Marine Sediment (core) Sampling Training on the R/V Roger Revelle

Davide Oppo, professor in our School of Geosciences, recently returned from a three-week offshore training expedition. Oppo joined a group of 23 marine scientists from diverse research and academic backgrounds who came together to explore the oceans, with a focus on marine sediments. On 21 August 2022, these scientists joined a group of 10 mentors on the R/V Roger Revelle for cruise RR2210 to learn, collaborate, and prepare to lead future expeditions involving sediment coring in different parts of the world as future principal investigators in their own research endeavors. This group is a part of the NSF Funded Future Principal Investigator Training program hosted by MARSSAM, the marine sediment sampling group at Oregon State University.

Dr. Oppo planning the sampling of a gas hydrates mound aboard the R/V Roger Revelle

This advanced training provides principal investigators from the different branches of the geosciences with in-depth knowledge about utilizing the US Academic Research Fleet for the retrieval of marine sediment samples. On this cruise, one week of classes was followed by 10 days along the Cascadia Margin off the shore of Oregon aboard the R/V Roger Revelle. The principal investigators practiced collecting and processing sediment samples from the bottom of the ocean using a wide array of instruments. Learn more at the cruise RR2210 blog.

Time lapse of a 3-hours-long retrieval of a 60 ft-long jumbo piston core (credit: A. Burkett, Oklahoma State)