Earth’s final frontier is the ocean floor. To explore these unknown depths and uncover countless mysteries, a group of engineers upgraded the world's oldest crewed sub.

» Subscribe to Seeker! http://bit.ly/subscribeseeker
(then hit the little 🔔 icon and select "all")
» Watch more Focal Point | https://bit.ly/2s0cf7w
» Visit our shop at http://shop.seeker.com

Alvin is a deep-submergence vehicle. It's a three-person machine designed to take people to some of the deepest places in the ocean. It's a 57-year-old program that has stayed operational for those 57 years and continues to make some pretty amazing discoveries.

Every time Alvin dives, we learn something new. One of the most exciting discoveries was made in 1977, with the discovery of the hydrothermal vent systems.

And even just a couple of years ago, Alvin enabled the discovery of a new deep coral environment. Because of these discoveries, Alvin is no stranger to making headlines.

For years, Alvin’s max depth was 4,500 meters, giving scientists access to close to two thirds of the ocean floor. There's always a sense of excitement and anticipation before getting in the sub, and that just comes from the fact that you are likely to see something that no one else has seen before, and potentially make an important discovery.

#deepseaexploration #alvin #submarine #deepseamining #science #seeker

Read More:
Overhaul to take Alvin to greater extremes
https://www.whoi.edu/news-insights/co...
“This increased depth range will give ocean scientists the ability to explore 98% of the ocean floor and study the abyssal region—one of the least-understood areas of the deep sea and home to high-temperature hydrothermal vents, submarine volcanoes, subduction trenches, mineral resources, and more.”

The Oldest Crewed Deep Sea Submarine Just Got a Big Makeover
https://www.wired.com/story/the-oldes...
“The 60-year-old sub is preparing to take its deepest plunge yet. But in the age of autonomous machines, why are humans exploring the ocean floor at all?”

Seabed mining is coming — bringing mineral riches and fears of epic extinctions
https://www.nature.com/articles/d4158...
“The ocean floor holds vast deposits of ores containing sought-after metals. Companies are exploring the potential to mine three types of deposits in the deep sea: ferromanganese nodules, metal-rich crusts on seamounts and sulfide deposits near hydrothermal vents along the mid-ocean ridges.”

____________________

Our scientific understanding of the universe is advancing at an unprecedented rate. Join Focal Point as we meet the people building tomorrow’s world. Witness the astonishing discoveries that will propel humanity forward and zero-in on the places where science-fiction becomes science-reality.

Seeker empowers the curious to understand the science shaping our world. We tell award-winning stories about the natural forces and groundbreaking innovations that impact our lives, our planet, and our universe.

Visit the Seeker website https://www.seeker.com

Seeker on Facebook   / seekermedia  

Focal Point on Facebook   / focalpointshow  

Seeker on Twitter   / seeker