tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77255375605206947112024-02-21T10:25:34.010-08:00Axial Seamount Expedition 2015VentsProgramAtSeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425243077335730082noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725537560520694711.post-9076599488978960162015-08-28T22:19:00.001-07:002015-09-08T10:37:57.831-07:00Cruise Success<b>Saturday August 29, 2015 </b><br />
By Rachel Teasdale<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="CruiseSuccess"></a>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Axial Seamount 2015 Expedition video summary of the highlights and results from the expedition. Video by Jesse Crowell in association with Saskia Madlener at 77th Parallel Productions. Music: "Arboles by Podington Bear, <a href="https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Podington_Bear/Encouraging/Arboles">https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Podington_Bear/Encouraging/Arboles</a>"
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Bathymetric map of Axial Caldera and hydrothermal vent fields visited during dive J2-825.</td></tr>
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<b>Cruise Success! </b><br />
As the Axial Seamount 2015 Expedition comes to an end, the science team aboard the R/V Thompson is thrilled with the extensive work completed since departing Seattle on August 14. Chief Scientist Bill Chadwick was able to work around the three days of bad weather that prevented the launch of ROV Jason and AUV Sentry, and with creative rescheduling, efficient ROV Jason and AUV Sentry operations and flexibilty of the R/V Thompson crew we were able to collect the data from all pre-planned sites that were needed to accomplish the three main goals of the cruise: <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Matt (green jacket) works with the R/V Thompson deck crew to deploy a bottom pressure recorder at Axial Seamount </td></tr>
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1. Make seafloor pressure measurements to measure volcanic inflation/deflation <br />
2. Complete Incubator experiments and collect samples of hydrothermal vent fluids for chemical and microbial analyses <br />
3. Explore the volcano to observe, sample and document the physical and biological impacts of the April 2015 eruption including new lava flows, ash, hydrothermal plumes, and micobial oraganisms<br />
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<b>Pressure Measurements (Goal 1) </b><br />
Bill Chadwick and Scott Nooner are both happy with the pressure dives (J2-823 and J2-824) during which a mobile pressure recorder (MPR) on ROV Jason collected data at 10 benchmarks (see map). Bill said this data, and data from the bottom pressure recorders (BPRs; installed two years ago and recovered during this expedition), are all of very high quality. Scott loves to process the data and is already starting to make corrections such as tidal influence so he and Bill can start to consider inflation rates since the April 2015 eruption in their ongoing work to characterize the movement of magma beneath the volcano. Matt Fowler was able to get the BPRs turned-around from instrument recovery to downloading data and installing new batteries, to re-deploying them back to the seafloor (image left), to continue monitoring the inflation and deflation of the volcano. Glenn Sasagawa’s work with the self-calibrating pressure recorder (SCPR) will continue once he’s back at Scripps, where he will process the data the SCPR collected for the last two years, and also work on improving the instrument and its ability to survive at the ocean floor for future deployments.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Kevin and Ryan prepare the RAS sampler for its year on the seafloor at Axial Seamount</td></tr>
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<b>Hydrothermal Vent Chemistry: CTD and RAS (Goals 2and 3) </b><br />
The CTD casts were a success, with four vertical casts and four tow-yo casts over known vents as well as over the 2015 lava flows where new vents might occur. CTD data and samples will be analyzed at University of Washington by Nathan Buck and Rachel Spietz and other colleagues back on shore. Nathan’s CTD water samples will be used to characterize the plume in terms of He isotopes, metals, methane and dissolved ionic compounds. Rachel will focus on the microbes that live in the water column just above the hydrothermal plumes. Analyses of proteins in the plume will help her characterize the metabolic processes of the microbial organisms. Dave Butterfield looks forward to learning the results of Nathan and Rachel’s analyses because the new plume locations and compositions are not obviously directly linked to new lava flows, but he says the complexity of trying to interpret the plumes is part of what makes science challenging, exciting, and keeps him coming back to Axial Seamount year after year. <br />
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The remote access sampler (RAS; see image above right) that was set up by Kevin Roe, will collect samples approximately once a week for the next year when the samples will be retrieved. RAS data will help Dave and Kevin understand the longevity of the hydrothermal vents as well. Much of Dave and Kevin’s work was also aimed at the sampling of vent fluids during the Jason dives.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave and Ben prepare hydrothermal vent fluid samples</td></tr>
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<b>Life at the Hydrothermal Vents (Goals 2 and 3)</b><br />
Dave Butterfield attributes much of the success of the incubator to the hard work of Ryan Wells and Ben Larson in engineering and preparing the incubator to collect and analyze samples on the seafloor. Once the incubators were back on board, Ben collected gas from each sample (right), then the microbiology group extracted their samples for experiments that parallel those completed in the incubator on the ocean floor. Emily Reddington (below right) and Chris Algar (below left) filtered hydrothermal vent samples over pre-determined time periods, just as was done in the incubator. Microbes collected on filters of both sample sets will be analyzed once back at the Marine Biological Lab in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Chris acknowledges that there is still a lot of lab work to be completed, but is excited to learn the results of analyses started here on the ship. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" colspan="2" style="text-align: center;">Emily (right) and Chris (left) prepare samples for incubator experiments</td></tr>
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Graduate student Begum Topçuoğlu and her advisor, Jim Holden have also processed microbes from hydrothermal vent fluids, and are pleased with the number and quality of samples they were able to collect while at sea. On board, they successfully cultured thermophilic (organisms that live in approximately 55°C water) and hyperthermophilic (live above 80°C) organisms, some of which are methanogens (they produce CH4) and others produce sulfur. Begum has numerous analyses to complete once back in the lab, but she and Jim are excited to learn the results of the parallel incubator experiments, which Begum calls revolutionary in terms of learning more about sampling microbes in the high pressure environment of the ocean floor. <br />
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<b>The 2015 Lava Flows (Goal 3)</b><br />
In addition to originally planned research at Axial Seamount, the 2015 expedition became unexpectedly well-timed for exploring the geological, chemical and biological effects of the April 2015 eruption. As noted in <a href="http://axial2015.blogspot.com/2015/08/last-2-jason-dives.html">previous blogs</a>, a variety of flow morphologies were observed on the 2015 flows and expert piloting of the ROV Jason facilitated the collection of nearly 30 rock samples from the 2015 lava flows (below right). In addition, a sample of ash was “slurped” from the surface of one of the pressure campaign benchmarks (AX-101, below right). Jenny Paduan has prepared the samples for further chemical analyses to help characterize the lavas in terms of compositional variations with previous eruptions, which will provide a larger idea of the chemical processes of the magma at depth. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" colspan="2" style="text-align: center;">Rock sample (right) and ash (left) collected from the 2015 eruption</td></tr>
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Exploration of the lava flows was facilitated by maps generated by AUV Sentry missions in and around the caldera. High resolution maps processed from AUV data have already revealed details of the lava flows such as channels that have been filled in with 2015 flows and <a href="http://axial2015.blogspot.com/2015/08/making-lava-maps.html">collapse features</a>. Multibeam surveys also discovered new areas covered with 2015 lava that were previously unknown on the NE rim of the caldera. No fissures that would have fed the flows have been identified thus far, but that area will likely be targeted for wider surveys in future expeditions. Multibeam maps will also be used to better understand the inflation and deflation of Axial Seamount in the future because the vertical movements of the seafloor are large enough to detect by repeated surveys. These data are yet another significant contribution to understanding the most recent eruption as well as the dynamics of this very active submarine volcano.<br />
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Here is an interesting perspective of the R/V Thompson passing through the locks and Lake Union before docking at the University of Washington:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Axial Seamount 2015 Expedition video of the R/V Thompson passing through the locks and Lake Union, and arriving at the pier at the University of Washington in Seattle at the end of our expedition. Video by Jesse Crowell in association with Saskia Madlener at 77th Parallel Productions. </td></tr>
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VentsProgramAtSeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425243077335730082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725537560520694711.post-54005523860201135042015-08-28T16:24:00.002-07:002015-08-28T16:24:46.631-07:00Last 2 Jason Dives<b>August 28, 2015</b><br />
By Rachel Teasdale<br />
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<b>Weather</b><br />
Bright but overcast skies with calm wind (approximately 10 knots) and calm seas.<br />
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<b>What’s happening today? </b><br />
Last night the last ROV Jason dive of the cruise ended by looking at 2015 lavas of the NRZ at midnight. We’re currently in transit back to Seattle, with an expected arrival at the University of Washington dock at 10 AM Saturday August 29.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Bathymetric map of Axial Caldera and hydrothermal vent fields visited during dive J2-825.</td></tr>
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<b>Last 2 Jason Dives</b><br />
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<b>J2-825</b><br />
Following the successful of the pressure dives (J2-823 and 824) and a quick turnaround by the Jason crew, dive J2-825 was launched Wednesday morning at the Marker 33 Vent in the southeast part of the caldera. This vent has been active since before the 1998 eruption and vent samples have been collected there nearly continuously, making it one of the best time-series sites in the caldera. Fluid samples were collected for the second round of <a href="http://axial2015.blogspot.com/2015/08/incubator-experiments.html">incubator experiments</a> and for chemical analysis and microbial culturing on the ship. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Sampling fluids at Marker 33 Vent for the second incubator experiments during dive J2-825.</td></tr>
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Following the fluid sampling, Jason transited to the NE caldera rim where we explored more of the 2015 lava flows that we had not yet seen or sampled. We targeted this area because some of the earlier CTD tow-yos above NE rim of the caldera (<a href="http://axial2015.blogspot.com/2015/08/ctd-tow-yo.html">see CTD blog</a>) had revealed high turbidity and multi-layered hydrothermal plumes above the seafloor, suggesting that 2015 lavas, or perhaps new hydrothermal vents, were emitting vent fluids. We spent several hours exploring the NE caldera rim and sampling the 2015 lava flows along the North Rift Zone (NRZ).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" colspan="2" style="text-align: left;">Jumbled surface (left) and ropy surface (right) on 2015 lava flows on the NE caldera rim (J2-825).
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQF1ICVGvwO5MXKK6fp6Vp1LuVcqDgh_GCFNaKqa4xmzBJtUGXwoSpS3bdbokZjD0y-Nkx3ha-bQysh1mK6NjwCtqNHook5i1Ojimaz95rV9dDbFeE1pZhRVhdUKQpGru-8SIRVjgEQU/s1600/SubSea1_20150827_082315_collapsedFlowSa_FIG4rt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQF1ICVGvwO5MXKK6fp6Vp1LuVcqDgh_GCFNaKqa4xmzBJtUGXwoSpS3bdbokZjD0y-Nkx3ha-bQysh1mK6NjwCtqNHook5i1Ojimaz95rV9dDbFeE1pZhRVhdUKQpGru-8SIRVjgEQU/s200/SubSea1_20150827_082315_collapsedFlowSa_FIG4rt.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" colspan="2" style="text-align: center;">Collapsed areas of 2015 lava flows (J2-825).
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Eight lava samples were collected for geochemistry and Polonium (Po) isotope dating that could provide precise ages of the samples to constrain the timing of the emplacement of lavas, possibly within the day or week of the eruption. Such precision will help constrain the eruption and emplacement dynamics and rates of lava flow emplacement. These 2015 lavas include many lava morphologies, including ropy surfaces (above upper left) jumbled flow surfaces (above upper right) and have numerous collapse areas (see lower images above). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmXsmWF8cRE2e-bSC44IGPnhmtxgu7_-hLqVe-YmynJULHVUWatet3QzCXoPgH8SxZ_ICBAHMoSPN-GGaItIbtGazjenyXe_iy3aasGTRgS4s-Vhqlm-ZOhjKkT45JVacvsCq3YO06cA/s1600/SubSea3_20150827_095038_2015PillwBudSaGEO17_FIG5rt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmXsmWF8cRE2e-bSC44IGPnhmtxgu7_-hLqVe-YmynJULHVUWatet3QzCXoPgH8SxZ_ICBAHMoSPN-GGaItIbtGazjenyXe_iy3aasGTRgS4s-Vhqlm-ZOhjKkT45JVacvsCq3YO06cA/s200/SubSea3_20150827_095038_2015PillwBudSaGEO17_FIG5rt.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" colspan="2" style="text-align: left;">Pillow lavas (left) and a pillow bud collected from 2015 lava flows (J2-825).
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Samples includes pillow lavas (image above left), sheet flows, inflated areas (above right) and a pillow bud - the branching point where a pillow formed and then branched off (see image above right). <br />
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<b>J2-826</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgClpRQ1npAQe82oUTDd_1RtoMxi0mhnjKyhoHaI9HJGnLJZQUromalAT4AVgNsOvpAlhrZ3NDvRFuxNKKwAP2pbMMSJQCRyHs4j6i_N1UaGQZE1GXo0MNst-UTb96kiPt01eunn5_sv60/s1600/RAS+stitched_FIG6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgClpRQ1npAQe82oUTDd_1RtoMxi0mhnjKyhoHaI9HJGnLJZQUromalAT4AVgNsOvpAlhrZ3NDvRFuxNKKwAP2pbMMSJQCRyHs4j6i_N1UaGQZE1GXo0MNst-UTb96kiPt01eunn5_sv60/s200/RAS+stitched_FIG6.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">RAS vent fluid sampler installed at a vent on Axial’s North Rift Zone (J2-826).</td></tr>
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The last dive of the expedition was J2-826, which focused on collecting rocks and fluids from the 2015 lava flows of the north rift zone (NRZ), continuing the exploration of the area we started during <a href="http://axial2015.blogspot.com/2015/08/first-jason-dive.html">our first Jason dive</a>.<br />
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The first task during the dive was to position the Remote Access Sampler (RAS), which is a set of water bottles that will collect vent fluid samples in a time-series over a year when the RAS will be recovered. The RAS was deployed from the ship earlier today by placing it in the water and letting it free-fall to the seafloor with weights that increase its descent rate and remain on the seafloor. On recovery, Jason will return to manually release the anchor attached to the RAS so that glass floats attached above the RAS can lift it back to the surface. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4fPlmf3CPvWr2gYO0zppJ4hNrF7Lq5eCYhf-X935CByy-AebSac7idwp6xI7SicV5ODEREpi2uy7AFz-TxdFt83yePrWv752JSwPw8HqIYFjkbC4yIN1B4lMmccHBBdXU08W4tZPzZNY/s1600/NRZ-blog-waypoints_FIG7.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4fPlmf3CPvWr2gYO0zppJ4hNrF7Lq5eCYhf-X935CByy-AebSac7idwp6xI7SicV5ODEREpi2uy7AFz-TxdFt83yePrWv752JSwPw8HqIYFjkbC4yIN1B4lMmccHBBdXU08W4tZPzZNY/s200/NRZ-blog-waypoints_FIG7.png" width="146" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Bathymetric map of Axial North Rift zone showing exploration waypoints
for dive J2-826. Only the southern half of the waypoints were visited
before the dive ended.</td></tr>
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For the rest of the dive we continued a transect across the thick 2015 lava flows on the North Rift Zone, continuing where we left off during our first Jason dive to collect samples of the 2015 lavas and any vent fluids discovered where the flows are so thick they are still cooling.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRwHMMVVbD732JBtgEnbZeXWsXCs1w98WgBjUvD0qaZ_8uhf7LcST8Q57CoPjbiYik5HZBaH-zHhg2xLpDNWjjObFVGh7aPHUS9P9y69QcgQVhBjH5DWqk7vLc6Wy5cgZt4ERKqA7GlY/s1600/SubSea1_20150828_002118_collectOrngeBactMat_bio09_FIG8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRwHMMVVbD732JBtgEnbZeXWsXCs1w98WgBjUvD0qaZ_8uhf7LcST8Q57CoPjbiYik5HZBaH-zHhg2xLpDNWjjObFVGh7aPHUS9P9y69QcgQVhBjH5DWqk7vLc6Wy5cgZt4ERKqA7GlY/s200/SubSea1_20150828_002118_collectOrngeBactMat_bio09_FIG8.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Suction sampler collecting orange bacterial mat from a site called “snow
drift” on the 2015 lavas. The two red laser dots are 10 cm apart
(J2-826).</td></tr>
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Near waypoint 5 (see map), we collected a thick orange bacterial mat using the suction sampler. Nearby, we also sampled vent fluids at a temperature of 35°C and their trapped gasses. <br />
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We continued exploring the 2015 lavas of the NRZ as long as we could before it was time to recover Jason and head for home. As usual, there is always more we would like to do if we had more time, but that’s what also keeps us coming back to Axial Seamount! We headed to the surface with lots of samples and a much better idea of the diversity and distribution of the 2015 lava flows than we started with. Next stop, Seattle!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklKwduHr7OhplnGvaiX_r3c0v6GB1UXKy_lYMV-zkeQe0_LxwoOSj53NyOEPqhp5jhfJB0g1ZdjjsONMQNzss2h7pNCOrvnZVuiiRdu792BvSkcy6YDF0v2vH57quGQTKq7NdgkMQmbo/s1600/SubSea1_20150828_055216_lastVwSeafr2015NRZ_FIG9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklKwduHr7OhplnGvaiX_r3c0v6GB1UXKy_lYMV-zkeQe0_LxwoOSj53NyOEPqhp5jhfJB0g1ZdjjsONMQNzss2h7pNCOrvnZVuiiRdu792BvSkcy6YDF0v2vH57quGQTKq7NdgkMQmbo/s320/SubSea1_20150828_055216_lastVwSeafr2015NRZ_FIG9.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Last view of 2015 lavas of the NRZ as Jason departed for the surface (J2-826).</td></tr>
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VentsProgramAtSeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425243077335730082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725537560520694711.post-34321753249806562032015-08-28T08:22:00.000-07:002015-09-08T10:44:27.143-07:00Dive 3 & 4 Highlights<b>Wednesday August 26, 2015 </b>
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By Bill Chadwick<br />
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<b>3rd and 4th Jason dives </b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zDw6ktW7AZU" width="560"></iframe>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Axial Seamount 2015 Expedition video highlights from ROV Jason dives J2-823 and J2-824, including pressure measurements on seafloor benchmarks, release of the SCPR mooring, and sampling of vent fluids and microbes from the ASHES vent field, and at Trevi, Marker 113, Vixen, and Casper vents. Video by Jesse Crowell in association with Saskia Madlener at 77th Parallel Productions. Music by James Andrew Menking
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijhKcWsBaZLQfm9c5lqtJfMWvsPQBltIEmoLXezEWteKmJU7NRgChc3EeWIPYawAB2GYzCnSe3lO3c6SU3KG0mgLd-QStV9IwijVe-EJatbo7DpYM8GmR0hWAF2oCMcBN51INkYN0riQ0/s1600/blog-benchmark-vents.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijhKcWsBaZLQfm9c5lqtJfMWvsPQBltIEmoLXezEWteKmJU7NRgChc3EeWIPYawAB2GYzCnSe3lO3c6SU3KG0mgLd-QStV9IwijVe-EJatbo7DpYM8GmR0hWAF2oCMcBN51INkYN0riQ0/s320/blog-benchmark-vents.png" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Map of vent sites and pressure benchmarks visited on dives 3 and 4 (J2-823 and J2-824).</td></tr>
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The 3rd and 4th Jason dives (J2-823 and J2-824) were mainly to conduct the pressure measurements described in the <a href="http://axial2015.blogspot.com/2015/08/pressure-dive.html">Pressure Dive blog post</a>. However, during the last transect of the dive we released the SCPR (self-calibrating pressure sensor) mooring and also visited some of the hydrothermal vent sites that we had not yet had a chance to visit. This allowed us to sample the vent fluids and microbes at these vents to continue our long-term time series and to look for changes in chemistry or microbial communities that might be due to the 2015 eruption. We also recovered and deployed long-term temperature recorders in some of these vents.<br />
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This movie of dive highlights includes views of these vent sites: Virgin and Anemone in the ASHES vent field, Trevi and Spanish Steps in the eastern caldera, and Marker 113, Vixen and Casper vents in the southern caldera.<br />
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<br />VentsProgramAtSeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425243077335730082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725537560520694711.post-51502841920487542972015-08-27T17:15:00.000-07:002015-08-28T08:06:35.459-07:00Making Lava Maps<b>Wednesday August 26, 2015 </b><br />
By Rachel Teasdale<br />
<b><br />Weather: </b><br />
Overcast skies with blustery winds (up to 20 knots) and moderate (swells of 6-8 ft).<br />
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<b>What’s happening today? </b><br />
ROV Jason launched this morning on the last incubator experiment dive; AUV Sentry was launched this afternoon and a bottom pressure recorder (BPR) was acoustically released from the seafloor and recovered this evening. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 236px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUgFaWcoyPt2zP3aScLiN_ITY4kDXY3USSfhRugy3hQ0Rv77cw9EdPLxIr3fcq27E_mWIE-180b1clTSHwBggAyR9ux53jA_ZPU1L2i11s37ikPgOecDvuLswckDY8n3TpUBaaWqHx4U/s1600/AxialBathymetryMap_2015Lavas_FIG1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUgFaWcoyPt2zP3aScLiN_ITY4kDXY3USSfhRugy3hQ0Rv77cw9EdPLxIr3fcq27E_mWIE-180b1clTSHwBggAyR9ux53jA_ZPU1L2i11s37ikPgOecDvuLswckDY8n3TpUBaaWqHx4U/s320/AxialBathymetryMap_2015Lavas_FIG1.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Bathymetric map of Axial white box shows area discussed in high resolution maps discussed below.</td></tr>
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<b><br />Making Lava Maps</b><br />
To make a map of a volcano or other feature above sea level can be done using direct observations and GPS to record geologic features directly on a base map. Unfortunately, it’s not so easy at sea, where neither light nor satellite communications penetrate the deep ocean. Even the strong lights of the ROV Jason only penetrate 10-20 m (32-64 ft). Instead, sound waves, which are transmitted through water, are used for mapping the bathymetry of the ocean floor. <br />
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Bathymetric maps show the depth to the seafloor and at Axial Seamount they reveal the caldera, Axial’s rift zones and other topographic features (see map). Bathymetry is represented using color coding to distinguish high areas (shallow depths in warm colors) from low areas (deeper depths in cool colors). This “underwater topography” is similar to a map used to find ones way along a hiking trail, but shows the topography of the seafloor instead. <br />
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However, the resolution of bathymetric maps depends on how close to the seafloor the sonar data are collected. Sonars on ships can map about at 30-m resolution at this depth (1500 m), whereas sonars on underwater vehicles, which can “fly” much closer to the seafloor, can map at 1-m resolution. A high-resolution map is like focusing a blurry picture – it allows you to see much more detail. <br />
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As noted in the previous <a href="http://axial2015.blogspot.com/2015/08/auv-sentry.html">AUV Sentry blog</a> , Sentry uses its multibeam sonar to map the seafloor using a pre-programmed set of tracks that have it systematically fly over the floor of the caldera in an overlapping zig-zag pattern, like “mowing the lawn,” with each strip overlapping the next for thorough coverage. Once AUV Sentry returns to the ship, data from the mapping survey is processed to build bathymetric maps. To convert data into the maps, Jenny Paduan of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) processes the data to remove tides and other navigational effects to precisely represent seafloor depths on a bathymetric map.<br />
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On this cruise, the multibeam sonar mapping is helping to map the location of new lava flows, and the resolution is good enough to describe the morphology of those flows, which can be used to extract the volume of lava erupted, the style and the rate of emplacement. For instance, recent mapping in the caldera has allowed a better view of the lava flows erupted there in April 2015. While lights on ROV Jason can show geologists a view of approximately 10 m (32 ft) in front of the vehicle, Jenny’s maps with AUV data reveal high resolution views of much larger areas. <br />
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An example of this resolution is in a series of maps below. On the left is a map of an area in the NE part of the caldera (see location box in map at top of this page), mapped before the April 2015 eruption. Jenny generated the middle map from AUV Sentry data from August 2015. Areas in the white boxes (A and B) are notably different from the pre 2015 eruption map, as seen in the Difference map on the right, which is developed by subtracting the “Before Eruption” data from the “After Eruption” data. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKRnSDVzD8IqBHwdzN78Nhs4z_ny8lm-qVS7l5MH9QjJhp90G8w4Ad-h2Uq3P4Pk0XSU94qSvVdgT5dkG63yE7O90T_IDqi2QJmKVicDd_0jGQckLwZyKg8rppnX3AfKlFs0QJdGnVPU/s1600/Sentry338_v_MBARIAUV_forWeb_Jenny_annotatedv2_FIG2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKRnSDVzD8IqBHwdzN78Nhs4z_ny8lm-qVS7l5MH9QjJhp90G8w4Ad-h2Uq3P4Pk0XSU94qSvVdgT5dkG63yE7O90T_IDqi2QJmKVicDd_0jGQckLwZyKg8rppnX3AfKlFs0QJdGnVPU/s400/Sentry338_v_MBARIAUV_forWeb_Jenny_annotatedv2_FIG2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Maps of small area in the NE caldera (shown in white box in map at top
of blog, before the 2015 eruption (left), after the eruption (middle)
and the difference between the two maps (right) and image of an example
of a small collapse pit in a lava flow (right). Details described in the
text; maps courtesy of Jenny Paduan, MBARI</td></tr>
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The area enclosed by Box A contains a new flow lobe emplaced during the 2015 eruption and is shown at a larger scale in the image below (left), which also reveals a collapse area at the center of the large flow. An example of a much much smaller but similar collapse is shown below right. <br />
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Similarly, the area enclosed in Box B was filled with narrow flow lobes and channels (“Before Eruption”) but those channels are now filled in and flattened out by the 2015 lavas. This can also be seen in the “Difference” map, which depicts more shallow areas (higher sea floor topography shown with warmer colors) after the eruption. <br />
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Box C in the “After Eruption” map above is shown at larger scale in the map below (left), which reveals a top-view of vertical pillars that were once channels for water to flow vertically though the lava flow. Those vertical channels were preserved when the molten interior of the flows drained, leaving the pillars left standing in the flow field (see image below right). <br />
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The high resolution multibeam sonar data collected by AUV Sentry allows fine details of new lavas to be resolved in the resulting maps. While ROV Jason can photograph similar features, it cannot access the extensive areas that AUVs can map, so often the AUV maps are used to identify features that merit detailed exploration with ROV Jason. The combination of widespread, high resolution mapping is a critical contribution to the characterization of the distribution of the 2015 lava flows, yet another important step towards understanding this active submarine volcano. <br />
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In addition to creating high-resolution bathymetric maps, another goal of the sonar mapping by AUV Sentry is to look for changes in seafloor depth due to deformation related to inflation and deflation since previous surveys were collected. This data will be used to complement the <a href="http://axial2015.blogspot.com/2015/08/pressure-dive.html">pressure measurements</a> and expand the spatial coverage of the deformation measurements in the future.<br />
<br />VentsProgramAtSeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425243077335730082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725537560520694711.post-30941209130189898142015-08-25T23:04:00.001-07:002015-09-08T10:44:51.965-07:00Facilitating Science<b>Tuesday August 25, 2015
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By Rachel Teasdale
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<b>Facilitating Science: </b><br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="FacilitatingScience"></a>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Axial Seamount 2015 Expedition video showing how the R/V Thompson supports all the various science operations at sea. Video by Jesse Crowell in association with Saskia Madlener at 77th Parallel Productions. Music by James Andrew Menking
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The R/V Thompson Crew
The crew of Research Vessel, Thomas G Thompson (see image below) operated by the University of Washington is a dedicated group of mariners who are keen on ensuring that the ship serves as a floating research station where diverse scientific research projects can be completed successfully and efficiently. Each crew member brings their expertise and creativity to accomplishing tasks dreamed up by scientists on the cutting edge of Marine Geology, Biology, Chemistry, Engineering and more.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJE4G_eqA8mZBmfa54oYoKVZWB17r2PLW248sC6mJcBSjynfr_I6uhshIR4jIm4fTvwCqjS8MT47_rjJABPQrW4SNWahEvWygqEcQUob8dFG6T6Rm6bsFebe3xlp5b-Hfo9tKpumP0LU/s1600/IMG_1572_Thompson_FIG1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJE4G_eqA8mZBmfa54oYoKVZWB17r2PLW248sC6mJcBSjynfr_I6uhshIR4jIm4fTvwCqjS8MT47_rjJABPQrW4SNWahEvWygqEcQUob8dFG6T6Rm6bsFebe3xlp5b-Hfo9tKpumP0LU/s400/IMG_1572_Thompson_FIG1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">R/V Thompson in port on Friday August 14, 2015 just prior to departing Seattle, WA.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Chief Mate Bree Ogden- Bennett on the bridge of the R/V Thompson.</td></tr>
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The crew on this expedition is led by Captain Russell DeVaney who is essentially responsible for everything that happens on the ship, but he considers his most important task to be the safe operation of the ship and scientific activities. The team of ship’s Mates stand navigational watches around the clock to keep the ship on course.<br />
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Chief Mate Bree Ogden-Bennett, a graduate of the California Maritime Academy, has worked at sea for six years. Among her many duties, she stands navigational watch (see photo right) and oversees all deck operations. One advantage of working on research vessels for Bree is that the point of her work is to conduct operations at sea, whereas other maritime industries are focused on racing from port to port. Bree, Second Mate Tom Drake, and Third Mate Josh Woodrow stand two four-hour watches each day (e.g. noon to 4pm and midnight to 4am). In addition to standing watch on the bridge, Tom also maintains navigational information and nautical logs.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Z -drive propeller (from R/V Thompson stock images.
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With its specialized “Z-drive” propellers and dynamic positioning system the ship can maintain position with great precision, which is necessary for ROV Jason to work on the seafloor. The Z-drives allow the ship’s propellers to face any direction, for 360° propulsion (see photo left). With the help of the bow-thruster for lateral positioning, the ship can move in any direction or hold a specific position, even against the wind and waves. The Z-drives and the ship’s engines are maintained by the eight member- Engineering Department, led by Chief Engineer, Mark Johnson. Oiler, Mario Yordan runs the diesel engines that produce power to run generators that power the ship.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Mario Yordan inspects the engines.</td></tr>
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Third Engineer Doug O’Neill oversees the water for the ship, which is desalinated seawater. He first sends seawater through a strainer then pumps it at high pressure through five stages of reverse osmosis in which the salt is removed from the water. The final purification comes from a dose of 0.3 ppm chlorine. The ship can make 4,000 gallons each day and can store up to 12,000 gallons, but Doug says we typically only use 3,000 gallons per day. The ship undergoes almost constant preventative maintenance, but the Engineering Department has a machine shop in which almost any part on the ship can be fixed.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Reverse osmosis system converts sea water to drinking water.</td></tr>
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Deck operations include launching and recovering instruments with cranes and winches as well as assisting AUV Sentry and ROV Jason launches and recoveries. Dana Africa has worked as one of the able-bodied seamen (AB) on the R/V Thompson for nearly eight years. She and five other on the deck crew says the job is to “sweep, swab, paint, chip, run cranes and winches and sometimes steer the ship.”
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In some cases scientists at sea attempt to use existing methodologies in new ways or are inventing brand new methods for investigating biological, geological and chemical characteristics of the world’s oceans. Brandi Murphy and Jen Nomura help facilitate their work as marine techs on the R/V Thompson.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ1h7C5oRaTqWm6nXW8U9eHhsxON6DA9IcMRS19RXWvukc-ENnumqgZgpxacwr1xXbBHy2fOz-hWvFKRYuLTsXQr5VDO9qpjHV-UNNJj216IYJtYGsrWBsHE3Gr4RgITbk37LdqCN4ETw/s1600/DSCN0652_Deck%252BSentryCrew_FIG6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ1h7C5oRaTqWm6nXW8U9eHhsxON6DA9IcMRS19RXWvukc-ENnumqgZgpxacwr1xXbBHy2fOz-hWvFKRYuLTsXQr5VDO9qpjHV-UNNJj216IYJtYGsrWBsHE3Gr4RgITbk37LdqCN4ETw/s320/DSCN0652_Deck%252BSentryCrew_FIG6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">AUV Sentry recovery with Bree (white hard hat), Brandi (in her pink hard
hat), AUV Sentry Group (blue hard hats) and R/V Thompson deck crew
(white and orange hard hats, and in the crane)
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They help scientists do their work on the ship and serve as the liaisons between the ship’s crew and science party. Most days Brandi and Jen spend time on deck (see photo right) helping launch or recover vehicles and instruments for work on the ocean floor. Brandi is familiar with the scientific equipment from her work on research expeditions in graduate school. She and Jen help develop and implement work plans to deploy or recover sensitive instruments.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Chief Steward India Grammatica with one of the mess crew’s delicious meal.
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In addition to accomplishing scientific goals, a constant morale booster comes from the kitchen. Not only are India Grammatica, Liz Zacharias and Kelly Darrah always happy and outgoing, their food is amazing. When not talking about science, the main topic of conversation usually pertains to the previous and next meals - or both!
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The science team of the Axial Seamount 2015 Expedition is grateful for the hard work and dedication contributed by these folks, and all of the R/V Thompson crew who ensure the success of the scientific goals of our work at sea.
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<br />VentsProgramAtSeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425243077335730082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725537560520694711.post-54632379855151582802015-08-25T14:50:00.000-07:002015-08-25T15:57:08.699-07:00Forecasting Eruptions<b>Tuesday August 25, 2015 </b><br />
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<b>Weather: </b><br />
Overcast skies with calm winds (less than 15 knots) and relatively calm seas (swells of 6-8 ft).<br />
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<b>What’s happening today? </b><br />
ROV Jason continues with the last stages of the pressure dive and has resumed collecting fluid samples where hydrothermal vents are near pressure benchmarks. AUV Sentry continued mapping the caldera, then was recovered at this afternoon.<br />
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<b> Forecasting eruptions</b><br />
By Bill Chadwick<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4MIVVVXE_CgN9zko5O7cIEsNsQNp1pBRw0HnefNiKSlVjZXXSRRoq8O3uwevujYDtpru7E2-1fHavgNx9phLHC3L-hPF3IF0ZDwKwbsbQ33tSfT-mOvZM71_xV6fTTt4Gt7O8KbT3o0/s1600/Fig1-Inflation.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4MIVVVXE_CgN9zko5O7cIEsNsQNp1pBRw0HnefNiKSlVjZXXSRRoq8O3uwevujYDtpru7E2-1fHavgNx9phLHC3L-hPF3IF0ZDwKwbsbQ33tSfT-mOvZM71_xV6fTTt4Gt7O8KbT3o0/s320/Fig1-Inflation.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Graphic showing magma intruding into the volcano causing inflation.</td></tr>
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Volcanoes like Axial Seamount inflate and deflate like a big balloon in response to magma going into or out of a reservoir located beneath the summit caldera. Between eruptions the volcano slowly inflates (and the seafloor gradually rises by 10s of cm/yr) as magma is injected into the reservoir from below. Then during eruptions, the volcano rapidly deflates (and the seafloor drops by 2-3 m over a few days) as magma is removed from the reservoir to erupt as lava on the seafloor.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLv5RyEo1gxvsXVyiRCBU7F-ryBbdB4lWoakdL4ojZF2BQNb3S2r3CoQoUecJqLJgH0h8oMhbbxriAvfwtri4W7TgzQ6c0KFJg8aFKFFbwJ-McwdUgyegxiPUpQAjzzjvozYNyn2uLsI8/s1600/Fig2-Deflation.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLv5RyEo1gxvsXVyiRCBU7F-ryBbdB4lWoakdL4ojZF2BQNb3S2r3CoQoUecJqLJgH0h8oMhbbxriAvfwtri4W7TgzQ6c0KFJg8aFKFFbwJ-McwdUgyegxiPUpQAjzzjvozYNyn2uLsI8/s320/Fig2-Deflation.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Graphic showing magma erupting to the surface of the volcano, causing deflation.</td></tr>
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The pressure measurements we are making during the current Jason dive measure this vertical movement at many locations on the volcano and they are useful in several ways. They allow us to estimate the depth, size, and shape of the magma reservoir that is pushing the seafloor up and down from below. For example, from the depths determined by the pressure measurements we know the magma reservoir is located a few kilometers (~1 mile) below the seafloor and is centered on the caldera. We can also use the measurements to estimate the supply rate of magma into (or out of) the reservoir. For example, we know that the magma supply at Axial has been continuous for the last 18 years, but the rate of that supply has changed with time. After the 2011 eruption the supply rate was 4 times larger than before the 2011 eruption. That is why the time interval between the 2011-2015 eruptions was shorter (4 yrs) compared with the previous interval (13 yrs between 1998-2011). The inflation and deflation measurements can also be used to anticipate when the next eruption might occur.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 400px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDgyGGWbYOEOGuZowrxxglTDps70kTydqGOVPJvYZ8x_mN00oNfrwq68Pg3wT05YJLLlqkH5xaY_-vfycHlJxw3JS1sb9Ochp5FsbjS5joMdhFk9OLPg1aSB6Ko54qOm1lJffVopZDjs/s1600/Fig3-Axial_forecast_2015.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDgyGGWbYOEOGuZowrxxglTDps70kTydqGOVPJvYZ8x_mN00oNfrwq68Pg3wT05YJLLlqkH5xaY_-vfycHlJxw3JS1sb9Ochp5FsbjS5joMdhFk9OLPg1aSB6Ko54qOm1lJffVopZDjs/s400/Fig3-Axial_forecast_2015.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Plot of bottom pressure recorder (BPR) mobile pressure measurement data
(MPR) with time, showing repeated pattern of rapid deflation during
eruptions (drop of the seafloor), followed by slow inflation between
eruptions (uplift of the seafloor). These data plus the MBARI AUV data
allowed us to forecast an eruption in 2015.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To attempt to forecast eruptions at Axial, we’ve used the simple idea that the volcano should be ready to erupt again when its level of inflation reaches the same threshold it reached when the previous eruption was triggered. That idea is based on the concept that as the magma reservoir inflates with magma, the pressure inside gradually builds (like more and more air forced into a balloon). Eventually the pressure gets so high that magma forces its way out of the reservoir (like a balloon popping or springing a leak). That’s when an eruption happens. Of course, not all volcanoes are that “well behaved,” and their pattern of inflation and deflation is not necessarily repeatable or predictable from one eruption to the next. But we wondered if a submarine volcano like Axial might have a predictable pattern since the ocean crust is so thin and the magma “plumbing system” is relatively simple. Once we started measuring the pattern of inflation and deflation at Axial we decided to give it a try.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 400px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrPI2_QxKHM18s1WEXTZrOP6-EgLomFZ4OkbOPA_4TwqYbHFtvq183z0KQuLpIJVOCWS6EiEGq9KVB6j9rLjV5bXoqwFNBssklpwsyqhYpLZTKaxf0ahoarKT8xYQeKkP-yZK1ETqwZM/s1600/Fig4-Axial_geodetic_time_series_2015-Apr.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrPI2_QxKHM18s1WEXTZrOP6-EgLomFZ4OkbOPA_4TwqYbHFtvq183z0KQuLpIJVOCWS6EiEGq9KVB6j9rLjV5bXoqwFNBssklpwsyqhYpLZTKaxf0ahoarKT8xYQeKkP-yZK1ETqwZM/s400/Fig4-Axial_geodetic_time_series_2015-Apr.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Same plot as above with deflation pressure data that was recorded during the 2015
eruption by an instrument on the Ocean Observatories Initiative Cabled
Array network (in orange). We are collecting data during the Axial
Seamount 2015 expedition that will more closely tie data recorded during
the April 2015 eruption to the previous time-series. More information
at: <a href="http://pmel.noaa.gov/eoi/axial_blog.html">pmel.noaa.gov/eoi/axial_blog.html</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our first attempts were complicated by the fact that we started with a gap in the pressure data after the 1998 eruption and our early ROV-based pressure measurements had relative high errors as we learned how refine the technique. Despite those uncertainties, in 2006 we made a forecast that we thought Axial would erupt again “before 2014”. Our anticipated eruption occurred in 2011 – and even though the forecast window was pretty wide (several years), we were encouraged by this success. Since then, our measurement techniques have continued to improve, which allowed us to make a forecast with a narrower time window before the 2015 eruption. In September 2014, we issued a forecast that Axial would erupt again sometime in 2015, and that eruption occurred in late April. Another success! A critical piece of information to that successful forecast was repeat bathymetry by our colleagues at MBARI with their AUV that showed that the rate of inflation we had measured with our pressure sensors in 2013 was continuing into 2014. Our hope is that by studying how eruptions can be forecast at Axial Seamount we will learn valuable lessons that can be applied to predicting volcanic eruptions on land.<br />
<br />
To learn more about the 2015 Axial eruption, see the <a href="http://axial2015.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-2015-eruption.html#MonitoringAxial">video</a> from the <a href="http://axial2015.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-2015-eruption.html">earlier posting</a> about the eruption. VentsProgramAtSeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425243077335730082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725537560520694711.post-87966263542983682962015-08-24T18:24:00.000-07:002015-08-24T18:24:26.480-07:00Skyping from Sea<b>Monday August 24, 2015 </b><br />
By Rachel Teasdale<br />
<br />
<b>Weather</b><br />
Bright but overcast skies with moderate wind (5-15 knots) and relatively calm seas (swells of 6-8 ft).<br />
<br />
<b>What’s happening today? </b><br />
<br />
Many of us awoke this morning to find Jason on the deck, which was not planned. At approximately 3:00 this morning a problem with the hydraulic system of the sample basket (where the mobile pressure recorder is stowed) developed, which forced the dive to end early. Fortunately the Jason group was able to fix the problem quickly and Jason was back in the water at noon to continue the long dive to measure pressure at a series of ten benchmarks. We’re on the third and final circuit of the campaign. AUV Sentry was launched this afternoon on a mission to continue multibeam sonar mapping of the caldera.<br />
<br />
<b>Skyping from Sea</b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 320px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1V300Vrix3mqcgj8tFYfIl2Ng18MV0uPP5-vvkv3yD46_kFdlLitaLH7Ac_XzLgTSofGRHR7aJ6RNizxT1OcXd0NK-_qt1H9A9h40dkaftnl28w8iRoE2YZl5YZEBj1Z_j8QImQdFsQ/s1600/DSCN0627_cp_FIG1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1V300Vrix3mqcgj8tFYfIl2Ng18MV0uPP5-vvkv3yD46_kFdlLitaLH7Ac_XzLgTSofGRHR7aJ6RNizxT1OcXd0NK-_qt1H9A9h40dkaftnl28w8iRoE2YZl5YZEBj1Z_j8QImQdFsQ/s320/DSCN0627_cp_FIG1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Chemist Dave Butterfield (Univ Washington/NOAA), geologist Bill Chadwick
(Oregon State University/NOAA, and microbiologist Jim Holden
(University of Massachusetts, Amherst) talk via Skype video connection
with students at Lindhurst High School in Marysville, CA. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Working at a volcano that is 1.5-2.2 km (0.9-1.3 mi) under the sea might be difficult to imagine for non-scientists, but to encourage broader understanding of the type of work we’re doing and the various instruments we use, we have been talking to school-aged groups by Skype while at sea. Following a similar program we began in 2013, we organized Skype calls with west coast middle and high school classrooms, summer camps, and with the Visitor’s Center at the Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) in Newport, Oregon. <br />
<br />
During the Skype calls, scientists on board the Thompson at Axial Seamount can conduct a video call to shore, more than 400 km (250 mi) away via the ship’s satellite-based internet. In spite of the distance, scientists and engineers on board the Axial Seamount 2015 Expedition have been able to share some of their science goals for the cruise, provide updates of some of the progress we’ve made, and then answer questions. <br />
<br />
Chief Scientist, Bill Chadwick, microbiologist Jim Holden, and chemist Dave Butterfield are often on the Skype calls to explain their work here at Axial Seamount and also some of the research they’ll continue to do once back at their home institutions. The majority of time during the calls is spent answering questions from kids with whom we are Skyping. <br />
<br />
Teachers prepare their students to talk with scientists by having them read the cruise blog entries (<a href="http://axial2015.blogspot.com/">http://axial2015.blogspot.com</a>). Most are curious about the ROV Jason and AUV Sentry dives, and also have more detailed questions about the 2015 lava flows and the microbes that manage to survive in the hydrothermal vent environments. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 400px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YCWaqNMJxBiaiZzVld2fNNhunpMWoP0Kdry5zKvobYaQBZyAWz-OwmiL0n2f87uorvQ-XxbhbIg_Y2kMqW3lf9UUDL2ZnzmwVrk1DbQy5o86Goom33-vHqbd6DCRW21ClbwuMYc5xf0/s1600/2015BasLobesJumbleSheet_FIG2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YCWaqNMJxBiaiZzVld2fNNhunpMWoP0Kdry5zKvobYaQBZyAWz-OwmiL0n2f87uorvQ-XxbhbIg_Y2kMqW3lf9UUDL2ZnzmwVrk1DbQy5o86Goom33-vHqbd6DCRW21ClbwuMYc5xf0/s400/2015BasLobesJumbleSheet_FIG2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: let;">2015 Axial Seamount lava morphologies, including pillows (left), jumbled flows (center) and lobate sheet flows (right).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For example, a student from Chico Junior High School in California asked Chadwick to compare the explosivity of eruptions on land with the 2015 eruption given the high water pressure in which it erupted. Chadwick answered that at Axial Seamount, lavas typically erupt in the form of thin fluid sheet flows or thicker pillow lavas (see images above) rather than explosively and drew some comparisons to other volcanoes like Kilauea on the Big Island of Hawaii, and in contrast to more explosive volcanoes like Mt. St. Helens.<br />
<br />
In a conversation with the HMSC Visitor Center, a room of more than 35 visitors peppered scientists with questions ranging from the possible connections between Axial Seamount’s geologic activity and earthquake hazards along the coast, to the diversity of animal and microbial life that live at the hydrothermal vents (see image below). <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 320px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazkmCwAqdGEcglAe-MT2e8AVuWjZ-sbHNk4OzRgg8U5C-2xqMimXXU02M83BzQtXsKgdpxwpSZLpbMAvX5CUGVvYsTfGFOGro-9Ux8x10-q5FHABhkS4pkV-bQQUi7mYBvG-xbpZahuo/s1600/CASM_Tubeworms21Aug2015_2_FIG3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="102" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazkmCwAqdGEcglAe-MT2e8AVuWjZ-sbHNk4OzRgg8U5C-2xqMimXXU02M83BzQtXsKgdpxwpSZLpbMAvX5CUGVvYsTfGFOGro-9Ux8x10-q5FHABhkS4pkV-bQQUi7mYBvG-xbpZahuo/s320/CASM_Tubeworms21Aug2015_2_FIG3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Tubeworms (left) thrive on hydrothermal vent chimneys in the CASM
hydrothermal vent field where we sampled hot spring fluids during Dive
J2-822 on 21 August 2015.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In a Skype call with a STEM Marine Science Camp for girls at the Hatfield Marine Science Center, AUV Sentry engineer Loral O’Hara explained that she works with colleagues on board to process mapping data from the submersible as well as to plan future missions. Biologist Emily Reddington responded to questions to explain the work she and her colleagues do with fluid samples from the hydrothermal vents to identify and characterize the activities of specific microbes by sequencing their DNA and RNA.<br />
<br />
We all recognize that one of our duties as scientists is to explain to non-scientist what we do and why we think it’s important. These Skype calls are a great way to do that, in addition to this cruise blog. And who knows, they just might inspire the next generation of scientists to explore the natural world and try to answer important questions on land, or maybe even at sea.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />VentsProgramAtSeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425243077335730082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725537560520694711.post-23486541560407465792015-08-23T15:26:00.000-07:002015-08-25T15:50:15.134-07:00Detecting Deformation<b>Sunday August 23, 2015</b><br />
By Rachel Teasdale<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Weather </b><br />
Bright but overcast skies with calm wind and seas.
<br />
<br />
<b>What’s happening today? </b><br />
The Jason pressure dive continues for the second day. This morning the SCPR (Self Calibrating Pressure Recorder) was recovered, after two years on the seafloor. This afternoon AUV Sentry will be recovered after nearly 24 hours of mapping in the caldera.
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 320px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRa4h6GUGPkQe2fHkeytpytYPA-ralmiymTVpvVvTIbuXX5_v785NhJdTnxxyQBvssGrq0zpBMSjPF3ematSOdMR-asmBejvEMZ3pOSZJ5T2KemkacRnNzJDLpsT5hqLIzmm5KgU9cjLM/s1600/Fig1_Axial-lava-flows-2015-Map+1_crop.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRa4h6GUGPkQe2fHkeytpytYPA-ralmiymTVpvVvTIbuXX5_v785NhJdTnxxyQBvssGrq0zpBMSjPF3ematSOdMR-asmBejvEMZ3pOSZJ5T2KemkacRnNzJDLpsT5hqLIzmm5KgU9cjLM/s320/Fig1_Axial-lava-flows-2015-Map+1_crop.png" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Bathymetric map of the Axial Seamount caldera (horseshoe shape open to
the south) with north and south rift zones and lavas of the April 2015
eruption outlined with black lines.
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Detecting Deformation</b><br />
As previously discussed, the goal of the pressure dive is to use the array of the Bottom Pressure Recorders (BPRs) to precisely measure the depth of the seafloor at Axial Seamount over time. As magma moves up from deeper sources, the seafloor rises, in a process referred to as inflation. When magma erupts (or moves laterally in the volcano), the seafloor lowers, known as deflation. Following a series of pressure dives in 2011 and 2013, Bill Chadwick, Scott Nooner and their colleagues used their high precision pressure data to determine that since the 2011 eruption, Axial Seamount had inflated approximately 60 cm/yr (1.9 ft/yr).
<br />
<br />
As pressure surveys have continued to monitor the movement of magma at Axial Seamount, colleagues at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institution (MBARI) have used sonar instruments to map the surface of the seafloor. Multibeam sonar mapping like that described for AUV Sentry (< link to Sentry blog 16 August), works by emitting sound waves that are reflected from the ocean floor and returned to receivers. The time between the emitted and received reflected pulses is used to determine the distance the sonar traveled to the seafloor and back. Maps of the seafloor are color coded, usually with warm colors representing shallow (or high seafloor topography) and deeper (lower) seafloor topography represented by cool colors (see map above).
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left; width: 320px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhONUkuNaFI103AR4gFIw1WqpQ5LrSHe32xD2qvD-bbC93Iu3Qtthk-JxtCSnrCmimJxN40oKV7V69W26vZUkXE8xIP1EePhwJ3vhOJ7u9BMVQJQ-fmDU1Xi1io9in_CKUNCFiWZi9Tc/s1600/Fig2_MBARI_AUV_2006_Chadwick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhONUkuNaFI103AR4gFIw1WqpQ5LrSHe32xD2qvD-bbC93Iu3Qtthk-JxtCSnrCmimJxN40oKV7V69W26vZUkXE8xIP1EePhwJ3vhOJ7u9BMVQJQ-fmDU1Xi1io9in_CKUNCFiWZi9Tc/s320/Fig2_MBARI_AUV_2006_Chadwick.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Image of MBARI’s AUV <i>D. Allan B </i>in 2006.
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Axial Seamount is one of the few places where high resolution mapping has been completed prior to and after an eruption. Multibeam sonar surveys before and after the 2011 eruption were completed by MBARI. Their AUV, <i>D. Allan B</i> (see photo left) collected sea floor depth data with 20 cm (0.6 ft) vertical resolution. By subtracting the pre-eruption bathymetry from that collected after the 2011 eruption, they were able to detect depth changes on the sea floor that are greater than 20 cm, including the dimensions of new lava flows and locations of eruptive fissures (see maps below).
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 400px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcowd0ULiKbf3bnjSdNbKumK5ublVJYUonhsYPr8Og55XuufgZWsA79sq6ATdIVh565wNWa-9q0bXK5U5Fx2outqNaKkxDxOHMvwLMz88y3t9eayugOM-LiaTnqeyDl6Mi540mb0cMzLs/s1600/Fig3_Caress2011_Ax2011Flows_fig2cd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcowd0ULiKbf3bnjSdNbKumK5ublVJYUonhsYPr8Og55XuufgZWsA79sq6ATdIVh565wNWa-9q0bXK5U5Fx2outqNaKkxDxOHMvwLMz88y3t9eayugOM-LiaTnqeyDl6Mi540mb0cMzLs/s400/Fig3_Caress2011_Ax2011Flows_fig2cd.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Maps of 2011 Axial Seamount lava flows (c) defined from differencing of
pre- and post-eruption bathymetry. Right side (d) is 2011 bathymetry
with interpreted flow margins (black lines), eruptive fissures (red) and
lava flow channels (blue). Ashes is a hydrothermal vent field.
Topography is color coded, in m below sea level. Figure modified from
Caress et al., 2011.
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Given their success with high resolution mapping and improved data processing, David Caress and David Clague of MBARI had the idea that their multibeam sonar mapping might be able to capture the same inflation and deflation measured by Chadwick and Nooner. To test this hypothesis, Caress and the AUV, <i>D. Allan B</i> re-mapped Axial’s surface in 2014. They then subtracted the 2011 survey from their new 2014 mapping and found there had been 1.8 m (5.8 ft) of uplift at the center of the caldera in the three years between surveys, which was consistent with the deformation observed by Chadwick and Nooner from 2011-2013 using pressure sensors. Thus two independent methods for measuring the deformation of the seafloor yielded the same rates of inflation. These two methods are now being used in tandem for the first time during this expedition, because they are complimentary and together can provide new insights into the extent of deformation.
<br />
<br />
Based on the continuous inflation rates observed from 2011-2013 by the pressure sensors and the continued inflation measured by the MBARI AUV into 2014, Chadwick and Nooner were able to successfully forecast that the next eruption at Axial Seamount would occur sometime in 2015. The April 2015 eruption proved their forecast correct. We will explore more about eruption forecasting at Axial Seamount in an upcoming blog.
VentsProgramAtSeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425243077335730082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725537560520694711.post-44845508557032165082015-08-22T22:57:00.001-07:002015-09-08T10:45:20.076-07:00Pressure Dive<b>Saturday August 22, 2015 </b><br />
By Rachel Teasdale<br />
<b><br />Weather</b><br />
Overcast skies with calm wind and seas (finally!)<br />
<br />
<b>What’s happening today?</b><br />
<center>
<table align="center" style="width: 560px;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="PressureDive"></a>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SvoP4LF-Y0M" width="560"></iframe>
</td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Axial Seamount 2015 Expedition video describing the various kinds of pressure measurements being conducted on this cruise to measure inflation and deflation of the volcano. Video by Jesse Crowell in association with Saskia Madlener at 77th Parallel Productions. Music by James Andrew Menking
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 266px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPAIXMFzG3FZZGov9e3jVyQFQG6JcxNemyR4fm2Ld44W0x5Z0wCLgmUp8UexBUUjH5fIhtgsIISETNvm_GlXWNr76z2CZ3-UXhcUNoPRQ0Qym7ZaNNGOInwAbhyphenhyphen1XHmx-lxWIhjSlwIs/s1600/Axial-2013-MPR-map_FIG1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPAIXMFzG3FZZGov9e3jVyQFQG6JcxNemyR4fm2Ld44W0x5Z0wCLgmUp8UexBUUjH5fIhtgsIISETNvm_GlXWNr76z2CZ3-UXhcUNoPRQ0Qym7ZaNNGOInwAbhyphenhyphen1XHmx-lxWIhjSlwIs/s320/Axial-2013-MPR-map_FIG1.png" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Bathymetric map of Pressure Dive benchmarks and BPR locations, including reference site AX-105</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This morning the Pressure Dive began with the launch of ROV Jason approximately 8 km south of the caldera, then moved into the caldera midday. AUV Sentry was launched this afternoon for a 24 hour mapping project in the caldera.<br />
<b><br />Pressure Dive</b><br />
Today we started the Pressure Dive - this is a 3 ½ day campaign in which ROV Jason will visit 10 sites in a circuit that will be completed three times. <br />
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The depth to the seafloor can be extracted from the water pressure of the overlying water column. At the surface, atmospheric pressure is 14.5 psi (pounds per square inch) and that increases by an additional 14.5 psi every 10 m (33 ft) of water depth. Bill Chadwick and Scott Nooner use the water pressure on the seafloor to determine the precise depth of the seafloor at an array of seafloor monuments and then they look for changes in the depth of the monitored sites over time. This is important for understanding whether magma is welling up in the volcano, a process known as inflation, or if magma is moving out of the volcano, known as deflation. Prior to the April 2015 eruption, the caldera gradually inflated at a rate of 60 cm/yr (2 ft/yr) for several years, and then deflated suddenly by 2.4 m (8 ft) over just a few days during the eruption. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXpu7SxG0TT6zPX19dkauZIavX1H8eJBvlkXjN81byu6b78waea3IxT44K5QBdegtNHHAn1n5X5Gmla572I3WThJLEvaMw78JBCJqmNrFmhuFNvUeoqIQrNsdq7pfZhq2J3m48Yl6qAQ/s1600/SubSea2_20150822_225740_MiniBPR_Ax310cp_FIG2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXpu7SxG0TT6zPX19dkauZIavX1H8eJBvlkXjN81byu6b78waea3IxT44K5QBdegtNHHAn1n5X5Gmla572I3WThJLEvaMw78JBCJqmNrFmhuFNvUeoqIQrNsdq7pfZhq2J3m48Yl6qAQ/s200/SubSea2_20150822_225740_MiniBPR_Ax310cp_FIG2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Photo of mobile pressure recorder (being placed with the Jason manipulator arm) at benchmark AX-310.</td></tr>
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Pressure measurements are made at nine sites in and around the caldera. A tenth site (AX-105) is located approximately 10 km (6 mi) south of the center of the caldera and is assumed to be stable and serves as a reference site. During the pressure dive, the depth of the 9 monitoring sites in the caldera is precisely determined relative to the reference site. <br />
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Three instruments are involved in monitoring the “bottom pressure” to help Bill and Scott accurately detect vertical movements of the volcano. The pressure at the ten sites will be measured for 20 minutes per visit, during each of three circuits by ROV Jason’s “Mobile Pressure Recorder” (MPR; see image at left). Repeated measurements during the three circuits help to reduce errors in the measurements. Pressure sensors are more stable when kept at depth, so ROV Jason (and the ship) will move back and forth between each site, rather than bringing the ROV (with the pressure sensor) up and down between sites. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakggZ25nN9iqob-xeuehvkuGi6yCv-0TVauNIw0qDR_qC5BtxYJcp8h7AWV4qESrR2f__nICUIrplvV3f4J3RAsDkK_4JEtNNn3OqroEx2PgBW4CDnC6W9SM1YbmBRrsaOe8d1C0oWLM/s1600/SubSea3_20150822_164527_DeployMiniBPRAx105cp_FIG3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakggZ25nN9iqob-xeuehvkuGi6yCv-0TVauNIw0qDR_qC5BtxYJcp8h7AWV4qESrR2f__nICUIrplvV3f4J3RAsDkK_4JEtNNn3OqroEx2PgBW4CDnC6W9SM1YbmBRrsaOe8d1C0oWLM/s200/SubSea3_20150822_164527_DeployMiniBPRAx105cp_FIG3.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Photo of a mini-pressure recorder (in green and blue cylinder) and the
mobile pressure recorder (in orange housing) being placed with the Jason
manipulator arm at benchmark AX-105. </td></tr>
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A second way to measure pressure is with Bottom Pressure Recorders (BPR), which record continuously and are installed at multiple sites in the caldera and remain on the seafloor for years at a time. These battery-operated BPRs are attached to moorings with weights attached that are deployed by dropping them from the surface and letting them sink to the seafloor. When it is time to recover the BPR, an acoustic signal can be transmitted to trigger the release of the anchor, which allows the BPR and its flotation to rise back to the surface where they are retrieved by the ship. Data is downloaded from the BPRs and they are redeployed to continue the long-term measurements. Six of the ten MPR sites on the pressure dive circuit have not previously had BPRs installed, so mini-pressure recorders will be placed on the MPR benchmarks during our 2015 campaign (see image at right). The mini-pressure recorders will measure pressure for approximately two years until retrieved by a submersible during a future expedition.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4dE-kSor9qUWirxUSA5RKGeDRzt4YwvXX141v7ZXGcdTE1Se6N2dcCCehP09Cqf76nNBCDl_LBDcfAUJ6z-HnLzPRf6zqh5pdk9uskhWzyRZw1Vz07terQIwKt-Ly1Jmk-_S9c696Ho/s1600/Axial_RSN_2_sm_NOAA_PMEL_OOICabled_FIG5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4dE-kSor9qUWirxUSA5RKGeDRzt4YwvXX141v7ZXGcdTE1Se6N2dcCCehP09Cqf76nNBCDl_LBDcfAUJ6z-HnLzPRf6zqh5pdk9uskhWzyRZw1Vz07terQIwKt-Ly1Jmk-_S9c696Ho/s200/Axial_RSN_2_sm_NOAA_PMEL_OOICabled_FIG5.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Bathymetric map of Axial Seamount caldera showing the cabled network (black lines), 2011 lava flows (white outlines) and locations of cabled BPR instruments (red circles) of the Ocean Observatory Initiative (OOI); from <a href="http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/eoi/rsn/">http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/eoi/rsn/</a></td></tr>
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A third set of BPRs are part of the Ocean Observatories Initiative Cabled Array, which were installed in a network of instruments in 2014 by the University of Washington. These BPRs are cabled for power and data transmission between Axial Seamount and the Oregon coast (see photo atbelow). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhexF55ZhXugG1_ZM-CmTTkZp8art-URcNjli45j29aDSBeevYXlkegLty1Fr3lrUEp06OkJcXxt8xnzGe7LxZ6un0tBoxASEq6MGXVfKUo85kmv5qUSh3Mdi29iHwkJZLQAJuaS1UfaA/s1600/Axial-BOTPT-instrument_FIG4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhexF55ZhXugG1_ZM-CmTTkZp8art-URcNjli45j29aDSBeevYXlkegLty1Fr3lrUEp06OkJcXxt8xnzGe7LxZ6un0tBoxASEq6MGXVfKUo85kmv5qUSh3Mdi29iHwkJZLQAJuaS1UfaA/s320/Axial-BOTPT-instrument_FIG4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bottom Pressure Recorder of the OOI Cabled network.</td></tr>
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The three cabled BPRs are located near benchmarks of our pressure dive transect (see photo above right and map above left). Cabled BPRs send data to shore in real-time and helped detected the April 2015 eruption. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJjVTZflEpByGk4IO9jGTx3BSHBfLHdKTfr3guVHDzHAyHfKC6Qq6j7S7oXrmIC1R9Yd9K4NJmJnFneT4au_HPdy9PZf_RLJMJEJHPPHt6oJh19azOCLqsm4za8AIVmTNsoIHpRSDZto/s1600/P1050976+SCPR_2013cp_FIG6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJjVTZflEpByGk4IO9jGTx3BSHBfLHdKTfr3guVHDzHAyHfKC6Qq6j7S7oXrmIC1R9Yd9K4NJmJnFneT4au_HPdy9PZf_RLJMJEJHPPHt6oJh19azOCLqsm4za8AIVmTNsoIHpRSDZto/s320/P1050976+SCPR_2013cp_FIG6.jpg" width="215" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Glenn Sasagawa, Bill Chadwick, and Matt Heintz in 2013 just prior to the
launch of the Self-Calibrating Pressure Recorder (SCPR) in Axial
Seamount’s caldera.</td></tr>
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Axial Seamount is also a test site for instruments under development, such as the Self-Calibration Pressure Recorder (SCPR) that Glenn Sasagawa and his colleagues at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego have developed to eliminate drift issues with pressure recorders. Glenn is looking forward to Sunday August 23rd when he plans to retrieve and download data from the experimental SCPR that was installed in the caldera during the previous ROV Jason pressure dive in 2013 (see photo below right). <br />
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The suite of pressure recorders are used collectively because the measurements of each can be compared to each other and have different strengths. The BPRs collect data continuously but the pressure sensors have a tendency to drift mechanically at a rate similar to the annual uplift of the caldera during non-eruptive stages. Data collected in the MPR campaign are used to compare and correct the BPR drift but are collected only during expeditions with submersibles like ROV Jason, so are expensive and infrequent. Measurements from the cabled network provide real-time data but are currently only available at three sites in the caldera and will not operate if power or communication is interrupted.<br />
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Use of multiple data sets that are collected at a variety of sites around the summit of the volcano provides the best possible data to help Bill, Scott, Glenn and numerous colleagues understand how the volcano inflates and deflates in response to magma supplied from below. These movements give information about how much magma is moving in or out of the volcano, how eruptions are triggered, and also can be used to forecast when the volcano is ready to erupt again.<br />
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Find more information about the OOI cabled network, see:<br />
<a href="http://oceanobservatories.org/" target="_blank">http://oceanobservatories.org/ </a><br />
and BPR data from the OOI cabled network are displayed at:<br />
<a href="http://pmel.noaa.gov/eoi/rsn/">http://pmel.noaa.gov/eoi/rsn/</a><br />
<br />VentsProgramAtSeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425243077335730082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725537560520694711.post-51685064072477369542015-08-22T13:00:00.000-07:002015-09-08T10:46:19.479-07:00Second Jason Dive<b>Friday August 21, 2015</b><br />
<b><br />Second Jason dive</b><br />
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By Bill Chadwick<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Axial Seamount 2015 Expedition video highlights from ROV Jason dive J2-822, including the first incubator experiment, sampling vent fluids from the International District vent field, exploration and sampling of the 2015 lava flow in the NE caldera, and a visit to the CASM vent field. Video by Jesse Crowell in association with Saskia Madlener at 77th Parallel Productions. Music by James Andrew Menking
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Map showing the track of Jason dive J2-822 in Axial Caldera.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 1-Marker 33 Vent area where the fluid sampler incubator samples were collected.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 2-Jason prepares to sample vent fluids at El Guapo chimney in the International District vent field.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 3-Edge of the 2015 lava flow in the NE caldera.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 4-The edge of a collapse area in the 2015 lava with lava pillars and drainout structures.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 5-Jason takes a sample of the 2015 lava flow.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 6-Chimneys covered with tubeworms at T&S Spires vent in the CASM vent field.</td></tr>
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After being kept out of the water for 3 days due to high winds, we were all happy to get ROV Jason wet again on Thursday August 20. This was only our second Jason dive at Axial Seamount on this expedition, but we were able to accomplish a lot in one dive. We started at a site called Marker 33 Vent (see map) where Jason filled the incubators on the fluid sampler to conduct the microbial growth experiments described in the previous blog post. Marker 33 Vent (FIG. 1) is notable because it has been a persistent area of diffuse hydrothermal venting on Axial’s South Rift Zone with diverse microbe populations despite being buried by lava twice. Before the 1998 eruption, the area was observed to be venting with extensive fields of lush tubeworm “communities,” but in 1998 it was buried by lava. However, soon afterward the vent site re-established itself with warm water flowing from a crack in the 1998 lava flow that was quickly re-colonized by vent animals. Then in 2011 the site was buried again by 4 meters (13 ft) of lava, but the vent site survived and once again it has been quickly re-colonized by vent animals. Because of this remarkable history, Marker 33 Vent is one of our best long-term sites where we can study how the volcano perturbs the hydrothermal systems and their biological communities.<br />
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The next stop on the dive was a vent field called the International District (FIG. 2), which has an assortment of tall sulfide chimneys, many of which are actively venting, high-temperature “black smokers.” Vent fluid samples were collected at several of these, including a 15-m tall smoker chimney named “El Guapo,” which vents mineral-laden fluid as hot as it can get – right at the boiling point for seawater (348° C) at this depth (1510 m). After sampling high-temperature vent fluids at two other gas-rich anhydrite chimneys (Diva and Castle vents) to extend chemical time-series to look for changes due to the 2015 eruption. Afterwards, Jason transited about 4 km to the north. <br />
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The second half of the dive consisted of a traverse from south to north across the 2015 lava flow that erupted in the NE part of the caldera (FIG. 3). Interestingly, this lava flow was very different in appearance from the larger and thicker 2015 flows we explored on the <a href="http://axial2015.blogspot.com/2015/08/first-jason-dive.html">first Jason dive</a>. The NE caldera flow is very thin lobate lava (in many places just 1 meter thick and less than 10 m (32 ft) at the thickest), and includes channels and collapse areas in some areas where the lava clearly flowed rapidly downslope (FIG. 4). Consequently, we saw no warm water escaping from the lava flow, apparently because it had already cooled since the eruption in April. The lava is black and glassy almost everywhere, with little or none of the “eruption mat” that was so prominent on the much thicker (and still warm) lava flows on <a href="http://axial2015.blogspot.com/2015/08/first-jason-dive.html">Axial’s North Rift Zone</a>. Also, we did not cross any obvious eruptive fissures, so presumably they were off to the side of our dive track. The detailed bathymetry that AUV Sentry collected over this lava flow may help to locate where the lava was erupted. We collected samples of the 2015 lava for chemical analysis and to compare with those from the North Rift Zone and to lavas from previous eruptions (FIG. 5).<br />
<br />
At the end of the dive we visited the CASM hydrothermal vent site (FIG. 6), which is located where the North Rift Zone intersects the caldera. The high-temperature vents at CASM are located down inside an older eruptive fissure that is 20 m (64 ft) wide and 10 m (32 ft) deep. We had not visited CASM since 2007, so it will be interesting to see if the chemistry of the vents has changed since then, especially since the 2015 eruption was located along the North Rift Zone (although no lava came out at CASM). The chimneys at CASM were spectacularly beautiful and were completely covered with lush tubeworms and other vent animals that looked like very healthy communities. If anything, the vent animals at CASM seem to have been rejuvenated from the injection of magma beneath the rift zone.<br />
<br />
<br />VentsProgramAtSeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425243077335730082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725537560520694711.post-67737341583966408922015-08-22T10:39:00.003-07:002015-09-08T10:47:05.056-07:00Incubator Experiments<b>Friday August 21, 2015 </b><br />
By Rachel Teasdale<br />
<br />
<b>Weather</b><br />
The winds and seas are much calmer than a few days ago, with 10-15 knots expected for winds, and waves back down to 3-5 ft. <br />
<br />
<b>What’s happening today?</b><br />
ROV Jason was launched yesterday and continues to collect samples in the caldera and explore 2015 lavas in the northeastern part of the caldera. Meanwhile, AUV Sentry was launched for multibeam mapping in the caldera.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="Incubator"></a>
<br />
<center>
<table align="center" style="width: 560px;"><tbody>
<tr><td><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7L_v33nTrEo" width="560"></iframe>
</td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Axial Seamount 2015 Expedition video describing the experiments being conducted by the new microbial incubator on the Hot Vent Fluid Sampler. Video by Jesse Crowell in association with Saskia Madlener at 77th Parallel Productions. Music by James Andrew Menking
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</center>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 320px;" width-320=""><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamzNjcuN2qCCaBDJfer4FzIu-d9RAoS54LC91vXAMrfnsVsT86JmIl4BuLxIsOzfzWBS0QHmTHkcFxSI05GcTY7moKCXwmITumrLjzTHEqCq64cuMxhhA7ZnVf-SpjZNYK1SNEzaylbU/s1600/SubSea3_20150821_005858_temp_Fig1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamzNjcuN2qCCaBDJfer4FzIu-d9RAoS54LC91vXAMrfnsVsT86JmIl4BuLxIsOzfzWBS0QHmTHkcFxSI05GcTY7moKCXwmITumrLjzTHEqCq64cuMxhhA7ZnVf-SpjZNYK1SNEzaylbU/s320/SubSea3_20150821_005858_temp_Fig1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">ROV Jason’s manipulator arm prepares to place a temperature probe in the low temperature hydrothermal vent, called Marker 33. </td></tr>
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<b>Incubator Experiments</b><br />
Yesterday Dave Butterfield’s chemistry group began an incubator experiment in collaboration with microbiologists on board and at the Marine Biological Lab on shore. Typically, samples of hydrothermal vent fluids are collected from seafloor vents (see image), are stored on board Jason for the remainder of the dive, then brought to the surface for analysis of the microbes. The pressure and temperature in the hot vents are much higher than on the sea surface and it’s not clear if the change in physical conditions impacts the microbes in the fluid samples. To test this, an incubator was installed on ROV Jason to collect samples and maintain their temperature while in the sample chambers on the seafloor. To simulate experiments that are usually completed onboard, samples will be “fed” nutrients and then filtered while in the incubator on Jason. A parallel set of (non-incubated) samples will be collected and brought to the surface. The same feeding and filtering experiments will be completed on the ship with water samples that have not gone through the incubator experiment process. The resulting microbial populations preserved on the filters from both the seafloor and ship-based sets of experiments will be compared to understand the effects of cooling and decreasing pressure on the microbes. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left; width: 320px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGb6knfFMDUM8ALwXw7Aq3gypW815SAC_hS4mFmRBHtQ9SoxSuJjSUFmrQEmMGCia4txepVxeO4R8gY_lA6UlZJUPnQdFRNC7DPEZYaANzaayD_Khl_kFhzT4o8rzqbPx7dS6X0gKJGuE/s1600/SubSea3_20150821_052604_saElGuapo2_cp_Fig2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGb6knfFMDUM8ALwXw7Aq3gypW815SAC_hS4mFmRBHtQ9SoxSuJjSUFmrQEmMGCia4txepVxeO4R8gY_lA6UlZJUPnQdFRNC7DPEZYaANzaayD_Khl_kFhzT4o8rzqbPx7dS6X0gKJGuE/s320/SubSea3_20150821_052604_saElGuapo2_cp_Fig2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">ROV Jason’s manipulator arm holds a hydrothermal vent fluid sampler
which collects water like a large syringe from El Guapo vent.</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_1084641147"></span><span id="goog_1084641148"></span>Jim Holden has been investigating microbes at hydrothermal vents since he was in college in the late 1980’s. Now a professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Jim and his collaborators have focused on microbes at Axial Seamount. Microbes are single-cell organisms that grow from different sources of energy, or “food,” such as gases like hydrogen (H2), sulfides (S2-) and methane (CH4). Some of Jim’s students and projects investigate the specific microbes that live in hydrothermal fluids while other students work on projects that address industrial applications of microbes, such as their use in processing dairy waste. Such microbes break down the organic molecules in the waste and produce hydrogen (H2) that can be used for energy. High incubation temperatures used in this process kills pathogens and destroys antibiotics in the milk waste. Jim notes that one of the benefits of this work is that his field sites involve ice cream. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 320px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9vRLouQU7EnjS64_7DhvhdrnJnZGWicnvmgd0vbh_fNNQMOwCrfXundvEm7OI4Ty-9qAObbiFyyu9vaHo8Md-kJwK_zscjF2yqTb8gBcdsCRpenkDnnK_ft5Shkgt8k4y8kKpFwxW6k/s1600/DSCN0684_JimBegum_Fig3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9vRLouQU7EnjS64_7DhvhdrnJnZGWicnvmgd0vbh_fNNQMOwCrfXundvEm7OI4Ty-9qAObbiFyyu9vaHo8Md-kJwK_zscjF2yqTb8gBcdsCRpenkDnnK_ft5Shkgt8k4y8kKpFwxW6k/s320/DSCN0684_JimBegum_Fig3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Begüm Topçuoğlu and Jim Holden process water samples collected from the
seafloor, which she will later analyze in labs at the University of
Massachusetts, Amherst.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Jim’s student Begüm Topçuoğlu’s research starts on the seafloor when ROV Jason collects samples from hydrothermal vents (see image at right). Fluid samples are brought to the surface where Begüm prepares them for experiments she will complete in the labs at the University of Massachusetts (see image below, right). Her research addresses three aspects of microbial life in hydrothermal vent fluids. First, she counts the total number of microbes in each sample using a microscope. Second, she grows specific kinds of microbes by introducing specific nutrients to the water to feed them or grows them at different temperatures. Begüm can distinguish the microbes that produce methane (CH4) vs. those that produce hydrogen (H2) or sulfide (S2-). This indicates the number of microbes in different functional groups. In a third set of experiments, Begüm is looking at what limits the growth of certain organisms and whether microbes might help each other grow when nutrients are limited. <br />
<br />
Jim and Begüm will use the results of the incubator experiments and those completed on the ship to “ground truth” the experiments they run on specific microbes back home in the lab.VentsProgramAtSeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425243077335730082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725537560520694711.post-79379508389728889952015-08-21T15:36:00.000-07:002015-08-21T15:36:08.141-07:00Myth-Busting<b>Thursday August 20, 2015 </b><br />
By Rachel Teasdale<br />
<b><br />Weather:</b><br />
Winds and seas have been gradually easing and are expected to be 15-20 knots with waves at 4-6 ft. <br />
<b><br />What’s happening today?</b><br />
CTD casts continued overnight in the northern part of Axial’s caldera; AUV Sentry was launched and recovered today to test some operational systems and for preliminary work along the caldera wall. We completed another CTD cast in the International District hydrothermal field, and Jason was launched this afternoon for a 24-hour dive in the caldera. <br />
<b><br />Myth-busting:</b><br />
When news of the April 2015 eruption became widely known, questions emerged regarding the possible relationship of the eruption to other geologic events. Here we address some of the questions we’ve been asked. Be sure to submit your questions to the blog using the “Send us your Questions” link at right, or here. Read on to see some of the themes that have come up already:<br />
<br />
<b><span id="goog_823191748"></span><span id="goog_823191749"></span><span id="goog_73666746"></span><span id="goog_73666747"></span>1. Will the eruption of Axial Seamount have any effect on geologic activity on the west coast, for example does it make a large earthquake more likely? </b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfinmt2rUVvLp9ZqZsuEqmBV_CB2-fzB_0mvulthAEckzcCkG-cjKHc53I6Lr3qL5a7fgo2BvLuoCB-H8BnEVCUK-JCsT1wSUn-YVfGGPWvDO3bdQQJxFp4bNg590soXQ2ucquPGH9anY/s1600/NE-Pac-landscape4_Fig1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfinmt2rUVvLp9ZqZsuEqmBV_CB2-fzB_0mvulthAEckzcCkG-cjKHc53I6Lr3qL5a7fgo2BvLuoCB-H8BnEVCUK-JCsT1wSUn-YVfGGPWvDO3bdQQJxFp4bNg590soXQ2ucquPGH9anY/s200/NE-Pac-landscape4_Fig1.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Map of Axial Seamount on the Juan de Fuca Ridge and the tectonic plates in the NE Pacific. </td></tr>
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Response: The eastern boundary of the Juan de Fuca plate is subducting beneath the North American plate off the coast of British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon and has the capacity to generate large earthquakes. Earthquakes occur as the rocks of the two plates get locked against each other, building stresses over hundreds of years that eventually get released during an earthquake. Axial Seamount is located on the western boundary of the Juan de Fuca plate (see map at right), approximately 400 km (250 mi) west of the subduction zone, which is so far away that any stresses imposed on the west side of the plate would not be transmitted to the east side (see cross section below). Thus, volcanic activity at Axial Seamount does not directly influence the earthquake hazard in the Cascadia subduction zone and does not make an earthquake there any more or less likely than before. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 400px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIux5JZm4qnXDOXgLM1SzLkQqJEHdEaBWH6eouyKjQ60RnnkUrNQA47KP79rVShIT-56v2Xuf5NDC02qaSU9cSLvT_AtOuXXwJBRa1PmbdvJeTToIaJ2Uxo200BWrNXCaISvtRabla5pA/s1600/neptune_cross_section_UWCtrEnvVis_Fig2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="71" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIux5JZm4qnXDOXgLM1SzLkQqJEHdEaBWH6eouyKjQ60RnnkUrNQA47KP79rVShIT-56v2Xuf5NDC02qaSU9cSLvT_AtOuXXwJBRa1PmbdvJeTToIaJ2Uxo200BWrNXCaISvtRabla5pA/s400/neptune_cross_section_UWCtrEnvVis_Fig2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Cross section (side view) of Axial Seamount, the Juan de Fuca spreading
ridge, and the Cascadia subduction zone. Image courtesy of the Center
for Environmental Visualization, University of Washington.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>2. When Axial erupts, could it generate a tsunami?</b><br />
Response: Tsunamis result when a large vertical movement of the ocean floor displaces the water above it suddenly, usually associated with large subduction earthquakes. The resulting wave of seawater, the tsunami, can travel across the ocean rapidly and grow to such large sizes when they hit the shore that the waves are catastrophic, as was the case in Japan after the magnitude 9.0 earthquake in 2011. Earthquakes associated with the movement of magma below Axial Seamount are generally much smaller (usually only up to magnitude 4) than any that would generate a tsunami. The vertical movements associated with inflation and deflation at the volcano is too gradual to cause a sudden displacement of water required to generate a tsunami. The elevation change of the surface of Axial Seamount during eruptions is about 2 to 3 m (6 – 10 ft), which occurs over the course of a few days, so this is too slow a movement to generate tsunami waves.<br />
<br />
<b>3. Is there any connection between the eruption at Axial Seamount and the “Warm Blob” of water in the northeast Pacific?</b><br />
The unusually warm sea surface temperatures that have characterized the northeast Pacific Ocean this year have been referred to as the “Warm Blob,” and it has disrupted the food chain off the west coast of North America since late 2013. This anomalously warm water extends from Mexico to Alaska (see map below). Since the “Warm Blog” pre-dates the eruption at Axial Seamount (which occurred in April 2015), the eruption is clearly not the cause. The sea surface temperature anomaly of 1-4 °C (2-7 °F) is also much greater than any change in water temperature that could be associated with the eruption. Heat escaping from the lava flows does heat the water near the seafloor, but it can only rise a few hundred meters above the bottom. The warm water venting from the new lava flows is buoyant and so will rise, but as it does it mixes with cold seawater and is diluted until it becomes neutrally buoyant and no longer rises. Thus, it is almost impossible for the heat from seafloor hot springs at Axial Seamount to make it to the ocean surface.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 320px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqGECzuova7XdzJiymmmpPwd52tgc3Kyx0XGAyNJ0jo_DkSaiKEKOADtM_S0bntuZNDR29dvgguB5HNm9_3R_zvk-W5nQli_A7uhpDdr96AuJpX7hRivuUF_1tAH_CMxxBa6saDN-eqZI/s1600/pacific-ocean-warm-blob-2014-e1431891705277_AltFig3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqGECzuova7XdzJiymmmpPwd52tgc3Kyx0XGAyNJ0jo_DkSaiKEKOADtM_S0bntuZNDR29dvgguB5HNm9_3R_zvk-W5nQli_A7uhpDdr96AuJpX7hRivuUF_1tAH_CMxxBa6saDN-eqZI/s320/pacific-ocean-warm-blob-2014-e1431891705277_AltFig3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Map of sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly showing the “Warm Blob” in the NE Pacific. Image from NOAA.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span id="goog_1645351417"></span><span id="goog_1645351418"></span><br />4. Would someone on a boat above Axial Seamount know it was erupting? </b><br />
A ship sailing over Axial Seamount during an eruption would not likely have any indication that anything was happening on the seafloor. The caldera is approximately 1500 m (4800 ft) below the surface and the 2015 lava flows were erupted at depths ranging from 1400-1700 m (4480-5440 ft). If the ship happened to have instruments that it could lower down to near the seafloor (like our CTD instrument package, or perhaps a hydrophone), that would be the only way to detect an eruption. Otherwise, the volcano is just too deep to detect the activity at the surface.<br />
<br />
<i><b>For more information on earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest see: </b></i><br />
USGS Hazards and Pacific Northwest Science Network: <a href="http://pnsn.org/">http://pnsn.org/</a> <br />
New Yorker: <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/07/20/the-really-big-one">http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/07/20/the-really-big-one</a> <br />
<br />
<i><b>For more information on how tsunamis are generated, see:</b></i><br />
USGS (United States Geological Survey) Tsunami Information and animations: <a href="http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/tsunami/" target="_blank">http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/tsunami/ </a> <br />
NOAA (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration) Tsunami information: <a href="http://www.tsunami.noaa.gov/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.tsunami.noaa.gov/index.html </a><br />
<i><b><br />For more information on the northern Pacific Ocean “Blob” of warm sea surface temperature, see: </b></i><br />
NOAA Sea Surface Temperature maps and information at:<br />
<a href="https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/teleconnections/enso/indicators/sea-temp-anom.php" target="_blank">https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/teleconnections/enso/indicators/sea-temp-anom.php </a><br />
<br />
VentsProgramAtSeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425243077335730082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725537560520694711.post-33819366326115333502015-08-19T22:18:00.001-07:002015-08-19T22:18:29.481-07:00The Weather<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 260px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj684iwZTanRumEA7SWRmqIiw3Vs83orGQkS_bGqFVNvETzbG33u7zhVUwx1Y_raRm_NbWvLgiRVTbunMci2o5qGpj0Jz6Ls3Xuhy86QnCcPOs7HUts82lTvgZLL5RqXc9wmYCmGAFpMgs/s1600/DSCN0611cp2_Fig1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj684iwZTanRumEA7SWRmqIiw3Vs83orGQkS_bGqFVNvETzbG33u7zhVUwx1Y_raRm_NbWvLgiRVTbunMci2o5qGpj0Jz6Ls3Xuhy86QnCcPOs7HUts82lTvgZLL5RqXc9wmYCmGAFpMgs/s320/DSCN0611cp2_Fig1.jpg" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Recovery of BPR (Bottom Pressure Recorder) originally installed at Axial in 2013.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Wednesday August 19, 2015 </b><br />
By Rachel Teasdale<br />
<br />
<b>Weather: </b>Overcast skies and moderately strong winds of about 25 knots (29 mph), with gusts up to 35 knots (40 mph); waves are 4-6 feet with swells up to 12 feet. <br />
<br />
<b>What’s happening today?</b> The weather is keeping us from launching Jason and Sentry again today, so we did a midnight CTD launch and are continuing to recover and deploy seafloor instruments (OBHs – ocean bottom hydrophones and BPRs – bottom pressure recorders). We’ll do another CTD tow-yo later this evening.<br />
<br />
As noted in previous entries, the winds have picked up and the seas have been rough, which continues to prevent the launch of the ROV Jason and AUV Sentry. Vehicle launches and recoveries require the Sentry- and Jason- group team members and numerous ship’s crew to work on the deck of the ship as cranes lift vehicles overhead while the ship is heaved up and down with the waves. In bad weather, the vehicles could potentially swing and collide with the ship, other equipment or personnel. The waves do not affect the AUV Sentry while it is in the sea, but it must be recovered within the lifespan of the batteries, so launches must be made when the window of weather is certain to allow a timely and safe recovery. The ROV Jason and Medea are tethered to the ship with a fiber-optic cable so can remain submerged for long periods of time, but large motions of the ship can cause the cable to yank on Medea which could damage the cable. Thus, the potential for damage or injury makes it not possible to use these vehicles during heavy weather. <br />
<br />
One of Chief Scientist Bill Chadwick’s many responsibilities is scheduling the individual activities of the cruise, including each of the ROV Jason and AUV Sentry dives, installation and recovery of instruments, and CTD casts. Chadwick is revising the cruise plan to maximize the research that can be accomplished during the cruise in spite of the weather. In lieu of vehicle dives, the science plan during the last few days has been altered from predominantly dive-focused work, to activities that focus on other aspects of the cruise plan. The last few days we have been able to launch and recover OBH and BPR instruments that are used in the geophysical monitoring of Axial Seamount (image above). <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left; width: 240px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_zw-r9G9q1o94Wo8MMes5wEKPKmRdL9bqcIbyv0iL1UcPeov0N8zp3sHIn15rGGl0BAtrhwtUo7ynBgxdTxSjrn9tvKpwaEWrwqD5qaeJTQmgqUt-JuvW6GLim4oEGsHklDcPhR5vmHY/s1600/DSCN0633sm_Fig2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_zw-r9G9q1o94Wo8MMes5wEKPKmRdL9bqcIbyv0iL1UcPeov0N8zp3sHIn15rGGl0BAtrhwtUo7ynBgxdTxSjrn9tvKpwaEWrwqD5qaeJTQmgqUt-JuvW6GLim4oEGsHklDcPhR5vmHY/s320/DSCN0633sm_Fig2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Emily Reddington, Chris Algar and Dave Butterfield prepare instruments for collecting vent water samples.</td></tr>
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We have also been able to complete two CTD casts and will complete another tow-yo tonight to collect water samples and measure water Conductivity, Temperature and Depth. The previously described CTD tow-yo (August 17 Blog) was used to explore the water above the still- cooling lava flows erupted in the North Rift Zone in April 2015. In contrast, last night the CTD was cast vertically over known hydrothermal vents in the caldera that have been previously sampled. This time-series will allow the science team to look for changes due to the 2015 eruption in order to better understand how plumes change chemically, physically and in their biological diversity. After these CTD casts, the chemistry and biochemistry groups are busy processing samples once the water is back on board and with preparations for the next CTD cast. <br />
Microbiologist Chris Algar has been collecting CTD water samples and will measure the activity of the microbe communities that live in the vents. Unlike humans who breathe O<sub>2</sub>, autotrophic vent microbes respire hydrogen (H<sub>2</sub>) that is concentrated in vent fluids, producing methane (CH<sub>4</sub>) as a byproduct. The vent microbes incorporate CO<sub>2</sub> to make their biomass, so to compare the activity of the vent microbes Chris measures the rate at which CO<sub>2</sub> is taken up at each vent site and can also compare that activity with the carbon uptake in non-vent sea water. Ultimately, Chris’ work can be used to help quantify the role that microbe communities in vent fluids play in the ocean’s carbon cycle.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">AUV Sentry engineers Loral O’Hara (left) prepares launch and recovery plans as Stefano Suman processes sonar data.</td></tr>
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While waiting for ROV Jason and AUV Sentry dives to resume, scientists who rely on Jason samples and AUV Sentry data keep busy with projects on board. Microbiologist Jim Holden of University of Massachusetts, Amherst uses samples collected by Jason to identify and characterize the microbes inside the hydrothermal vents. He and his graduate student Begüm Topçuoğlu collected samples during the first Jason dive (August 16-17), which have been processed and are now frozen, ready for use in experiments back in their lab. For now, Jim is working on a journal article for publication, but he is eager for Jason dives to resume so more samples can be collected in a new experimental “incubator” (see upcoming blog for more!). Similarly, marine geologist Jenny Paduan has processed the 2015 lava flow rock samples collected during the first dive (see <a href="http://axial2015.blogspot.com/2015/08/first-jason-dive.html" target="_blank">First Jason Dive</a> blog) to prepare them for later chemical analyses. Jenny is looking forward to collecting and examining more 2015 lava samples during upcoming dives.<br />
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Engineer Zach Berkowitz is busy fine-tuning upgraded vehicle systems for the next deployment of AUV Sentry and Stefano Suman is testing a new data processing technique for the sonar data collected by AUV Sentry on August 16 to compare new and existing methods for creating the seafloor maps. Justin Fujii and Loral O’Hara are looking ahead and developing launch and recovery methods for a future cruise (see image above). VentsProgramAtSeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425243077335730082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725537560520694711.post-90130481241719249902015-08-19T15:17:00.000-07:002015-09-08T10:47:52.010-07:00First Jason Dive<b>Tuesday, August 18</b><br />
By Bill Chadwick<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="J820Highlights"></a>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Axial Seamount 2015 Expedition video highlights from ROV Jason dive J2-820, including collection of samples from the 2015 lava flows on the north rift zone, fluids from hydrothermal vents (including some where vent animals have already colonized), and microbial mats on the new lavas. Video by Jesse Crowell in association with Saskia Madlener at 77th Parallel Productions. Music by James Andrew Menking
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Map of the 2015 lava flows on Axial’s north rift zone, showing our Jason dive track (in blue).</td></tr>
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Our first ROV Jason dive explored some of the new lava flows on Axial’s North Rift Zone. There are two large, thick new flows located 8-16 km north of the summit caldera. Our first Jason dive started near the southern end of those new flows and traversed northward for about 2 km (right). Here’s what we found.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Thick fluffy microbial mat has grown on top of the 2015 lava flows while they are cooling.</td></tr>
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Almost everywhere the new lava flows are covered with what we call “eruption mat”. This mat looks like a yellow to orange fuzzy coating on the surface of the new lavas that forms by microbes growing on the lavas as they cool in the weeks and months after the eruption (left). We have also seen this after previous eruptions at Axial Seamount. The microbial mat varies in thickness and color from place to place, and even covers some of the older lavas around the new flows. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Thin edge of the 2015 lava flows where they are dark and glassy and not covered with microbial mat.</td></tr>
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This can make it a little confusing to distinguish the new and old lavas in some places, but where there is little or no mat the new lavas are black and glassy (right). We sampled the new lavas in order to determine their chemical composition to see how the 2015 eruption compares to previous ones, and for high-resolution age dating which will help piece together the duration of the eruption and a sequence of events (below).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jason takes a sample of the 2015 lava.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edge of the eruptive fissure where 2015 lava is seen draining back into the crack.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fluid sheet flows with a short lava pillar near the 2015 eruptive fissure.</td></tr>
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As Jason traversed from south to north we were able to follow the eruptive fissure (where the lava had come out of the ground) in many places (left-middle). Several of the new lava flows were thin and fluid (Fig6), and even where the lava flows are thicker, they have drained out collapse features, indicating that the flow lobes had a molten interior when they were emplaced (left-bottom). <br />
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We found many new hydrothermal vents on the new flows, areas where warm shimmering water (up to 20°C) was coming out of the seafloor, undoubtedly heated up by the eruption and the slow cooling of the lavas (we know there were few vents on the north rift zone before the eruption). We saw a lot of microbial flocculant floating in the water, suggesting that “snowblower vents” exist on the new flows, but we just did not run across them. One exciting surprise was that we found several vents that had already been colonized by vent animals –tubeworms (Ridgeia piscesae) and Pandorae worms (Paralvinella pandorae) (below-top). The tubeworms are small (less than 5 cm long), having colonized and grown only in the last 4 months, but interestingly the Pandorae worms are unusually large, perhaps because of the lack of competition in these brand-new vents right after an eruption (according to our colleague Verena Tunnicliffe at University of Victoria). <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tubeworms and Pandorae worms have already colonized hydrothermal vents on the new lava flows.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An octopus strikes a defensive pose on the 2015 lava flows.</td></tr>
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We also encountered two deep-sea octopi (Graneldone sp.), one of which appeared to be trying to make itself as large and scary as possible to intimidate Jason into leaving it alone (below-bottom). <br />
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Our first dive with Jason was very successful, but unfortunately it had to be cut short due to rising winds and seas. The forecast is for the weather to get worse before it gets better, so we will likely not be able to dive again for a few days and we’ll be conducting other operations in the meantime.<br />
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<br />VentsProgramAtSeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425243077335730082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725537560520694711.post-82335777172559518322015-08-19T14:28:00.000-07:002015-09-08T10:48:28.230-07:00Jason and Medea<b>Tuesday August 18, 2015 </b><br />
By Rachel Teasdale<br />
<b><br />Weather:</b><br />
Winds and seas have been gradually building and are expected to interfere with dive operations over the next few days.<br />
<b><br />What’s happening today?</b><br />
Jason and Sentry completed their first dives yesterday. We are recovering instrument moorings and conducting CTD casts today.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Axial Seamount 2015 Expedition video of ROV Jason with perspectives on how it is used for conducting science at sea. Video by Jesse Crowell in association with Saskia Madlener at 77th Parallel Productions. Music by James Andrew Menking
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Jason (above) and Medea (below-left) on board the Thomas G Thompson.</td></tr>
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The Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), Jason works in tandem with Medea, both of which are operated “remotely” from the ship (see images at right). Medea is cabled to the ship and Jason is tethered to Medea, with the same fiber optic cable. Medea and Jason are controlled onboard the Thompson, from the Jason “control van,” where Jason pilots operate the vehicles. <br />
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Medea hovers above Jason as it works on the seafloor. Tethered approximately 40 m (128 ft) above Jason, Medea has a belly camera and lighting, which gives the ROV pilots a bird’s- eye view of Jason at work below. Medea is also important because it buffers any sharp movements from the ship, so Jason doesn’t get yanked while at work.
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The duo are named for the story in Greek mythology of Jason who, with Medea’s help, had to retrieve the Golden Fleece so he could regain his position as king.<br />
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The ROV Jason can work around the clock. Ten video cameras send images to the surface for ROV pilots and the science team to observe throughout the duration of the dive. Scientists typically have a specific dive plan, but details can be modified based on what they see in the Jason videos. Because power is supplied by the ship, ROV Jason dives can last several hours to several days. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvs1uPb5nWHlh_Do85U8a7eQpQ8hzaGqe14YBQvWD83g9kSDmtXB7dsXx5ldiSOS2ZlwUunWiNBL8NbIVq3FrJDWp7uynq9FaC-6p4vad-3lv9zhcXvqpDa6jnKmfEkbpRpQsGTE-Hjo/s1600/atlantis_jason_medea_183875_WHOI_Fig3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvs1uPb5nWHlh_Do85U8a7eQpQ8hzaGqe14YBQvWD83g9kSDmtXB7dsXx5ldiSOS2ZlwUunWiNBL8NbIVq3FrJDWp7uynq9FaC-6p4vad-3lv9zhcXvqpDa6jnKmfEkbpRpQsGTE-Hjo/s200/atlantis_jason_medea_183875_WHOI_Fig3.jpg" width="162" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Graphic of research vessel, Medea and Jason, from WHOI, http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=80696&i=17162 </td></tr>
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Science tasks during a dive are accomplished with a full complement of tools that Jason has onboard, perhaps most important are the two hydraulic manipulator arms (see image below), which are agile enough to collect rock samples and even operate an oversized syringe to collect water samples from the hydrothermal plumes. ROV Jason has a “basket” which is really a platform on a drawer. The drawer is closed while Jason ascends, descends or moves any distance, but on command from the pilot, the drawer is opened to reveal a set of compartments that are set up for each dive.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXrlBKuPjR5Ywaszya84Gwhhjm0yRAicb3XX-gIiiO5vE1fmIULt4GOQDr8nA3MgnnW6GuNra4azX5-j2EEp1j-iieAP51qKby28KQrQRbR6S7SDLjeIyfx3YwXcUtAGEGFVd0X9V3a9M/s1600/DSCN0615sm_Fig4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXrlBKuPjR5Ywaszya84Gwhhjm0yRAicb3XX-gIiiO5vE1fmIULt4GOQDr8nA3MgnnW6GuNra4azX5-j2EEp1j-iieAP51qKby28KQrQRbR6S7SDLjeIyfx3YwXcUtAGEGFVd0X9V3a9M/s200/DSCN0615sm_Fig4.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ROV Jason and manipulator arm.</td></tr>
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In the image at below-right, the basket includes a segmented box where rock samples are placed, with each sample placed into a specific compartment so that once back on the ship, geologists can coordinate the rock samples with the location and other information about where it was collected. In the top right, are two vent fluid samplers that operate like a syringe. Each sampler must be lifted from its holster using Jason’s claw, and then must be placed back in the correct holster where it will sit until the end of the dive when scientists on the ship retrieve their samples for analyses.
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 320px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKz8i-UJtXXgXKdxaEps_Gwy3cY-6T19tdzAJSqctD168773hMR8YcMQg7fGbPd4T8HSKCgQHIZNlBGuzl0zx81UixtORVfkZ06CIMaGkrK6DS142UUOcuQ7_-DK2ClRz1wNu4-kDSrE/s1600/SubSea2_20150817_111210_SaBasket%252BArmLbld_Fig5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKz8i-UJtXXgXKdxaEps_Gwy3cY-6T19tdzAJSqctD168773hMR8YcMQg7fGbPd4T8HSKCgQHIZNlBGuzl0zx81UixtORVfkZ06CIMaGkrK6DS142UUOcuQ7_-DK2ClRz1wNu4-kDSrE/s320/SubSea2_20150817_111210_SaBasket%252BArmLbld_Fig5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">ROV Jason’s sample basket in extended position during dive J2-820, with sampling instruments and hydraulic arm.</td></tr>
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On the top left side of the basket photo are gas-tight fluid samplers, which will collect fluids and gases from hydrothermal vents. The suction sampler sucks fluids, fine sediment, and other materials from the vents. In the bottom left of the basket photo are dive weights used to help ballast the buoyancy of Jason during the dive. <br />
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In his off-time, Jason Pilot, Korey Verhein has been developing a Lego version of Jason (see photo at below). Korey has started an official campaign through “LEGO Ideas,” which requires him to get 10,000 votes in support of the LEGO <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxX1lA4P6iCp9pgZFHkC_bBvsPTpdnb_DIU4YTLWsfK_kjYh7wnG0FM9BHGvObEghq8jczCIu8upecB1fVWFhZllCxA42EAP5DcEW6rv55l2oUTanaEkK87rsKP07MGgVexqlBXjmeGIY/s1600/LegoJason_Fig6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxX1lA4P6iCp9pgZFHkC_bBvsPTpdnb_DIU4YTLWsfK_kjYh7wnG0FM9BHGvObEghq8jczCIu8upecB1fVWFhZllCxA42EAP5DcEW6rv55l2oUTanaEkK87rsKP07MGgVexqlBXjmeGIY/s200/LegoJason_Fig6.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jason-LEGO Idea designed by Korey Verhein.</td></tr>
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Jason so that it can be reviewed for consideration by LEGO designers and marketing representatives to be produced as a LEGO Ideas set. You can support Korey’s LEGO Idea at the link below. <br />
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More information about Jason and Medea can be found at: <a href="http://www.whoi.edu/ndsfVehicles/Jason/">http://www.whoi.edu/ndsfVehicles/Jason/</a> <br />
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More information about Korey’s Jason- LEGO project can be found at: <br />
<a href="https://ideas.lego.com/projects/110894" target="_blank">https://ideas.lego.com/projects/110894 </a><br />
<br />VentsProgramAtSeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425243077335730082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725537560520694711.post-5034584612399267842015-08-18T15:21:00.002-07:002015-09-08T10:48:57.972-07:00CTD Tow-yo<b>Monday August 17, 2015
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By Rachel Teasdale
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<b>Weather:</b> Occasional light showers with overcast skies, but the winds have come up to 20-25 knots, and are forecast to get higher tomorrow.
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<b>What’s happening today?</b> This morning ROV Jason was recovered early because the winds and seas were building. In the afternoon AUV Sentry was recovered and tonight we will start a 6-hour CTD Tow-Yo.<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="AxialCTD"></a>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Axial Seamount 2015 Expedition video about the suite of instruments and diversity of science associated with the CTD instrument package. Video by Jesse Crowell in association with Saskia Madlener at 77th Parallel Productions. Music by James Andrew Menking
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">CTD during launch on 14 August 2015 to measure background conditions from which water from hydrothermal plumes will be compared.</td></tr>
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A CTD is a basic oceanographic tool and serves multiple purposes in studying the physical and biological conditions of ocean water. A collection of instruments are housed on a CTD to measure Conductivity (to calculate water salinity), Temperature, and Depth, in addition to other variables. There is also a series of 24 bottles in which seawater can be collected on command for later chemical analysis. The vertically oriented bottles are arranged in a circle, making a “rosette” of bottles (see image of CTD at right).
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The CTD rosette is lowered from the ship’s deck usually to just above the seafloor and then raised back up again. The CTD sensors measure continuously as the CTD ascends or descends, providing real-time information about the properties of the ocean. On this cruise, Nathan Buck is using the CTD data to identify regions of hydrothermal plumes (often rich in chemicals and microbial life) that are emitted from vents on the ocean floor. When the sensors indicate the CTD is in a hydrothermal plume, then individual water samples can be collected at various depths in the rosette of bottles on the CTD.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinLFsPm5382jvQEj-sh8-1DkSHv0NwoB4Ju5t5xJLBQ0IyyjsMOrajhwRy2WedMqziPikT844Z4wOVlPYxFjEODgdTNLNcHQBfSobnbivZUCZ9xCpIc1bZW0zCQMAjaoh790O0eIQYDP8/s1600/diagram_frVentureDeepOceanOrg_Fig3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinLFsPm5382jvQEj-sh8-1DkSHv0NwoB4Ju5t5xJLBQ0IyyjsMOrajhwRy2WedMqziPikT844Z4wOVlPYxFjEODgdTNLNcHQBfSobnbivZUCZ9xCpIc1bZW0zCQMAjaoh790O0eIQYDP8/s200/diagram_frVentureDeepOceanOrg_Fig3.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Cartoon of tow-yo pattern for CTD measurements, from <a href="http://www.venturedeepocean.org/tools/tow_yo.php">www.venturedeepocean.org/tools/tow_yo.php</a> </td></tr>
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On August 14th CTD data and water samples were collected north of Axial Seamount as a reference of “background” conditions outside the influence of the volcano. These data will then be compared with samples closer to the hydrothermal vents, the caldera, and the new lava flows. Vertical CTD casts like that on August 14th collect water samples as the CTD rosette is lowered and raised vertically, without any lateral movement of the ship. Tonight, the CTD will be raised and lowered as it is towed slowly behind the ship, making a zig-zag or yo-yo type pattern. The combination of the towing and yo-yo-ing is referred to as a “tow-yo” (see cartoon of tow-yo at left).
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Tonight’s tow-yo will search for hydrothermal plumes associated with 2015 lava flows of Axial’s North Rift Zone. The CTD will collect samples across a zone 8 km (5 mi) long and 200 m (640 ft.) tall, from 1800 to 1600 m (5760- 5120 ft.) depth. In this way, the CTD will define the location and intensity of the plume and will provide information about its chemical composition and what microbes may be present in it. This will tell us what is coming out of the hydrothermal vents on the new lava flows and what impact they are having on the overlying ocean.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMRLQvwd8WHJSjKIaOzRrkTkQnwJA6vBWhh3q0Thyphenhyphenv2cqHhSOvL0_nenLX6qfmMg_4QVBVEiNaVFmYfa51Vd2oiFUHhiGkYo85p48tt1Wmdv-DgMfd2Ktt1_40HmqzoBYpm489y-FQjc/s1600/DSCN0582_bottles_fig2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMRLQvwd8WHJSjKIaOzRrkTkQnwJA6vBWhh3q0Thyphenhyphenv2cqHhSOvL0_nenLX6qfmMg_4QVBVEiNaVFmYfa51Vd2oiFUHhiGkYo85p48tt1Wmdv-DgMfd2Ktt1_40HmqzoBYpm489y-FQjc/s320/DSCN0582_bottles_fig2.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">CTD Rosette prior to launch 18 August 2015. Note vertical Niskin bottles that will collect water samples during the CTD tow-yo. </td></tr>
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Once on board, each water sample (photo right) is divided among the different research groups, who will study the gases, ions, and microbiology of the plume. For example, some of the water samples will be analyzed by Emily Reddington on this cruise to determine which microbial organisms (microbes) are present in the plumes, which will involve DNA analyses to identify specific organisms. Some samples will be analyzed to characterize the activity of microorganisms (e.g. based on CO2 uptake) and others will be prepared for later analyses of viruses that may be present. Some of this can be completed on the ship, but many samples are preserved and stored for later analysis at laboratories back on shore in the US and Canada. These studies help scientists identify the diversity of organisms that live in the hydrothermal plumes and to recognize the environmental conditions in which those organisms thrive. The CTD work on this cruise will show what changes have occurred in the hydrothermal plumes at Axial as a result of the 2015 eruption.
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More information about CTDs is available at:<br />
<a href="http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/eoi/PlumeStudies/WhatIsACTD/CTDMethods.html" target="_blank">http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/eoi/PlumeStudies/WhatIsACTD/CTDMethods.html </a><br />
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<br />VentsProgramAtSeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425243077335730082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725537560520694711.post-26612711307208456742015-08-17T14:56:00.001-07:002015-09-08T10:49:38.160-07:00AUV Sentry<b>Sunday, 16 August 2015 </b><br />
By Rachel Teasdale<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="AUVSentry"></a>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q5YyE-AuySE" width="560"></iframe>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Axial Seamount 2015 Expedition video of AUV Sentry and Dr. Dana Yoeger’s perspectives on the evolution of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles. Video by Jesse Crowell in association with Saskia Madlener at 77th Parallel Productions. Music by James Andrew Menking
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5GiebigydVzUlhQ-meQiliDmmnf0J6NCUpj26uZavQnpMtz-vdoXR8b7nKEKCf7_qzqK_e1CCKKeRh0_H_b8y5lKXe2ya1YePmMCAkSBTDZrkmUU8UVdr3rGRjotpKAMecwD2j14OKo4/s1600/Axial-lava-flows-nrz-2015.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5GiebigydVzUlhQ-meQiliDmmnf0J6NCUpj26uZavQnpMtz-vdoXR8b7nKEKCf7_qzqK_e1CCKKeRh0_H_b8y5lKXe2ya1YePmMCAkSBTDZrkmUU8UVdr3rGRjotpKAMecwD2j14OKo4/s200/Axial-lava-flows-nrz-2015.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Bathymetric map of Axial Seamount caldera and north rift zone, with 2015 lava flows outlined with black lines.</td></tr>
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This afternoon we launched the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Sentry to start a 24 hour survey of Axial’s north rift zone where the largest lava flows were erupted 4 months ago (see map at right). Preliminary low-resolution mapping of this area was completed in July 2015 by the University of Washington, but Sentry’s work today will provide much high-resolution multibeam sonar mapping of the area.
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AUV Sentry was built by engineers at WHOI, including Dana Yoerger who is aboard the Thompson and leading the AUV operations for the 2015 Axial Seamount Expedition. AUV Sentry is pre-programmed to fly a pattern of tracklines that go back-and-forth over the seafloor in a grid pattern. Today, Sentry is “flying” approximately 60 m above the seafloor during its mapping survey.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydMXQyBMQAB2edQe9UAsXG31VjpDHTl6eeEx4hzMZzMD7DAmmBmItmbbz5376yj9BoIw9XslmWeiDXC_4hkT42mNhCL5OCB0Yk47KweCUU-AAcVrR8dDYnKgliA3lAKeRAfGkSNmYOdw/s1600/Sentry-mbSchematic_Fig2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydMXQyBMQAB2edQe9UAsXG31VjpDHTl6eeEx4hzMZzMD7DAmmBmItmbbz5376yj9BoIw9XslmWeiDXC_4hkT42mNhCL5OCB0Yk47KweCUU-AAcVrR8dDYnKgliA3lAKeRAfGkSNmYOdw/s320/Sentry-mbSchematic_Fig2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Diagram of multibeam sonar in which the AUV Sentry emits energy (sound waves) that reflect from the ocean floor, from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.</td></tr>
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During a multibeam sonar survey, sound waves are emitted from the AUV and are reflected from the ocean floor, and they return to receivers on the AUV (image at right). The time between the emitted and reflected pulses is used to determine the distance to the seafloor. Depths are represented on maps with colors indicated in the map legend. By emitting a vast number of pulses in a grid pattern, AUV Sentry can map a broad area, which in today’s dive will cover approximately 15-20 km2 (24-32 mi2). In addition to the multibeam sonar that AUV Sentry uses to map the seafloor, there is an array of sensors onboard for other measurements such as water temperature and salinity and other hydrothermal plume sensors. In this way Sentry can map the seafloor and the plumes above the seafloor at the same time.
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At 1250 kg (2570 lb), the AUV Sentry is launched from the deck of the Thompson using a large onboard crane (Photos below). The AUV is then lowered into the sea and released. AUV Sentry descends at approximately 40 m/min (132 ft/min), assisted by two sets of dive weights, which assist the descent. One set of weights is released at the seafloor to keep the vehicle neutrally buoyant, and then before ascent, the last set of weights is released. While AUV Sentry is capable of diving to 6,000 m (19,685 feet) depth, the dives at Axial Seamount will not exceed 1800 m (5760 feet).
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Today’s AUV dive is planned to last approximately 24 hours and can maintain an operating speed up to 1.2 m/s (2.3 knots or 1.4 mph). Once AUV Sentry is recovered tomorrow, it will take 10-16 hours to recharge the Lithium Ion batteries in preparation for the next mission.
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AUV Sentry is the second of a family of AUVs, which started with ABE (Autonomous Benthic Explorer) in 1996 but was lost in March 2010 during a dive exploring the subduction zone off the coast of Chile. Sentry’s work started in 2009, utilizing improvements made from lessons learned with ABE. According to Yoerger, the hydrodynamic shape of AUV Sentry allows for faster ascent and descent, more stability and less drag than the torpedo-shaped ABE. The red foils (wings) also allow AUV Sentry to maneuver, including hovering to hold a position and changing directions. AUV Sentry also has upgraded navigation, speed, range, and maneuverability than ABE.
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9jAtpRm8_T6DuTCWkFx7jhqnC2wQbW-CmFNJnM2EAe7a4NatXLRXM9QhyphenhyphenRGRJC_a_BISCXUQFYDTxUQdAjOi2lD4pFuIUS1n5hPQilyFM5Udkry2RongB-tzFmQslyZsj2ibRp4la-0/s1600/Aug15+Sentry+Launch+Fig2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9jAtpRm8_T6DuTCWkFx7jhqnC2wQbW-CmFNJnM2EAe7a4NatXLRXM9QhyphenhyphenRGRJC_a_BISCXUQFYDTxUQdAjOi2lD4pFuIUS1n5hPQilyFM5Udkry2RongB-tzFmQslyZsj2ibRp4la-0/s400/Aug15+Sentry+Launch+Fig2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Images of AUV Sentry launch on 16 August 2015.</td></tr>
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More information about the AUV Sentry is available from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (<a href="http://www.whoi.edu/main/sentry">http://www.whoi.edu/main/sentry</a>), including videos and an animation of her making a dive.
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<br />VentsProgramAtSeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425243077335730082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725537560520694711.post-91716488099415770592015-08-17T09:24:00.004-07:002015-09-08T10:50:46.601-07:00The 2015 Eruption<b>Sunday, August 16, 2015</b><br />
By Bill Chadwick <br />
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<b>Weather: </b>Overcast skies clearing to bright sun, with light winds, which are forecast to build up to 30 knots over the next few days<b>.</b><br />
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<b>What's happening today? </b> This morning the Jason and Sentry Groups completed their overnight navigational calibration north of Axial Seamount’s caldera. We transited to the North Rift Zone and launched AUV Sentry just after lunch. Medea was launched for the Jason Group to test a new winch cable and the rest of the evening was spent in preparation for our first ROV Jason dive, due at midnight tonight!<b><br /></b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7j9PvdLgqwnAHOCceeW5BxKa6RerHw9JFjskIj31awyEuceyHV8ilWLPWAP2Hsle_4kgU9tSnDuW0Bt03rRHacBTorTdolUgHYGguHQzpSSz5d59psvxMxJG8u7l7CpujsmYAdaZqYc/s1600/OOI_map_2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7j9PvdLgqwnAHOCceeW5BxKa6RerHw9JFjskIj31awyEuceyHV8ilWLPWAP2Hsle_4kgU9tSnDuW0Bt03rRHacBTorTdolUgHYGguHQzpSSz5d59psvxMxJG8u7l7CpujsmYAdaZqYc/s320/OOI_map_2015.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Map of the Ocean Observatories Initiative’s Cabled Array in the NE Pacific. (Image courtesy of University of Washington.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
An exciting aspect of this expedition is that we are heading out to explore
and sample new lava flows at Axial Seamount that are less than 4 months old.
How do we know that Axial recently erupted? Because it is now a "wired volcano."
Over the last several years the National Science Foundation has funded the Ocean
Observatories Initiative (OOI), which is enabling new ways to study, observe,
and understand our oceans. One component of the OOI is a fiber-optic cable network
that extends from the Oregon coast to areas offshore, including Axial Seamount.
About a year ago, the University of Washington finished deploying most of the
monitoring instruments on this Cabled Array and it started sending data back
to shore. On April 24, nearly <a href="http://alben.ocean.washington.edu/" target="_blank">8000 earthquakes </a>were suddenly detected and the
<a href="http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/eoi/rsn/24April2015_event.html" target="_blank">seafloor dropped by 2.4 meters</a> (almost 8 feet), signaling that something big
was happening at Axial Seamount.<br />
<br />
<center>
<table align="center" style="width: 560px;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="MonitoringAxial"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HVda7LmvGJs" width="560"></iframe></a>
</td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Axial Seamount 2015 Expedition video of Drs. Bill Chadwick and Scott Nooner discussing their work monitoring the volcano. Video by Jesse Crowell in association with Saskia Madlener at 77th Parallel Productions. Music by James Andrew Menking
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
<br />
Axial Seamount has two previous known eruptions in 1998 and 2011. What was
different this time was that the OOI Cabled Array enabled a community of scientific
researchers from many different disciplines to look at the data coming in and
debate what it meant, each contributing their own valuable perspectives and
interpretations. Often scientists work alone or in small groups, but in this
case a diverse group came together in a collaborative way to discuss the event
and try to figure out what was happening as it was unfolding. It was exciting!
<br />
<br />
From the drop in seafloor, it was clear that magma had moved from beneath the
summit of the volcano, but it wasn't obvious at first whether or not it had
reached the seafloor to erupt as lava. But over the next few weeks, explosion-like
seismic signals were recorded from Axial's north rift zone, and <a href="http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/eoi/rsn/24April2015_event.html" target="_blank">unusual temperature increases</a> began to be recorded at several of the OOI monitoring instruments
in the summit caldera. Both of these were seen as a "smoking gun" for an eruption,
but exactly what was causing them was unclear. More conclusive evidence for
an eruption was collected just a few weeks ago by our colleagues at University
of Washington. During an expedition to Axial Seamount to do maintenance work
on the OOI Cabled Array, they were able to remap the summit and north rift <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left; width: 247px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4PjeTt7fb7Rr77zLfEP4xI7Tprd4XTEbIlNXLKK0WLJlgMFIpkF2aXNM4XvPh2zf_Qb-6txkAQhKEvgXebhYfmI58YuZCJjz8Qsxa-fMOAX6Te5uaxoSqtLXHs0FRTG1LLx9rq-VhZgs/s1600/NRZ-surfdiff-grid-lores-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4PjeTt7fb7Rr77zLfEP4xI7Tprd4XTEbIlNXLKK0WLJlgMFIpkF2aXNM4XvPh2zf_Qb-6txkAQhKEvgXebhYfmI58YuZCJjz8Qsxa-fMOAX6Te5uaxoSqtLXHs0FRTG1LLx9rq-VhZgs/s320/NRZ-surfdiff-grid-lores-sm.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Map of depth differences (up to 127 meters) between the 2013 and 2015 bathymetric surveys due to the 2015 lava flows (created by Susan Merle, Oregon State University).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
zone
with multibeam sonar, which revealed depth changes up to 127 m (417 feet), and
a short ROV dive on one of these areas confirmed that they were due to thick
new lava flows. Since then, more detailed analysis of the new bathymetry and
comparison to previous surveys by colleagues at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research
Institute (MBARI) has revealed additional thinner lava flows, both on the NE
caldera floor and on the northern caldera rim. There may also be other thin
lava flows that are still undetected that we may find on this expedition. <br />
<br />
On this cruise, we'll be exploring and sampling the new lava flows in more
detail. We plan to collect high-resolution bathymetry over the eruption sites
with the AUV Sentry to better understand how the lava was emplaced. We'll make
dives with ROV Jason to collect samples of the new lava that will be analyzed
later for precise dating and chemical analysis. Since the lava flows are probably
still warm and cooling, we expect to find new hydrothermal vents to sample.
These could include "snowblower vents" that have such high densities of microbes
that they look like snow coming out of the seafloor. We'll be looking for evidence
of explosive activity during the eruption, which would leave small particles
of ash on the surface of the new lavas. In short, we still have lots of questions
about what happened during the eruption. We're a bit like detectives trying
solving a mystery by looking for clues that will help us better understand what
happened. It's fun and that's what science is all about! <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 247px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkGr6or1tEFEOAMZ_3dwMikRabOPAIDX8WArEbP8MnFIsC1xFrV9o8onG1pGQqMedafEpWEx2SnsEJ3SEBlAIMH8FuSLHODhbRdLFY0USzCsGBf5wDIwA5DHVQaLGzxq5x8AZCLbxz9w/s1600/NRZ-2015-flowoutline-lores-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkGr6or1tEFEOAMZ_3dwMikRabOPAIDX8WArEbP8MnFIsC1xFrV9o8onG1pGQqMedafEpWEx2SnsEJ3SEBlAIMH8FuSLHODhbRdLFY0USzCsGBf5wDIwA5DHVQaLGzxq5x8AZCLbxz9w/s640/NRZ-2015-flowoutline-lores-sm.jpg" width="492" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Before-and-after multibeam bathymetric maps, showing the 2015 lava flows on Axial’s north rift zone outlined in black (created by Susan Merle, Oregon State University).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
VentsProgramAtSeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425243077335730082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725537560520694711.post-42852642295188713562015-08-16T11:25:00.000-07:002015-08-16T18:41:37.089-07:00Launch of the SS Morningstar<b>Saturday, August 15, 2015</b><br />
By Rachel Teasdale
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5oXQVm-oRJm3MX34ZdZBpqSfGiTvMMDPeShQDtXQ2u6mItf9CUxsmBUs4erH8GVW0B8vJ4F7MwiHPavb-uAjdFaWVeHP9OFS3sOcPQ1EmnhCV4yfoPMgwnYCFq_1WDwoe_jFb4CudQo/s1600/DSCN0511_b4Launch_fig1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5oXQVm-oRJm3MX34ZdZBpqSfGiTvMMDPeShQDtXQ2u6mItf9CUxsmBUs4erH8GVW0B8vJ4F7MwiHPavb-uAjdFaWVeHP9OFS3sOcPQ1EmnhCV4yfoPMgwnYCFq_1WDwoe_jFb4CudQo/s200/DSCN0511_b4Launch_fig1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The SS Morning Star just prior to launch from the T.G. Thompson.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At 7:50 this evening, the crew of Thomas G. Thompson launched the SS Morning
Star, a 5 foot sailboat built by Tillamook High School physics students in spring
2015. The boat is equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit so anyone
can track its journey across the Pacific. The construction and launch of the
SS Morning Star is part of the Educational Passages program that supports student-built
unmanned sailboats, which are registered with NOAA for tracking. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vJgkXmeKomxj3D8fEd_hyuuqGuERF3liThk1HVeSV6FurNxAhT_bR6Vo1GPuGqaORAGna4Ue5KfdklE7Gb7TkOnc-Y9u-Y3asf_2jF5N2eXUkzRlASg3Ij2k3JccwFXRTA9VOX5in8E/s1600/DSCN0512_InfoPort_rt_fig2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vJgkXmeKomxj3D8fEd_hyuuqGuERF3liThk1HVeSV6FurNxAhT_bR6Vo1GPuGqaORAGna4Ue5KfdklE7Gb7TkOnc-Y9u-Y3asf_2jF5N2eXUkzRlASg3Ij2k3JccwFXRTA9VOX5in8E/s200/DSCN0512_InfoPort_rt_fig2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watertight port with information about the SS Morning Star and the GPS in <br />
small rectangular box at bottom left.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The SS Morning Star launch occurred near N 46° 16.4', W -129° 47.8',
which is about 20 nautical miles (about 23 miles) north-northeast of Axial Seamount
and approximately 560 km (350 mi) east of the Oregon coast. The progress of
the SS Morning Star and other Educational Passages boats, are available online
at:<a href="http://educationalpassages.com/" target="_blank"> http://educationalpassages.com</a>. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcZRF2QwSUF-Z5ResFEJ04lx6jlQM0GGAGF0xesuRdOD36dfRP_68FtQU9X-IGbTbXBT0s-tREbMCa5OtOck4r4ytLxCq33TThUgL2SPHFtwjKClzHVpqo_ThZ3It97QtzviF8uakpjY/s1600/DSCN0515IMG8423_LaunchStack_fig3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcZRF2QwSUF-Z5ResFEJ04lx6jlQM0GGAGF0xesuRdOD36dfRP_68FtQU9X-IGbTbXBT0s-tREbMCa5OtOck4r4ytLxCq33TThUgL2SPHFtwjKClzHVpqo_ThZ3It97QtzviF8uakpjY/s320/DSCN0515IMG8423_LaunchStack_fig3.jpg" width="171" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lowering the SS Morning Star over the fan tail.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The SS Morning Star is the 3rd boat of its kind launched in the Pacific and
according to the Educational Passages website, there have been more than 40
other boats launched worldwide. The Morning Star is named after the famous sloop
that carried butter in and out of Tillamook, OR. Two other boats previously
launched in the Pacific were built by Oregon students in Waldport and Coos Bay.
Information about the project is enclosed in a watertight port on the boat.<br />
<br />
Students who build the boats are engaged in a variety of science education
areas, to “expand and provide knowledge and adventure to the next generation
of sailors, but also provides thought-provoking exercises to budding mathematicians,
meteorologists, marine scientists,” according to the Educational Passages
Website. By tracking the sailboats, students and the general public can learn
about wind patterns and ocean currents, and make predictions about the trajectory
the boats will take.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The science and ship’s crew were happy to launch the SS Morning Star
and look forward to following its track in the Pacific. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqSGR7rdp6-HtBxybxdmjhVdrT2kQIKd_clQW_7RkHO3-xZ8GUhdpGV8BTvrCDpJSe94yT4jhdgiCFz_C9UOGb2cXZSqpWO7umFg_LJAGtgrAg6rwalv-lm9W6VAELBtBnYjxyCGxwyGk/s1600/IMG_8428_SSMS+adrift_JPcp_fig4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqSGR7rdp6-HtBxybxdmjhVdrT2kQIKd_clQW_7RkHO3-xZ8GUhdpGV8BTvrCDpJSe94yT4jhdgiCFz_C9UOGb2cXZSqpWO7umFg_LJAGtgrAg6rwalv-lm9W6VAELBtBnYjxyCGxwyGk/s400/IMG_8428_SSMS+adrift_JPcp_fig4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The SS Morning Star starts her journey, headed south.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Funding for the SS Morning Star project was provided by Oregon Coast STEM Hub.VentsProgramAtSeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425243077335730082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725537560520694711.post-85042597081896182122015-08-16T09:50:00.000-07:002015-08-16T09:52:54.488-07:00Life At Sea<b>Saturday, 15 August 2015</b><br />
By Rachel Teasdale
<br />
<br />
<b>Weather:</b> A mixture of bright, sunny with overcast skies. Light
winds. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPg4Lf5TwStQzd3y8Ah3mMGd21yz1R5DqXpIP81tCRL5u1Ayuo22tWo8L0erFVb339UmSZnDmqPpzDw9GrKZLmWR5e2ndWEs12i4jzFuNTe8dwzxRAZYgVc2WNeVqlXXFi4fH7DEje8U/s1600/DSCN0478sm_Elevator_Fig1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPg4Lf5TwStQzd3y8Ah3mMGd21yz1R5DqXpIP81tCRL5u1Ayuo22tWo8L0erFVb339UmSZnDmqPpzDw9GrKZLmWR5e2ndWEs12i4jzFuNTe8dwzxRAZYgVc2WNeVqlXXFi4fH7DEje8U/s320/DSCN0478sm_Elevator_Fig1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Jason Elevator, used to transport instruments from the ship to the seafloor where ROV Jason can unload them.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>What’s happening today? </b> This morning we were in transit to Axial
Seamount and arrived about 3:30pm. We completed a CTD cast to collect water
Conductivity and Temperature at various Depths of the water column while we
are still far enough away from the volcano to get background levels. Later,
the Jason elevator was lowered to calibrate the underwater acoustic navigation
system. An elevator is basically a platform that is lowered to the ocean floor
to deliver or retrieve instruments or other gear that Jason can later unload
or load (see image at right), and later it is released to return to the surface.
We also launched a student-built unmanned sailboat that has GPS tracking (see
video and more about this in the upcoming Unmanned Sailboat blog). <br />
<br />
Living and working at sea can be challenging, but the Thomas G. Thompson is
set up to make it as easy as possible. The Thompson is operated by the School
of Oceanography at the University of Washington, but is owned by the Office
of Naval Research. The ship is 274 feet long and has a 52.6 foot beam (width).
Normal cruising speed is 11 knots (12.7 mph) and the ship has space for 36 scientists,
in addition to its normal crew of 21 plus 2 marine technicians who support science
activities. The marine techs are invaluable in facilitating things like assisting
in deck operations to deploy instruments and equipment, setting up internet
and locating support equipment such as cables, batteries, and more. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdpB-WJBPkm5u8VA1NSIgq4BPjpjkxaKJR4nhVi3EfJeQG_xvN-PcQox7I6yg4u9Iiq8gNHSg6JfREmpkTzK5NOLH3oB5eKbpKiUFX3G4yre68EQ8w1tERJipQMOAIiMmJ2P0URG8EDA/s1600/DSCN0509_crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdpB-WJBPkm5u8VA1NSIgq4BPjpjkxaKJR4nhVi3EfJeQG_xvN-PcQox7I6yg4u9Iiq8gNHSg6JfREmpkTzK5NOLH3oB5eKbpKiUFX3G4yre68EQ8w1tERJipQMOAIiMmJ2P0URG8EDA/s320/DSCN0509_crop.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Science team members at work in the Main Lab.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Workspaces on board the Thompson (figure left) include four labs, including
the Main Lab where the Geology, Geophysics, Chemistry, and Sentry teams are
working (see image left); Jim Holden and colleagues use the Bio-Analytic
Lab and the Climate Control Chamber & Freezer for their work on microbes;
the Hydro Lab is occupied by the Jason Group; and the Computer Lab houses Chief
Scientist Bill Chadwick, the data management and outreach teams. <br />
<br />
All science team members have access to an internal intranet where images and
data from the Jason and Sentry dives are stored. Updates on science activity
plans are posted on a white board in the computer lab, which is broadcast on
the intranet to keep everyone up to date. TV screens in the Main Lab and Computer
Lab project live video from cameras on the Jason ROV during dives, so everyone
on board can watch the action! <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSg8hEK1lNF-bpGKgDSbpPqTfldDtlGOp-Zd7J3bNifsPCBZreJovb39_zJNwB8ZPeaff7ddgKpemT-DATFycL7nNzpNKB0r4RFadMx4uoKtmVGpV1MDP5k_B5NrQASeUoIKC8XaGknDo/s1600/ship.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSg8hEK1lNF-bpGKgDSbpPqTfldDtlGOp-Zd7J3bNifsPCBZreJovb39_zJNwB8ZPeaff7ddgKpemT-DATFycL7nNzpNKB0r4RFadMx4uoKtmVGpV1MDP5k_B5NrQASeUoIKC8XaGknDo/s320/ship.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map of lab spaces on the Thomas G. Thompson.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Operations on the deck of TG Thompson are overseen by the ship’s crew,
in collaboration with the scientific team. Cranes lift instruments up and over
the side of the ship and lower them into the water where they can drop to the
sea floor. Sentry is deployed similarly, but once in the sea, it begins its
preprogrammed mission. Launch and recovery of Jason is overseen by the Jason
Expedition Leader using a crane to lift Jason and lower it into the sea. Jason
is piloted from the a “control van,” which is really a storage container
set up with the equipment needed to operate Jason, and space for the scientists
and Jason pilots to do their work during dives.<br />
<br />
Science operations on the ship are conducted 24 hours a day and 7 days a week,
so scientists and the ship’s crew have shifts around the clock. During
Jason dives a science watch leader oversees the real-time operations of a dive
to accomplish pre-determined goals. For instance, a goal might be to collect
samples of the 2015 lava flows, but during the dive, the watch leader will decide
exactly which rock sample to collect, and work with Jason pilots to get the
correct sample. Jason has multiple video and still cameras to record each dive,
which are tracked in a log by two data loggers from the science team who are
also in the Jason van throughout dives. The science team rotates through shifts
that have them work 4 hours, then have 8 hours to do other work, eat and sleep.
Such shifts have not started yet, but will begin with the first Jason dive.
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDR1jztl-T_n5S0EXDe5sfQ8MJUf3bgegjkMeBNl360jHneYYUh_2qmiGDSxF_UHRYaSSonj42eIGWz05ocrN2IuoISr24yTH33GdLWQwyPjA8PvAs9Z0ypN8mvxdgLPFOGmmR8EBP4B4/s1600/DSCN0487-8_sm_KitchStack_Fig4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDR1jztl-T_n5S0EXDe5sfQ8MJUf3bgegjkMeBNl360jHneYYUh_2qmiGDSxF_UHRYaSSonj42eIGWz05ocrN2IuoISr24yTH33GdLWQwyPjA8PvAs9Z0ypN8mvxdgLPFOGmmR8EBP4B4/s320/DSCN0487-8_sm_KitchStack_Fig4.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunchtime on Saturday 15 August 2015.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We are especially lucky to have a wonderful kitchen (or “galley”)
crew on board the TG Thompson during this cruise. We are treated to a spectacular
array of food, throughout the day. Breakfasts include basic cereal, yogurt and
fruit, as well as hot food options such as French toast, quiche, and a variety
of eggs and breakfast meats. Lunches typically include a salad bar and hot food
items such as burritos and hamburgers. Dinners include salads and at least two
main course options. We had a full-scale Thanksgiving-style dinner two nights
ago and last night’s options were halibut and turkey pot pie along with
a variety of vegetables. Desserts are served daily, with each option a special
treat. Homemade cookies, éclairs, cake, ice cream and more have been
available in just the few days since boarding the ship. Meals are a great time
to catch up with shipmates on board, for work-related conversations, as well
as a chance to socialize and share stories of previous expeditions and to talk
about things going on back home. Stories of families and dogs are common topics
of conversation in the mess hall (see image from lunch on Saturday August 15
at left).<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdj9J-Nlp8CF_-c-JO8M2Ei4HrHPyhNmfVw0lbfMP3wetsi53fKYR8tMb9w75I9IfTzw8D-amFNrRYCVPgVS9DhS0SCuEtq25PeIqM9Kdl8Jqq4wn_XjyrsydQaSZNc9zF9FuQz1xn0Y/s1600/DSCN0494_sm_StRm_Fig4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdj9J-Nlp8CF_-c-JO8M2Ei4HrHPyhNmfVw0lbfMP3wetsi53fKYR8tMb9w75I9IfTzw8D-amFNrRYCVPgVS9DhS0SCuEtq25PeIqM9Kdl8Jqq4wn_XjyrsydQaSZNc9zF9FuQz1xn0Y/s320/DSCN0494_sm_StRm_Fig4.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Science crew state room.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Scientists have 2-person staterooms on the ship with bunks, storage, a sink
and access to a shared bathroom (“the head”). Most scientist staterooms
are on lower decks of the ship (see photo at right). The “around the clock”
work schedules are facilitated by having dark curtains around bunks. The ship’s
library houses a collection of technical and non-technical books, and the TV
room has a video library where the science and ship’s crew can relax while
VentsProgramAtSeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425243077335730082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725537560520694711.post-63480014738576507722015-08-15T09:05:00.001-07:002015-09-08T10:52:04.995-07:00Departure and Looking Ahead<b>Friday, August 14, 2015</b><br />
By Rachel Teasdale<br />
<br />
<b>Weather:</b> Occasional light showers with overcast skies. <br />
<br />
<b>What’s happening today?</b> - Today all teams are working to get ready for our arrival at Axial Seamount on Saturday afternoon.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="DepartureLookingAhead">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Axial Seamount 2015 Expedition video of departure from Seattle and getting underway. Video by Jesse Crowell in association with Saskia Madlener at 77th Parallel Productions. Music by James Andrew Menking
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Friday morning, we had a safety meeting at 8:00 am to learn what to do in the unlikely event of a fire or other emergency and practiced putting on our immersion suits (see photo below of Jenny Paduan in hers!).
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<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94qQ1Odm10KdywMD_OmFLyc2pCrr5eJQTS1QQ79oV2LnwV820_vxAvuyGuK0V2emgSfeMbA6ZPaTt6id-SD45Jgj8_9fbvJojyhRMyyQ3ZeMeBjjVBn8aU_7yQf0MShdDl093lznFJCw/s1600/DSCN0415+Jenny+photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94qQ1Odm10KdywMD_OmFLyc2pCrr5eJQTS1QQ79oV2LnwV820_vxAvuyGuK0V2emgSfeMbA6ZPaTt6id-SD45Jgj8_9fbvJojyhRMyyQ3ZeMeBjjVBn8aU_7yQf0MShdDl093lznFJCw/s320/DSCN0415+Jenny+photo+1.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Jenny Paduan shows off her ability to get into her immersion suit during the morning safety meeting.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
By 9:00 am we were untied from Pier 90 and headed north through Puget Sound in calm water and light rain. The science crew is busy getting instruments ready for first deployments on Saturday afternoon when we arrive at Axial Seamount. At 10:00 this morning we did our first Skype call to the Hatfield Marine Science Center to talk to a great group of kids in a Marine Science Camp. The rest of the day will take us through the Strait of Juan de Fuca and then out into the Pacific Ocean and approximately 640 km (400 mi) to Axial Seamount where we’ll be able to get started on a busy suite of activities to meet a variety of science goals. <br />
<br />
Our 2015 Axial Seamount Expedition includes three interrelated scientific investigations led by four principle investigators (PIs) who collaborate with a variety of scientists and institutions prior to, during, and following the cruise. Each project has specific scientific goals for the cruise, all of which are related to the unique environment of Axial Seamount. <br />
<br />
(1) Seafloor pressure measurements to measure volcanic inflation and deflation (PIs: Scott Nooner and Bill Chadwick).
<br />
This work employs multiple instruments that precisely determine the depth of the ocean floor at Axial Seamount to look for vertical movements due to volcanic activity. Volcanoes like Axial Seamount inflate and deflate like a balloon. If magma accumulates below the seafloor, the seafloor will rise (inflation) and during an eruption the seafloor will sink (deflation). <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left; width: 320px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVutWkzsGY2Zjhyn-9muuSX9CflmFW8vCtBadsU_jlMczKcYWywjUbRe8LLxANgFAHp3q7jyzk_iT8AfWQ9qPrdKEZXk5pnd0ORfaI8Y80wPcoT92D1MrlPlPBqyj3z9IxkjZroFItfZE/s1600/DSCN0475+Sentry+photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVutWkzsGY2Zjhyn-9muuSX9CflmFW8vCtBadsU_jlMczKcYWywjUbRe8LLxANgFAHp3q7jyzk_iT8AfWQ9qPrdKEZXk5pnd0ORfaI8Y80wPcoT92D1MrlPlPBqyj3z9IxkjZroFItfZE/s320/DSCN0475+Sentry+photo+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Sentry Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) on deck of the Thomas G Thompson, ready for deployment August 2015.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Nooner and Chadwick have recorded progressive inflation and deflation events for the last 15 years at Axial Seamount using monitoring instruments Called Bottom Pressure Recorders (BPRs) <br />
<br />
In addition, it was recently demonstrated by colleagues at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) that high-resolution mapping by Autonomous Underwater Vehicles like Sentry (see photo right) also measure these kinds of vertical movements of the seafloor by repeat surveys. On this cruise Sentry will be collecting mapping data both to measure inflation and deflation, and to make detailed maps of Axial Seamount’s newest lava flows.<br />
<br />
(2) Collect samples and incubate hydrothermal vent fluids for chemical and microbial analysis (PIs: Dave Butterfield, Julie Huber, and Jim Holden)<br />
Samples of seawater above and around the hydrothermal vents are collected in a CTD,
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left; width: 320px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVjhcjgtjgkmanKVDjlU5sgID4VX6mPWKryBMPg6ZsNORdwybxAsDmzZwWVUZo5cs-2k6J0DNdgseFMe8jlGnsJMWahmRiXNCLogFUFUbiMAgRejjfIVlTtlEphyphenhyphenJy342PIndvKNsB5M/s1600/P1060238+CTD+photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVjhcjgtjgkmanKVDjlU5sgID4VX6mPWKryBMPg6ZsNORdwybxAsDmzZwWVUZo5cs-2k6J0DNdgseFMe8jlGnsJMWahmRiXNCLogFUFUbiMAgRejjfIVlTtlEphyphenhyphenJy342PIndvKNsB5M/s320/P1060238+CTD+photo+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">CTD being launched in 2013. Grey bottles are used to collect water samples. </td></tr>
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which is a collection of instruments that measure Conductivity (to calculate water salinity), Temperature, and Depth. The CTD houses multiple bottles so that water samples can be collected on command as the instrument package travels vertically through the water column (see photo of CTD left). Water samples will be collected outside the area of volcanic activity to determine “background” conditions, which can then be compared with samples closer to the hydrothermal vents, the caldera, and new lava flows. <br />
Additional water samples and microbes will be collected at hydrothermal vents on the seafloor using a collection of tools housed on the Jason ROV (see image below). Hydrothermal microbes are single celled organisms that live off of the chemical energy from different sources of “food,” such as hydrogen (H<sub>2</sub>), hydrogen sulfide (H<sub>2</sub>S), and methane (CH<sub>4</sub>). To collect samples, fluid samplers (like large syringes) suck water from hydrothermal vents into a series of bottles. The water chemistry and microbial organisms that live in and around the hydrothermal vents help to better understand the organisms present and the environmental conditions in which they can survive. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRU_tE6n2H4SVArrlWCc8XK3Yv168azMmFMDG95o1g6r1JGcsOqa8G2CoCpBKH2mVWy9x0b5e5xzN79YepmT-KowAD14R3xnCxmHVuHHQGQ84LRur5fosI29xzOCL_d-xAPOlTpOUALY/s1600/DSCN0477+Jason+photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRU_tE6n2H4SVArrlWCc8XK3Yv168azMmFMDG95o1g6r1JGcsOqa8G2CoCpBKH2mVWy9x0b5e5xzN79YepmT-KowAD14R3xnCxmHVuHHQGQ84LRur5fosI29xzOCL_d-xAPOlTpOUALY/s320/DSCN0477+Jason+photo+4.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Jason Group engineers prepare the ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) for its first dive.</td></tr>
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<br />
(3) Event response activities related to the April-May eruption (all PIs).<br />
In the early hours of April 24, seismometers installed at Axial Seamount started to record thousands of small earthquakes at the same time that Bottom Pressure Recorders detected a sharp drop in the seafloor, both of which signaled that an eruption was occurring at the volcano. This was recognized almost immediately because of the recently installed Cabled Array monitoring network of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) that is now sending data back to shore. New samples of the 2015 lavas will be collected and the new flows will be mapped by Sentry with multi-beam sonar to better understand the volume and extent of the 2015 eruption. Vent fluid and microbe samples from the young lavas will help show how eruptions change the hydrothermal vents and biological communities. The timing of the 2015 Axial Seamount Expedition is a unique opportunity to investigate the most recent eruption and document the state of a submarine volcano in its aftermath.
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 490px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRlrEUriikVUqf58HXAqRmNtq7PxYhvUkgMUOFrMDkFiu02Ek5TRnuQSXD5hZP_-gHdVL8Feq_17s1odtjg0Ppk_mNKptfUFjbPUBAhU_O3mOMQ0jOn9Ai-FKcvPro_6kZV9AEmXJE1qE/s1600/Axial-lava-flows-nrz-2015.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRlrEUriikVUqf58HXAqRmNtq7PxYhvUkgMUOFrMDkFiu02Ek5TRnuQSXD5hZP_-gHdVL8Feq_17s1odtjg0Ppk_mNKptfUFjbPUBAhU_O3mOMQ0jOn9Ai-FKcvPro_6kZV9AEmXJE1qE/s640/Axial-lava-flows-nrz-2015.png" width="464" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Bathymetric map of the Axial Seamount caldera (horseshoe shape open to the south) with north and south rift zones and lavas of the April 2015 eruption outlined with black lines. Colors represent topography with high areas of the seafloor shown in red and lower (deeper) areas shown in blue.</td></tr>
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VentsProgramAtSeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425243077335730082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725537560520694711.post-77665137510473059252015-08-02T11:17:00.000-07:002015-09-08T10:34:23.109-07:00Axial 2015 IntroductionWe’re headed back out to Axial Seamount on R/V Thompson for
a research cruise August 14-29.We’ll
have ROV Jason and AUV Sentry on board and will be making dives with both
underwater vehicles.The big excitement
this year is that we know that Axial Seamount erupted in April-May and this
will be the first expedition to conduct extensive exploration, mapping, and
sampling of the new lava flows.<br />
<br />
Here is a 3D fly-through animation of Axial Seamount with outlines of the lava flows:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fly-through by Susan Merle, OSU-CIMRS.
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
The cruise will consist of three interrelated projects: (1)
one to make seafloor pressure measurements to measure volcanic
inflation/deflation (funded by the National Science Foundation; PIs: Nooner and
Chadwick), (2) one to incubate and sample hydrothermal vent fluids for chemical
and microbial analysis (funded by NOAA and the Moore Foundation; PIs:
Butterfield, Huber, and Holden), and (3) one to conduct event response
activities related to the April-May eruption (jointly funded by NSF and NOAA).<br />
<br />
<i><b>More information:</b></i>
<br />
<b><br />Axial Seamount’s 2015 eruption:</b>
<a href="http://bit.ly/1zgtH4J" target="_blank"><br />OSU Press Release about the successful forecast of the 2015 eruption</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.washington.edu/news/2015/04/30/seafloor-sensors-record-possible-eruption-of-underwater-volcano/" target="_blank">UW Press Release about eruption detection by the OOI Cabled Array</a>
<br />
<a href="http://oceanobservatories.org/axial-eruption-site-identified-bathymetric-survey-data-available-online/" target="_blank">OOI post about the detection of new lava flows on Axial's north rift zone</a>
<a href="http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/eoi/rsn/index.html" target="_blank">Plots of real-time data from bottom-pressure/tilt instrument at Axial</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/eoi/axial_blog.html" target="_blank">Axial eruption forecast blog</a>
<br />
<b><br />Background
information on Axial Seamount:</b>
<br />
<a href="http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/eoi/axial_site.html" target="_blank">Axial Seamount (EOI Program)</a>
<a href="http://novae.ocean.washington.edu/" target="_blank">Networked Observations and Visualizations of the Axial Environment</a>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #0c343d;"><br />Technology:</span></b>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_845544315">
</a><br />
<a href="http://www.whoi.edu/ndsfVehicles/Jason/" target="_blank">ROV Jason</a>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_845544317">
</a><br />
<a href="http://www.whoi.edu/main/sentry" target="_blank">AUV Sentry</a>
VentsProgramAtSeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425243077335730082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725537560520694711.post-55041570168188939032015-08-01T11:02:00.000-07:002015-08-21T13:28:56.941-07:00Scientists<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Science Team: </b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXayri-kaOSCX730cNaHZe9TGC1uIqqAJd60oWk27j52vruiqr0ywZJMvqd0RDpZV7S2WgokoV6X2__Ms3W316tVQ2psDmlATJA7GmQqUVgbXstVjlemhvUKNfqAuwu6XB0gFR0Fb4AA/s1600/Chris+Algar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXayri-kaOSCX730cNaHZe9TGC1uIqqAJd60oWk27j52vruiqr0ywZJMvqd0RDpZV7S2WgokoV6X2__Ms3W316tVQ2psDmlATJA7GmQqUVgbXstVjlemhvUKNfqAuwu6XB0gFR0Fb4AA/s1600/Chris+Algar.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Chris Algar <i>(</i></b><b><i>Microbiology/Dalhouise University)</i>: </b>I am trying to find out what microbes are living in
the warm hydrothermal fluids circulating beneath the seafloor and what energy
source they use to fuel their growth. We do this by collecting samples
of fluids venting from the seafloor. The samples are taken back to
our lab where genetic sequencing will determine what types of microbes they
are. I will also conduct rate experiments on board the ship that will allow
us to determine how fast these microbes are taking up carbon (i.e. growing).
The final goal is develop a mathematical model describing the growth of
these microbes and the cycling of carbon and nutrients at Axial seamount.
I have an undergraduate degree in chemistry and biochemistry from Laurentian
University and a PhD in oceanography from Dalhousie University. After my
PhD I was a post doctoral scientist at Marine Biological Laboratory, where
I developed mathematical models describing the microbial ecosystems of coastal
sediments, and now I am trying to do the same thing in hydrothermal systems.
Currently I am an Assistant Professor in Oceanography at Dalhousie University.
I am interested in how the activity of microbes influence the cycling of
carbon and nutrients between the seafloor and the water above. Hydrothermal
vents are really interesting because they are one of the few areas of the
Earth where life can exist total independent of the sunlight above. At these
vents microbes obtain energy from the rocks they are living on and chemicals
contained in the fluids rising up from deep in the Earth. Mostly I am interested
in understanding what chemicals these microbes are using for growth, and
how fast they are using them. That and underwater volcanoes are just really
cool. </td>
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<b>Andra Bobbitt <i>(Data Management/Oregon State University-CIMRS)</i>: </b>My role on this cruise is to help keep track of the
ROV and cruise data and I'm the cruise webmaster for this blog. I became
interested in this area of research through: The marine geologist I was
working for at Scripps Institution of Oceanography while I was an undergraduate at UCSD offered me a job and a
berth on a month-long research expedition from Alaska to Hawaii. The
opportunity lead to a career. From this cruise, I am most interested in
actually getting to 'see' how Axial Volcano has changed in a relatively
short, geological time frame through the use of technology now available
to scientists. Through GIS maps and imagery, you can imagine it all without
all the water.</td>
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<b>Nathan Buck <i>(Plume geochemist/University of Washington-JISAO)</i></b></td> </tr>
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<b>Dave Butterfield </b><b><i>(Chemistry/University of Washington-JISAO)</i></b></td>
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<b>Bill Chadwick <i>(Chief Scientist-Geologist/Oregon State Universtiy-CIMRS)</i>: </b>I became interested in studying volcanoes when I was
a junior in college, Mount St. Helens erupted and that really grabbed my
interest. After college, I got a job working at Mount St. Helens with
the U.S. Geological Survey, and I've been hooked on volcanoes ever since.
I majored in Geology at Colorado College, then got a PhD in Geology at University
of California at Santa Barbara. Scott Nooner and I have been tracking the
up & down movements of the seafloor related to Axial Seamount's eruption
cycle. During this cruise we're going to find out more about what
happened during its most recent eruption in April 2015, and we'll be trying
to anticipate what it's going to do next.</td>
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<b>Jesse Crowell </b><b><b><i>(Videographer/Oregon State Universtiy-CIMRS)</i></b>: </b>I studied Journalism at the University of
Oregon and gained an interest in visual storytelling (photography, videography)
and writing. I love the idea of mixing scientific communication with storytelling
and the human element of research led me to the Axial Seamount trip. My
Journalism degree combined with personal and work experience in visual communication
prepared me for my work documenting the scientific work that is going on
throughout this research cruise. I'm interested in learning about the people
that are passionately dedicated to this type of research and they're findings.
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<b>Matt Fowler </b><b><b><i>(Moorings/Oregon State Universtiy-CIMRS)</i></b>: </b>I work with NOAA's Acoustic Monitoring Program
and am the technician recovering and deploying subsurface instrumentation
for the science party. I have a B/S in Oceanography with a minor in Computer
Information Systems. I'm interested in the data obtained by our Ocean Bottom
Hydrophone (OBH) situated in Axial caldera. I'm involved with the NOAA/OSU
development of hydrophones used to acoustically monitor remote locations
for biological, geologic, and anthropogenic activity. In this case, the
OBH was acoustically monitoring seismic activity. </td></tr>
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<b>Jim Holden<i> (Microbioloy/University of Massachusettes)</i>: </b>My role on this cruise is to study the high-temperature
microbes living off of the chemicals coming from the volcano in the absence
of light and oxygen. I became interested in this area of research because
I am fascinated that life could exist in such a harsh environment. Hydrothermal
vents seem so foreign compared to most other Earth environments, but life
below the surface of the Earth is quite common. I earned a B.S., an M.S.
and a Ph.D. in Oceanography, and then worked as a biochemist for 7 years
at the University of Georgia before becoming a professor of microbiology
at UMass Amherst. From this cruise, I am most interested in learning more
about different microorganisms like different chemicals and environmental
conditions to live in. I'm trying to figure out where certain types
of microorganisms are living, what they are doing, and how they affect the
chemistry and ecology of hydrothermal vents.</td>
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<b>Ben Larson </b><b><i>(Chemistry/University of Washington-JISAO)</i></b>
My role in the cruise is to prepare, deploy, and operate a novel seafloor incubator; analyze fluid samples for H<sub>2</sub> and CH<sub>4</sub>; test a new Raman spectroscopy-based O<sub>2</sub> sensor, and process in-situ pH and O<sub>2</sub> sensor data. These instruments and sensors are all geared towards defining the chemical milieu that shapes the world beneath the seafloor. This field of research is only a little over 30 years old! I was drawn to the world of deep-sea vents, where the temperatures are scorching, the pressures are skull crushing, and the interactions are of tectonic proportions. When new crust is formed from magma at the bottom of the ocean, it is quenched by the overlying seawater (like a blacksmith dunking hot iron into a tub full of water), and as a result, this water is heated to temperatures in excess of 350°C, hot enough to boil at the bottom of the ocean! I have a B.S. in chemistry from Ohio State, and M.S. and Ph.D. in chemical oceanography from University of Washington. I hope that the chemical data from this and previous cruises will help to define and constrain these models because this is ultimately the best chance we have at visualizing what goes on in parts of the Earth that are otherwise beyond our reach.</td>
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<b>Susan Merle </b><b><b><i>(Data Management/</i></b></b><b><b><i><b><i>Oregon State University-CIMRS</i></b>)</i></b>: </b>My specialty is seafloor mapping. I
perform surface differencing on seafloor grids to determine whether or not
there have been changes in the volcanoes we visit, such as landslides, eruptions,
etc. I will be logging the Jason dive information, compiling sample lists,
dive logs, Jason navigation, and creating maps using GIS, of our dives.
After the expedition Andra Bobbitt and myself will compile a cruise report
of the expedition. I became interested in this area of research through
my interest in fishing. I originally wanted to fish in Alaska many years
ago and was informed that a gal from the Midwest knew nothing about the
ocean. I went on to achieve a degree in Oceanography, with an emphasis
in geology and geophysics from University of Washington. Recently
I went back to school and received a graduate certificate in Geographic
Information Science from Oregon State University. We have been observing
changes at Axial volcano for decades. In my 18 years with the program
we have observed 3 eruptions at Axial. Our group is focusing on inflation
and deflation of Axial caldera to predict future eruptions.</td>
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<b>Scott Nooner <i>(Geology/University of North Carolina)</i>:</b> My work takes me to interesting
parts of the world, and I get to meet interesting people, and study fascinating
natural processes using cool instruments and tools. I have a B.A. and M.S.
in Physics and a PhD in Geophysics. From this cruise, I am most interested
in learning more about the magma dynamics driving the behavior of the volcano
and being able to see what happened in the April 2015 eruption.</td>
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<b>Jenny Paduan <i>(AUV multibeam/MBARI)</i>: </b>I will be processing bathymetry mapping data
collected by the AUV Sentry, ROV Jason, and the ship. I will also assist
with the Jason ROV dives and collecting lava samples of the 2015 flows.
Developments in ROV sampling capabilities and AUV's, mapping sonars, and
processing software have opened the door to using these amazing technologies
in novel and challenging ways. We now can make geologic field maps and deduce
the eruptive histories of seamounts and spreading ridges like geologists
can do at volcanoes on land, but which is unprecedented for volcanoes in
the deep sea. My degrees are in biochemistry and biological oceanography,
but serendipity steered me toward marine geology and I am happily working
on submarine volcanoes. I have a lot of experience with deep sea submersible
dives, working with video, expedition and samples data from the dives, processing
multibeam sonar data, and real-time navigation of vehicles, spatial analysis
of data, and making maps using GIS (geographic information systems) software.
We will be repeating a survey pattern over the summit made several times
since 2006 by the MBARI Mapping AUV, from which we can determine the amount
of deformation (inflation or deflation) of the volcano year to year, to
understand the magmatic plumbing system and try to predict when it might
erupt again. We will be mapping at high resolution the lava flows erupted
in April 2015 and collecting samples of the lavas. We want to know how vigorous
and large this eruption was, how it compares with the 2011 and 1998 eruptions,
and how the lava chemistry differs from those eruptions and changed through
this eruption.</td>
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<b>Emily Reddington <i>(Microbiology/Marine Biological Laboratory)</i>: </b>My role during the cruise is collect
diffuse vent fluids and conduct experiments that identify the active members
of the microbial communities. Working in the Huber Lab at the MBL gives
me a chance to combine my Master's work in Evolutionary Biology and Systematics,
my undergraduate study of Marine Biology, and my work aboard the R/V Vantuna.
My first introduction to deep water research was as a student in Mrs. Narishkin's
4th grade class. Way back in 1989 we went to the Museum of Science in Boston
and participated in a telepresence cruise via live satellite feed of a Jason
and Alvin dive into Lake Ontario to explore ships from the war of 1812.
Our goals are not only to continue the work we have been doing with Stable
Isotope Probing and estimating rates of Autotrophy and Heterotrophy in the
microbial communities at known Axial vents, but also to apply these techniques
to potential new vents created by the recent eruption. </td>
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<b>Kevin Roe</b><b><i> (Chemistry/University of Washington-JISAO)</i></b></td>
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<b>Glenn Sasagawa <i>(Geophysics/Scripps Institution of Oceanography)</i></b></td>
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<tr><td><b>Rachel Spietz </b><b><b><i>(CTD Operations/University of Washington-JISAO)</i></b>: </b>I am assisting with
CTD operations as well as collecting water samples to characterize the microbial
communities inhabiting hydrothermal vents and plumes. I became interested
in extremophile microbes while conducting undergraduate research in the
hot springs at Yellowstone National Park. The abilities of these microbes
to exist and thrive in what we consider to be an extreme environment is
fascinating to me. I graduated from Montana State University with a Bachelor’s
degree in Environmental Biology and participated in research exploring the
ecology and evolution of microbes in hot spring environments and glaciers.
After working for a year as a research associate at Montana State, I moved
to Seattle for graduate school at the University of Washington earning a
Master’s degree in Aquatic and Fishery Sciences exploring the diversity
of bacteria in a hypoxic estuary, Hood Canal. Now, I am in the middle of
research for my PhD in Oceanography at the UW investigating the role of
sulfur-oxidizing bacteria in nutrient and energy cycling. I am most interested
in learning about the vent systems and seeing them first-hand through ROV
Jason. It will be exciting to see the new lava flows and aftermath of the
April eruption in the caldera.</td></tr>
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<b>Rachel Teasdale<i> (Geology-Teacher/California State University-Chico)</i>: </b>I am a geologist and am coordinating this
blog educational outreach to classrooms during this cruise. We are doing
Skype calls to classrooms throughout the cruise, answering questions from
blog visitors (see the link to Questions/Answers in the More Information
at right). My interest in volcanology comes from a university GE course
I took, along with fieldwork at volcanoes around the world – I enjoy
my work so much that I want to share it with students of all ages. My educational
and professional background includes BS, MS, and PhD degrees in Geology,
with teaching and research at universities since 2001. From this cruise,
I am most interested in learning more about the young lava flows of the
2015 and 2011 eruptions at Axial Volcano and the inflation-deflation cycles
that the volcano goes through as magma moves through the system. I’m
also fascinated by the diverse areas of research going on during this cruise
and look forward to learning more about the chemistry, and microbiology
work being done at Axial – particularly to help share those areas
of research with students and others following the cruise on our blog and
through Skype calls.</td>
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<b>Begum Topcuoglu </b><b><b><i>(Microbioloy/University of Massachusettes)</i></b>: </b>My role during the cruise is to study
the physiology of the microbes we sample from Axial Seamount. These microbes
are fascinating because they live at high temperatures in the absence of
oxygen and sunlight. I have a B.S in Bioengineering and currently doing
a PhD in Microbiology. It is very exciting to explore an environment like
this and to try figuring out how microbes adapt to it with many collaborators
from different fields. I'm most interested in how different types of microbes
interact with one another. This year we planned some experiments to study
cooperation among microbes. </td>
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<b>Ryan Wells<i> (Engineer/University of Washington-JISAO)</i>: </b>My work on this cruise is to assist with Hot
Fluid Sampler, ROV interfacing, and electronics troubleshooting. I worked
offshore as a a survey engineer for 6 years before signing on with NOAA,
In which time I got to see and do some pretty amazing things. I worked at
the Deepwater Horizon site after the oil spill; I helped build wind-farms
off the coast of Denmark; I surveyed the Lusitania wreck site in Ireland;
and I even worked as a treasure hunter in the English Channel. I've always
been fascinated by everything that has to do with the ocean and marine technology.
I love coming up with new ideas to help in our understanding of the complex
interactions that shape the under-sea environment. I want to learn more
about the micro-organisms are capable of living in the hydrothermal vents.</td>
</tr>
<tr><td><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ship Marine Technicians:</b></span></td></tr>
<tr><td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Brandi Murphy, <i>University of Washington</i></b></td></tr>
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<b>Jen Nomura, <i>University of Washington</i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Jason and Sentry:</b></span><br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Tito Collasius</b></div>
</td>
<td>Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute</td>
<td>Jason/Lead</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Jefferson Grau</b></div>
</td>
<td>Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute</td>
<td>Jason</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Scott Hansen</b></div>
</td>
<td>Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute</td>
<td>Jason</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Chris Judge</b></div>
</td>
<td>Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute</td>
<td>Jason</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td height="30" style="text-align: center;"><b>Chris Lathan</b></td>
<td>Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute</td>
<td>Jason</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Scott McCue</b></div>
</td>
<td>Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute</td>
<td>Jason</td>
</tr>
<tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Jim Pelowski</b></div>
</td>
<td>Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute</td>
<td>Jason</td>
</tr>
<tr>
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<b>Ben Tradd</b></td>
<td>Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute</td>
<td>Jason</td>
</tr>
<tr>
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<b>Jim Varnum</b></td>
<td>Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute</td>
<td>Jason</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Korey Verhein</b></td>
<td>Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute</td>
<td>Jason</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Dana Yoerger</b></td>
<td>Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute</td>
<td>Sentry/Lead</td>
</tr>
<tr>
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<b>Zachary Berkowitz</b></td>
<td>Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute</td>
<td>Sentry</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Justin Fujii</b></td>
<td>Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute</td>
<td>Sentry</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Loral O'Hara</b></div>
</td>
<td>Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute</td>
<td>Sentry</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Stefano Suman</b></td>
<td>Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute</td>
<td>Sentry</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
VentsProgramAtSeahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425243077335730082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7725537560520694711.post-17869315292753253162015-08-01T01:00:00.000-07:002015-08-06T14:36:06.772-07:00R/V Thompson Crew<br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="50%">Russell DeVaney</td>
<td width="50%">Master</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%">Mark Johnson</td>
<td width="50%">Chief Engineer</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%">Dana Africa</td>
<td width="50%">AB</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%">Pamela Blusk</td>
<td width="50%">AB</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%">Kelly Darrah</td>
<td width="50%">Mess Attendant</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%">Thomas Drake</td>
<td width="50%">2nd Mate</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%">Leo Gabriel</td>
<td width="50%">Oiler</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%">Tyler Glenn</td>
<td width="50%">OS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%">India Grammatica</td>
<td width="50%">2nd Cook/Baker</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%">Michael Hansen</td>
<td width="50%">AB</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%">Dylan Knowles</td>
<td width="50%">Oiler</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%">Lance Lyons</td>
<td width="50%">2nd Engineer</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%">Breana Ogden</td>
<td width="50%">Chief Mate</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%">Douglas O'Neill</td>
<td width="50%">3rd Engineer</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%">Timothy Siner</td>
<td width="50%">1st Engineer</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%">Frank Spetla</td>
<td width="50%">AB</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%">Vasilia Stamatiou</td>
<td width="50%">OS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%">Orlando Thompson</td>
<td width="50%">Oiler</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%">Joshua Woodrow</td>
<td width="50%">3rd Mate</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%">Mario Yordan</td>
<td width="50%">Oiler</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%">Freda Zacharias</td>
<td width="50%">2nd Cook</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
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