Page 38: of Marine Technology Magazine (April 2006)
The Offshore Technology Edition
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38 MTR April 2006
Journey to the Earth’s Mantle in 2007 on the
Chikyu
Chikyu - the Japanese word for "Earth" - is a state-of-the-art scientific drilling vessel that is designed to drill to 7,000 m below the seabed at approximatedly 2,500 m water depth. Built at
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for more than $500 million, Chikyu's first scheduled assignment will be in the Nankai Trough, a Pacific Ocean zone between two tectonic plates that have produced powerful earthquakes through Japan's history. When it begins service as scheduled in 2007, it could be the first vessel to drill to the earth's mantle, and is intended to play a major role in the
Japanese effort to protect the country from the devastation associated with earthquakes.
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