Image Archive

A broadband seismometer installed inside a buried cassion at Southern Hydrate Ridge by the ROV ROPOS. A follow-on dive will fill the caisson with silica beads, which dampens noise. The broadband and low frequency hydrophone is installed here to detect both large and small earthquakes that may impact the release of methane gas into the hydrosphere. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1779; V14.

ROPOS using a suction tube to vacuum out the caisson for the broadband seismometer at Axial Base. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF, ROPOS Dive 1739, V14

The broadband seismometer (left) and low frequency hydrophone (right) are installed on the floor of Axial Seamount at the Central Caldera Site. The 7-function manipulator of ROPOS is connecting the extension cable to the medium powered junction box. The white bags inssulate the broadband from acoustic "noise" associated with curents flowing over the instrument.

A broadband seismometer and a low-frequency hydrophone placed on a flat basaltic plateau at the Axial Seamount Central Caldera Site, awaiting connection to medium power J-Box MJ03F. On a follow-on dive a 4.6-km cable will be installed. This area is of particular interest because the caldera floor is rapidly being uplifted, suggesting that melt is migrating into the magma chamber below. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI//CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1725; V14.

A broadband seismometer installed at Eastern Caldera is coupled to a low-frequency hydrohone. Bags of pea gravel decrease "noise" from currents. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI//CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1722; V14.

A short-period seismometer was installed and connected to a junction box in the International District hydrothermal field at the summit of Axial Seamount. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1719; V14.

A broadband seismometer and hydrophone are rigged for installation at the summit of Axial Seamount during VISIONS'14. 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.

This short-period seismometer was deployed on a flat sheet flow ~ 1.3 km east of the ASHES hydrothermal field in 2013. The black ball in the yellow circle shows that it is perfectly level, helping to insure that the highest quality data comes off of this network. Axial Volcano is likely to be quite seismically active and we are anxious to get the real-time data on shore next year. This will help us understand magma and fluid migration in the subsurface of the volcano...and eventually these data may help us predict an eruption. Several earthquakes were detected in real-time during testing of these seismometers in 2013. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF, ROPOS Dive R1635; V13.