RV OGS-Explora

Operator: OGS - National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics

Country: Italy

Website: http://www.ogs.trieste.it/Show/ShowResource/DataResource.aspx?Action=Show&FromAction=List&IdLanguage= 1&IdUniversity=2&IdDepartment=15&IdResource=20

Vessel Type: Oceangoing Multipurpose Research Vessel

Vessel Class: Global

Operational Area: Antarctica, North Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea

Endurance: 30 days

Scientist berths: 12

Length: 72.6m

Features:

The RV OGS-Explora is equipped to perform geophysical and oceanographic surveys both in shallow and deep ocean waters. Her capabilities include swath bathymetry, sub bottom profiling, 2D seismic prospecting, oceanographic measurements, moorings deployment and seafloor sediment sampling.

Onboard scientific equipment:

Echosounding: Hull mounted 18 kHz SBES Simrad EA-500;
Swath Bathymetry: Hull mounted 12 kHz MBES Reson Seabat 8150 for deep water surveys and 100 kHz MBES Reson Seabat 8111 for shallow water surveys. Sound Velocity Probe – Reson SVP 25;
Sub Bottom Profilling: SBP Benthos CAP-6600–consisting of 16 AT471 hull-mounted transducers, Sweep: 2-7 khz;
Multi Channel Seismic: 3 Built in, 4 stage, LMF compressors operating at 140 bar (capacity 23000 l/min each). Seismic Source: 2 Sercel GI guns (2*355 cu inch) for high resolution surveys; 1 Sodera Water Gun S16 (16 cu inch) for very high resolution surveys. Gun controller: Real Time Systems – Big Shot (16 channels)
Potential Methods: Bodenseewerk KSS 31 Gravity meter and Sea Spy Marine Magnetics Magnetometer / Gradiometer;
Oceanographic Equipment: Hull mounted RDI OS 75 KHZ Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP), SBE21 thermosalinograph;
Sediment Sampling: Gravity corer (head 1.2 tons). Operation monitored by load cell controller Van Veen (max. core length 5 m);
2 meteorological stations.

Mobile scientific equipment on request:

MK21 Expendable Bathy Thermograph; 16 Sleeve guns for a total volume of 37 litres (2360 cu inch) and a 3000 m long digital streamer interfaced to a Sercel Seal recording system.

Remote Access:

A satellite C Band VSAT system is operational on RV OGS-Explora allowing 24h/24h connection, Bi -directional file transfer (up to several Gbytes), live video streaming from ship to shore and real time XML data broadcast from ship to shore. This "Remote access" technology provides reasonable speed for sending real-time data back to shore-side researchers to accelerate and broaden data acquisition and processing. Thus significantly increasing the number of researchers who might benefit from a cruise. Please consider this option while writing your proposal for ship-time.

Science support by crew:

Deck crew: 24h operations supported; Regular technical support for onboard science systems.

Availability for EUROFLEETS:

The RV OGS-Explora is being made available to the EUROFLEETS project for a total of 10 days. Vessel availability is still to be defined.

Travel and shipment costs:

Travelling costs for cruise participants and the shipment of equipment to the port of mobilisation and back from the port of demobilisation will be reimbursed up to a maximum of 28.000€. If higher costs are incurred they have to be covered by the applicant.

Requirements for scientist:

A checklist of medical history has to be expected for scientific personnel members.

Technical Specifications:

For the technical specifications please see the EurOcean European Research Vessels InfoBase at
http://www.rvinfobase.eurocean.org/spec/vessel.jsp?id=3733