Image Archive

The Milli-Q hydrothermal vent in the Main Endeavour Hydrothermal Field with an incubation experiment near its base. Credit: D. Kelley, University of Washington.

Lightly sedimented pillow flows hosting brittle stars and a coral on Axial Seamount. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1473; V11.

Frozen fluid lava exits the toe of a pillow basalt on the north face of the >400 ft thick lava flow formed during the 2015 eruption of Axial Seamount. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; V15.

Pillow basalts and sedimented lobate flows at the summit of Axial Seamount. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; V14.

Rat tail fish explore lobate and jumbled lava flows atop Axial Seamount. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; V14.

Beautiful pillow basalts with classic bread crust outer surfaces on Axial Seamount. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; V14.

Cross sectional view of lobate flows and sheet flows on the western wall of Axial Seamouint hosting sea anemones and starfish. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/ROPOS; V22.

ROPOS_GOING_IN

An overview of Axial Seamount centered on Axial Caldera at ~ 1500 m water depth. Credit: University of Washington.

Mid-ocean ridges and subduction zones form two major plate boundaries on Earth. Credit: Center for Environmental Visualization, University of Washington.

The mid-ocean ridge spreading centers wrap around the Earth like the seam of a baseball and define major plate boundaries. Credit: Center for Environmental Visualization, University of Washington.

boilingcorestillpythias

Bits of white methane hydrate are embedded in the sediment core recovered from beneath the seafloor at Pythais Oasis. Credit: M. Elend, University of Washington.

A piece of methane hydrate burns following recovery during coring operations at Pythias Oasis. Credit. M. Elend, University of Washington.

Deb Kelley, Chief Scientist on the Pythias Oasis NSF-funded expedition, holds a piece of methane hydrate recovered from beneath the seafloor at Pythias Oasis during coring operations. Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington.

Evan Solomon, UW Co-Chief Scientist on the Pythias Oasis Expedition, holds a piece of methane hydrate recovered from beneath Pythias Oasis during coring operations. Credit: M. Elend, University of Washington.

A spider crab investigates the Pythias Oasis vent during the 2019 expedition with Jason. Credit: UW/NSF/WHOI.

The ROV Jason images the steep edge of the collapse pit on the Pythais Oasis Ridge. Credit:UW/NSF/WHOI; J2-1225.

Abundant macrofauna make their home on the Pythias Oasis Ridge. These include sea pigs (multi-legged critters), anemones, rock fish, and hagfish. Credit: UW/NSF/WHOI; J2-1225.

Figure 4.Neptunia stalks_anemones_PythaisSDI1_2015-07-24 0_54_39_07762

Beautiful clams and anemones thrive in areas where methane is seeping from the seafloor at Pythais Oasis. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; V15.

A deep pit formed by blow outs of methane are common in the colapse pit at Ptyhais Oasis. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; V15.

The main orifice at Pythias Oasis is marked by what is thought to be an iron oxide deposit. Clams, light bacterial mats, and a sole are nearby. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF, V15.

Thick white and orange bacterial mats line the edge of the collapse pit at Pythias Oasis. Carbonate blocks mark the edge of the pit. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; V15

Close up of the main vent at Pythias Oasis as first seen by the Canadian remotely operated vehicle ROPOS in 2015. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF

This squished-looking Flapjack octopus (Opisthoteuthis sp.) was seen at Southern Hydrate Ridge during a site survey in 2022. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF, ROPOS Dive R2228, V22.

This rosy Tritonia tetraquetra nudibranch was seen sitting on a marker at the Pinnacle, west of Southern Hydrate Ridge. It was near some soft corals, some of which were missing polyps, and had clearly been grazed on by this sea pen and soft coral specialist predator! Photo credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF, Dive R2228, V22.