NeMO July 28, 2001

Logbook: July 28, 2001

Brown: NeMO Net
Wecoma: no report today
Teacher logbooks: Home at sea; monitoring vents
Perspective today: Dave Butterfield, Chemical Oceanographer

Science News | Teacher At Sea | Participant Perspective

Cruise Calendar

July-August 2001

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Science News

NOAA Ship Ron Brown - ROV Cruise

image of lava pillars, click for full story

Each of the last 2 years, we have been developing and testing a communication system called NeMO Net designed to allow communication between instruments on the seafloor and scientists back on land. In 1999 and 2000, camera images and temperature data were transmitted hourly from a vent site on the seafloor, first with one-way communication and then with two-way capability. More...

R/V Wecoma - CTD Cruise

Sunset at sea, July 28.

Teacher Logbooks

NOAA Ship Ron Brown - Jeff Goodrich

The scientists are gathering mounds of data about the dynamic nature of Axial Volcano and it's hydrothermal vents. However, for a deeper understanding of this complex tectonic system, snapshot science really doesn't cut it. Continual monitoring or monitoring during eruptive events is ideal. This process has already been started. In 1998 a rumbleometer, a device that measures vertical displacement and temperature, detected inflation and deflation of the volcano during the eruption. More...

R/V Wecoma - Missy Holzer

Floating around in the "Big O" on the R/V Wecoma one finds peace, solitude as well the tranquil sounds of the waves crashing against the ship. With being swept away by all this wonderment, comes the longing for a few amenities only found on land, especially after being out at sea for an extended period of time. The acquisition of some amenities have to wait until the ship gets to port, but other amenities (albeit small) can be brought along on the cruise and act as a creature comfort until the ship gets back to port. More...

Participant Perspective

Interview with Dave Butterfield
Chemical oceanographer - U. Washington/PMEL

Jeff G: In monitoring the vent chemistry at Axial, are there any surprises so far this year?

Dave: In the SE eruption zone things are cooling off. Cloud vent (where we put the NeMO Net RAS) has been steadily decreasing in temperature since we first measured it in 1998. Some of the other vents seem to be more stable. ASHES has been chugging along since we've been coming out here in the late 1980's and hasn't really changed very much. The structures there haven't grown very much and the chemistry hasn't changed a lot either. There haven't been any real surprises. However, we haven't gone back and done the detailed work in the lab yet to see what we've got. Overall, we've seen the disappearance of widespread venting that occurred right after the eruption and it seems to be focusing down to a few areas. It turns out that those areas are the same ones that have historically been diffuse vent areas before the eruption. There's something about those locations that focuses the flow. More...