The ship, on a perpetual mission to explore the evolution and structure of the Earth, also collected samples from deep in the ocean floor of primitive bacteria thought to descend from relatives of the first life-forms on Earth. University of Sydney geologist, Professor Jock Keene, heads up the Australian effort. The ship probes deep into the Earth's past, reading clues to the geological history of the planet, ancient climates and the origin of life. These clues, encoded in ocean sediments, are already giving insights into climate change and El Nino. It can dig two kilometres into sediments.
Scientists analyse the results in laboratories on the ship.
The August 11 port call is the ship's first to Sydney. A tour of the ship will follow the media conference. Infromation gained will assist Dr Brian Taylor joint chief scientist on the Joides will give a public lectureat the Museum of Sydney, corner Bridge and Phillip Streets, at 6pm on Wednesday12 August.