The Mixing Zephyr Pages

Mixing Zephyr Program
Dive 2938
Starboard Observer Narrative

Starboard Observer: Paradis

Narrative by Georges Paradis Starboard observations based on notes taken during dive.

Dive Objectives

1) Deploy Sea water Battery near Dudley.

2) Deploy J-hook at Dudley.

3) Go to elevator to retrieve camera and t-probe.

4) Go to Grotto via pass between Dante and Dudley to deploy camera.

5) Collect fluid samples at Dante.

6) Geological survey/sonar map check-up.

Time hdg x y z comments

9:24 57 3102 676 1859 Probably in buoyant plume, strong bioluminescence.

9:37 194 5071 6075 2198 First sight of the bottom, water is turbid with hydrothermal fallout.

9:45 154 4398 7036 2205 Finding neutral buoyancy, waiting for a good fix.

9:53 180 6393 9398 2207 Pillows and sheet flow with 10 cm cracks, lightly sedimented (1-2cm) with sparsely distributed small white anemones.

10:00 193 5099 6166 2207 Good fix using transponders frequencies 7.5 and 8.5.

10:04 252 Going to Dudley. Coralline organism on basalt.

10:05 Sulfide spires with a red Octopus.

10:08 237 1 - 2 meter diameter sulfide chumks.

10:10 252 4296 7890 2200 Diffuse flow shimmering water with large community (15M)of tube worms. Marker 1C seen by Blee with biological growth on it.

10:17 181 4999 6145 2192 At Dudley @markers B9 and AA. Brown reddish stained fallout on dead tube worms. Shimmering water emanating from worms.

10:25 272 5005 6134 2193 J-Hook deployed at flange structure above B9.

10:42 252 4941 6143 Sedimented sheet flow. 1 - 1.5m fissure.

10:44 197 4941 6143 2196 Round marker, orange. Deployment of sea water battery on lobate sheet flow among pillows with a light brown sediment.

10:54 Sea water battery redeployed, flatter orientation.

11:02 Steep sulfide scarp off starboard side with small tube worm communities with gray and orange brown sedimentation.

11:04 228 Dead sulfide spires, spindly, up canyon on starboard side (3:00)

11:08 124 5041 6136 2199 Going to elevator. Lobate sheet flows, lightly sedimented.

11:11 141 Pillows about 1m diameter cracked with radial lines apparent. Talus rubble, jagged angular blocks.

11:12 113 Dark steep canyon to starboard.

11:19 97 5190 6010 2217 Elevator found. JD saw camera lights, not strobe. Elevator landed fairly flat.

11:23 206 4577 4863 2221 Temperature probe in basket.

11:44 257 4332 7738 2217 Blee moved elevator from sediment cloud formed from prop wash. Elevator placed on ropy sheet flow with white anemones.

11:49 287 5177 6105 Released pin, struggle with elevator.

11:56 294 5178 6107 Elevator rising to the surface.

12:00 287 5172 6110 2220 Camera is on the basket and going to Grotto, which is 237m away on a bearing of 269degrees.

12:09 269 5175 6109 2218 Lobate sheet flow with pillow lavas 0.5 - 1 meter diameter. Seastars and white anemones.

12:10 Talus slope, broken pillows.

12:12 255 Horizontal striations in vertical wall.

12:14 287 5087 6115 Steep 10m drop.

12:15 262 Sponges growing on sulfides with moderate hydrothermal sedimentation. Rounded sulfide blocks, not angular breaks.

12:17 Back to site of J-hook deployment and sw battery. Large tabular flat cracked sheets.

12:21 317 4937 6145 2186 At Grotto. Black Smoker. Marker BA.

12:23 61 4937 6152 2186 Marker BA. Much white staining/sedimentation on tube worms.

12:31 4938 6154 T-probe deployed. Brown sediment on tube worm colonies.

12:36 351 2939 6151 2187 Finish t-probe deployment.

12:50 296 4944 6153 2187 Camera deployed. Go to Dante.

12:55 90 4955 6155 Facing Dante. Blackish water flowing over edge of flange. Grayish debris on brown dead looking worms.

13:02 72 4960 6157 2180 Many good smokers. Positioning for sampling. Attempt aborted, no good landing spot.

13:05 164 4961 6160 2182 Good black smokers, but very strong current. Sub is spinning out! Lost spot.

13:11 249 4982 6175 2179 Found marker X.

13:15 193 4981 6177 2177 Found marker A6.

13:17 125 5008 6169 2177 Alvin high temperature probe = 346.4C

Initiate manifold sampling. Computer problems! Must contact Marv at surface to help post three finger salute syndrome.

13:39 109 5008 6169 2177 Sampled port outer major. Manifold temp max = 346.7C. Started computer mark 10 sec late.

13:41 109 5008 6169 2177 Port inner major fired. Manifold temp max = 326C.

13:43 109 5008 6169 2177 Port Gas tight fired. Manifold temp max = 345C Started computer mark 10 sec late.

13:45 109 5008 6169 2177 Starboard gas tight fired. Manifold temp max = 345C.

13:46 109 5008 6169 2177 Starboard inner major fired. Manifold temp max = 346C.

13:48 109 5008 6169 2177 Starboard outer major fired. Manifold temp max = 344C.

13:52 Leaving Dante for geologic survey.

14:00 98 Angular blocks, talus off starboard side. Small patch of very large tube worms, 3 - 4 cm diameter tubes on lightly sedimented sheet flows.

14:02 132 5056 6186 Broken up pillows. Lobate sheet flow also.

14:04 103 Various sized pillows 0.5 - 1 meter diameter.

14:05 77 Heavily sedimented lobate sheet flow.

14:07 98 Collapse pit, edge of crust overhanging lava lake. Spires with bathtub ring features.

14:08 88 Steep slope to starboard side(3:00).

108 4941 6143 2225 Approaching talus slope. With 2 meter diameter pillows and angular blocks. Radial features seen of cracked pillows.

14:10 108 5269 6243 2219 Talus slope ascending up from starboard side. Lightly sedimented, 1-2mm. Isolated pillows among 0.5 meter angular rubble.

14:12 107 5269 6230 Approaching vertical scarp, sheared pillows.

14:14 Head back to the west to find edge of talus.

14:22 72 Large (1.5 meter width) skate 6 m from talus edge, sheet flow up to talus.

14:24 4 Ropy sheet flow at talus edge with fractured pillow chunks.

14:26 0 3092 6805 2225 Collapse pit with spires with bathtub ring striations.

14:28 Pillow field no talus, homogeneous smooth, not broken pillows, 2m diameter. Head east to find talus edge.

14:32 Found edge of talus and heading north (bearing 10) along edge. Fractured pillows on starboard side on steep slope. Many small (.3 - 1 meter diameter) fractured pillow chunks.

14:33 10 Anemones, sea stars, coralline type branched anemones, cucumbers, spider crab.

14:37 236 Sedimented sheet flow, sloping up starboard side.

14:38 304 Globular sheet flow, smooth surfaces, hints of pillow, mostly sheet flow. Canyon at 3:00. Reach top of slope. Wall of sheer runs 010 - 020 degrees.

37 Off starboard side, slopes downward 45 degrees, globular sheet flow.

14:41 Start ascent to surface.


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Content Last Modified 7/9/95
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