East Pacific Rise — Current Experiment Coordination — Responses [ISS]
TITLE
1. PI-Project Information
Name: Karen Von Damm
Institution: University of New Hampshire
Email address: kvd@eos.sr.unh.edu
Project Title: Fluid chemistry, annual vent sampling and continuous temperature measurements; Alvin cruise
NSF-OCE number: OCE-0327126
Upcoming cruise ID and dates: AT15-13, November 22- Dec 6, 2006, & late 2007
2. Planned Sampling Requirements
- 2.1. Types of Samples:
- 2.2. Type of Sample Locality:
- 2.3. Seafloor Collection Devices to be Used:
- 2.4. Seafloor Experiments to be Deployed:
We will sample all of the high temperature vents between Biovent in the north and L vent in the south (i.e., 9°46.3'-9°51'N). We will collect sulfide chimney pieces of the orifices we sample to couple with the fluids and to make a fluid-sulfide pair. We will measure the temperature at the time of fluid sample collection. We are looking to recover the recording temperature probes we deployed in March 2004, and June 2006. We will therefore be doing some searching near the 2004 deployment sites for these probes. Our plan is to re-deploy temperature probes in all of the orifices we sample. We will also likely pick up a sample of the lavas at the base of each hot water orifice. We will deploy markers at all sites we sample. We get the best indication of the nature of the vent fluids by sampling the hottest orifice at a given vent. We may also sample multiple orifices at the same vent to determine if there is variability, as we saw on the Southern East Pacific Rise. If there are exciting discoveries related to the extent of the eruption further to the south, we may visit other sites, but our primary focus is as noted above. Part of our study is to continue understanding the coupling between co-located high and low temperature fluid flow. For example in the past we did this in the Bio9 area, at Ty/Io and BM 82, at BM141/2 (no high T flow, just to couple with biological studies), and at Tube Worm Pillar/Y vent. We therefore do intend to collect some samples of low temperature fluids, primarily adjacent to a subset of our high temperature study sites.
High(est) temperature flow, and in some cases diffuse flow as close to the hi T flow as we can find.
Majors bottles, gas tight bottles, recording (and Alvin) temperature probes.
Recording temperature probes, and two of Marv Lilleys res(istivity) probes.
3. Planned Duration of Seafloor Experiments:
Our next cruise is tentatively schedule for December 2007.
4. Constraints on Your Deployment Plans:
- 4.1. Will vehicle operations be allowable in your experiment area? If so, with what restrictions for sampling or imaging (e.g., non-invasive observations or mapping).
- 4.2. What is the proximity (meters distant) from your experiment(s) that future sampling can be done.
- 4.3. What is the proximity (meters distant) to which other in-situ instrument deployments can be made.
- 4.4. Will you be using acoustic devices or moorings?
- 4.4. Are you looking for other experiments that can be co-located with your experiments?
- 4.5. Does your experiment require site protection? To what level of tolerance?
Yes. See 4.2
While it is preferable that orifices with recording temperature probes not be sampled by others, if this cannot be avoided we need to know from those PIs the time and date when the orifices we visited so we can note this with the record for possible excursions. We have noted such excursions occurring in the past. Similarly if another PI sees that the probe has fallen out of a particular orifice (we have also seen this happen), we ask them to place it back in the orifice, and to forward us the information as to when the probe was noted on the seafloor and when it was re-inserted back in the orifice. (Two pictures would be good too of the site before recovery, and where the probe has been re-placed.)
See 4.2.
No.
Not specifically, but are open to this.
See 4.2.
5. Other Issues?
###