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CHIKYU MAIL NEWS Vol.120, January 27th 2009

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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Ocean Research Officials Hail Completion of
Modernization for U.S. Scientific Ocean Drilling Vessel
January 26, 2009
http://oceanleadership.org/node/2000
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Senior officials from the U.S. National Science
Foundation and the U.S. Implementing Organization
for the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program today
marked the occasion of the research vessel JOIDES
Resolution sailing off from Singapore for science
sea trials and transit to Honolulu, after a complete
transformation to modernize and upgrade the ship
in a Singapore shipyard.

The JOIDES Resolution is the U.S. research vessel
for exploring and monitoring the sub-seafloor;
it operates as part of the international Integrated
Ocean Drilling Program (IODP). The U.S. Implementing
Organization (USIO) for IODP is comprised of Texas
A&M University, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
of Columbia University, and the Consortium for
Ocean Leadership.
 
Dr. Robert Gagosian, president and CEO of the Consortium
for Ocean Leadership, commented, "This is a long-awaited
day for the world of ocean research." He continued,
"The JOIDES Resolution is operational again for IODP
expeditions at an extremely important time, when our
need for scientific understanding of our ocean planet
? and climate and energy challenges ? is at its greatest.
The research pursuits of thousands of scientists around
the globe will be enhanced in a major way by the future
work of JR."
 
"We are extremely pleased to see the JOIDES Resolution
set sail once more for science - with a vastly improved
capability for performing cutting-edge research into
the secrets of Earth's past climate, past ocean conditions,
deep biosphere and interior," says Tim Killeen,
NSF assistant director for geosciences.
"NSF congratulates all involved in the successful refit
and modernization of this major research platform."
 
Steven Bohlen of Texas A&M University and interim
director of science services at IODP, remarked,
"Speaking from close ties with the community of
scientists involved with many aspects of IODP's work,
I can say what a huge thrill it is, for all of us,
to have this important vessel back in action."
 
Already a 20-year workhorse on behalf of scientific
ocean drilling, the JOIDES Resolution (JR, for short)
has been completely refurbished. The JR is now poised
to help IODP continue to push the edge of the envelope
of science by collecting unique sub-seafloor samples
and data that would otherwise remain out of reach
to researchers. Expeditions onboard the JR help improve
scientific understanding of: the causes of natural
hazards such as earthquakes and tsunamis; Earth's
changing climate conditions over the past 100 million
years; methane hydrates - 'frozen' deposits of methane
gas that show potential to be a major factor in
climate change; and future rising sea levels by
examining the evidence of past sea level rise and climate
change contained in the archive of seafloor sediments.

Media Contacts
Jon Corsiglia, Consortium for Ocean Leadership
(202) 787-1644 jcorsiglia@oceanleadership.org
Cheryl Dybas, National Science Foundation
(703) 292-7734 cdybas@nsf.gov
Nancy Light, IODP-Management International
(202) 465-7511 nlight@iodp.org

Related Websites
IODP: http://www.iodp.org
Ocean Leadership: http://www.oceanleadership.org/sodv/status
IODP U.S. Implementing Organization: http://www.iodp-usio.org

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CHIKYU MAIL NEWS
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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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