Dive 2923 Transcript , Starboard observer: Dave Butterfield
Port observer: Veronique Robigou Pilot: Pat Hickey
Time head depth comments
0930 on bottom, adjusting ballast, sub is heavy
blocky, collapsed sheets, 5-10cm thick in depression,
looks like collapsed roof.
0942 broken pillows, brittle stars, centipedes swimming through
the water
0947 235 passed over 5m drop, not picking up southern transponder
258 another dropoff, broken pillows on scarp, then field of pillows
0949 264 bottom is sediment covered, no glassy surfaces, passing another
fissure, broken pillows on face of fissure.
0950 Pat sees a skate, large. Lobate flows, brittle stars and anemones
0952 261 Still lobate flows. Target 1300m, 258 degrees for Hulk.
0953 lobate flows and pillows, numerous fissures
0954 more elongate pillows
0955 climbing up a constructional pillow mound, then fissure about 4-5
oclock
095611 263 other side of fissure
0957 water is markedly cloudy here, going over a fissure, alt 15m
xy 6213,6415
1003 255 2120 back on bottom, several cm thick sediment,
1004 passing another large fissure, and arriving at large wall of broken
pillows on far side, wall is 7-10 m tall. On top of wall, crusty-looking
sediment
1006 sediment cover, brittle stars, anemones, some discoloration of sediment,
orange, possible dead sulfide chimney, toppled. Definitely some orange
sediment. No active flow. More fallen down sulfides, weathered.
1008 Still flying over sediment covered area with old weathered sulfides,
sediment is thick, several cm at least.
1011 284 2093m Out of the flat sedimented area and now up on a pillow mound and
turning to port, going up slope.
1012 240 Over top of pillow ridge and now drops off, crossing another fissure,
1022 2176 Passed over the edge of the wall, heading into valley, and now coming
down a steep cliff, TD =2176.
1024 2182 Bottom back in sight, talus. Still dropping off. td 2182m
1025 alt 10m. Pillows, off talus slope. Apparently on pillow ridge.
1026 passing over constructional pillow ridge, then dropping off again
1028 2202 More pillow basalts. Some sediment cover in pockets. Some pillows
are broken, most intact.
1029 more pillows, some sponges.
1031 see talus slope to starboard, going up. We apparently have crossed the
axial valley? which seems to be pretty narrow here. Looking at faces of
broken pillows on scarp.
1032 250 at top of scarp, pillows. Another fissure after just a few meters, narrow
this time and can see pillows on the other side. Fissures at 4-5 oclock
to sub heading.
1040 280 2198 over rough terrain, too far off bottom to see well.
1041 broken pillow terrain, constructional ridge
104240 passing another in a series of pillow ridges with relatively flat lobate
flows in between, many fissures.
1043 ropy flows on far side of fissure. Can see sheared off sheet flows, in a
relatively narrow zone, surrounded by pillows on either side.
104330 260 up another slope, sheet flows near top. Passed over about a 40m wide
zone of sheet flows.
104736 went down another fissure and are coming up other side, steep rubbly
wall. Possibly some hydrothermal sediment mixed in among the talus
of the wall. Talus is broken pillows.
1048 2180
1055 2171 going up another wall with lots of sediment on it, appears to be
hydrothermal. Crab here. Keep going up the wall. Pat sees an area of
apparent diffuse flow at 105620 xy5192/6188
Wall covered with white "silica sponges
1058 2143 Areas of brown-reddish sediment and some very old small pieces of
sulfide.
1102 more talus slope with silica sponges. Not much sediment here.
1104 have come up to the top of one of a series of ridges.
1106 Pat sees shimmering water.
1144 2185 Probably past the vent field to the north and are coming back down the
wall at the 6100 y level. We went up the west wall and have to come
back down.
1148 back on valley floor at 2200m.
1151 2199 passed a crack at 90 degrees to our heading td 2199.
1153 passing another fissure system.
1157 dead chimney
1206 2190 at dead chimney
1230 driving south along the base of the western wall with talus to starboard
basalts are relatively flat lobate flows.
1232 2199m. Axis parallel fissures. Still going south in zig-zag pattern.
1237 2198 Still zig-zagging, now see big fissures td 2198m.
1238 See cement bag.
1240 At cement bag benchmark placed in 1984, with line and bucket lid
"LOBO". We have come south about 500m through some old sulfides,
zigzagging near the west wall. xy 5153,5704.
1250 At marker J at Hulk.
1259 N end between marker J and can see 8F to south.
1310 303 Filled entire manifold (4 majors, 2 gas-tights) at Hulk due to shortage
of power and impending
-1320 end of dive. Manifold computer did not work because of a cable
problem. We measured temperature with the Alvin high-temperature
probe. Maximum observed was 332 C. Total depth 2200, sub depth
2188, altitude 13, heading 303. We placed marker A3 nearest to the
smoker sampled.
1330 Driving to Dante.
1347 At Dante near marker X. Trying to sample smoker. Pat picking up
Temp probe. Max Alvin temperature 348.5. There are flanges below.
We are sampling near the top. First took major #10 at 1350.
Handle was bent. Next took major #4 atr 1355. Next took red GT#5,
followed by blue GT#2, then pink GT#6 at 1404. We placed marker
A7 at the sampling site. Total depth reading 2193m, sub depth at vent
2178, altitude 15m, heading 109.
1408 Took Niskin samples above Dante. Red and Green niskins tripped
together at 2176-2175m. Top of vent is 2178m. Blue niskin tripped at
2168m, or 10mav. Weights dropped at 1412