Page 34: of Marine Technology Magazine (April 2018)

Lander Depth

Record Set for the Peru-Chile/

Atacama Trench

By Kevin Hardy & Dr. Osvaldo Ulloa

Kevin Hardy, Global Ocean Design LLC, San Diego, CA, USA, and Dr. Osvaldo Ulloa, Professor,

Universidad de Concepcion, Chile, Director, Instituto Milenio de Oceanografía (IMO-Chile)

Abstract: A Chilean-led expedition to explore the ocean trench of it’s own coast succeeded in launching and recovering a benthic lander named “DOV Audacia” (Audacity), three times to deeper than 8,000 meters, the last to a record depth of 8,081 meters deep. Using a Mocness Trawl the expedition also collected plankton at a record depth of 5,000 meters. T e Atacamex 2018 expedition represent a milestone for marine science in

Chile, as researchers there pursue seminal work in deep-sea exploration and research.

he hadal zone is the deepest region of the ocean, depth estimated by sound of 8,065 meters, making it the tenth from 6,000 to 11,000 meters below sea level. Their deepest trench in the world. access and study is extremely dif? cult due to the This past 25 January – 02 February 2018, on the Atacamex high pressures and great dif? culties of reaching 2018 Expedition, Chilean investigators from the Instituto Mi-

T these depths. For these reasons - not for lack of lenio de Oceanografía (IMO-Chile), led by Professor and In- interest - this area has remained practically unexplored. The stitute Director Osvaldo Ulloa, made the ? rst observations and hadal zone comprises more than a score of trenches, many gathered samples from the absolute deepest depths, 8,081m forming the Paci? c Ring of Fire, where the Earth swallows in the Atacama Trench. The Chilean scienti? c vessel Cabo de part of its crust due to the sinking of one tectonic plate under Hornos, operated by the Chilean Armada, was the surface sup- another, giving rise to island chains and mountainous areas port ship.

such as the Andes. Ocean trenches can erupt unexpectedly in Achieving the historic exploration ? rst required ? nding a intense seismic activity, producing shattering tremors and de- way other than the massive winch and long wire normally structive tsunamis. used to plumb the hadal depths. Instead, the reseachers relied

Along the west coast of South America lies the Peru-Chile on the design and construction of a custom hadal-class free (Atacama) Trench, the longest of the planet, with a maximum vehicle, a benthic lander. Made from modern materials, the

April 2018 34

MTR

MTR #3 (34-48).indd 34 MTR #3 (34-48).indd 34 4/6/2018 8:31:58 PM4/6/2018 8:31:58 PM