By noon we are done with the installation of our first segment!! The water depth is around 2,650m.
Segment 7 is next… along the smoothest ridge we could find to ascend Axial seamount. While the previous segment was a no-brainer, surface laid on the heavily sediment seabed, this one will be laid on the flank of an active volcanic structure, the Juan de Fuca Ridge. The sediment cover is expected to decrease dramatically as we climb up, and lava flows will be more and more apparent to the seabed. The cable is armored accordingly…
At a speed of 2 knots maximum, it will take us a day or so to lay Segment 7. It’s a game of patience and deep water precision work!
—Cecile Durand, the OOI Regional Scale Nodes Marine Maintenance Manager at the University of Washington, reports from aboard the TE SubCom Dependable.