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Ron Brown leaves Newport enroute to South
Cleft. (photo M. Goodrich)
Chief Scientist Bob Embley leads the first
science meeting aboard the Brown. |
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Science News
Welcome
to NeMO 2001!
Join
us daily during our 19-day expedition to the Juan de Fuca Ridge. We'll
descend to the volcanic abyss below to explore recent lava flows, collect
hydrothermal vent fauna and retrieve instruments that have been collecting
data since last year's cruise. We left Newport, Oregon at 7:30 am and
are currently steaming at 13 knots to our first dive site at South
Cleft along the southern portion of the Juan de Fuca Ridge. When we
arrive tomorrow at 4:30 am we'll deploy ROPOS
for the first dive. The ROV will use an infrared port to read spreading
rate (horizontal displacement) and pressure measurement (vertical displacement)
data from the eleven extensometers
placed along the rift last year. We will also use a mooring elevator to
lower one more extensometer to the bottom and place it along the rift.
All of these instruments are placed in one line perpendicular to the cleft.
When we're finished with the extensometer work we'll transit to our first
hydrothermal vents of the cruise, Vent 1, a spectacular black smoker,
and Plume Vent.
Jeff
Goodrich
Teacher At Sea
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