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Page 6/The Battalion/Monday, February 15, 1988
Oceanographers from A&M lead
study of large underwater plateau
By Jerry Bolz
Reporter
Texas A&M researchers are lead
ing a team of scientists in a study of
the world’s largest underwater pla
teau.
A team of about 50 scientists,
nearly 25 of them from A&M, are
spending two months studying the
Kerguelen Plateau in the Indian
Ocean, said Dr. Philip Rabinowitz,
ODP director and oceanographer.
The other 25 scientists are from
around the world, he said.
The 2,500 kilometer-long plateau
is part of the Ocean Drilling Pro
gram’s (ODP) worldwide research.
The team is taking and research
ing core samples of the area to try to
discover its origin. Three theories of
the plateau’s formation are being in
vestigated by the team. The oldest
theory holds that the Kerguelen is a
land mass sheared off Antarctica.
Another theory claims the plateau
is the product of spreading of the
Southeast Indian Ridge. The third
hypothesis holds that the Kerguelen
is the result of tremendous volcanic
activity, possibly related to a hot spot
in the earth’s mantle.
Rabinowitz said the plateau’s exis
tence might be a result of a combina
tion of the three theories.
Rabinowitz said he has no real ex
pectations of a big discovery for the
cruise.
“This requires research in pains
taking detail that may take years to
come to fruition,” he said. “We’re
rrvinfi; to see how earth has evolved
through time to be able to predict
such things as earthquakes, volca
noes, location of mineral resources
and sites for nuclear waste.”
The JOIDES Resolution, a 470-
feet long drillship used on the cruise
is equipped to reach the 1,000- to
2,000-meter depths necessary to
sample the Kerguelen. Aboard the
ship is a seven-story, 12,000-square-
feet laboratory stack, containing 12
separate labs.
“There probably aren’t many uni
versities that have this kind of equip
ment,” Rabinowitz said.
The JOIDES Resolution was used
for oil and gas drilling before con
version to a scientific drilling vessel.
It houses the 50 scientists and also
the near-60 crew members.
DAlling near Antarctica presents
the problem of icebergs interfering
with movement of JOIDES Resolu
tion.
To combat this problem, ODP has
employed the use of the Maersk
Master, an ice-support vessel rented
at about $900,000 for two to three
weeks, Rabinowitz said.
Maersk Master circles the drillship
searching for ice, and is able to tow
icebergs if necessary.
“It moved one iceberg larger than
Kyle Field,” Rabinowitz said. “I’m
sure it was the largest object ever
moved by man.”
In about a year, the findings of
ODP research of the Kerguelen will
be published, Rabinowitz said.
“Our goal is to learn about earth
and how it ticks, to utilize it,” he said.
Marshall welcomes financially troubled Dallas Ballet
MARSHALL (AP) — The Dallas
Ballet danced to sizable and enthu
siastic audiences in Marshall this
weekend but officials said the per
formances may be the last for the Fi
nancially strapped company.
Ballet officials last month
canceled the final two productions
of the 1987-88 season and set March
15 as the deadline to raise $450,000
to meet immechate expenses and re
structure their $1.8 million debts.
Civic and arts leaders in Marshall
extended an invitation to the com
pany to rehearse and perform after
the remainder of its season was
canceled.
The Dallas Ballet was expected to
make between $25,000 and $35,000
from the two performances, which
were sponsored by the Marshall Re
gional Arts Council, the Greater
Marshall Chamber of Commerce
and the city of Marshall.
The company was the opening
program for the Marshall Theater at
the Civic Center in 1984, said Rock
Kershaw, executive director of the
Marshall Regional Arts Council.
“We feel welcome,” said Flem
ming Flindt, the ballet’s artistic di
rector. “We did our First big ‘Nut
cracker’ here (in 1984) and the
reception was wonderful. We feel
very welcome here.”
The Marshall performances rep
resented a big lift to the dancers’
spirits and provided two weeks of
pay.
6 6 Mom says the
house just isn’t the
same without me,
even though it’s
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Market in Dallas
revives business
through programs
DALLAS (AP) — Sales at the
Dallas Market Center softened
with the Texas economy a few
years ago, forcing officials to Find
new ways to attract buyers, and
the marketing strategies they
started began paying off.
The Market Center, a 150-acre
complex of wholesale showrooms
contained in eight buildings, typ
ically draws 500,000 buyers a
year. The center handles about
$6.5 billion worth of wholesale
orders annually.
Last year, the number of buy
ers was down, but the number of
stores represented was up.
“We look at two things when
we’re talking about the number
of buyers: quality and quantity,”
said Michael Parks, president of
the center’s Hardgoods Division,
which includes furniture, floor
covering, lighting, jewelry and
1-linen indu
Buyer attendance dropped!!
percent last year in theSoftgooc
division, which includes men
women’s and children’s appan.
and related merchandise. Ho.
ever, the number of stores™
resented, a crucial denominate
increased 1 1 percent, said dir
sion president Donna Knox.
“Fortunately, a number«
years ago, we redefined ourstra
egy on attracting retailers toDi
las,” said Lucy Crow Billingsle
chief executive officer of theD;
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“In 1987, we had the healthiest
year we’ve had in four years (in
the Hardgoods Division). We
held our own in the Southwest.
Our growth came out of the other
regions of the country. We have
done a lot of marketing to those
other regions.”
las Market Center
“Not only do we wanttolt
what we’ve always been -
best specialty store market ink
country — but we also wanttoa
pand geographically and read
much further than the 10-st;
area next to us. And we've do
that.”
1 ndependent chains and sm:
home-owned retailers have be
the traditional base of the Dal!
Market Center’s buyers. By it
plementing a new retail buverd
velopment program
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department-store chains hawk V
come more aware of the
Market Center.
and '<
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