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CHIKYU MAIL NEWS Vol. 88, January 19th 2008

This mail news service provides you with information
about the Deep Sea Drilling Vessel "Chikyu" and
science and technology for the IODP Earth exploration.

CHIKYU HAKKEN WEB SITE
http://www.jamstec.go.jp/chikyu/
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Ask A Scientist! IODP Expedition 316 Education and Outreach Project
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Ever had a question about sea-going research? Now's your chance
to ask a real scientist or technician out at sea! Now we have got
many interesting questions. Go to see questions answered so far!

[Answer from Scientist!]
http://www.oceanleadership.org/learning/answers
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Q: What did you do during the Christmas holiday?
Name: Max, Grade: 5th, City: Phoenix, Country: USA
Name of Answerer: France Elisabeth Girault, Specialty and role:
Micropaleontologist, Nation: Swiss

Answer: The work on the Chikyu never stops, even over Christmas
and New Year's. Nevertheless, on the 25th December and the 1st
January we spend few hours together around noon, where all
scientists are awake and either about to go to bed or start
working. (continued on web)

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Q: What do you do once you find the minerals and rocks?
What happens to the cores once they are drilled?
Names: Atom, Canyon Man, Grade: 5th, City: Phoenix,
Arizona, Country: USA
Name of Answerer: Matthew Knuth, Specialty and role:
Physical Properties, Ultrasonic velocity, electrical resistivity,
and shear strength measurements., Nation: United States

Answer: There is actually a pretty long procedure that the cores
go through when they are brought on board. First we take samples
to determine the chemistry of the water we find in the cores.
Then the whole thing goes into an X-ray CT machine, which is
basically of the same type that is used in many hospitals.
From this we get a complete three-dimensional image of every
core. (continued on web)

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Q: How deep is the water?
Name: Rae Aaron, Grade: 5th, City: Phoenix, Country: United States
Name of Answerer: Matt Knuth (Specialty: Geophysicist; Role:
Physical Properties; Nationality: U.S.)

The location where we are drilling today is about 3.8 kilometers
below the surface of the ocean, or about two and a half miles.
For scale, that is about ten Empire State Buildings stacked one
on top of the other. (continued on web)

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IODP US and Japanese Team will send it to the scientists
on board and post your answer on this page as soon as we can.
Check back often to see if your question has been answered yet,
and to look at all the other questions and answers that have been
submitted. 

Go to web page to read more answer.
[Ask A Scientist!]
http://www.oceanleadership.org/learning/askascientist

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CHIKYU MAIL NEWS
To subscribe or unsubscribe,
http://www.jamstec.go.jp/chikyu/eng/mailnews/

CHIKYU HAKKEN web site introduces you to every
aspect of the Deep Sea Drilling Vessel "Chikyu" and
science and technology for the IODP Earth exploration.
http://www.jamstec.go.jp/chikyu/

The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) is an
international marine research drilling program dedicated
to advancing scientific understanding of the Earth by
monitoring and sampling sub seafloor environments.
IODP drilling operations aboard the Chikyu are managed by
JAMSTEC through CDEX, Japan Implementing Organization.
http://www.iodp.org

"CHIKYU HAKKEN" means Discover the Earth in Japanese.
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