Mysteries of the Deep Explored at Questacon

20 November 2008

Research into predicting earthquakes and the origin of life on Earth are some of the topics explored in a new exhibition by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) at Questacon.

The exhibition is the latest in a series of events to celebrate Questacon’s 20th anniversary and explores Japan’s role in exploring oceanographic phenomena and marine ecosystems. Visitors to the exhibition will discover the role of CHIKYU, a deep sea drilling vessel, which aims to uncover the mysteries of the deep through its research.

The CHIKYU is the first research ship capable of drilling in water depths of 7,000 metres to sample deep ocean sediment and the ocean crust. The CHIKYU’s research in Earth’s seismogenic zone aims to one day enable the prediction of earthquakes. The CHIKYU also studies microbes living in the Earth’s crust which may hold answer to the origin and evolution of life on Earth.

The fascinating research conducted by JAMSTEC’s CHIKYU will be explored on Saturday during ‘7 Kilometres Under the Sea’, a public lecture at Questacon presented by Dr Shinichi Kuramoto from JAMSTEC and Professor Chris Ferguson from the University of Wollongong.

“Questacon is delighted to host this exhibition. Visitors to the JAMSTEC exhibition and Saturday’s public lecture will gain an insight into Japan’s role in marine exploration and research. “The JAMSTEC exhibition provides an opportunity to celebrate our 20th anniversary and strengthen Questacon’s ongoing collaborative relationship with Japan,” said Questacon Director, Professor Graham Durant.

The JAMSTEC exhibition also examines the role of the SHINKAI 6500, a manned submersible vessel with the ability to dive to a depth of 6,500 metres. The SHINKAI 6500 has completed more than 1,000 dives and has the greatest depth range of any manned research vessel in the world.

Questacon opened in 1988 as a joint Australia-Japan Bicentennial Project. The Japanese Government and business community contributed half the cost of the building, the hub for Questacon’s national and international activities.