DIVE 3517
14 JANUARY 2000

Pilot: Pat Hickey
Port Observer: Anna-Louise Reysenbach
Starboard Observer: Don Nuzzio

Time and Event

08:05 — Alvin entered the water.

09:02 — Bioluminescence at 1407 m.

09:06 — 1581 m, checking electrodes, looking good.

09:21 — Alvin reached bottom, location 2655X 1250Y. 2005 m clams visible. Rebecca’s Roost, estimated 45 m away. Zoarcid fish.

09:34 — Tiny galatheid crabs.

09:42 — 2617X, 1231Y Excellent beehive structure, 2 meters high. 40 –100° C outside; inside the beehive 303.5° C. Digital images # 1 and 2 taken at this spot. Heading 264, depth 1986. Good structure for a gas-tight sample on a later dive.

9:57 – 10:53 — Voltammetry and sipper samples. 3 different positions. Digital images 3+4, 10 cm from top; 5+6 middle, 3 cm from top, 7+8 in flow.

10:13 — Sipper 1, approximate temp. 95° C.

10:32 — Sipper 2.

10:42 — Sipper 3.

10:52 — Remeasured temperature. 270 – 280° C. Sampled sulfide (molecular numbering is 3417-2).

10:54 — Digital images of entire sulfide structure, #s 9, 10, 11, 12.

10:56 — More volammetry, in the flow, after sulfide was sampled. Sipper 4 taken in flow (approximate temperature 60 – 80° C).

11:14 — Looking for an appropriate flange.

11:21 — Flange chosen, 2610X, 1232Y. Heading 128.

11:24 — 4C, Digital Images 15 and 16, voltammetry.

11:34 — Sipper 5 taken, temperature measured at the edge, 170° C.

11:38 — Voltammetry in flow, at edge of flange. 94° C measured

11: 44 — Sipper 6 sample taken.

11:53 — Flange successfully sampled (molecular biology sample 3517-1).

12:03 — Tubeworms collected, placed in single chamber biobox. About 10 retrieved. 2626X, 1223Y. Heading 336. Recorded some footage on the high def. 3-chip camera till 12:10.

12:13 — Forward Niskin triggered over beehive structure flow.

12:15 — After Niskin triggered over flow, water from flange was sampled.

12:16 — Headed NE to locate an appropriate mat for core work.

12:31 — Located an extensive white microbial mat (>25 m). 2732 1286, depth 2013. Measure the temperature within the sediment. Surface 5° C, 4 inches in -18° C, 8 inches 33° C, at the yellow tape 46° C, full length of the probe 61° C. Placed Marker 1 at this site.

12:40 — Digital images 1, 2, 3, 4 disc 2, of coring area. Cores 1, 2, 3 from left to right in the holster.

12:55 — Completed the coring.

12:56 — Take off NW, toward Pagoda/Everest.

13:19 — 2529X, 1535Y, lots of clams and bacterial mats (yellow and white), heading 352.

13:26 — Using the sonar, we located many huge structures in the area. The first we visited had some beautiful flanges. One was chosen for further voltammetry. Edge of the flange was 120 – 60° C, underneath the flange in the pool the temperature was 291° C, 30 – 40° C in diffuse flow on top of flange. Accidentally punctured the flange, and the fluid in the buoyant pool poured through, changing the stability of the structure significantly so much that we were only able to do one set of electrochemical measurements here, before the structure toppled over.

13:37 — Voltammetry of flange. Initial site is at A (on diagram on volammetry notes, away from direct flow, temperature 35 – 40° C. Disc2, digital photographs 5, 6, 7, 8 were taken of the sampling.

13:46 — Sipper 7 sample taken of the first site surveyed.

13:50 — Flange toppled over. Digital images 9, 10.

13:55 — Moved around to the back of the structure, and took some voltammetric measurements of the fluid from the exposed hole. Height of measurements were such that they were at 70° C – 54° C. Digital images 11, 12. 2506X, 1553Y (Kristin’s Summit). Excellent place to take a gas-tight sample for a later cruise.

14:11 — Flange sample retrieved and placed in biobox, heading 353.

14:29 — Continue NW to Pagoda.

14:30 — 2292X, 1610Y heading 279, white mats.

14:31 — 2261.9X, 1632Y, 22 – 28 m off the bottom. A HUGE structure (K2).

14:50 — 2176X, 1530Y (Robin’s Roost), heading 190. Excellent chimney structures, good for molecular diversity analysis. Put a chimney structure in the basket. No data.

15:06 — Return to surface.