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Glomar Challenger

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Name
  
Glomar Challenger

Laid down
  
October 18, 1967

In service
  
1968

Construction started
  
18 October 1967

Length
  
122 m

Owner
  
Global Marine Inc.

Acquired
  
August 11, 1968

Out of service
  
1983

Launched
  
23 March 1968

Endurance
  
3 months

Glomar Challenger httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommons33

Glomar challenger educational video


Glomar Challenger was a deep sea research and scientific drilling vessel for oceanography and marine geology studies. The drillship was designed by Global Marine Inc. (now Transocean Inc.) specifically for a long term contract with the American National Science Foundation and University of California Scripps Institution of Oceanography and built by Levingston Shipbuilding Company in Orange, Texas. Launched on March 23, 1968, the vessel was owned and operated by the Global Marine Inc. corporation. Glomar Challenger was given its name as a tribute to the accomplishments of the oceanographic survey vessel HMS Challenger. Glomar is a truncation of Global Marine.

Contents

Glomar Challenger IODP JRSO JOIDES Resolution Coring Statistics

Accomplishments

Glomar Challenger Glomar Challenger Ocean Leadership Flickr

Starting from August 1968, the ship was embarked on a 15-year-long scientific expedition, the Deep Sea Drilling Program, criss-crossing the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between South America and Africa and drilling core samples at specific locations. When the age of the samples was determined by paleontologic and isotopic dating studies, this provided conclusive evidence for the seafloor spreading hypothesis, and, consequently, for plate tectonics.

Glomar Challenger iText Chapter 1 Section 4

During 1970, when doing research in the Mediterranean Sea while supervised by Kenneth Hsu, geologists aboard the vessel brought up drill cores containing gypsum, anhydrite, rock salt, and various other evaporite minerals that often form from drying of brine or seawater. These were the first solid evidence for the ancient desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea, the Messinian salinity crisis.

Scrapping

Glomar Challenger Photograph of quotGlomar Challengerquot The Portal to Texas History

After being operated for fifteen years, Glomar Challenger's active duty was ended during November 1983 and she was later scrapped. Her successor, JOIDES Resolution, was launched during 1985. The ship was a success in collecting rock samples and helped to confirm the Messinian Salinity Crisis theory.

Purpose

Glomar Challenger Glomar Challenger ship Britannicacom

Glomar challenger was made to help Harry Hess with the theory of Seafloor Spreading by taking rock samples confirming that the farther from the Mid-ocean ridge, the older the rock was.

Glomar Challenger Glomar Challenger This Dynamic Earth USGS

References

Glomar Challenger Wikipedia