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| Vol. 18, No. 4 | Sept. 24, 1998 |
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| Vol. 18, No. 4 | Sept. 24, 1998 |
On a cold night in 1912, the ocean liner Titanic struck an iceberg and sank beneath the icy waters of the North Atlantic. The following day, the words "TITANIC LOST" shocked the world.
Seventy-three years later, on Sept. 1, 1985, the headlines would proclaim "TITANIC FOUND," as explorer Robert Ballard and his team located the legendary ship 12,000 feet below the ocean's surface.
From locating the ocean graves of historic ice water mansions, including the Titanic, to the discovery of deep-sea thermal vents and the fascinating marine life of the ocean depths, Ballard has logged more hours in the deep than any other marine scientist in the world.
At 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 14, Ballard will recount his deep-sea explorations at the Bob Carpenter Center. The lecture, which coincides with National Earth Science Week, Oct. 11 through 17, is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by the College of Marine Studies, the Marine Associates and the Sea Grant College Program, in honor of the International Year of the Ocean.
During his career, Ballard has led or participated in more than 110 deep-sea expeditions. Beginning in the early 1970s, he began a series of increasingly daring expeditions that included the first manned exploration of the Mid-Ocean Ridge, the discovery of warm-water springs and their exotic animal communities in the Galapagos Rift, and the first discovery of high-temperature black smokers and important mineral deposits.
Ballard has received dozens of awards and honors for his achievements. Among these are his recognition by the U.S. Navy with the Robert Dexter Conrad Award for Scientific Achievement; the Explorers Club Medal; and the National Geographic Society's most prestigious award, the Hubbard Medal.
Ballard has written more than 50 scientific articles for research journals, as well as several popular books.
Teachers and their students especially are encouraged to attend Ballard's lecture. A book signing that will include of a variety of Ballard's titles will follow the lecture, courtesy of the University Bookstore.
For information, call 831-8083.
