SEPTEMBER 30, 2014
With our arrival in Newport this morning, the VISIONS '14 cruise was complete. Thank you so much for tuning in and sharing this with us!
SEPTEMBER 29, 2014
2000: ROPOS back on deck following successful cCSPP deployment. Preparing for CTD casts.
1800: ROPOS Dive R1801: ROPOS is carrying a cabled coastal surface-piercing profiler (cCSPP) to plug into the Oregon Shelf site (80m water depth). This is the last deployment of 2014.
1700: The last VISIONS '14 Live Update with Chief Scientist John Delaney
1600: Departed Newport, Start of VISIONS '14 Leg 7 (final leg)
1440: We are in Newport and have loaded the OSU surface piercing profiler. We will depart at ~1600 to transit to the Endurance Array 80m site.
SEPTEMBER 28, 2014
2230: ROPOS Dive R1800: ROPOS has successfully completed installing the science pod on the two-legged shallow profiler mooring and has begun the ascent. After this, we will transit to Newport.
2230: ROPOS Dive R1800: In the second of two dives at the Slope Base two-legged shallow water profiler mooring, ROPOS is deploying the science pod on the 200m platform. The SP is in place and the connection to the EOM cable is being made now. Earlier today, the Platform Interface Assembly was deployed on the other side of this platform. After this dive, we will transit to Newport to pick up a surface piercing profiler that will be deployed tomorrow night at the 80 m Endurance Array shelf site.
1615: We are almost at Slope Base, where we have 2 dives tonight to deploy the platform interface assembly and winched science pod onto the two-legged shallow profiler mooring.
SEPTEMBER 27, 2014
2110: ROPOS Dive R1798: ROPOS has deployed a new thermistor array and cleaned the HD camera lens at ASHES hydrothermal vent field in the Axial Caldera. Once ROPOS is recovered, we will transit to Slope Base. We anticipate an arrival time of 1600, at which point we will begin the deployment of the Platform Interface Assembly and science pod on the two-legged shallow water profiler.
1630:The science pod has been successfully deployed on the shallow water profiler mooring. We are transiting to Axial Summit for a quick dive at AHSES vent field to deploy a thermistor array. The anticipated launch time for that dive is 1730.
1105: ROPOS Dive R1797: ROPOS has launched to deploy the science pod onto the two-legged shallow water profiler.
0745: ROPOS Dive R1796: ROPOS has installed the platform interface assembly onto the two-legged, shallow water profiler mooring and is on the way up. At ~1200, ROPOS will dive again to deploy the science pod onto the sae 200m platform.
SEPTEMBER 26, 2014
2345: ROPOS Dive R1795: ROPOS has successfully placed a THSPH probe at Diva and a TRHPH probe at Escargot (both are vents in the International District). ROPOS has begun the ascent and will dive again in approximately 4 hours at Axial Base to deploy the Platform Interface Assembly on the two-legged shallow water profiler mooring.
2030: ROPOS Dive R1795: ROPOS is on the seafloor at the International District vent field to adjust temperature probes and samply vent fluids with isobaric gas tight samplers.
1645: We are on site at Axial Caldera and will dive at approximately 1800 to adjust probes at the International District hydrothermal vent field.
SEPTEMBER 25, 2014
VISIONS 14 Tentative Schedule (No Weather Allowances) for Legs 6 and 7
1415: We are steaming back out of Newport and are heading out to Axial, a 22 hour transit. Depending on weather condiitons, we will either do a light dive to deploy a thermistor array or we will dive at Axial Base to deploy the Platform Interface Assembly onto the two-legged shallow profiler mooring.
SEPTEMBER 23, 2014
1445: We are at the dock in Newport to load more gear. In the meantime, plese enjoy a playlist of video highlights and tune in when we sail back out for leg 6!
0800: After a busy leg 5b, we are steaming back into Newport to load the platform interface assemblies and science pods to be put on the shallow water profiler moorings in leg 6. Our departure from Newport will be weather dependent, but most likely will be Thursday September 25.
SEPTEMBER 22, 2014
1115: ROPOS DIve R1793: ROPOS is on the seafloor at the Endurance Array 600m site to unplug a the deep profiler mooring. This dive will take approximately 3 hours. Earlier this morning, in dive R1792, ROPOS dove ate the 80m shelf site to deploy a zooplankton sonar.
SEPTEMBER 21, 2014
1145: Early this morning ROPOS Dive R1790 was completed, successdully plugging the smart leg of the shallow water profiler into low voltage node LV01A. Next dive, R1791 will launch at aproximately 12:30 to attach a line to the float of the deep proofiler mooring float which will be recovered later today.
SEPTEMBER 20, 2014
1750: ROPOS Dive R1790: ROPOS has begun the descent to the base of the smart leg of the shallow water profiler mooring, where it will plug in a 120m oily cable to low voltage node LV01A. We will also transit to the base of the deep profiler mooring and unplug the oily cable conneciton. Estimated duration of dive: 16.75 hours
1245: ROPOS DIve R1789: ROPOS has just begun the descent to the deep profiler mooring float, located at a depth of 80m, where it will lace a transponder. This will be a short dive, about 1.5 hours.
0730: Deployment ot the Slope Base mooring is complete. There is a weather hold on diving, but when it improves, dive R1789 will take place to put a transponder on the deep profiler mooring float, and approximately two hours after the completion of that dive, ROPOS will dive with the tool basket to plug the shallow profiler mooring into the LV node in dive R1790.
SEPTEMBER 19, 2014
1740: APOLOGIES FOR LIVE VIDEO STREAM QUALITY: Ship is on a bad heading required to install the mooring such that there is a bad link to the satellite.
1600: Operations for the deployment of the Slope Base Shallow Water Profiler Mooring are ongoing, and the float that will sit at 200m was recently released into the water from the back deck.
1200: On site at Slope Base
SEPTEMBER 18, 2014
0600: Mooring operations to deploy the 2-leg "vertical mooring and shallow profiler" will commence under the cover of darkness. Overnight the we will pre-tension the heavly lift winch (spooled with the synthetic mechanical line) and the ship's trawl wire with a 4000 lb weight. An early morning CTD will provide the latest sound velocity profile to the ROPOS navigation team so that the mooring can be precisely and accurately navigated into position. Mooring operations will begin with the deployment of a 12,000 lb anchor attached to synthetic line spooled on the heavy lift winch, starting an approximately 24 hour deployment.
SEPTEMBER 18, 2014
1645: We are headed back out of Newport after loading the slope base shallow profiler mooring onto the back deck. We are headed to slope base and transit time we be approximately 6-7 hours.
SEPTEMBER 17, 2014
1440: We are arriving in Newport to mobilize the Slope Base shallow water profiler mooring. Please enjoy a playlist of selected videos and tune in tomorrow afternoon as we resume live streaming on our way out of port.
0845: The Thompson is steaming into Newport to mobilize another Shallow Profiler Mooring
SEPTEMBER 16, 2014
1435: ROPOS is back onboard after successfully connecting a 120 m oily cable from the EOM cable to LV03A. Next up we will be transiting to Newport to pick up more equipment for deployment. Anticipated arrival time in Newport is 1200 tomorrow.
0845: ROPOS Dive R1788: ROPOS is descending to 2600 m at Axial Base to deploy the 120 m cable between LV03A and the EOM terminus and retrieve the three beacons used during deployment. Anticipated duration of dive is 8.5 hours.
0440: The second leg of the two-legged shallow water profiler mooring has been deployed and the ship's trawl winch is on its way back up to the surface. Once that operation is complete, there will be a ROPOS dive to deploy the 120 m cable between LV03A and the EOM terminus and retrieve the three beacons used during deployment. Anticipated duration of dive is 8.5 hours.
SEPTEMBER 15, 2014
0745-0dark30 Sep16: Operations to deploy the two-legged shallow water profiler mooring have begun. The first of the anchors (this one for the "dumb" leg) has been deployed over the side. This begins an approximately 24 hour deployment evolution that proceeds with the general outline of: deploy "dumb" anchor on 2750m synthetic mooring line, attach releases and coupling gear, attach 200m platform, deploy platform, attach coupling gear and EOM cable, deploy EOM cable and floats on surface, attach EOM cable to "smart" anchor, deploy "smart" anchor with ship's trawl wire (sinking platform and EOM). This will be followed by a ROPOS dive to deploy the 120m cable between LV03A and the EOM terminus and retrieve the three beacons used during deployment.
SEPTEMBER 14, 2014
0dark30 Sep15: After completion of prep work, we will finish the transit to the Axial Base site and begin two-legged mooring deployment operations.
2100: We will conduct a CTD hydrocast to get a good sound velocity profile and background seawater samples. Expected duration of 4 hours.
1800: Following tensioning of the HLW, the ship's trawl wire winch will be similarly tensioned. Expected duration of 3 hours.
1200: Stopping short of Axial Base site to tension the Heavy Lift Winch (HLW) with ~4000 pounds in order to minimze the chance that wraps will dive into the drum when the 12,000 pound anchor is deployed. This is expected to take 5 hours.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2014
COMING UP: 5 PM Live Expedition Update with Chief Scientist John Delaney
1000: We will be departing from Newport at 1600 this aftenoon. We are currently testing heavy-lift winches on the back deck that will be used in the deployment of two shallow water profiler moorings. Live streaming will resume upon departure.