How do researchers extract rock samples from the ocean floor?

Question

The magnetic orientation and geologic dating of ocean floor rocks is a key piece of evidence for plate tectonics. Yet I've always wondered, how do scientists get samples from the bottom of the Atlantic?

Answer 1

Hi,,, you are in luck,,,, this is my profession... I am a Geo-Engineer,, a between geologist and petroleum engineer....
Most of what all others have said is correct in some way or fashon.. excepting the torture answer....

When we drill offshore in the ocean,, there is liquid mud pumped down the drill pipe,, and comes out of the drill bit... the mud has a certain weight and viscoscity to not only keep the bit cool but to clean and carry the earth drill upward to the surface thru and over screens that clean the dirt and rock from the liquid mud and the mud returns....
We catch samples from any depth we want,,,,, usually 30 foot samples but we can catch any amount from any depth if necessary..... this is done thru what we call (Lag Time) the time it is drilled and the time it takes to be pumped to the surface...

We analize the samples on the rig,,, and bag sets up to be sent to each pardner in the well investment... they have them further analized in a specialized company ... by paleotologists.. who can tell thru the microscopic animal life that was around in the different eras of time.... ( in other words millions of years ago)....

We also take core samples from the earth also,,, much the same way,,, but the earth is drilled and pushed up thru a barrel inside the core bit... and then extracted from the earth,, and analized in whole length sections......

I hope this helps you ,,, and if need be,, i will be glad to explain further....

It is more to it than just sticking a pipe in the ground and oil and gas come up..... that is for Hollywood......

good luck

Answer 2

They have a ship with an oil rig mounted on the top deck. They position the ship over the spot where they want to take a sample, lower a drill pipe to the ocean floor, and start drilling. The drill is a special one that doesn't grind the rock to bits, but instead cuts a cylindrical core, which is retrieved by lifting the pipe up to the surface and removing the core sample from the bottom end of the pipe. You can see a picture of the ship by searching for "ocean drilling program" in Wikipedia. Sometimes they also use robotic submersibles, but these can only take samples that are lying on the surface of the ocean floor, not from deep underground. To get underground rock cores, they need to drill into the rock.

Answer 3

And you know how big they were when they were first formed do you?? Because if you don't then you don't know how far they've expanded and therefore cannot give an accurate dating Hahahaha...evolution, gives me a chuckle every time it's mentioned. No proof, fossil records support creation and they still say "it has to be real, it's the only viable explanation we have, so it must be true". LOL

Answer 4

I take it you have never heard of a submersible? they have unmanned submarines and manned subs that can go all the way down to the bottom of the ocean now, actually they have had them for a while

Answer 5

drilling with special drills just like in the Arctic circle too get samples of ice intensity's

Answer 6

Robotic submersibles and/or drilling structures.


-Daniel

Answer 7

they have deepsea divers and flotting rigs that flot in set up and flotaway when there done

Answer 8

They use torture..........