Which vessel collected rock samples to help determine their age?

The Glomar Challenger is recognized for its pioneering role in ocean drilling and the collection of rock samples from the ocean floor, which were crucial for understanding the geological history of the Earth and the age of oceanic crust. Launched in the late 1960s, it was the first vessel designed specifically to explore the sea bottom through deep-sea drilling techniques. The samples collected by the Glomar Challenger provided key evidence supporting the theory of plate tectonics, particularly through the ages of sediment and basalt layers obtained from various oceanic sites. This contributed to the confirmation of seafloor spreading and helped scientists establish timelines for geological events.

The other vessels listed, while significant in their own right, did not specifically focus on the collection of rock samples for age determination in the same systematic manner as the Glomar Challenger. For instance, HMS Beagle is famous for its historical voyage leading to Darwin’s theory of evolution rather than geological drilling, while the R/V Sonne and Ocean Drilling Program are associated with other aspects of marine research and exploration but were not the first to gather such pivotal rock samples in the context of age determination.