Table of Contents

Preface vii Acknowledgments xi Introduction 3 Part I DEPTH 1 A Simple Tethered Sphere 13 2 Bathyscaphs Race to the Bottom 33 3 The Tragic Dawn of the Modern Deep Submersible 58 Part II DISCOVERY 4 Scientists Begin Exploring the Deep 93 5 The Midocean Ridge: Womb of the Earth 117 6 Hydrothermal Vents: Exotic Oases 157 7 Black Smokers: Recipe for a Salty Ocean 187 Part III DETACHMENT 8 A Tethered Eyeball Races to Find the Titanic 217 9 Recovering Our Past by Remote Control 255 10 Should Humans Continue to Dive? Two Paradigms 299 A Note on Sources 313 Further Reading 315 Index 375

Promotional Information

Bob Ballard, building on the early work of Jacques Cousteau, is the preeminent pioneer in truly deep sea exploration and here is the fascinating, gripping story that only he is qualified to tell. -- Walter Cronkite Bob Ballard's The Eternal Darkness chronicles the exciting 20th-century advances in underwater technology, many of them his own. Their contributions to deep ocean knowledge, exploration, discovery, salvage, and natural resource utilization have forever changed the way we view and understand our planet's oceans, and will, in the future, change the way we care for our seas. Ballard now joins Cousteau as another inspired visionary. -- Scott Carpenter Bob Ballard is a tenacious explorer of the deep ocean and discoverer of ancient sea treasures. Two thousand years ago no trains, planes, or automobiles existed. Most transportation was by sea. Important knowledge of the past can only be uncovered from where it lies, buried in the ocean floor. Bob exhibits his fascination with the unknown by uncovering history that lies at the bottom of the sea floor that is critical to our understanding of the ancient world. -- Jean-Michel Cousteau Ballard is one of the great explorers of the age. He is not only a great explorer, but a gifted story-teller and an evangelist for science. His joy and contagious excitement in exploration and science have captured the imagination of thousands of students, and rescuing them from dull science teachers, has converted them to pursuing careers in scientific discovery. Now in The Eternal Darkness he draws on all his talent, and his hair-raising experiences, to capture the rest of us in a great adventurous read. -- John F. Lehman While making some of the most significant discoveries of all time, from finding the Titanic to exposing the geophysical processes that cause oceans to form and continents to move, explorer-scientist Robert Ballard has lived adventures that combine the best of scientific research and Indiana Jones. Bristling with suspense and laced with wry humor, The Eternal Darkness will captivate even the most seasoned landlubber. -- Sylvia A. Earle Ballard's perspective on specific events in the history of deep-sea explorations is fresh and exciting. This is an important record of the remarkable progression in technology from extremely primitive underwater diving bells to a multiplicity of manned and unmanned systems enabling human presence in the deep ocean. -- J. Frederick Grassle, Rutgers University

About the Author

Robert D. Ballard, Ph.D., is President of the Institute for Exploration in Mystic, Connecticut, and the former Director of the Center for Marine Exploration at Woods Hole, Massachusetts. He is a pioneer in the development and use of deep submergence technology and has participated in more than a hundred deep-sea expeditions. He is the author of several bestselling books, including The Discovery of the Titanic, Explorations, and Exploring the Bismarck.

Reviews

Recipient of the Commonwealth Award for Science and Invention, Sigma Xi Honorable Mention for the 2000 Award for Best Professional/Scholarly Book in Geography and Earth Sciences, Association of American Publishers "The Eternal Darkness is a straightforward look at a complicated business that shows again not just that exploration is worth doing but that even at home here on earth it is far from over... [It] is not really a book about the past. It's a promise that the "E" word remains the deepest adventure of them all."--Michael Parfit, New York Times Book Review "Drawing from the expertise gained during his more than 100 trips into the abyss, Ballard highlights historical and scientific events that he and Hively expertly weave into a series of scintillating tales."--Loretta DiPietro, Scientific American "Dr. Ballard is a passionate advocate of deep-sea exploration, pointing out that all such expeditions so far undertaken have probably surveyed less than one percent of the sea floor... One can hardly disagree with Dr. Ballard's proposal that we should expand that one percent."--The Atlantic Monthly "The man who found the Titanic, discovered black smokers on the sea floor, and first ventured into the mid-Atlantic ridge tells the story of deep-sea exploration... Scores of photographs highlight the steadily absorbing text; together, words and pictures present a vital and authoritative general history of humanity's adventures deep beneath the waves."-- Publishers Weekly "The Eternal Darkness is an excellent book ... It is authoritative and well written, and ... it is impossible to put down."--Richard Shelton, Times Literary Supplement "Titanic discoverer Ballard ... handily summarizes a technology unfamiliar to many readers. Ballard has published popular books about his recovery of other famous sunken ships besides the movie's namesake, which adds cachet to this more scholarly work."--Booklist "Doing science is exciting! This is the main message of Ballard's fascinating combination memoir and history of deep ocean science."--Library Journal "The Eternal Darkness is a highly readable book... I am always on the lookout for books that will motivate and enthuse potential and present students. The Eternal Darkness will become a firm favourite on that list, as Ballard shows what can be achieved by hard work, determination and unbounded enthusiasm."--Paul Tyler, New Scientist "A remarkable story of science and adventure, as fascinating as the exploration of space and the landing on the moon."--American Way (Airline Magazine) "An informative and interesting book written with authority on a fascinating subject."--Daniel Lenihan, Naval History "Pitched to the lay reader, Ballard's The Eternal Darkness is engaging, sometimes thrilling and always authentic... Ballard was also involved in the 1985 discovery of the Titanic, and his account of the sleuthing that went into the hunt makes for terrific reading..."--Dennis Drabelle, Washington Post Book World "This book takes the reader into the deep-sea realm along the discovery paths of famous deep-sea explorers as chronicled by the preeminent explorer of our time. Ballard's book will leave readers enlightened and concerned about the expanding role the oceans are playing as the future evolves."--Choice "Cool technology meets personal obsession in this history that's also a memoir by the discoverer of the wreck of the Titanic. Break out the bathospheres, the minisubs and the ROVs (Remote Operated Vehicles); it's time to take the plunge and see what's Down There."--Washington Post Book World

Recipient of the Commonwealth Award for Science and Invention, Sigma Xi Honorable Mention for the 2000 Award for Best Professional/Scholarly Book in Geography and Earth Sciences, Association of American Publishers "The Eternal Darkness is a straightforward look at a complicated business that shows again not just that exploration is worth doing but that even at home here on earth it is far from over... [It] is not really a book about the past. It's a promise that the "E" word remains the deepest adventure of them all."--Michael Parfit, New York Times Book Review "Drawing from the expertise gained during his more than 100 trips into the abyss, Ballard highlights historical and scientific events that he and Hively expertly weave into a series of scintillating tales."--Loretta DiPietro, Scientific American "Dr. Ballard is a passionate advocate of deep-sea exploration, pointing out that all such expeditions so far undertaken have probably surveyed less than one percent of the sea floor... One can hardly disagree with Dr. Ballard's proposal that we should expand that one percent."--The Atlantic Monthly "The man who found the Titanic, discovered black smokers on the sea floor, and first ventured into the mid-Atlantic ridge tells the story of deep-sea exploration... Scores of photographs highlight the steadily absorbing text; together, words and pictures present a vital and authoritative general history of humanity's adventures deep beneath the waves."-- Publishers Weekly "The Eternal Darkness is an excellent book ... It is authoritative and well written, and ... it is impossible to put down."--Richard Shelton, Times Literary Supplement "Titanic discoverer Ballard ... handily summarizes a technology unfamiliar to many readers. Ballard has published popular books about his recovery of other famous sunken ships besides the movie's namesake, which adds cachet to this more scholarly work."--Booklist "Doing science is exciting! This is the main message of Ballard's fascinating combination memoir and history of deep ocean science."--Library Journal "The Eternal Darkness is a highly readable book... I am always on the lookout for books that will motivate and enthuse potential and present students. The Eternal Darkness will become a firm favourite on that list, as Ballard shows what can be achieved by hard work, determination and unbounded enthusiasm."--Paul Tyler, New Scientist "A remarkable story of science and adventure, as fascinating as the exploration of space and the landing on the moon."--American Way (Airline Magazine) "An informative and interesting book written with authority on a fascinating subject."--Daniel Lenihan, Naval History "Pitched to the lay reader, Ballard's The Eternal Darkness is engaging, sometimes thrilling and always authentic... Ballard was also involved in the 1985 discovery of the Titanic, and his account of the sleuthing that went into the hunt makes for terrific reading..."--Dennis Drabelle, Washington Post Book World "This book takes the reader into the deep-sea realm along the discovery paths of famous deep-sea explorers as chronicled by the preeminent explorer of our time. Ballard's book will leave readers enlightened and concerned about the expanding role the oceans are playing as the future evolves."--Choice "Cool technology meets personal obsession in this history that's also a memoir by the discoverer of the wreck of the Titanic. Break out the bathospheres, the minisubs and the ROVs (Remote Operated Vehicles); it's time to take the plunge and see what's Down There."--Washington Post Book World

Doing science is exciting! This is the main message of Ballard's fascinating combination memoir and history of deep ocean science. Best known for finding the remains of the Titanic, Ballard has also been involved in many of the recent scientific discoveries in the deep sea, which have changed the way we understand biology, geophysics, and the origins of life on earth. He blends his personal experiences exploring hydrothermal vents and shipwrecks with stories of earlier deep-sea pioneers, focusing especially on the technology. This discussion is counterbalanced by an extensive "Further Reading" section (not seen), which concentrates on the scientific discoveries made possible by the vehicles and people covered in the text. While there are similar books, such as Victoria A. Kaharl's Water Baby: The Story of Alvin (LJ 10/15/90) and Susan Schlee's The Edge of an Unfamiliar World: A History of Oceanography (1973. o.p.), Ballard's volume is easy to read and will be an excellent addition to collections at all levels on oceanography, history of science, and exploration.--Margaret A. Rioux, MBL/WHOI Lib., Woods Hole, MA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.