Collaborative Research: Constraining Sub-surface Fluid Circulation at the RAVEN Hydrothermal Field, Endeavour Ridge: An in situ Geophysical Experiment and Numerical Modeling Study

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

Hydrothermal circulation in the upper part of the igneous (volcanic) seafloor feeds submarine hot springs that support vigorous biological communities and causes an exchange of chemical elements between the rocks and sea water the affects the chemistry of the oceans in important ways, yet understanding these hydrothermal systems has been hampered by the difficulty of measuring heat flow and fluid flow. Heat flow blankets developed by one of the proponents of this projects are designed for deployment on bare rock, and thus hold the potential of providing improved and more detailed heat flow values. This deployment of heat flow blankets in combination with magnetic gradiometer and high-resolution bathymetry data seeks to characterize hydrothermal circulation at the RAVEN in detail. In additional to developing a heat flow method and contribution important new data to the field, broader impacts of this work include student participation, and outreach through teaching and public lectures.