A Blustery Transit to Axial Seamount

August 13, 2017

Small spigots on the ~4 m tall vent called Mushroom issue clear high temperature fluids. Healthy communities of sulfide worms and tubeworms cover the outer surfaces of the chimney. The tubeworms have no mouth or anus, but their tubes are filled with symbiotic microorganisms that process carbon which sustains the worms. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; V11.

The Mushroom hydrothermal chimney at the ASHES vent field, hosts dense communities of limpets, a variety of worms (palm, tube, scale, sulfide), and filamentous bacteria. The chimney rises ~ 4 m above the seafloor. This mosaic was compiled by M. Elend, University of Washington from several high definition images. Credti: M. Elend, University of Washington.

A young smoker near the base of the suflide edifice called 'Mushroom' emits particle-poor, shimmering water at temperatures >100oC. Tube worms, palm worms and limpets bathe in diffusely flowing fluids that vent out of the porous chimney walls and mix with the surrounding, nearly freezing seawater. A high definition camera will be installed at this site providing real-time live imagery in 2014. (VISIONS '13 Dive R-1614) Photo credit: OOI-NSF/UW/CSSF

The thermistor array will be deployed at the base of the hydrothermal vent Mushroom, on the lower right side of this image on top of the yellow incubators.

Small sulfide chimneys vent high temperature fluids at the base of the Mushroom sulfide edifice. Dense tubeworm (red plumes), palm worm (brown red plumes), and limpet macrofaunal assemblages completely cover most of the edifice. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF. V13.

Two scaleworms roam among the Palm worms and limpets at Mushroom, one of the hydrothermal vents at ASHES vent field on Axial Seamount. One worm shows its usual pinkish red color (at left), while the other is coated with a fur-like layer of filamentous bacteria. This image was taken with the RCA HD Video Camera during its test on the seafloor during VISIONS 13. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI, V14

A new high definition camera was installed at the hydrothermal vent called 'Mushroom' in the ASHES hydrothermal field atop Axial Volcano. The camera, built by the UW Applied Physics Lab, was tested today and streamed live HD imagery >300 miles back to shore from a water depth of >5000 m. Credit: Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/ISS; Dive R1835; V15.

The high definition camera, built by the UW Applied Physics Lab, was reinstalled in 2016 during the VISIONS'16 cruise. The prior camera had been streaming video live to shore for two years. The camera was recovered to clear the outer window of biofouling. The camera is located at the hydrothermal chimney called Mushroom in the ASHES hydrothermal field on Axial Seamount. Video are streamed live from ~5000 ft down and >300 miles offshore onto the Internet 8 times a day. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI; V16.

LED lights on the high definition camera, built by the Applied Physics Laboratory at the University of Washington, light up a ~1 m tall, young black smoker chimney at the base of the actively venting Mushroom edifice on Axial Seamount (water depth ~1500 m). The image, taken with the ROV Jason, shows the camera being tested by UW engineers during VISIONS16. They were in the Operations Center, located 300 miles to the east at the School of Oceanography. Here, they were commanding/controlling the camera live through the terrestrial and submarine Internet as part of the NSF Cabled Array infrastructure. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI; V16.

The R/V Revelle transited to Axial Seamount under bumpt seas with winds (up to ~ 25 knts), but under beautiful blue skies. Credit: D. Kelley, University of Washington, V17.

Following the completion of work at the Southern Hydrate Ridge methane seep site, the R/V Revelle transited to Slope Base to install an HPIES (horizontal electric field, pressure and inverted echo sounder) instrument that provides insights into the variability of currents and heat content of overlying ocean waters over large vertical extents. Jason dove to nearly 10,000 ft beneath the ocean to install this instrument on the National Science Foundation-funded Cabled Array and to recover the HPIES instrument installed last year. Once the vehicle was secured on deck, the R/V Revelle began its ~19 hr transit last night to Axial Seamount.

Many of us on the 03 deck were awoken about 0600 by a distinct change in ship movement – as in a distinct increase in pitching of the ship. We got up to beautiful blue skies with up to 25 knot winds (29 mph), which is not too bad for out here, but a definitely wave generator. It is beautiful on deck watching the seas and the skies. Waves pushed up from the bow of the ship sometimes result in rainbow-like colors in the spray from the wind-blown breaking waves. This is the first day we have seen the sun since leaving Newport on July 29. Sitting out on deck warms the soul.

Much of the team used the day to catch up on work, while many of the students used the time to catch up on sleep. Their excitement about the cruise results commonly in late nights spent talking about life and the expedition, working in the control room and on their projects and helping on deck – oh, and just like some of the Cabled Array team, there is that dreaded state called "being seasick". The students are a wonderful addition to the team and we appreciate having them out here.

We are all looking forward to diving at the hydrothermal fields at the summit of Axial Seamount tonight, weather permitting. We will install and recover a high definition camera at the actively venting hot spring called “Mushroom”, which is covered with animal assemblages that thrive in the perpetually dark waters. These systems are some of the most extreme environments that Earth has to offer, which is why they were chosen as key sites to instrument for the NSF Ocean Observatories Initiative Regional Cabled Array. The live video, as well as data from all cabled instruments can be accessed through the OOI data portal. During the installation, we will be streaming live video from Jason, as well as from the newly installed camera soon after it is plugged in. It is still amazing to think that an audience from around the globe can watch video, streamed at the speed of light into their living rooms, showing amazing and bizarre life forms that thrive on the top of a volcano over 300 miles off shore and 5000 ft beneath the oceans’ surface.