Everything about Chikyu Hakken totally explained
, Japanese for "Earth Discovery", is a mission primarily led by the
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, or
JAMSTEC. The half-billion dollar plus project aims to be the first to
drill seven kilometers beneath the seabed and into
the Earth's mantle; three times deeper than ever drilled before. While the planned depth of the hole is significantly less than Russian
Kola Superdeep Borehole (that already reached 12 km depth), the scientific results are expected to be much more interesting as Chikyu Hakken is the very first super-deep hole bored beneath the seabed where the
Earth's crust is much thinner.
International collaboration
The Chikyu Hakken mission is a collaborative effort with contributory support of the
United States, the
European Union,
China, and
South Korea.
Technology
In order to accomplish feats never before attempted in drilling, many new technologies had to be devised and implemented in the vessel created for the mission, the D/V
Chikyu.
Drilling Vessel Chikyu
The
Chikyu is an ocean going vessel devised solely for the Chikyu Hakken mission and was launched on
January 18,
2002. The ship is 210 meters long, 38 meters in breadth and 16.2 meters deep with a gross tonnage of approximately 57,087 tons. The ship has a draft of 9.2 meters and a maximum cruising speed of 12 knots. Its complement of 150 crew are divided between 100 operators and 50 science personnel.
Key innovations include a
GPS system and six adjustable azimuth thrusters that enable computer controlled positioning to maintain a stable platform during drilling in deep water. The maximum drilling water depth is declared at 2,500 meters and can support up to 10,000 meters of drill.
On
July 29,
2005, the vessel was delivered. On
November 16,
2007 the project drilled into four of the six sites as planned, reaching 1,400 meters at the site where they plan to dig 6 kilometers. It was reported as the completion of the first stage of the project. The whole project is expected to be completed by 2012
Chikyu Hakken in popular culture
The Chikyu Hakken is featured and plays a pivotal role in the 2006 film
Nihon Chinbotsu.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Chikyu Hakken'.
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