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Morning launch. The sun was out at 15 minutes before launch. It
rained hard for a few minutes during the launch before letting
up. |
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First-time diver Lisa Robson gets ready to board Alvin. |
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Dr. Craig Cary climbs the steps leading up to the gangway and
climbs into Alvin. Today was the last dive of the series,
so he wanted to make the best of it. |
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The sun came out just after Alvin submerged, making for
a brilliant sunrise. |
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Third Mate Sallye Davis took some time out from her work to explain
how the Atlantis maintains its position over the dive
site.
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| Chief
Alvin Pilot Blee Williams switches a call from Northwest
High School in Opelousas, Louisiana. The school was hit by a tornado
the day before they were supposed to participate in Extreme 2002.
They got an opportunity to catch up today. Thanks for the call,
Northwest High! |
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| Jen
and Blee take a call from the AT&T operator setting up the call.
Later,
Chief Pilot Blee Williams talked to students in Williston near his
hometown of Jacksonville, North Carolina.
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Dr. Barbara Campbell fields a question during the phone call while
Jen and Hepsi prep for the next segment of the call. |
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Dr. Andy Berglund answers questions from students in Lincoln,
Nebraska.
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Black
smoker at Bio-9. Pilot Pat Hickey took this photo through the
window of the submersible. Right after he took this picture, he
collected the top of the chimney and brought it back in the biobox.
It yielded some wonderful samples.
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Craig
Cary looks happy after a successful dive. |
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Expedition
Leader Pat Hickey stays warm. |
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As soon as Alvin arrived, the crew started taking it
apart for a major overhaul. They're going to be very busy during
the transit to Costa Rica.
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Lisa gets ready for "the treatment." |
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And then warms up by going for a swim. |
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Pilot
Pat Hickey brought back a huge array of samples today. This is
the giant tubeworm, Riftia pachyptila.
There's also Bathymodiolus thermophilus, the vent
mussel.
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The plume and vestimentum of Riftia. The vestimentum
is a big muscle that holds it in the tube. |
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Dr. Andy Berglund takes the temperature in "Mr. Fusion."
Several small Riftia were collected in this box. |
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A
nice black smoker. The glittery stuff is pyrite — an iron-based
mineral otherwise known as fool's gold. |
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Dr.
Cary takes apart the samples collected in the biobox while intersted
spectators look on. The center divide on the biobox was removed,
allowing pilot Pat Hickey the opportunity to collect a large chimney
still covered with worms. |
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Dan
Barker surprised me by popping up in the sail. |
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I noticed that the ship was moving differently soon after Alvin
was brought aboard. We're not wasting any time heading for Costa
Rica as it is a full four-day transit there.
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Craig
Cary and Julie Robidart examine the smoker that Pat Hickey collected.
The outside was covered in Alvinella worms.
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You
can see how large this Alvinella is. The most intersting
about this sample is the way the tubes are wrapped togther around
the smoker. It looks very much like a coil of rope.
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Craig
Cary and Julie Robidart smile about this excellent sample. It
was one of the best of the series.
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Pat
Hickey also collected the Mosquito probe after a four-day deployment
as well as a giant vent clam.
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