V 18 Live

August 1, 2018 1115(PDT): The day began bright and early with Jason dive 1100, at 0212 this morning.  The Deep Profiler at Slope Base was observed and the problem identified.  The Deep Profiler will remain at the site.  The dive was completed at 0942.

July 31, 2018 2030(PDT):  Jason dive 1099 began early this morning at 0400.  We first transitted to Axial Base and then sent Jason down  to unplug the Shallow Profiler cable.  This dive finished up at 0830, followed by an ~ 16 hr transit to Slope Base with the goal of having a look at the Deep Profiler. A mechanical problem seems to be inhibiting the Profilers movement up the cable.

July 30, 2018 2000(PDT): Dive 1097 ended at 1842 with the safe retrieval of the undervator.  At 2004, Jason dive 1098 began.  The purpose is to recover the ailing THSPH that was deployed during Leg 2.

July 30, 2018 1700(PDT):  A bit late with the live update.  At 0930, Jason dive 1097 began.  Its mission was to try to find the Jason undervator that had to be abandoned in the Ashes Hydrothermal Vent Region of Axial Caldera during VISIONS17.  Eureka.  It was located at about 1630!!! It is in good shape and still has the digital still camera and current meter that were to be deployed in the International District of Axial Caldera in  2017!  Great job.

July 29, 2018 2055(PDT):  COVIS dive 1096 with Jason, is still happening.  The scientists are choosing optimal sites for the thermister arrays.  The dive is scheduled to continue through the night and into the wee hours of tomorrow morning.

July 29, 2018  0800(PDT):  Yesterday afternoon at 1531, Jason dive 1095 deployed the COVIS sonar in the Ashes Vent field of Axial Caldera.  The dive ended at 2300. At 0830 this morning Jason dive 1096 will be happening in the Ashes Vent Field.  Jason will be deploying thermister arrays and conducting temperature and flow surveys.

July 28, 2018  1125(PDT):  Jason  dive 1093 was launched at 2216 last night.  The purpose was to retreive the Deep Profiler, and replace a CPU board.  The board was successfully replaced, and Jason was deployed(dive 1094) at 940 to reintall the Deep Profiler on the cable.  The dive was completed and Jason was back on deck at 1130.

July 27, 2018  1530(PDT): After Jason dive 1092 was finished, two deep CDT casts were performed late last night to provide some refence values for the newly installed Deep Profiler.  This morning, the weather was a bit too rough to launch a Jason  dive with the COVIS instrument.  Instead, Jason dive 1093 completed a photo survey of the hydrothermal vent field containing Mushroom and Inferno.

July 26, 2018 1200(PDT): After transitting to Axial Base, Jason dive 1090 ensued to conduct ballast tests with the Deep Profiler attached.  Since then, the Deep Profiler team have been attempting to launch Jason (dive 1091) with the Profiler attached.  The correct amount of weight and floatation needed to successfully attach the Profiler to the cable, has been worked out and the Deep Profiler(2018) has been deployed, and Deep Profiler(2017) is being retreived.

July 25, 2018 0917(PDT): Jason dive 1088 involved placement of a line on the float for the Deep Profiler in order to enable the mooring to be connected to the cable from the Junction box.  This dive was followed closely by Jason dive 1089 which successfully connected the mooring to the cable.  Now a CTD will be performed at the same location before transitting to Axial Base.

July 24, 2018 2100(PDT): The Deep Profiler Mooring was replaced and the Deep Profiler installed at ~ 1400 today.  The mooring placement needs a bit of adjustment in order for Jason  to connect the mooring to the Junction box.  The APL crew will remove the float and adjust the placement of the mooring anchor later  tonight, after completion of Jason dive 1087.

July 24, 2018 1030(PDT): After travelling back to Slope Base last night, work began at 0830 this morning to deploy the new Deep Profiler and mooring there.  At this time, the team is at the point where the vehicle(deep profiler) and the float will be deployed soon!

July 23, 2018 0435(PDT): Jason Dive 1086, attachment of a float to Deep Profiler at Slope Base in order to recover, was quite successful.  The Profiler was at the top of the float and recovery began almost immediately.  The mooring, and anchor were on deck by 1128.  Then the R/V Revelle headed to Endurance Offshore to do a couple of Net Tows and two CTDs this afternoon.

July 22, 2018 1600(PDT):  Last night, ~2100, Wu-Jung Lee was able to do some net tows for Zooplankton.  Students were eager to help deploy and collect the samples.  Today began, ~0830, with deployment of the new DP Mooring and the new Deep Profiler.  Jason dive 1085 began at 1600 to plug in the cable to the new DP Mooring.

July 21, 2018 1318(PDT): Jason Dive 1084, to unplug and recover Deep Profiler Mooring, began at 0719 this morning and was completed at 1730.  Then operations began to recover the Deep Profiler and the mooring.

July 20, 2018 1912(PDT): Spent 2 days in port, demobing and mobing for Leg 4.  We have already done our fire drill and abandon ship drills and the gangway is coming up, readying for our 2000 departure.  The seas are supposed to be rough, so everyone is battening down the hatches.

July 17, 2018 0815(PDT): At 0200, Dive 1082 was terminated and the SPA was brought to the surface.  A  bit of adjustment was done on the fasteners in order to allow the float to fit the frame.  Dive 1083 began at 0417, and successfully installed the SPA to the platform at 0815.

July 16, 2018  2156(PDT): Dive 1081 to install the PIA is complete, followed almost immediately by Dive 1082 to install the SPA, or Shallow Profiler Assembly.

July 16, 2018  1820(PDT): Dive 1080 to connect 120 m cable to Shallow Profiler Mooring was completed. Getting ready to launch Jason for Dive 1081 for installation of the Shallow Profiler PIA(Platform Interface Assembly).

July 16, 2018  1414(PDT): EOM cable was recovered and the 200 m Platform for the Shalow Profiler was deployed.  The deployment of the mechanical leg and anchor followed.  The first Jason Dive # 1080, began at 1400.  This dive will install a 120 m cable that connects the Shallow Profiler Mooring to the J box LV01C.

July 15, 2018  1800 (PDT): EOM Cable and anchor successfully deployed.  After dinner, the cable for the mechanical leg was wound onto the winch in preparation for deployment tomorrow.

July 15, 2018 0500 (PDT): Deployment operations for the new Shallow Profiler mooring began bright and early.  The weather is warm and the winds are light.

July 14, 2018  2113 (PDT):  The Revelle arrived at  former location of the Shallow Profiler at the Endurance Array.  A verification CTD was deployed and water samples were taken.  Engineering met with Captain and Res Tech to discuss technical aspects of the mooring deployment operations.

July 14, 2018 845 (PDT): The Revelle arrived at the NOAA dock around 1200 on July 11.  Demobing started soon after the ship was secured.  July 12 saw loading of needed equipment, including the two heavy duty winches needed for the Shallow Profiler Mooring replacememnt operation that will be the focus of Leg 3.  Leg 3 gets underway at 1400 with a 4-5 hr transit to the 600 m Endurance Offshore site.

July 10, 2018 1125 (PDT): The BEP was successfully installed and the digital still camera turned at the Offshore site. The Revelle is currently at the Slope Base site to conduct verification CTD’s as the Shallow Profiler moves up and down through the water column. Late today, weather is supposed to worsen with winds of 30 knts.

July 9, 2018 1445 (PDT): Steaming to the Oregon Shelf site (80 m water depth)  (Dive 1078) to install the Benthic Experiment Platform, recovery the digital still camera (Dive 1079), and replace it.

July 9, 2018 0720 (PDT): Jason Dive 1076 going in the water at the Slope Base site to cut the science pod loose on the Shallow Profiler mooring, and recover the winched component. The entire assembly will be replaced on the follow-on dive. Very calm seas.

July 8, 2018 1330 (PDT) : Jason Dive 1075, recovery of CTDPF 2017 and OPTAA303-2017, has been successfully completed.  As soon as Jason is secured, we will head for Slope Base.

July 8, 2018 0600 (PDT) : Completion of Dive 1074, HPIES recovery & deployment, was closely followed at 0800 by Jason Dive J2-1075, deployment of CTDPFB301-2018 and OPTAAC303-2018.

July 7, 2018  2258 (PDT): Dive J2-1072, the attempt to connect was unsuccessful and has turned into the recovery of PC03A.  This dive was followed closely by  Jason Dive J2-1073, recovery of SF03A.  Dive J2-1074, recovery of HPIES 2016, and Deployment of HPIES 2018, was initatied at 2331.

July 7, 2018 (PDT): At Shallow Profiler Mooring at Axial Base, attemping to connect to connector on the electo-mechanical-optical leg.

July 7, 2018 1020 (PDT): Thermal survey is complete – having issues with video feed, will start streaming late this afternoon.

July 6, 2018 1350 (PDT): Jason Dive 1070 is about to start, diving to ~1500 m in the ASHES hydrothermal field to complete a thermal survey.

July 6, 2018 0907(PDT): Jason Dive 1069, COVIS thermal Survey of ASHES vent field was aborted due to power supply failure.

July 5 2018 2030(PDT): Jason Dive 1067, turning of MJ03F was initiated at 1437, and completed at 2022.  This was followed closely with Dive 1068, deployment of a flipping tiltmeter and self calibrating Bottom Pressure Recorder in the Axial Calrdera.

July 5, 2018 1300(PDT):  Jason dive 1065 was completed at 0428 this morning.  Great footage of Inferno was obtained.  Dive 1066 to turn jbox MJ-03D and VEL3D began shortly after at 0706.  This dive was completed at  1325

July 4, 2018 1830(PDT) Jason dive 1064 was completed and dive 1065 was initiated ~ 1 hour later @ 1930.  Dive 1065 will retrieve TSHPH-2017 and deploy TSHPH-2018 at the Tiny Towers vent in the International District1.  Temperature and flow assessments will be conducted at a couple of other nearby vents.

July 4, 2018 0706 (PDT): Jason dive 1063 to turn CAMHD and position OSMI using Temperature probe has been completed.  At approximately 1100, Jason dive 1064 was initiated.  The MASSPA  and RASPPS will be turned( 2017 recovered and 2018 deployed).  Gas samples will also be obtained at the high temperature vents.

July 3, 2018 0040 (PDT): Jason dive 1062 to turn the MJ03B junction box is complete. The osmotic fluid sampler installed in 2017 was also recovered. The next dive will be to install the HD camera at the Mushroom chimney.  About an hour on the deck before the vehicle goes back in

July 3, 2018 0645 (PDT): The Revelle is transiting another ~ 40 minutes to the summit of Axial Seamount to the ASHES hydrothermal field. The MJ03B junction box will be turned during Dive 1061 once on station, followed by turning of the HD camera on Dive 1062.

July 2, 2018 2230 (PDT): The ROV Jason has completed Dive 1059,  the reinstallation of the PIA and and recovery of the Science Pod.  ROV Jason is now deploying the replacement Instrumented Science Pod (Dive 1060). Upon completion of the Science Pod installation, the R/V Revelle will transit  2 hrs to the ASHES hydrothermal field to install the medium powered junction box MJ03B.

July 2, 2018 1600 (PDT): The ROV Jason is diving at Axial Base (Dive 1058) to recover the instrumented Platform Interface Assembly on the Shallow Profiler Mooring. The next dive will reinstall the PIA and recover the instrumented Science Pod.

July 1, 2018 1700 (PDT): Left Newport and were going to dive at the Oregon Shelf site, however, winds came up so the R/V Revelle is steaming to Axial Seamount where we will swap out the Shallow Profiler components. The transit will take ~ 21-23 hrs.

June 28, 2018 2045 (PDT): Both the MARUM sonars were successfully installed, with the quatification sonar installation just completed (Dive 1055). Two MARUM bubble-gas samplers were successfully triggered over a very nice bubble plume – significant gas hydrate formed in the trapping funnel. Jason is at 121 m and about to come on deck. Once all is secured, the R/V Revelle will transit ~ 2 hrs to the Oregon Offshore site to recover the BEP that was left there a few days ago (Dive 1056).

June 28, 2018 1545 (PDT): Right back at it with Jason Dive J2-1055 for the deployment of the MARUM Quantification Sonar also at Southern Hydrate Ridge.

June 28, 2018 1500 (PDT) The MARUM overhead sonar was successfully deployed.  Communication with shore established ~ 1400

June 28, 2018 0930 (PDT): Jason (Dive 1054) in the water with the MARUM overview sonar latched below. Will descend to Southern Hydrate Ridge, ~800 m.

June 27, 2018 2215 (PDT): The mass spectrometer was successfully installed and the Jason is on its way up. Dive 1052 will take the digital still camera down in the tool sled. Hoping to go in about midnight.

June 27, 2018 1820 (PDT): Jason Dive 1052 just going in the water taking the mass spectrometer down under the vehicle. The follow-on dive will be to turn the digital still camera in front of Einsteins’ Grotto and imaging of the exposed methane hydrate there – a very rare site.

June 27, 2018 1000 (PDT): During the evening and into the early morning the R/V Revelle conducted multibeam surveys ending at Southern Hydrate Ridge (SHR). Jason is just about to go in the water (Dive 1051) at SHR with the ‘undervator’ latched in to install three flow meters and an osmotic fluid sampler at a robust methane seep site with dense bacterial mats. We will also take multiple push cores for follow-on physical properties analyses onshore. Rigging the the undervator now to deploy.

June 26, 2018 1440 (PDT): Due to large swells, two CTD’s were completed (2900 m and 600 m water depth) for deep water sampling and sampling for instrument verification. The R/V Revelle is now transiting to the Oregon Offshore area to complete an EM122 survey.

June 26, 2018 0835 (PDT): Jason Dive 1050.  As often happens at sea, the Dive scheduled was rearranged a bit due to high swells that came up on Monday afternoon.  Dive 1050 is now a dive at Slope Base, to deploy a CTD/DPTAA @ LJ01B and PREST @ MJ01A.  This site is 2900 m, and at 30 m per minute, will be a long dive. JASON is on its way up, and will be at surface around 0900.

June 25, 2018 1110 (PDT): Jason Dive 1049. At 772 m (>2000 ft) beneath the oceans surface. Diving on the active methane seep installing a junction box, and very soon will be taking an exploration survey of the active sites. At least four sites are emitting bubble plumes now based on the sonar survey just completed with the R/V Revelle.

June 25, 2018 1110 (PDT): Jason Dive 1049 We have arrived at Southern Hydrate Ridge and completed a bubble plume survey – multiple seep sites are active. Are preparing to dive to install the medium powered junction box MJ01B and complete a survey of the area to determine instrument locations.

June 24, 2018  2250 (PDT): Jason Dive 1047 – Jason is installing the Benthic Experiment Platform at the Oregon Offshore Site.

June 24, 2018  1430 (PDT): Jason is at 576 m working near the low voltage junction box LV01C (Dive 1046). The vehicle will recover this juction box installed in 2017, and replace it with another one. There will also be a short survey of the area.

June 24, 2018  1230 (PDT): We have arrived on station at the Oregon Offshore site (600 m) and will be diving soon to replace a low voltage junction box. The weather is holding steady with winds at 17 knots at swells at 1-2 m.

June 24, 2018 1015 (PDT): Completed Shallow Profiler platform turns at the Slope Base site, transiting to the Oregon Offshore site (600 m), with arrival ~ 1200 local, will turn the low voltage junction box (LV01C), and survey the area – DIVE 1046. We are currently working on video issues…

June 23, 2018  1940 (PDT) : Dive 1043 Jason is about to latch into the Platform Interface Assembly (PIA) on the Shallow Profiler mooring and will then return to the surface. The next Dive (Dive 1044) will likely start ~2300. This dive will take the 2018 PIA down and install it and recover the winched Science Pod.

June 23, 2018  1505 (PDT) Dive 1043 On station at Slope Base, Jason is doing predive checks and will very shortly go into the water. This dive will recovery the instrumented Platform Interface Assembly (PIA) on the 200 m platform.