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A crab picks its way across a glassy, jumbled lava flow in the caldera of Axial Seamount. VISIONS '13, Leg 4 Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF

Numerous spools of extension cables await deployment on Leg 3. When completed, the VISIONS13 program will have installed ~23,000 m of cable on the seafloor.

ROPOS enters the water on dive 1604 during VISIONS'13. Photo Credit. Mitch Elend.

Several members of the Leg 3 VISIONS'13 team gaze to the west upon leaving Newport at the start of VISIONS '13 Leg 3. Photo by Mary Miller

During Leg 4 of the VISIONS'13 cruise, old battery-powered transponders were recovered because they present navigation hazards. A sharp knife held in the manipulator is used to cut the 150-200 m tether at its base, and it and the transponder come to the surface where they are recovered on the ship. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF

A fossilized lava pond reflects past circulation of melt on the seafloor in a small lava lake. The surface is glass, and fine sediments highight the whirl. VISIONS '13, Leg 4 Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF

A small spider crab walks gingerly across a broken, very glassy lava flow at the summit of Axial Volcano. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF.

Beautiful sheet flow swirl with broken hackly edges. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; V13.

Close-up view of a microbial experiment (tubes at right) being conducted by Harvard University. The experiment is located in a diffuse flow site, surrounded by limpets, small tube worms and palm worms. In part, this study is designed to look at microbial utilization of sulfur in these systems. The green lasers from the ROV ROPOS are 10 cm apart. VISIONS '13, Leg 4 Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF.

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With more than 71% of the globe covered by ocean, Earth truly is the Water Planet.

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.

Leg 3 included a wonderful mix of scientists, engineers, ROPOS crew, educators and students.

Cody gaining outreach experience during a live broadcast on the R/V Thompson during Leg 3 of VISIONS'13.

My first time sampling fluid on Leg 4 from a water cast at the base of the continental slope.

A holothurian forages at 9000 ft at the base of the continental margin ~ 125 km off Newport Oregon. VISIONS '13, Leg 4 Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF.

John and James check out the caisson on the tool sled prior to deployment. VISIONS '13, Leg 4 Photo by Mitchell Elend

A great learning experience regarding the impact of pressure on materials is provided by placing styrofoam cups and heads in mesh bags on the CTD and deploying them >9000 feet beneath the oceans surface. This image shows a very small head that experienced a 'free fall' event when the CTD wire parted after a prior 9000 foot planned trip to the seafloor during routine CTD operations. A wig head that has not yet made it to the seafloor is shown on the right for comparison. Oh, and Deb Kelley's head is used for scale.

I got to collect fluid samples with Colin from the Niskin bottles on the CTD for follow-on shore-based analyses.  Photo Credit: Mitch Elend

The CTD was safely brought onboard after its freefall >9000 feet to the seafloor below. A follow-on test showed it was ok.

First day at the Fire and Safety drill onboard the R/V Thompson, I got to practise the 'art' of putting on a survivial suit.

My first day at sea began with a transit from Newport Oregon to Southern Hydrate Ridge, ~ a 5 hr steam to the west. Photo Credit: Charlie Parker.

The remotely operated vehicle ROPOS used a snap hook connected to a line on its underbelly, hooked into the frame of the CTD for recovery to the surface. The CTD wire failed as the sensor-sampling package was being recovered onto the deck of the Thompon. Luckily, after its >9000 free descent to the seafloor, it landed upright in the soft sediment. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF.

The CTD is recovered from a water depth of 2902 m at the base of the subduction zone at a site where full water column moorings will be deployed next year and connected to the cable. The ROV ROPOS attached a snaphook to the top of the CTD frame, securing it under the ROV for transport to the surface. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF.

A strong plume of methane-rich bubbles issue from the seafloor at the Summit of Southern Hydrate Ridge. This area collapsed sometime between 2010 and 2011, probably due to methane release from the subsurface. VISIONS '13, Leg 4 Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF

This caisson is buried to about 1 m depth beneath the sediments. Next year a broadband seismometer will be placed in it and connected to the cable, providing real-time detection and location of earthquakes. A cover was placed over the caisson to keep sediment from falling into it and animals out. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF. V13.