SOEST Press Releases: Fall AGU 2005

Deep sea exploration of the South Pacific brings incredible discoveries

In one of the most successful ocean exploration voyages in recent years, the Pisces IV and Pisces V manned submersibles studied the biology, chemistry, volcanology and oceanography of hydrothermally active seamounts in the SW Pacific. Hydrothermal vents studied by Pisces cover an ocean depth range upward from 1700m covering pressure and ocean environmental conditions that are intermediate between mid-ocean ridge and on-land hydrothermal systems. Important discoveries include the submarine venting of steam and CO2 bubbles at depths of up to 1000m and the associated with biological communities. These presentations will explore the geology, chemistry, phase equilibria, and microbial and macrobiological habitats of seamount hydrothermal systems and how they interact with the ambient ocean.

The Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL) successfully completed the major 5-month expedition to the South Pacific during March-August 2005, working in the waters of New Zealand, Tonga, American Samoa, and the U.S. Line Islands covering a distance of nearly 14,500 nautical miles. This mission was significant in both the scientific merit and scope of operations, consisting of 8 different cruise legs at 21 study sites, with 12 chief and co-chief scientists, 58 total science team participants, and completing 61 out of 56 scheduled Pisces science dives, 17 ROV dives, 5 multibeam survey areas, 6 CTD rosette deployments, and 7 instrument mooring recoveries. The $3.5 million expedition was funded by an international partnership with New Zealand agencies (GNS & NIWA) and the University of Kiel in Germany along with the NOAA Office of Exploration and National Undersea Research Program (NURP). While most of the individual cruise legs focused on active submarine volcanoes of the Tonga-Kermadec Islands Arc and the Samoan hot spot chain with their hydrothermal systems and associated biological communities, others concentrated on marine protected areas including those of American Samoa and the remote atolls of the Line Islands of the Central Pacific. These studies included biological habitat mapping, climate change from dating of precious coral growth rings, ecological inventory assessments, and the marine archeology and impact from a grounded vessel. Overviews of the discoveries and specific scientific results from the voyage will be presented, along with the general capabilities of the HURL systems and how they may be utilized by others employing the international collaborative model for extended missions to remote locations in the pursuit of deep submergence science.

The Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL) was established by NOAA at the University of Hawaii 25 years ago as part of its National Undersea Research Program. HURL's mission is to study deep water marine processes in the Pacific Ocean through a competitive proposal and review process. The dual Pisces IV and Pisces V 2000-meter manned submersibles, an RCV-150 1000-meter ROV, and multibeam equipped support ship R/V Ka'imikai-o-Kanaloa ( KoK ) were largely acquired from the petroleum industry then adapted and upgraded to carry out cutting edge scientific expeditions. These studies range from active submarine volcanoes, delicate precious coral gardens, endangered marine mammal and fisheries management, to engineering surveys and deployment of observatory systems.

Corresponding Presentations

Seamount Hydrothermal Systems: Volcanology, Biology, Geochemistry, and Oceanography I

16:06h, Thursday, December 8, 2005. MCC 3009
V44A-02 INVITED
Discoveries from the Cross-Disciplinary, Multi-Institutional South Seas Expedition from Hawaii to New Zealand and Back

Alexander Malahoff, HURL /SOEST/ University of Hawaii

16:18h, Thursday, December 8, 2005. MCC 3009
V44A-03
TI: The Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory's 25th Anniversary Expedition to the South Pacific

John R Smith, HURL /SOEST/ University of Hawaii

16:30h, Thursday, December 8, 2005 MCC 3009
V44A-04
Hydrothermal Systems on Kermadec Arc Volcanoes Revealed by PISCES V Submersible Dives
Bob E mbley, NOAA/PMEL

16:45h
V44A-05
Vailulu'u Seamount, Samoa: Life and Death at the Edge of An Active Submarine Volcano

Hubert Staudigel, SCRIPPS

17:00h, Thursday, December 8, 2005 MCC 3009
V44A-06
Macrobiotic Communities of Vailulu'u Seamount, Samoan Archipelago
Craig Young, University of Oregon

Seamount Hydrothermal Systems: Volcanology, Biology, Geochemistry, and Oceanography II Posters

0800h, Friday December 9, 2005 MCC Level 2
V51C-1489 POSTER
Mission Accomplished: Deep Submergence Science Routinely Supported Using Multiple Vehicles Throughout the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory's 2005 South Pacific Expedition

John R. Smith HURL /SOEST/ University of Hawaii

0800h

V51C-1495
Plume-Vent Fluid Connections along the Tonga-Kermadec arc
Gary Massoth GNS, New Zealand

Researchers Contact Info:

Alexander Malahoff

Center Director, HURL, 808-956-6802, malahoff@hawaii.edu

(During AGU, call above number to be advised of contact phone numbers)

John R. Smith

Marine Geophysical Specialist/Acting Science Program Director, HURL 808-956-9669, jrsmith@hawaii.edu

(During AGU can be contacted through email or by calling the Parc 55, 415-392-8000)

Lights from the surface reflect off streams of bubbles coming from undersea vents. This lighting was obtained from turning off the lights on the submersible Pisces at a depth of 200 meters.