When it came time for exuberant logging researcher Phillipe Pezard to show his colorful findings to the whole group, he was nowhere to be found. Later, he appeared in the computer room. Later, I look in at the operations managers large office on the bridge deck. The whiteboard that dominates one long wall is covered in engineering drawings of boreholes, drill bits and drill strings, measurements and equations. We were just trying to figure out how to do better science with the Resolution .
Sediment is one thing, hard rock quite another.
Tests are already scheduled, two legs out, of a new hammer drill that will core by pulverizing the rock instead of grinding it away. If it works, it promises cleaner hard rock cores. Topping Bollfrass's wish list is an active heave compensator. The heave compensator is a giant shock absorber that hangs high in the drilling rig and supports the drill string. But the present device, which is pneumatic and passive, only goes part of the way.