Archive

Dive R1784 Highlights Southern Hydrate Ridge

Southern Hydrate Ridge: This was a long dive to finish work at Southern Hydrate Ridge. ROPOS infilled the caisson for the broadband (OSBBA1010) with silica beads and installed the CAT flow meter at Einstein's Grotto, which completed this site. ROPOS photomosaicked the area and took push cores and biological samples (clams). ROPOS transited to the large collapse zone in the NW portion of the seep area and imaged/documented the site. Here, a significant discovery was made of exposed methane hydrate on the seafloor, as well as a sustained, large bubble plume issuing from a hole at the base of the near vertical wall in the collapse zone. The dive ended with taking a couple niskin bottle samples of the methane plume, a few more push cores and recovery of the tool basket. Video credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1784; V14.  

Read More »