DEEP-WATER RESEARCH

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28484, 14 January 1958, Page 10

DEEP-WATER RESEARCH

Russian Ship’s Journey

(New Zeaiana Press Association)

WELLINGTON, January 13. The Soviet oceanographic research ship Vitiaz had reached down to 10,099 metres in the Mariana Trench in the central north Pacific, deeper than ever before reached, its chief scientist, Professor Benjamin Bogorov said on the ship today. He said the ship had discovered 200 new species of sea creature, most of them from extremely deep water. The depth reached by the Vitiaz was about 105 metres deeper than the previous record, said Professor Bogorov. While it was not of scientific importance, the record should be included in all text books, and the Russians would write to London to have this done, he said. The record depth had been recorded on a British-built machine.

The Russian scientists were working under an International Geophysical Year programme, he said. Their work would be discussed with their counterparts inNew Zealand, many of whom they knew from scientific works and published books. Professor Bogorov traced the ship’s voyage from Vladivostok, where she left on November 5, into the central north Pacific, and then down a longtitude to the east of New Zealand. . Scientific work included deep water analysis of different layers of water down to very great depths, chemical analysis, geological features of the ocean bed and biology. Trawling in the Tonga and Kermadec deep-water trenches had reached the ocean bed, six miles down, and to achieve this more than 10 miles of wire had been paid out. The weight of wire put into the sea was 15 tons. This took up to seven hours to lower and to haul in, even though the ship was fitted with a powerful electric winch of 110 kilowatts.