~~~R7~~ NEWSLETTER July 1984 -Dwoods HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION
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,. - , W H .0 ~ , ~~~r7~~ NEWSLETTER July 1984 -dWOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION the Soviet Antarctic Research Medal in 1981. He serves on many committees and I s also the president of the American Geop hysical UnIon's Ocean Sciences Section for 1984-1988. Previous recipients of the Bigelow Medal are: Dr. Henry Bryant Bigelow, 1960; Dr. John C. Swallow, 1962; Dr. Bruce C. Heezen, 1964; Dr. Columbus O'D. Iselin, 1966; Professor Frederick J. Vine. 1910; Professor Henry K. Stommel. 1974: Profe•• or Wolfgang Helmut Berger, 1979; and Dr. Holger W. Jannssc h. 1980. TRUSTEES AND CORPORATION MEMBERS ELECTED AT ANNUAL MEETINGS JUNE 22 The 55th Annual Meetings of the ARNOLD GORDON AWARDED BIGE LOW MEDAL Trustees and Me mbers of the Corporation of WHOI were held on June 22. Officers of the Arnold L. Gordon of Columbia Co rporstion Charles F. Adams, Chairman of University's Lamont- Doherty Geological the Board; John H. Steele, Director; Paul Observatory wa s the recipient of the ninth K. Fye, President; Kenneth S. Safe, Jr., Henry Br yant Bigel ow Award in Oceanography Treasurer; Edwin W. Hiam, Assistant· on June 22 . The Medal, established by the Treasurer; and Joaeph Kiebala, Jr., Clerk, Trustees of WHOI in honor of the first were reelected. Director, is awarded to those who make Those elected as Trustees to serve significant inquiries into the phenomena of four-year terms are: Arnold B. Arona of the sea. Dr. Go rdon was recognized for his Seattle, WAf Harvey Brooks of Cambridge, KA; "dedication in compl eting the Antarctic Jamea M. Clark of Riverside, CT; Tho ... A. Circumpolar Survey" and for his "continuing Fulham of Wellesley Hills, KAt Town.end scientific leadership in Antarctic Horner of Osterville, HA; and H. Guyford oceanography ... Stever of Washington, D.C . Born in 1940, Dr. Gordon r eceived New Kembers of the Corporation, who his undergraduate degree from the Herbert will serve six-year terms, are: James r. Lehman Co llege of the City University of Calvert of Darien, CT; Joel P. Davis of New York, and his doc torate f rom Columbia Osterville, KA; Ellen L. Prost of Washing University. He has served in various ton, D.C.; William G. Gabagan of oyster professorial and staff roles at Columbia Bay, NY; Edward A. Maaon of Chicago, lL; since 1966; he i s now a pr ofessor at the and Geoffrey R. Simmonda of Greenwich, CT. University and member of the senior staff Membera reelected to the Corporation at Lamont. During the summe r s of 1979 and are: Charles A. Black of Woodside, CAt 1983 he was a guest investigator in WHOI's Stanley Livingston, Jr. of Providence, Rt; Geophysical Fluid Dy namics Program. Frederick E. Hangelsdorf of White Plains, Dr. Gordon wa s awarded the Un ited NY; Frederic K. Richards of New HaveD, CT; Sta t es Antarctic Service Medal in 1978 and continued on back ~ 20 YEARS OF EXPLORING THE OCEANS' DEPTHS The projec t that put ALVIN on a valid scientific footing was FAHOUS in 1974. ALVIN's 20 years have been exciting The French-American Hid-Ocean Undersea ones -- it has made scientific discoveries Study looked at the Hid-Atlantic Ridge, that have astounded the scientific com collecting first-ever photos and samples of munity and aroused the interest of the this major spreading center. public. Changing in appearance over the The following highlights from years (from a rounded to a more angular ALVIN's illustrious career have been look with a variety of new features - provided by Ed Bland. research associate in arms, cameras, etc.), ALVIN has (in the the ALVIN group and former pilot with over words of the Star Trek introduction) 200 dives to his credit including the "boldly gone where no man has gone before." shortest dive on record (4 minutes with an In its explorations, ALVIN has ALVIN associate) and the northernmost dive looked at four miles of the Hid-Atlantic in the Gulf of Haine by the Bay of Fundy Ridge, part of the earth's vast underwater (until the recent Juan de Fuca dives). mountain range, glided past other-worldly black smokers at the East Pacific Rise, and taken samples of water and strange life HIGHLIGHTS OF ALVIN'S 20 YEARS forms at the vent communities at the Galapagos Islands, East Pacific Rise, 1964 ALVIN commissioned at Woods Hole on Florida escarpment (near Tampa) and at the June 5. A series of test dives in newly discovered Juan de Fuca Ridge vents. Woods Hole Harbor, Buzzards Bay, and ALVIN's history parallels the space Vineyard Sound go progressively program. Built in 1964, just when the deeoer from 12 to 65 feet. space race was in its early years, ALVIN became oceanography's "spacecraft", bringing mankind to hostile and unexplored environ~ents. In the early years"ALVIN's primary mission was one of pilot training and search and recovery. Sci ence played only a modest role. But just as space flights have become routine with shuttles ferrying astronauts and scientists into space, similarly, ALVIN has made ocean diving a well-used and valuable research tool. With over 1,400 dives to its credit, ALVIN is the workhorse of the scientific diving fleet. According to Jack Donnelly, formerly the Navy's ALVIN project officer (1967-71), PlIu l Fye, WHOI'5 a WHOI pilot (approximately 160 dives), comm l5s lon lng on June 5, manager of ALVIN operations and now manager ~ttendod the eyent. of marine operations, "ALVIN has at least another 15 years of work, with constant • .A-!.. modifications. The changes will be coming even faster than in the past as we develop sensor suites, data logging equipment and imaging technology, including high quality f video." • The mission that first showed ALVIN's usefulness was the infamous case of the mis -.,-. sing hydrogen bomb. Dropped in the Mediter I . ranean off of Spain in a 1966 plane colli .~ sion, the bomb defied all methods of detec tion. ALVIN located the device and then relocated it when it slipped during the .... 5. Allyn Vine. wife 0 1 ALVIN'5 nOlll8Sl1ke, christens recovery ~roce88. the sul;nlerslb l e. 1965 R/V LULU built from two Navy surplus pontoons. LULU, with ALVIN aboard, towed to Port Canavera l. Florida, for deep trials and t es ting (unmanned, 7500 ft .; manned, 6000 ft.). 1966 An Air Force B-52 and tanker collided over Spain losing a H-bomb in the Mediterranean off Cartagena, Spain, in January . ALVIN was ca lled. In February 1966 ALVIN and her support vans were loaded into an Air Force cargo aircraft at Otis and flown to Rota. Spain. During the next two months ALVIN searched the ocean floor off of Cartagena for the lost \UIN I S lotIded Into !WI AIr Force plone ot otis for H-bomb, operating from a Navy LSD. .hlprnent to Spoln where she osslsted In the seorch for Bomb was located for the first time mi 551 ng H-bomb In 1966. on March 15 but subsequently lost during attempt to attach lift lines. Bomb slid down-slope to deeper water; the search continued. Bomb relocated on April 2 by ALVIN and finally re covered on April 7. ALVIN returned to Woods Hole in LSD for overhaul . Navy dives August and September at Bermuda, Argus Island, Tongue of the Ocean (deep section of ocean near the Bahamas). AlVIN JOins novol ships assigned to the search. , 0... '. / In the eorly doys o f ALVIN/LULU operotlons, ALVIN wos lowered wIth support cob les from 0 lounchlng crodle. :!.!" ' . i"J~.. *> , . " - "- '~' ALVIN fell Into the oceon when one of the cobles , .. '~ " -""". '" . , "~"' . -' .~.~- --. --~~ ... -.- -,. , ~.,- ~ -.. foiled due to corrosion . '--. '~' -. ' ''' .". '..... - ~ _ . ___ " _.M. -- ------ -~---- ALVIN survived 0 swordfish offock during 1967. plexlgloss wi bringing the fish bock up os a trophy; It was served their ability to withstand direct sword fish ",II,.,;. fer dl nner- thot even I ng. Loter research projects The windows survived all tests. 1967 Return to Bahamas for Navy dives. On dive #224 , Se ptember 24, the Subsequent transit north for biology/ mechanical arm was lost during a geology dives on the Blake Plateau rough recovery. The arm was subse and off of Cape Charles. During dive quently found and recovered on dive #202 on July 6, ALVIN was attacked by #236 on October IS, reconditioned and a swordfish on the bottom at about reinstalled. 2000 ft. The fish became trapped in ALVIN's skin and was brought back to 1968 Series of dives to observe submerged the surface intact. whales, Navy dives to survey tops of sea mounts for new range, geology and ALVIN completed a long series of biology studies. During launch for dives south of New England in the dive #308 on October 16, ALVIN's Canyons and along the continental cradle support cables failed and slope for geology, biology, thermal ALVIN slid into the water and sank to studies and sound measurements. On the bottom in 1535 meters of water. dive #209, in the Hydrographer's Ed Bland, pilot, received some Canyon area, a Navy F6F aircraft was bruises and a sprained ankle. Un found, photographed, and surveyed. eaten lunches sank too. Poor weather It was later identified as being lost conditions and insufficient recovery overboard from a carrier during prac equipment prevented recovery during tice runs in 1944 (pilot escaped). the rest of the year. of the continental shelf n 1535 meters of water. - 1969 ALVIN remained on the bottom until In mid-June a permanent bottom sta Labor Day. The DSV ALUHINAUT (a sub tion was established on the contin mersible from the Reynolds Aluminum ental slope south of Martha's Vine Company) and the R/V HIZAR assisted yard.