guest speaker with stories and insights from around the world
JOIDES Resolution: the ship with a hole in it
I was lucky enough to get a place on the JOIDES Resolution, the US' lead ship of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP). This is an international marine research program that explores Earth's history and structure recorded in seafloor sediments and rocks, and monitors subseafloor environments.
As a geology undergrad I learnt about the ground breaking work its predecessor, the Glomar Challenger, performed in collecting evidence to support the revolutionary new theory of plate tectonics in the 1960's. The 'JR' spends months at a time at sea transporting rotating teams of scientists all over the world to sample the seafloor. Past climate, sea temperature, and earthquakes are all studied to help contribute to the picture earth scientists build up from multiple sources about how our planet works and what has happened in the past. With such insights, it becomes a little easier to anticipate the future.
This is just one of the stories that inform my talk The ship with a hole in it
