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Alan is somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and Thom has been dissecting fish left right and centre at Te Papa. What better time to talk about deep-sea digging?
After the exciting news last month about the geological cruise that drilled through the Moho (the area where the Earth’s crust meets the mantle), we thought it would be interesting to talk with Andrew McCaig, the co-chief scientist for that expedition. Andrew talks us through the expedition's goals, achievements and the drilling process itself. Why were geologists interested in reaching this area and what exactly is serpentinisation?
We also hear from two other crew members onboard the JOIDES Resolution during the 399 expedition, Igneous petrologist, Kuan Yu Lin and marine technician Luan Heywood. Kuan and Luan talk us through their experiences of working onboard the research vessel and why expedition 399 was so special.
We also hear from previous guest and great friend of the show, Ashley Rowden (his interview on seamounts can be found in episode 30). We grabbed him quickly before he chaired the deep sea session at the New Zealand Marine Science Society conference and he treated us to a great story of James Cameron’s involvement in a previous conference that Ashley was organising.
We’re really trying to make this project self-sustaining so we have started looking for ways to support the podcast. Here’s a link to our page on how to support us, from the free options to becoming a patron of the show. We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us:
Tammy Frank | Martin Pollizotto | Ray M | Nicole Vite-Liebl | Anna P | Eric
Thanks again for tuning in, we’ll deep-see you next time!
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Further resources
Researchers mentioned
Ashley Rowden’s NIWA bio
New Zealand Marine Sciences Society conference
Andrew McCaig’s University of Leeds bio
News
Huge photophores found on giant squid
Living under pressure supposedly heals the human body
New species of jellyfish is discovered with fascinating new features
BBC world oceans day and the ‘alien’ life in the deep
soundtrack of the month
Pantera - Cowboys from hell
Credits
Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel
Logo image - Johan Swanepoel
Glossary
Archaea - Microorganisms similar to bacteria in size and simplicity, but are very different molecularly. They’re thought to be the ancient intermediate group between bacteria and eukaryotes.
Astrophysics - Astrophysics is a branch of space science that applies the laws of physics and chemistry to seek to understand the universe.
Atlantis massif - An underwater mountain in the Atlantic Ocean.
Core barrel - A plastic tube which collects the rock core from drilling into the sediment.
Core samples - A long column of rock obtained by drilling into sediment or rock with a hollow steel tube.
Deep biosphere - The expansive ecosystem of microbes which exist deep under the seabed.
Derrick (on a ship) - A machine that is used to move things on a ship (similar to a crane).
Drill cone - A tool which can crush rocks during the drilling process.
Drill pipe - A hollow pipe used in drilling projects.
Fault - A fracture or discontinuity in an area of rock because of big movements in the rock.
Geochemistry - The study of the chemistry of geological materials such as rock, sediment, soil and water.
Goblin shark - A species of deep-sea shark with a retractable jaw.
IODP - International ocean discovery program.
JOIDES Resolution - A drilling ship used by the IODP.
Kaharoa - (RV Kaharoa) Research vessel owned by NIWA in New Zealand. Thom and Alan have conducted many expeditions from this vessel.
Lost City hydrothermal field - An area of hydrothermal vents on the Atlantis Massif, in the Atlantic Ocean.
Magnetite - Magnetite is a mineral and one of the main iron ores.
Moho - Mohorovicic Discontinuity, or "Moho," is the boundary between the crust and the mantle.
Narcomedusae - A type of hydrozoan (a gelatinous cnidarian similar to jellyfish).
NIWA - (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) based in Auckland, New Zealand.
Olivine - The primary component of the Earth's upper mantle, it is a common mineral in Earth's subsurface, but weathers quickly on the surface.
Peridotite - A dense, coarse-grained igneous rock consisting mostly of the silicate minerals olivine and pyroxene. Most of the mantle is made up of this rock.
Petrology - The branch of geology which explores the compositions, structures and origins of rocks.
Serpentine - Hydrated version of Olivine. Serpentine is a group of minerals that are usually green in colour.
Serpentinisation - The process of minerals such as olivine becoming serpentine.
Shear zones - A zone in the Earth’s crust or upper mantle that has been deformed due to the walls of rock on either side slipping past each other.
Structural geology - The branch of geology which explored the form, arrangement and internal structure of rocks.
Sunfish (Mola mola) - One of the largest bony fish in the world.