NeMO July 25, 2001

Logbook: July 25, 2001

Brown: Map of CASM
Wecoma: coming soon...
Teacher logbooks: Capture of tubeworm larvae
Perspective today: Mike Gowan, Chief Engineer

Science News | Teacher At Sea | Participant Perspective

Cruise Calendar

July-August 2001

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Science News

NOAA Ship Ron Brown - ROV Cruise

A bathymetric map has been produced from yesterday's scanning sonar survey at CASM (during ROPOS dive 626). The map area is about 650 m X 1000m and includes the caldera floor just south of the caldera wall (reds and yellows are high; blues and purples are low). The CASM fissure is oriented north-south and is clearly defined in the middle of the northern third of the map. This map will help us plan the next dive to the CASM area. More...

R/V Wecoma - CTD Cruise

Today is our last at Axial Volcano this year, and as we prepare to steam south to our next working area we are thinking about rivers in the deep sea. If that sounds like we are thinking too much about the landscape back home, remember that water in the ocean, at every depth, is always flowing somewhere. There are great ocean rivers that dwarf the Mississippi or the Amazon--the Gulf Stream is familiar to almost everybody--but lesser streams and rivulets are everywhere. More...

Teacher Logbooks

NOAA Ship Ron Brown - Jeff Goodrich

Last night Verena Tunnicliffe and Anna Metaxas made an important discovery. During our 12 hour Imagenex survey at the CASM vent field, a plankton net was towed by ROPOS at a height of 25 meters. After finishing the survey, the net caught a single tubeworm larvae (Ridgeia piscesae). This is the first time that the delicate larvae have ever been found in the water column along the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Previously, tubeworms have only been seen as adults or as recently settled juveniles on the bottom. Based on its size, about 2 mm long, this particular one is likely ready for settlement very soon.
More...

R/V Wecoma - Missy Holzer

Hard to believe that we've spent over a week sampling the water column above Axial volcano and now it's time to move onto our next location on the Juan de Fuca Ridge. This evening the NeMO CTD cruise will be steaming to the Cleft segment of the ridge located about 60 miles south of our current location. The Cleft segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge is one the 3 most active segments of the ridge along with the Axial and Endeavor segments, and has been monitored by the Hydrothermal Plume Studies Group since 1986. Similar sampling will take place at Cleft that has taken place at Axial: CTD casts and tow-yo's. More...

Participant Perspective

Interview with Mike Gowan
Acting Chief Marine Engineer - NOAA Ship RONALD H. BROWN

Jeff G: What are your duties aboard the RON BROWN?

Mike: I'm responsible for the operation and maintenance of this vessel. It's pretty broad. I have three engineering officers that keep me informed about what's going on in terms of the propulsion and electrical generation systems. There are six diesel generators. Three of them can supply only propulsion. The other three can provide propulsion or ship service, lighting, pumps, motors, air conditioning etc. Three of the engines are 1500 kWt. One of those would provide enough electricity for 50 homes. This ship could basically power a small city of maybe about 20,000 people. It takes a lot of power to move this ship through the water.
More...