Over its 53-year history, the deep submersible Alvin has had some subtle and not-so-subtle changes made to its appearance. The original sub, shown in the late 1960s with support vessel Lulu, was stubby and had a white sail. Its stainless steel hull was replaced with a titanium personnel sphere in 1973, enabling dives to greater depths. In the 1980s, its sail was painted a distinctive red, making it easier to spot at the ocean surface, and its rear propeller was replaced with thrusters. Many more improvements were made over the years, and, in 2013, a major upgrade included installation of a new, larger, deeper-diving titanium sphere and new flotation, giving Alvin even better research capabilities and a sleeker look. (Photo by Cliff Hinton, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Text, images, graphics and other material contained on this website are subject to copyright. For more information or to license material, please contact the Director of Digital Assets, images@whoi.edu or (508) 289-2647.
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is dedicated to advancing knowledge of the ocean and its connection with the Earth system through a sustained commitment to excellence in science, engineering, and education, and to the application of this knowledge to problems facing society. Learn more »
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Vimeo
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS Feeds
