Rockall part of the deeply eroded Rockall Igneous Centre that was formed as part of the North Atlantic Igneous Province, approximately 55 million years ago, when the ancient continent of Laurasia was split apart by plate tectonics. Greenland and Europe separated and the northeast Atlantic Ocean was formed between them, eventually leaving Rockall as an isolated islet. The RV "Celtic Explorer" surveyed the Rockall Bank in 2003. The Irish Light Vessel "Granuaile" (the same name as the steamer on the RIA 1896 botany survey) was chartered by the Geological Survey of Ireland, on behalf of the Department of Communications, Marine and
Nankai Trough gas hydrate site The Nankai Trough, as a continuous gas hydrate research site for over more than a decade, is the first fully integrated field study and modern production test well project for offshore natural gas hydrates in the northwest Pacific Ocean. Six wells were successfully drilled to test natural gas hydrate accumulations off the southeastern coast of Japan, and to explore a conventional Tertiary structure. It gave scientists the opportunity to monitor the physical response of gas hydrate deposits and investigate marine gas hydrates in one of the most active earthquake zones on the planet. Research within the Nankai Trough is expected