Collaborative Research: Data synthesis for examination of magmatic, tectonic, and hydrothermal activity at the Endeavour Segment ISS

University Of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz CA

Investigators

Abstract

One of the best studied sites on the Juan de Fuca Ridge, a mid-ocean ridge spreading center off the northwestern coast of the US, is the Endeavor Ridge Segment. This area has been extensively mapped and sampled over the last 10 years by the NSF-funded Ridge 2000 Program whose objective is to dramatically advance our understanding of mid-ocean ridge magmatic, seismic, hydrothermal, and biological systems, how they behave, and how they are linked together. The funded project focuses on correcting navigation errors in sample/feature locations and compiling data from NSF and non-NSF funded cruises and studies to create a high resolution, integrated map of geological and geochemical features/attributes. The juxtaposition of these disparate datasets will enable big-picture, integrated thinking about how these important volcanic systems operate, will allow comparison of this area with other parts of the globe-encircling mid-ocean ridge system, and will illuminate the processes that control volcanism and hydrothermal venting at mid-ocean ridges. Broader impacts of the work include support of graduate and undergraduate students, a postdoc, and a PI whose gender is under-represented in the sciences.