Research Vessel Roger Revelle
R/V Roger Revelle, pictured here in the western Pacific Ocean in 2010, is a general-purpose, Global Class oceanographic research vessel. Image courtesy of Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Download larger version (jpg, 130 KB).
Roger Revelle is a Global Class general-purpose oceanographic research vessel owned by the U.S. Navy and operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography as a shared-use facility within the University-National Laboratory System (UNOLS) . Roger Revelle is available to all scientists supported by any U.S. federal, state, or other agency, and data collected on board is broadly shared to advance scientific knowledge worldwide.
The vessel is equipped with a wide range of instrumentation for studying the ocean, Earth, and atmosphere . Its unique Hydrographic Doppler Sonar System is capable of measuring current shear at much higher resolutions than commercially available Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers. For collecting water column and seafloor data, Roger Revelle has a suite of mapping systems and sub-bottom profilers. A dynamic positioning system enables precise ship handling and the ability to hold exact position for long periods, which permits scientists to use the ship’s many winches and cranes to launch and recover sensors and instruments in the most challenging sea conditions.
With its robust suite of modern sensing systems, Roger Revelle is a capable and highly adaptable platform ideal for conducting scientific research worldwide, across all disciplines of marine science.
Ship Namesake
The vessel was named after scientist Roger Revelle, the former director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography who established the study of the greenhouse effect and key observations of carbon dioxide and its buildup and consequences in the atmosphere. Dr. Revelle was a founder of the University of California – San Diego, established principles of sustainable development, and helped to found the modern Office of Naval Research.
Roger Revelle in Antarctica during a 2007 CLIVAR repeat hydrography mission in the south Indian Ocean. Image courtesy of Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Download larger version (jpg, 1 MB).
Roger Revelle arrives into Hobart, Australia, following a 2015 mission to study giant internal waves on the Tasmanian continental shelf. Image courtesy of Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Download larger version (jpg, 1 MB).