Dive 2936 June 14, 1995 pilot: Blee Williams
port: Véronique Robigou
starb: Kim Juniper
Summary by Véronique Robigou Port observations based on notes taken during dive
8:10-8:13 In water, permission to dive
8:16 request to top lab to chnage landing target coordinates from 5453, 7985 to
5453, 7685
8:41 Can hear 7.5 Xponder but not 8.5. No success with 11.0 and 10.0 either at
D=600 m
8:45 Check manifold computer. OK
8:55 Still no Xponders. Blee restarts navigation program
9:08 Alvin port still camera alreday has 486 frames.
9:19 Getting fixes from 7.5-8.5 base line
9:20 Blee sets up 3-chip with just the time frame so we can get good biological
coverage during close-up work
9:26 Bottom visible on port at 5446-7648 D2152 A21m H149
9:30 Port camera on at 9:30 (15 s)
9:31 3-chip camear laser beams set at a distance of 21 cm for scale on video
9:34 After spending a few moments getting oriented and adjusting all systems
for work we head toward ClamBed. H340
9:45-10:19 Clam Bed.
9:45-10:00 The site is still very active and covers a very large area (60
m wide by 80 m long), tubeworms are white, healthy and long (1.5 m in
some areas) and they completely cover two basaltic ridges separated by a
depression filled with sediments and clam shells as well as clams and other
biology. The two ridges are roughly elongated 020 trend of the ridge. Adam Schultz's
EM meter is still in good shape and the two parts of the instruments are
located near a white active smoker that was sampled in 1991. In the same site, there
are 3 more chimneys that have grown since very close to marker A still very visible
(9:54: 5443,7680,2186,1,207). These chimneys are covered with biological
communities and probably sites of diffuse flow but no focussed flow like
the white smoker. At the base of this site there are however some areas of
intense focussed flow with nescent chimneys.
10:01 Sampling of the white smoker using manifold port outer major
Temperature was 216C. (5439,7678,2186,2,206)
10:10 Schultz's EM meter was documented by video for examination by
Alvin pilotS for later recovery.
10:14 Documenting the clams in the depression before heding north
toward next way point.
10:19-11:44 Zig-Zag Geology
Heading toward 5500, 7800 first way point along a northern zig-zig
pattern to look at the geology of the valley between Clam Bed and High-
Rise and possibly better defining the SONAR map. During this transit, I
mostly used the tape recorder to describe what we were doing and what I
was seing (see dive narrative for more infos).
In general, we had problems with navigation since we crossed the base
line during the progression of the sub northward, but we used distance
travelled and heading to keep zig-zagging.
10:36 We encountered an area with a white smoker and a large tubeworm
field ( 5487,7784,2178,4,014).
11:00 navigation problems: setting new way points
11:23 On starboard side we are passing by a potential cable hazard
railroad wheels from an old mooring deployed in the area.
5546,8053,2182,3,325
11:34 New area with large dead sulfide blocks and some hydrothermal
activity, tubeworms and diffuse flow 5548,8103,2177,4,070
11:44 A third area with hydrothermal activity. At least 3 chimneys, 2 dead
and 1 active and tubeworm fields on both port and starboard as well as
diffuse flow staining on sediments 5651,8152,2172,8,087
11:46 High-Rise
11:46 We are now encountering large active sulfide structures which are
south of the Fairy Castle sulfide structure. We have reached what we call
the High-Rise Field. I see 2 spires 8 m high and there is a Debbie Stakes
marker (#14). No black smoker on this structure
5679,8144,2173,9,108
11:52 large tubeworm field in th typical High-Rise setting. At the base of
large fault offset and climbing up the wall on which top are located sulfide
structures. 5705,8173,2160,4,142
12:00 Boardwalk
5726,8282. we arrived at Boardwalk on the south side of the structure and
crab around toward the west to erach the north side. Then went up toward
the top of the structure and found the markers AL and AB very rapidly.
12:04 Work on flange at marker AB started 5751,8283,2144,10,103
12:12 Imaging the walls surrounding the flange (back, side, underneath)
12:20 Imaging top of flange 5731,8339,2146,9,124
12:35-12:41 Imaging top of flang and front of flange with hand-held
camera through forward porthoe (Blee).
12:44-12:48 Finishing imaging of flange
5753,8284,2146,13,088
5752,8283,2146,9,132
12:51 High-T probe temperature measurements on top of the flange
23 measurements were taken in a suite of 4 lines from the marker to the
edge of the flange in different directions.
For details refer to drawings and explanations in dive narratives
13:14 Measurements of temperature inside the pool
335.8C maximum temp. Depth of pool 4 inches in center
13:19 Manifold sampling in pool
Port inside major temp: 330.1C
13:21 port GasT temp: 329.2C
13:28 Manifold sampling of diffuse flow on top of flange
13:29 Starboard GasT temp:10.8C
13:29:30 Starboard outer major temp:11.4C (DID NOT WORK)
13:34 Starboard inside major temp:9.8C
5752,8286,2147,11,139
13:39:46 Marker AB moved to the left side of flange
5751,8283,2146,12,095
13:41 Opening flange box
13:42 Box opened 5751,8283,2147,13,087
13:43 moving basket unedr flange
13:45 great positionning of basket against the wall and underneath basket!
13:46 Flange in basket Yeah!!!!!
13:50 Taking still images from forward porthole of the flange scar left.
And moving the marker AB back underneath the flange scar
13:51 Last view of flange scar on 3 chip camera
13:52 Out of there and surfacing