During the UW-OOI-NSF VISIONS'13 Expedition, the remotely operated vehicle ROPOS installed three medium power J-Boxes (secondary nodes) utilizing their special 4,000 lb heavy lift capabilities. ROPOS took this RSN J-Box down on dive R1601. The broad feet on the J-Box are used for installation in heavily sedimented areas. This was an unusually calm day at sea in the NE Pacific. Photo Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington.

A cable termination assembly (CTA) is removed from the cable drum that was just released from the Remotely Operated Cable Laying System (ROCLS) during the ROV ROPOS dive 1599. The CTA, held in ROPOS's manipulator, provides a termination/connection between wetmate connectors and extension cables. An RSN wetmate hybrid connector (RS03W3-PA) is shown in the background, still attached to an extension cable that is figure 8'ed on the front horns of the cable drum. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF.

An ODI hybrid wet-mate connector provides > 1 Gbs video transmission capabilities and power to the RSN-OOI-NSF high definition camera that was deployed during the VISIONS'13 Expedition. The wetmate connectors allow an ROV to connect and disconnect infrastructure underwater without having to recover the equipment. The camera shown here is at a water depth of ~ 5000 ft at the summit of Axial Seamount. The orange extension cable (on right of camera) was powered up by the ROV ROPOS through an ~ 4 km extension cable that traverses eastward across the caldera at Axial Seamount. Live video video from the HD camera was streamed over the Internet for several hours during testing of the camera. In 2014, the extension cable will be connected to Primary Node 3B for 365 day access. The camera was installed at the base of the hydrothermal chimney called Mushroom in the ASHES hydrothermal field. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF.  

This medium powered junction-box (MJ03B) in the ASHES hydrothermal field was installed during the VISIONS'13 expedition. The titanium cylinder inside the frame hosts the power converters, data ports, and communication capabilities to shore via the Primary Nodes. A 4.3 km cable extends from this J-Box across the caldera to PN3B, where it awaits future connection. MJ03B was installed as a 'subnet' during VISIONS'13 - two short-period seismometers are now connected to it via a 50 m and 1.2 km extension cable, respectively. A also host a cabled 3D thermistor array (a test instrument is shown in this image - triangular shaped frame with blue cables) was also deployed for testing. MJ03B, and all cables and connected sensors were fully tested during VISIONS'13, and are fully functional. During the several hour test period, several earthquakes were detected. 

During ROPOS Dive 1629 of the VISIONS'13 Expedition, a current meter (tripod with red legs) and pressure sensor (were powered up and tested using through the medium powered J-box MJ01A. The ROV ROPOS provided power and communications and the data were streamed live up to the R/V Thompson through ROPOS's fiber optic tether. Here , the water depth was 2900 m. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF, V13.

During VISIONS'13 ROPOS Dive R1636, the battery-powered version of the thermistor array was deployed at a small diffuse flow site at the base of the hydrothermal chimney called Mushroom. The thermistor array will provide a 3-dimensional view of the temperature structure at this site, which will help inform the community about the environmental conditions under which the biological assemblages thrive and evolve. Credit: UW/OOI-NSF/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1636, V13.

The team photo for Leg 4 on one of the forward decks of the R/V Thompson. The hills outside of Victoria BC are in the background.

A Dumbo Octopus spotted during ROV ROPOS dive R1465. Credit: UW/OOI-NSF/CSSF, ROPOS Dive R1465, V13.

A dolphin streams ahead of the R/V Thompson as the ship transits home from 47 days at sea. Credit: Cody Turner, University of Washington, V13.

The students on Leg 4 gather on the bow of the R/V Thompson. From left to right - Charlie Parker,  Andrew Baird, Vega Shaw, Cody Turner, Caitlin Russell, Teos Bisbee, Brendan Philip, and Colin Katagiri....oh,and to the far right is 'Mr. Chicken,' a fine member of the science party who was the only one to dive to 5000 ft beneath the oceans surface. During the VISIONS'13 program, 20 undergraduate and graduate students participatied in the sea-going experience onboard the R/V Thompson using the Canadian ROV ROPOS.

Before and after images of the fantail of the R/V Thompson during the VISIONS'13 expedition - at the end of the cruises there was nothing else left to deploy.

The ~ 4 m tall chimney called Inferno in the ASHES hydrothermal field sprouts a very young (< 2 year old) fragile beehive. The beehive structure is composed of very fine-grained sulfide minerals and anhydrite. Lush assemblages of tube worms, palm worms and limpets grow on the outer walls of the edifice. VISIONS '13, LEG 4. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF

The Diva hydrothermal vent, is a 277°C small, fragile anhydrite (CaSO4) structure in the International District vent field on Axial Volcano. The chimney is of interest because it has the highest carbon dioxide concentrations of any of the chimneys within the Axial caldera. In 2014, it will host an instrument developed by Dr. Bill Seyfried, University of Minnesota,  that will provide real-time streaming data on acidity, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen and temperature of the vent fluids. VISIONS '13, Leg 4. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF

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.

A Deep-Sea Cucumber (Holothurian) is shown with brittle stars and a seastar on a lobate flow on Axial Volcano. This is likely the species Pannychia moseleyi. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; V13

A resistivity-temperature probe, developed by Dr. Marv Lilley at the University of Washington, was deployed into a 270°C actively venting orifice on the chimney called Escargot. Resistivity is an analogue for chlorinity. Some of the vents in the International District are boiling, causing release of very gas-rich, low-salinity fluids. This instrument, recovered on ROPOS dive 1638, was deployed on a small ledge on the structure a few weeks previously with power provided by batteries in the titanium housing. The orange-white taped cable leads to the wand that is inserted into the chimney (not shown in this image). The white, feathery material on the outside of the chimney is filamentous bacteria, supported by low-temperature diffuse fluids that waft up the side of the chimney. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF

An Argo Float just being released from the R/V Thompson during the VISIONS'13 program. It will collect chemical measurements to depths of 1000 m, surfacing every 5-10 days to transmit these data back to shore via a satellite. Photo Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington.

University of Washington, School of Oceanography undergraduate student - Charlie Parker- deploys an Argo float over Axial Seamount during the VISIONS'13 program. The float wil submerge to 1000 m beneath the surface, taking chemical measurements along the way, and every 5-10 days will surface and transmit these data over a satellite to shore. Photo Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington.

Charlie watches an Argo Float drift past the R/V Thompson following his deployment of it 200 m northeast of the Primary Node location for the Regional Scale Nodes program. We are especially anxious to see the results of the ISUS nitrate sensor on it as it makes measurements above Axial Seamount. Photo Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington.

Many of the days on site during VISIONS'13 were overcast with calm seas...perfect for diving.

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The summit of this hydrothermal chimney, called 'Eascargot', has a striking resemblance to a snail. A 270°C actively venting site (two small white chimneys mid structure) will host a cabled temperature-resistivity sensor there in 2014. This sensor will provide real-time data on the fluid chemistry (chlorinity) -temperature relationships inside the vent. The instrument was designed by Marv Lilley, University of Washington. VISIONS '13, Leg 4. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF

Brendan and Giora analyze gases in hydrothermal fluids from the chimneys called 'Diva' and 'Escargo' in the International District Hydrothermal Field on Axial Volcano. The fluids are sampled using highly specialized tiranium water samplers to collect 'gas tight' samples, and analyzed onboard the Thompson using a gas chromatograph. Photo Credit: Deborah Kelley, University of Washington.

Brittle stars of the species Spinophiura jolliveti are very abundant on all the lava rocks at Axial Seamount within the caldera. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF.

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.

Paul gives a tour of the T/V Thompsons engine room to VISIONS'13 students.

Inside the ROV ROPOS control room, the science and engineering team watches in amazement at the life that thrives around the hydrothermal vents. Here, microbial experiements are being recovered from the structure Mushroom using the 7 manipulator function arm of ROPOS. The experiments will be used by Harvard graduate student H. Olins to study the metabolisms of microbes in these extreme environments. Photo Credit: Caitlin Russell, Boston University.