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 ABE
bathymetry image showing the crest of Southern Explorer Ridge. Purple
and dark blue colors indicate deepest depths. |
Explorer Ridge
lies at the northern end of a chain of 3 spreading centers located off the
west coast of North America. Explorer Ridge consists of one major segment,
Southern Explorer Ridge, and several smaller segments. Magic Mountain is
a large active hydrothermal vent area located on the Southern Explorer Ridge.
Before 2002 Explorer Ridge was the least explored of the NE Pacific spreading
centers, even though it was known to have robust hydrothermal activity and
is seismically active. In
the summer of 2002, the Vents Program conducted 2 cruises to further survey
Explorer Ridge (funded in part by NOAA's Ocean Exploration Program). The
first expedition included detailed mapping using multibeam sonar systems
from the ship and a near-bottom system using an autonomous underwater
vehicle (AUV) named ABE as well as extensive water column surveys using
CTDs to detect hydrothermal plumes. The second expedition used a remotely
operated vehicle (ROV) named ROPOS to explore hydrothermally active sites
on the seafloor based on the results from the first expedition.
For
more information on Explorer Ridge see:
Ocean
Exploration 2002 cruise
Expedition
photo and video log
Recent Explorer Ridge seismic activity
updated 2/2004 |
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