Teacher Logbook:
Saturday, July 1, 2000 1800 hrs.

ROPOS hit bottom at 5:30 am this morning. Members of the ROPOS team took turns "flying" the ROV while geologist Bill Chadwick instructed them on the game plan. The scientists found three of the six extensometers missing from the elevator. Luckily, with a little scouting around, they were found. All six extensometers were placed in the appropriate benchmarks and the elevator is now ready to be released, via floats, to the surface. ROPOS is controlled with a joy-stick from a dark room with an extensive array of monitors. This is where the action now takes place. Other scientists gathered and were mesmerized at the alien world they observed on the screens. The relatively young pillow and lobate basalts that comprise the ocean floor here are monotonous and I'm impressed with the pilot's ability to find anything down there. Sediment covers much of the bottom and is periodically stirred up by ROPOS. This clouds our view for short periods of time. Unusual creatures such as spider crabs, brittle stars and rattail fish briefly pass by. Watching is like going to the movies. Bring your popcorn and join us tomorrow for, possibly, our first look at a hydrothermal vent system.
Jeff