Image Archive

The 200-meter platform instrument package is seen here. The mooring was successfully installed during VISIONS'14. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1797, V14.

The two-legged mooring has been successfully installed at Axial Base. The mooring includes an instrumented platform (12 feet across) at 200 m water depth, and an instrumented winched Shallow Profiler that travels from 200 m to just below the ocean's surface.     

This seafloor pressure sensor was deployed at Axial Base in 2014, and is connected to the MJ03A J-Box. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1739, V14.

The Broadband Ocean Bottom Seismometer OBSBKA301 was deployed near MJ03A during Visions'14. The seismometer was placed into a caisson, then surrounded with silicone beads to solidify its position. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1739; V14.

The Hydrothermal Vent Fluid Resistivity and Temperature probe (TRHPHA301) was placed at the base of the vent called 'Escargot' in 2014. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1729; V14. 

ROPOS preparng to plug the VM EOM cable into the FACT strongback. Photo credit:  NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1788; V14

Wire baskets full of 85 syntatic foam "football" floats to be placed on the Axial Base EOM cable. The mooring platform, 46" and 31" mechanical leg floats can be seen in the background streamed out behind the ship. Credit: Giora Proskurowski

The UW-APL mooring team (l-r) Keith Magness, Avery Snyder, Paul Aguilar and Eric Boget ready the 200m platform and EOM strongback cage for deployment at the Axial Base site. Credit: Mitch Elend

A large red jellyfish swims gently by the ROV ROPOS at Axial Seamount.

An Acousitic Doppler Current Profiler (four blue-red cyllinders with yellow housing) is installed at the base of Axial Seamount near PN3A on ROPOS Dive R1735. It is housed within the medium powered junction box MJ03A. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1735; V14

The Deep Profiler at Axial Base docked in its charging station at the bottom of the mooring. The yellow profiler vehicle climbs up and down the mooring wire between the seafloor and the top buoy, collecting oceanographic data on thin layers in the water column. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1742, VISIONS14

All Axial Base seafloor infrastructure is now connected to Primary Node PN3A. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1742, V14

An octopus hanging out next to primary node PN3A at Axial Base, 2600 meters deep. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF, ROPOS Dive R1742, V14.

An octopus hanging out near primary node PN3A at Axial Base, 2600 meters deep. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF,ROPOS Dive 1742, V14.

A close up shot of a Peniagone sea cucumber and two ophiuroids (brittle stars) at Axial Base, 2600 m deep. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1742, V14

An action shot of the modified McLane Deep Profiler at the Axial Base site crawling up the mooring wire. The yellow profiler vehicle climbs up and down the mooring wire between the seafloor and the top buoy, collecting oceanographic data on thin layers in the water column. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF, Dive 1742, V14.

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.

ROPOS collecting the dummy plugs and parking brakes from plugging infrastructure into primary node PN3B at Axial Caldera. A spider crab can be seen in the background. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1741, V14

Cable RS03W6 successfully plugged into SP3 on primary node PN3B at Axial Caldera. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1741, V14

ROPOS attempting to plug seafloor cable RS03W8 into SP4 on primary node PN3B at Axial Caldera. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1741, V14

Primary Node PN3B at Axial Caldera, along with cable RS03W9. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1741, V14

A line attached from the top float of the Axial Base deep profiler mooring to the winch on ROPOS, prior to a recovery to diagnose and repair the mooring connector. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1740, V14

ROPOS attaching a line to the flotation sphere at the top of the deep profiler mooring at Axial Base, prior to recovery to fix a connector problem. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1740, V14

ROPOS uses rebar "staples" to secure the hydrophone cable into the seafloor at the Axial Base site. The hydrophone is mounted on the pink tripod on the right side of the frame. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1739, 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

A purple ctenophore seen near the bottom (2608 meters) at Axial Base site Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1739, V14

A beautiful shot of a Rattail fish at 2564 meters depth at Axial Seamount. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF, ROPOS Dive R1739, V14.