Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPter 2
Life before Oxygen
It was literally the ride of my life. “Do you get claustrophobic?” the man
asked. “No, not at all,” I lied.
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“Good,” he replied, “and whatever you
do, don't touch the red handle. That's used only in emergencies.” With
a few more instructions, the hatch was closed, and we detached from
the crane. We were left to bob freely in the ocean waves, and I waited in
anticipation of our descent.
I was sitting in
Alvin
, America's premier deep-diving submersible.
With me was my good friend and colleague Bo Barker Jørgensen, now
at the University of Aarhus in Denmark, and our pilot Jim.
Alvin
was
first commissioned in 1964, and it has been the primary vehicle for deep-
sea discoveries in the decades since. A dedicated support crew keeps
Alvin
in tip-top condition, and I was told that probably no parts remain
from the original vessel. Still, once inside
Alvin
(at least in 1999), one is
reminded of the golden age of space exploration with toggle switches
and incandescent indicator lights behind small glass spheres. You feel
like you're sitting in the lunar rover, with robust technology that works.
hat
Alvin
lacks in sophistication, it also lacks in amenities. All three
occupants are squeezed into a 2 meter diameter titanium sphere, with
the scientists sitting at opposite ends on small foam mats. Necks are
cocked to peek out of the two small viewing ports, aiming downward,
or alternatively, eyes are fixed on the video monitors above. The body
heat of the occupants warms the bathysphere. There is a tank of oxygen
