difference; there is so much more to see down there," she told BBC News. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.
· History topic · history keyword · archaeology keyword · paleontology keyword · · Science topic · science keyword · Books/Literature topic · pages keyword ·

[Ramius]

Alvin has sure proven itself over all these years. They’ve really gotten a lot of mileage out of that platform.

I got to crawl down inside Alvin years ago. The Woods Hole ship, I think it was Atlantis II, pulled into Astoria for a few days. A CG buddy of mine and I went down to visit (in uniform) to see if we could talk anybody into a tour. They were happy to... and gave us the royal tour. They even let us climb up on Alvin and go down the hatch. Pretty cool. I’d been interested in Alvin and oceanography since I was a little kid, and it was just amazing to finally get to do that.

[decimon]

Alvin has sure proven itself over all these years.

Sure seems so.

I got to crawl down inside Alvin years ago.

Is it as cramped inside as I imagine?