On August 8, 2014 all Secondary Infratructure at the summit of Axial Seamount was connected to Primary Node PN3B. Here, cable RS03W9 is being plugged into the SP1 port on PN3B. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1741; V14.
The Canadian ROV ROPOS is latched into the ROCLS cable laying system, taking a 1 km-long extension cable down to the seafloor at the base of Axial Seamount. Photo Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington, V14.
Panoramic view of the R/V Thompson fantail as it departs for Axial Seamount on the VISIONS'14 OOI expedition. Green-sided frames are junction boxes that will be installed at the volcano and they willl host myriad instruments. The central drum holds yellow extension cable that will connect one of the juction boxes to Primary Node 3B, providing power and bandwith to this subsea observatory.
Photo credit: Skip Denny, University of Washington, V14
A short-period seismometer (OBSSPA301) is installed ~1.3 km east of the ASHES hydrothermal field. A cable connects to a medium power junction box in the field. During testing with ROPOS, this seismometer recorded a small earthquake. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF, ROPOS Dive R1640; V13.
The Remotely Operated Cable Laying System (ROCLS) shown deployed at the summit of Axial Seamount near Primary Node 3B (water depth ~ 5000 ft). The drum holds ~ 2000 ft of cable that will soon be deployed. Once a small section of the cable is secured to the secondary node (in distance, on left), ROPOS will latch into the top of ROCLS and "fly" through the water column, deploying cable underneath it as it travels. Photo Credit NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF.
ROPOS goes into the water in the early morning of July 10, prior to descending 2600 m (~7800 ft) to the seafloor. Directly latched below the vehicle is the medium-powered junction box, MJ01A.
Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF
Primary Node 3A is installed at the base of Axial Volcano and connected to the backbone cable, which is connected to a terrestrial shore station in Pacific City, Oregon. This node provides 10,000 volts of power and 10 Gbs bandwidth for real-time communication. The node is located ~300 miles off the coast. Photo Credit: Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF
A glimpse into the subsurface biosphere through a small collapse zone. The white material is thick, dense mats of filamentous bacteria and biofilms that hae grown within the new lava flow erupted in April 2011. Credit; UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1472; V11.
Axial Volcano hosts numerous hydrothermal fields and sites of diffuse flow that support dense animal and microbial communities. Credit: D. Kelley, University of Washington.
Enlighten '10 Co-Chief Scientist Deb Kelley describes the plan for Jason Dive J2-515 in the Axial Volcano caldera.
Produced and edited by Katherine Turner and Carlos Sanchez
