The Ocean Drilling Program III: The shipboard laboratories on "JOIDES Resolution"

JOIDES Resolution (a.k.a. SEDCO/BP 471), the scientific drillship of the National Science Foundation´s Ocean Drilling Program, contains over 12,000 square feet of laboratory space. Years of experience gained in the previous JOIDES program of scientific ocean drilling (the Deep Sea Drilling Project) have provided many ideas for improving upon the capabilities of a scientific drillship. Each laboratory on JOIDES Resolution is designed to include state-of-the-art equipment and techniques. A laboratory module seven stories high was added to the ship. This allows for ship investigations of sedimentology, physical properties, paleomagnetics, chemistry, petrography, and paleontology. In addition, thin section, X-ray diffraction/X-ray fluorescence, underway geophysics, logging and downhole measurement, computer, photographic, core storage, and library facilities are all available. This paper emphasizes the new instrumentation that was acquired or developed for the laboratories. Some techniques and equipment are in use for the first time at sea. Our experiences with these through the program´s early cruises are related. The program plans to continually update its shipboard laboratory capability.