Once the ROV operation is over, the ROV is pulled up to the surface again. Since we work at water depths from 2500-3500 m, it takes some time for VICTOR to get to the surface. The winch hauls the cable in at 1 m/s, so recovery usually takes around 1-2 h.
The cable from the ship is not connected directly to the ROV, but to a heavy weight. A second cable extends from this
weight which is connected to VICTOR. Once the weight is on board, it takes the effort of 5-6 crew members to haul in the remaining cable and to finally get VICTOR safely on board.
The cable from the ship is not connected directly to the ROV, but to a heavy weight. A second cable extends from this
weight which is connected to VICTOR. Once the weight is on board, it takes the effort of 5-6 crew members to haul in the remaining cable and to finally get VICTOR safely on board.
While VICTOR is on his way to the surface, sample pictures from the dives are prepared and printed. This is to make sure that the samples have the right sample numbers when we cut and describe them.
Once the ROV has been secured, the rocks are taken into the rock lab. Here they are sorted into different rock categories, photographed and given a sample number. Then we use a diamond saw to cut the samples. Recognizing a rock that has been on the seafloor for a longer period of time can be quite difficult. It is therefore necessary to look inside the rock to recognize what it is, and to see structures and minerals that are not visible on the outside.
When the rocks have been sawed they are washed, described and photographed again. This whole process with the samples can take everything from a couple of hours to a whole day, depending on the number of samples we get and the complexity of the samples. Finally the rocks are dried, packed in boxes and stored away, so that the wet lab is ready for a new round of samples.