Research Expeditions to Loihi Volcano

See also the new Video page and these other Recent Activity Links Too: Except where noted, all cruises listed below wereconducted on the UH R/V Ka'imikai-o-Kanaloa (KOK) using the Pisces V manned submersible managed by the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL). Several more-recent expeditions have used the ROV JASON2 operated by WHOI off of UH, Scripps, or UW research vessels

Recent Expeditions (under construction) June-July 2014 Water colum sampling and AUV Sentry work to study The Iron Eaters of Loihi Seamount set sail 6/25/14 on the Falkor. See the link for more details. 2013: ROV Jason and AUV Sentry. Jason spent 10+ days in water in 14 days on station, using sample Elevators to bring material to the surface. Researchers rediscoverd the so called "Shinkai Deep" site, which is a low temperqature hydrothermal system deep on the south side of the volcano, originally discovered back in the 1980s by the HOV Mir and later rediscovered by the Shinkai 2010: Ocean bottom seismometer (OBS) network deployment on the R/V Kilo Moana (KM1018). Twelve OBSs were deployed on and around Loihi in order to better understand its seismic behavior and internal structure. Also geophysical mapping (multibeam, sidescan sonar, gravity and magnetics). (Chief scientist: Jackie Caplan-Auerbach) 2011: OBS network recovery on the R/V Kilo Moana (KM1120a). Also CTD casts near summit hydrothermal vents. (Chief scientist: Jackie Caplan-Auerbach) 2009: FeMO4 Cruise, using ROV JASON2 on the R/V Kilo Moana (KM0923) to study Fe-Oxidizing Microbes (learn more) 2008: FeMO3 Cruise, using ROV JASON2 on the R/V Thomas G. Thompson (TN225) to study Fe-Oxidizing Microbes (learn more) 2007: FeMO2 Cruise, using ROV JASON2 on the R/V Kilo Moana (KM0719) to study Fe-Oxidizing Microbes (learn more) 2006: FeMO Cruise, using ROV JASON2 on the R/V Melville (MGLN10MV) to study Fe-Oxidizing Microbes (learn more) 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004: HURL conducted dive oprations at Loihi in each of these yearss, after which other NOAA mandated targets became a main focus for that group. They made up for missing Loihi on 2005 by diving on 13 other active submarine volcanoeson the Kermadec Arc. Post-eruption Expeditions - See this YouTube video posting of post eruption Loihi Expeditions by HURL (uploaded in 2008) September-October 1998: Series of Dives by multiple Science Parties to visit the New Pit, Summit Area and HUGO January 1998: HUGO Revisit (Duennebier, Chief Scientist) October 1997: HUGO Deployment (Duennebier, Chief Scientist) Late August 1997: Geology and Geochronology of recent eruptions at Loihi (Garcia and Kadko, Chief Scientists); Safety dives with Pisces (Alex Malahoff, Chief Scientist) Early Sept. 1997: Hyaloclastites, Hydrothermal vents and Hydrothermal plumes (Batiza and McMurtry, Chief Scientists) Eruption-Related Expeditions August 1996: Rapid Response Cruise ("RRC"), R/V KOK, Fred Duennebier, Chief Scientist 3 Oct. - 11 Oct. 1996: : The LONO cruise, R/V KOK, Frank Sansone, Chief Scientist 27 Sept. - 30 Sept. 1996: R/V KOK, Alex Malahoff, Chief Scientist Early and Pre-Eruption Expeditions (1980s-90s) under construction-keep checking back for more details: 1987: The HURL group counduicted the first Pisces dive on Loihi 1987: The ALVIN (Woods Hole) also coneducted their first dives at Loihi this year (H. Craig, Chief Scientist) 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995: HURL conducted subsequent dive expeditionsin these years before the 1996 eruption These dives were led by HURL's Terry Kerby, who has probably spent more time at Loihi then anyone else in the world.

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This page created and maintained by Ken Rubin©
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Last page update on 14 July 2014