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.