DSV Alvin
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Alvin (DSV-2) is a 16-ton, manned deep-ocean research submersible owned by the United States Navy and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. The craft was built by General Mills' Electronics Group in the same factory used to manufacture breakfast cereal-producing machinery in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Named to honor the prime mover and creative inspiration for the vehicle, Allyn Vine, Alvin was commissioned on June 5, 1964.
The submersible is launched from the deep submergence support vessel Atlantis, which is also owned by the U.S. Navy and operated by WHOI. The submersible has taken 12,000 people on over 4,000 dives to observe the lifeforms that must cope with super-pressures and move about in total darkness. It is said that research conducted by Alvin has been featured in nearly 2,000 scientific papers.
Alvin was designed as a replacement for bathyscaphes and other less maneuverable oceanographic vehicles. Its more nimble design was made possible in part by the development of syntactic foam, which is buoyant and yet strong enough to serve as a structural material at great depths. The three-person vessel allows for two scientists and one pilot to dive for up to nine hours at 4500 meters (15,000 feet). The submersible features two robotic arms and can be fitted with mission-specific sampling and experimental gear. The hatch of the vessel is 0.6 meters (two feet) thick, and held in place by the pressure of the water above it (it is tapered, narrower inward).
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[edit] History
[edit] Early career
Alvin, first of its class of Deep Submergence Vehicle (DSV), was built to dive to 2440 meters (8000 feet). Each of the Alvin-class DSVs have different depth capabilities. However Alvin is the only one seconded to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with the others staying with the United States Navy. On March 17, 1966, Alvin was used to locate a submerged 1.45-megaton hydrogen bomb lost in a United States Air Force refueling accident over Palomares, Spain. The bomb, found resting nearly 910 meters (3000 ft) deep, was later raised intact on April 7.
[edit] Sinking
The Alvin, aboard the NOAA tender ship Lulu, was lost as it was being transported in October 1968.
The Lulu, a vessel created from a pair of decommissioned US Navy pontoons with a support structure added on, carried Alvin on a steel cable. The cable snapped with three crewmembers aboard and the hatch open. Situated between the pontoons with no deck underneath, the Alvin hit the water and rapidly started to sink. The three crewmembers managed to escape, but the sub sank in 1500 meters (5000 feet) of water.
Ten months later in September 1969, the Aluminaut, another US Navy DSV, secured a line on the Alvin, and it was hauled up. It was so intact that lunches left on board were soggy but edible. This incident led to a more comprehensive understanding that near-freezing temperatures and the lack of decaying oxygen at depth aided preservation.
The Alvin required a major overhaul after the incident.
[edit] Post-sinking career
In 1973, Alvin's pressure hull was replaced by a newer titanium pressure hull. The new hull extended the submersible's maximum depth to 4000 meters (15,000 feet).
[edit] Black smokers
In 1977, during an expedition led by Robert Ballard and sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Alvin discovered and documented the existence of black smokers around the Galapagos Islands. Existing at a depth of more than 2000 meters, black smokers emit a strong flow of black, smoky water, superheated to over 400 °C (750 °F). Alvin was able to sample the water from a black smoker, discovering that the pH balance is roughly 2.8, or equal to the acidity of household vinegar.
[edit] Exploration of RMS Titanic
Most famously, Alvin was involved in the exploration of the wreckage of RMS Titanic in 1986. Launched from her support ship RV Atlantis II, she carried Dr. Robert Ballard and two companions to the wreckage of the great liner. RMS Titanic sank while attempting to transit the North Atlantic Ocean, after striking a large iceberg in 1912.
Alvin, accompanied by a small remotely operated vehicle (ROV) named Jason Jr., was able to conduct detailed photographic surveys and inspections of the Titanic's wreckage. Many of the photographs of the expedition have been published in the magazine of the National Geographic Society which was a major sponsor of the expedition.
[edit] Recent overhauls
Over the years, the Alvin has undergone many overhauls to improve its equipment and extend its lifetime. The most recent overhaul was during 2001 in which, among other equipment, motor controllers and computer systems were added.
[edit] A possible replacement?
On August 6, 2004, the National Science Foundation announced the creation of a new Human Occupied Vehicle (HOV) to replace the aging Alvin. The new vehicle is designed to dive deeper up to 6500 meters (21,000 ft) as opposed to Alvin's 4500 meters and use new scientific equipment. The fate of the Alvin when this new submersible arrives is unknown. Many say it will be either placed in a museum or be used to explore relatively shallow waters.
Contrary to a BBC article (see below) published in October 2004, the Alvin has not yet been retired from service.
[edit] See also
[edit] Other deep submergence vehicles
- Aluminaut
- Avalon (DSRV)
- Trieste
- Trieste II
- Jason
- Mystic
- NR-1
- Sea Cliff
- Turtle
[edit] References
- Kaharl, Victoria A. (October 1, 1990). Water Baby: The Story of Alvin. Oxford University Press, USA. ISBN 0-19-506191-8.
- Kunzig, Robert (March 1, 1999). The Restless Sea: Exploring the World Beneath the Waves, 1st ed edition, W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0-393-04562-5.
