The making of the explorers 1985
It had an array of cameras looking forward and down, and strobes and incandescent lighting to illuminate the ocean floor. The original Argo used to find Titanic was 15 feet long, 3.5 feet tall, and 3.5 feet wide and weighed about 4,000 pounds in air. The towed sled, capable of operating depths of 6,000 meters (20,000 feet), meant 98% of the ocean floor was within reach. Navy.Īrgo was designed to operate in the rugged terrain of undersea mountain ranges. Unmanned or tethered systems like Argo can operate 24 hours a day, doing the basic reconnaissance necessary for Jason or other towed systems or human exploration in research submersibles like the Deep Submergence Vehicle Alvin, operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and owned by the U.S. It could acquire wide-angle film and television pictures while flying 50 to 100 feet above the sea floor, towed from a surface vessel, and could also zoom in for detailed views. In 1985, Argo represented a new generation of exploration vehicles for ocean scientists.Īrgo was developed at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution with funds provided by the Office of Naval Research as part of a dual vehicle Argo/Jason system for ocean bottom research. ArgoĪrgo, the system of television cameras and sonars that helped find the Titanic, was named by Titanic expedition leader Robert Ballard for the mythical Greek vessel that carried Jason on his quest for the Golden Fleece. The Titanic discovery, however, remains one of its proudest moments. Today, Knorr continues to conduct research worldwide for the American ocean research community. Knorr was largely responsible for the success of the Navy's first systematic charting and surveying effort from 1860 to 1885. Knorr, a distinguished early hydrographic engineer and cartographer, who was appointed senior civilian and Chief Engineer Cartographer of the U.S. The Institution’s Deep Submergence Vehicle Alvin and the towed imaging sled ANGUS also participated in that historic expedition. In 1974, Bob Ballard, then a graduate student, and other scientists sailed aboard Knorr during an historic scientific expedition known as Project FAMOUS (French American Mid-Ocean Undersea Study) that confirmed the theory of plate tectonics and continental drift on an expedition to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the North Atlantic. The ship has spent much of its recent career pursuing climate studies around the world. It is equipped with a dynamic positioning system capable of maintaining a precise position on the sea surface and other sophisticated navigation and communication equipment, and can accommodate a wide variety of scientific projects. Knorr has traveled thousands of miles in the world's oceans to conduct oceanographic research in biology, chemistry, geology and geophysics, physical oceanography, and ocean engineering. Coast Guard certified merchant marine but are civilian employees of the Institution. WHOI has operated the ship since it was built its officers and crew are U.S. The ship was lengthened 34 feet and completely overhauled in 1991, and is now 279 feet, making it one of the largest ships in the US academic research fleet. Navy and operated by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution under charter agreement for the American ocean research community.īuilt by Defoe Shipbuilding Corporation in Bay City, Michigan, the 245-foot Knorr was launched in 1968 and delivered to WHOI on April 15, 1970. The Research Vessel Knorr is owned by the U.S. ANGUS was the only vehicle used in both expeditions. The Research Vessel Atlantis II served as the operations center for the three-person submersible Alvin, the remotely operated vehicle Jason Jr., and the towed imaging sled ANGUS. When the Institution returned to the Titanic in 1986, another ship and a new set of vehicles were brought in to explore the wreck. The wreck was then extensively photographed by the veteran 35-mm camera system ANGUS (Acoustically Navigated Geological Underwater Survey), which took the many "blue" pictures of the wreck seen in media coverage. The wreck of Titanic was located in 1985 by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s new imaging vehicle Argo on its first deep-sea cruise, towed from the Research Vessel Knorr. Other Expeditions Highlighting WHOI Research.Expedition to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.What’s the difference between climate and weather?.Why is pressure different in the ocean?.Ships & Technology used during the Titanic Expeditions.Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP).Abrupt Climate Change: Should We Be Worried?.Common Misconceptions about Abrupt Climate Change.Are We on the Brink of a ‘New Little Ice Age?’.