No Slide Title
OET Nautilus WorkshopUniversity of Rhode Island, ISC69 May
2013
AT25-04: Hydrogeologic, Geochemical, and Microbiological
Experiments in Young Oceanic Crust of the Northeastern Pacific
Ocean Using Subseafloor Observatories S. Cooper1, A. T. Fisher2,
and NSF co-PIs31 Consortium for Ocean Leadership2 Earth and
Planetary Sciences Department andCenter for Dark Energy Biosphere
InvestigationsUniversity of California, Santa Cruz3 K. Becker, J.
Clark, J. Cowen, C. G. Wheat
1Most of the seafloor is hydrogeologically active
modified from Ge et al. (2003); Fisher (2005)2Seafloor
hydrogeology influences...the physical state and evolution of the
crust and mantle, including volatile cycling at subduction zones;
the chemical evolution of the oceans;heat loss and the thermal
evolution of Earth; anddevelopment and evolution of remarkable
biological communities, both on and within the crust.
Focus of this expedition:seafloor hydrothermal circulation3The
upper oceanic crust is a global-scale aquifer
A permeable aquifer4
Overview of CORK subseafloor observatoriesCreated by Stephanie
Keske, IODP Expedition 327Department of Visualization, Texas A
& M University5Post-drilling CORK servicing with
ROVHydrogeology, Geochemistry, MicrobiologyFollowing IODP
Expedition 327, CORK servicing accomplishing by ROV in Summer 2011
(very successful!) Deploy long-term well-head OsmoSampling systems
to collect fluids, run microbiology incubation experiments Extract,
collect, filter, analyze samples from well-heads using active
pumping systems Deploy flowmeter and open large-diameter valve to
allow measured free-flow of hydrothermal fluids, create pressure
perturbation, collect samples Expedition AT25-04 (Summer 2013) is
designed to "wrap up" initial phase of single-hole and multi-hole
experiments through sampling, data downloads, perturbation of
experimental systems6CORK Observatory System in Operation!
Planning for 2013 (AT25-04) and beyond
ROV JasonDownload pressure dataExchange
flowmeterExchangeOsmoSamplersRecover GeoM sledSummer 2013Large EOC
effort planned (5-6 participants)Education, Outreach,
CommunicationIODP 327, AT18-07, AT25-04
Numerous web conferences (schools, museums) EOC and scientist
blogs Adopt-a-Microbe program Podcasts, videos, photography
Curriculum development, museum displays High-band-width
"tele-presence" with OET/URI!poreOrcutt et al.
(2011)Acknowledgements
Collaborators from ODP Leg 168, IODP Expeditions 301 and 327,
numerous R/V Atlantis expeditions during 2004-11+Collaborators:
Funding, leadership:
Thank you!Ship operators, crew, techs:
Seafloor hydrothermal circulation isthe passage of warm (or hot)
water through rock of the oceanic crust; generally a result of
heating from below, although it can also occur immediately adjacent
to newly-erupted magma;partly responsible for making the ocean
"salty";thought likely to have occurred very early in Earth history
- and may occur on other planetary bodies in our solar system.
This presentation explores large-scale, ridge-flank hydrothermal
systems (in contrast to "black smokers")11Ridge-flank hydrothermal
systems are subtle but importantfar from the magmatic and thermal
influence of seafloor spreading; fluid temperatures are often
~5-30C, so systems are hard to detect; driving force is heat rising
slowly from deep inside the Earth, not active volcanism;result in
huge fluid flows, chemical impacts less well understood;may help to
support vast, subseafloor ecosystems (thermal and other conditions
are optimal).
Eastern Flank of the Juan de Fuca RidgeHydrogeology,
Geochemistry, MicrobiologyFocus on active ridge-flank processes to
address these questions: What are the magnitude and nature
(distribution, extent of channeling) of permeability in crustal
fluid-rock systems, variations, scaling (temporal, spatial)? What
are the magnitudes and directions of driving forces, fluid fluxes,
and associated solute, heat , and microbial transport? What are the
magnitude and nature of storage properties, variations with fluid
pressure, scaling (temporal, spatial)? What are relations between
fluid flow, vertical and horizontal compartmentalization,
microbiological communities, seismic properties, alteration,
structure, and primary crustal lithology? How large are distinct
fluid reservoirs, what are fluid residence times and fluid
velocities, and how do these respond to transient events and
processes (tides, seismic events)?
Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations (C-DEBI)Site
Review, 2013: Fisher, Juan de Fuca Ridge Flank
modified from Fisher, Tsuji et al. (2011)Primary field
locations13New borehole observatories installed in 2010IODP
Expedition 327: Site 1362
Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations (C-DEBI)Site
Review, 2013: Fisher, Juan de Fuca Ridge Flank
Instrument and sampling baysMicrobiologist for scale14
Started Summer 2010IODP Exp. 327First controlled measurement of
water, solute particle velocity!modified from Fisher et al.
(2011)