Although the weather was too overcast today (22 July, 2009) to view the 80% solar eclipse, we were able to witness a different kind of eclipse as Research Vessel Kairei drove past the stern of Chikyu in preparation for our upcoming VSP experiment.

* VSP stands for Vertical Seismic Profiling, in which sound waves are used to visualize the structure and layering of geological formations under the seafloor. By using instruments in a borehole rather than at the sea surface, a clearer and more detailed image of the subsurface can be obtained.