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CHIKYU MAIL NEWS Vol.122, February 10th 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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[JAMSTEC Press Release]
The Deep-sea Drilling Vessel Chikyu
Repair Work Status and Future Plan
http://www.jamstec.go.jp/e/about/press_release/20090210/index.html
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The Deep-sea Drilling Vessel Chikyu operated by 
the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and 
Technology (JAMSTEC: Yasuhiro Kato, President) has 
been under repair and replacement work for damaged
gears of six Azimuth Thrusters (360 deg swiveling 
propellers used to maintain ship' s position during
drilling operations) since last October in Sasebo 
Shipyard, Sasebo Heavy Industries Co., Ltd in Sasebo
City, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan and at Rokko Island,
Port of Kobe, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, 
which is expected to be completed on February 14th.
The Chikyu will set sail from Port of Kobe on February
15th or 16th and the repair work will be completed after
confirming thrusters' function in several tests to 
be carried out in Osaka Bay and Suruga Bay. 
Following the trial tests, operational trainings of
equipment and tools will be carried out until early
May for forthcoming IODP (* Integrated Ocean Drilling Program)
scientific expedition to be recommenced in May. 
In addition to the operational trainings, safety-purpose
site surveys will be conducted at Kumano Basin, 
off the coast of Kii Peninsula, Japan in early March.

After completed the operational test and trainings, 
the Chikyu will call at Shingu Port, Shingu City, 
Wakayama Prefecture in early May to load materials
and recommence the IODP expedition for the Nankai 
Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE).


Chikyu operation schedule:
-until February 14th, 2009 
Repair work at Rokko Island, Port of Kobe, Japan
-February 15th, 2009 
Public open at Port of Kobe and preparation for next cruise
-February 15th or 16th, 2009
Set sail from Port of Kobe
Functional tests in Osaka Bay and sail to Suruga Bay in Japan
-February 19th to early May, 2009 
Functional tests followed by operational trainings in Suruga Bay
( Safety-purpose site surveys at Kumano Basin in early March)
-Early May, 2009 
Port call at Shingu Port and load equipment and materials
-Around May 10, 2009 
Set sail from Shingu Port to recommence the 
Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE)


* Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP)
The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) is an 
international marine research drilling program dedicated
to advancing scientific understanding of Earth by monitoring
and sampling subseafloor environments. 
Through multiple platforms, preeminent scientists explore 
IODP principal themes: the deep biosphere, environmental change,
and solid earth cycles. IODP has started since October 2003 funded
jointly by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, 
Science and Technology of Japan and the U.S. National Science
Foundation; with additional support provided by the European 
Consortium of Ocean Research Drilling; the People's Republic 
of China, Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Republic
of Korea through the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral 
Resources. IODP now has 21 member countries.

Contacts:
(For Chikyu)
Takeo Tanaka, e-mail: cdex@jamstec.go.jp
Manager, Planning and Coordination Department
The Center for Deep Earth Exploration (CDEX)
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology

(For Publication)
Noriyuki Murata, e-mail: press@jamstec.go.jp
Manager, Planning Department Press Office
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology

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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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