ABE SEPR-99 Engineering Results
 RV Atlantis Voyage 3 Leg 31
M.H. Cormier*, W. Ryan*, D. Yoerger**, A. Bradley**, R. Catanach**, A. Duester**
* Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
** Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Photos by Cindy van Dover

More photos

Area plots


Description of data structures


Some matlab utilities


Dive Summaries, Plots, and Data Files

ABE23

date: 99/02/05
start: 19:34:17
bottom: 22:01:15
end: 24:40:05
survey time: 02:38:50
distance on bottom: 5300
number of pictures: 0

Summary

A zig-zag across the ridge. Ran for 2.6 hours on bottom. Had 2 good ranges most of the time, 9.5 and 11.0 were intermittant. Crossed the ridge 3 times. Imagenix worked OK. Took pictures on the mooring. Dive ended on a battery trip (46 volts). Got good maggy. We used the bottom ducer after getting to the bottom. Nav got better with post processing. The net survey could be improved.
Plots for ABE 23
Data for ABE 23

ABE24

date: 99/02/06
start: 21:40:12
bottom: 24:04:19
end: 27:00:09
survey time: 02:55:50
distance on bottom: 5800
number of pictures: 0

Summary

Another zig-zag, no imagenix. nearly constant depth except over ridge top. Nav pretty ratty, lots of missing ranges. Crossed the ridge 3 times. Still using top ducer when on bottom.
Plots for ABE 24
Data for ABE 24

ABE25

date: 99/02/07
start: 21:07:21
bottom: 23:29:09
end: 25:24:09
survey time: 01:55:00
distance on bottom: 3600
number of pictures: 708

Summary

No imagenix, flying 5-7 meters for camera. Made two lines 1400 meters long running approx along-contour (S-N). Lines were 200 meters apart. 400 meters into line 3 when batteries died at 46 volts, 2 hours on  bottom. Nav very solid, used bottom ducer the entire run. Transponder survey would benefit from adjustment.
Plots for ABE 25
Data for ABE 25

ABE27

date: 99/02/10
start: 21:14:46
bottom: 23:32:53
end: 24:12:33
survey time: 00:39:40
distance on bottom: 1200
number of pictures: 31

Summary

Running cross lines in the rift valley at the middle site. Nav poor,batteries quit after 45 minutes at 46 volts. Battery pack is not working correctly. Nav poor because a bounce was getting in on 11.0. Had imagenix running, but no 1 second attitude sampling (software problem). The maggy failed on the way down, and was not working during the calibration spin, but it appears to be ok after ABE reached 1000 meters.
Plots for ABE 27
Data for ABE 27

ABE28

date: 99/02/11
start: 21:06:18
bottom: 23:27:05
end: 24:16:48
survey time: 00:49:43
distance on bottom: 400
number of pictures: 75

Summary

ABE went walkabout due to a navigation problem. While we had tightened up the range gates to prevent bounce returns from getting in after the vehicle reached, the bottom, a bad fix received just before touchdown made ABE think it was far to the south. This made the trackline controller fall through all the tracks until the last. ABE tried to get to that trackline (using the bad fix), then the nav recovered and it tried the correct direction. BE quit when it had crossed the end line for the last trackline., 45 minutes of survey. ABE climbed up the wall of the valley on the east side, climbing about 70 meters. We had imagenix and 1-sec attitude recording on this run.
Plots for ABE 28
Data for ABE 28

ABE29

date: 99/02/12
start: 18:58:53
bottom: 21:17:00
end: 23:09:00
survey time: 01:52:00
distance on bottom: 3200
number of pictures: 53

Summary

ABE had a nav problem at the beginning (again). This time if fell through the first two lines, but did all the rest. So it "cut the switchbacks" on the first two lines. ABE quit when it ran out of battery power after 2 hours. The voltage limit was set to 45.5 volts. Reprocessed nav very good.
Plots for ABE 29
Data for ABE 29

ABE30

date: 99/02/13
start: 22:44:04
bottom: 25:02:11
end: 28:00:01
survey time: 02:57:50
distance on bottom: 5900
number of pictures: 37

Summary

We reconfigured ABE's lbl rcvr, as we were working at a more southern site, where we stayed for the rest of the runs at the middle site. This run started up on the top of the valley wall, getting around the bad acoustic conditions that effected the previous two runs. We also made some software fixes that would make it less likely we'd act on a bad fix. We crossed the valley 3 times, and started on the 4th when we timed out at 0400. Imagenix coverage was a bit spotty, we lost ranges a lot especially while descending. The reprocessed nav is good, but could be improved by some transponder adjustments. We nicknamed this area "The Half Pipe". The transponder positions were resurveyed using in-hull nav data, and the nav tracks and dotcloud were rerun.
Plots for ABE 30
Data for ABE 30

ABE31

date: 99/02/14
start: 20:18:13
bottom: 22:35:50
end: 25:34:48
survey time: 02:58:58
distance on bottom: 5500
number of pictures: 42

Summary

We continued the survey in the Half Pipe, adding four more lines to the south and ending with a long line down the flank to the west. The run ended when ABE reached the last waypoint after 3 hours. We had raised the imagenix gains as an experiment to 6 on the first leg, with no ill effects. We also slowed the vehicle on the downward sections, which helped it keep contact. The reprocessed nav looks good, but would benefit from a transponder adjustment. The transponder positions were resurveyed using in-hull nav data, and the nav tracks and dotcloud were rerun.
Plots for ABE 31
Data for ABE 31

ABE32

date: 99/02/15
start: 20:42:56
bottom: 23:04:53
end: 27:00:04
survey time: 03:55:11
distance on bottom: 6100
number of pictures: 53

Summary

More in the Half Pipe, with four more lines to the north of ABE30 lines, with a run down the eastern flank. We ran with an Imagenix gain of 6, and tried 12 on the first leg, which looked fine. We slowed on the downhill sections, as in ABE31. Total time on bottom 3hrs 46 minutes. The assembled imagenix map from ABE30-32 looks good. The transponder positions were resurveyed using in-hull nav data and the tracklines and dot cloud were rerun
Plots for ABE 32
Data for ABE 32

ABE34

date: 99/02/18
start: 22:50:48
bottom: 25:52:55
end: 28:00:05
survey time: 02:07:10
distance on bottom: 4500
number of pictures: 0

Summary

We got in late following the thruster repairs (given the task, we felt lucky to get in at all, great job Rod and Matt!). We ran for 2 hours, 4 minutes, and quit when our time expired at 0400. We ran 5 1/2 lines of 600 meters each, and one of 1200 meters next to the Crack of Doom. Nav and control were both excellent for the entire run. We later adjusted the xpndr positions a bit, and the nav got even better (little to no jump as the xpndr combinations changed). The processed imagenix map looked good, we could clearly see one end of the crack, which aided in planning the next night's legs. The transponder positions were resurveyed using in-hull nav data and the tracklines and dot cloud were rerun
Plots for ABE 34
Data for ABE 34

ABE35

date: 99/02/19
start: 18:35:26
bottom: 21:29:03
end: 26:10:12
survey time: 04:41:09
distance on bottom: 10200
number of pictures: 38

Summary

We ran for 4 hours and 45 minutes. The run ended when we reached the end of the last trackline. we did 7 1/2 600 meter tracklines to the west of the 600 meter segments from the previous dive, then did 5 one kilometer tracks on both sides of the crack. Reprocessing improved the nav considerably, filling some gaps and decreasing jumps during baseline switches. The imagenix map looked very good, one km. of the Crack was shown clearly, including channels to the west. Imagenix map clearly improved by the nav recrunch. The transponder positions were resurveyed using in-hull nav data and the tracklines and dot cloud were rerun
Plots for ABE 35
Data for ABE 35

ABE36

date: 99/02/20
start: 18:32:42
bottom: 21:25:59
end: 26:25:12
survey time: 04:59:13
distance on bottom: 10800
number of pictures: 0

Summary

Three more long lines of the Crack area on the east side, four more to the west. Also made a tie line across the channel at the south end of the crack. Imagenix  map getting better. Wen processed it for slope: excellent. We ran for four hours, 56 minutes, and ended when we reached the last waypoint. Total trackline length was 10.56 km. Sinton dove with the map in Alvin. The transponder positions were resurveyed using in-hull nav data and the tracklines and dot cloud were rerun
Plots for ABE 36
Data for ABE 36

ABE37

date: 99/02/21
start: 18:28:15
bottom: 21:19:02
end: 26:31:12
survey time: 05:12:10
distance on bottom: 11300
number of pictures: 915

Summary

Filled in the missing section of the box to the west and extended total coverage to the west by 2 lines also made a long 2-way video transect to the north of the area (5-7m bottom following). Camera got only ~50 percent of the shots, might by fixable by changing software settings. Total time on bottom, 5 hrs 18 minutes, total track distance 11.0 km. The transponder positions were resurveyed using in-hull nav data and the tracklines and dot cloud were rerun
Plots for ABE 37
Data for ABE 37

ABE38

date: 99/02/22
start: 18:27:60
bottom: 21:28:17
end: 27:12:00
survey time: 05:43:43
distance on bottom: 12100
number of pictures: 338

Summary

Drove a 300 meter, 2-way video leg to the west, then extended the area 6 lines to the west. Drove a tie line west-to-east along  the north edge, then drove a 1500 meter line to the north, out of the box, along the Crack. Camera hit rate up to about 90 percent after change in the settings. The transponder positions were resurveyed based on the in-hull navigation, and the tracklines and dot cloud recrunched.
Plots for ABE 38
Data for ABE 38

ABE39

date: 99/02/23
start: 18:38:58
bottom: 21:38:25
end: 26:35:24
survey time: 04:56:59
distance on bottom: 10300
number of pictures: 2568

Summary

Primarily a video snapshot run. We drove up several features on the SW portion of the main area, crossed over the Crack of Doom at video height, then headed north. We laid in some Imagenix lines on the north east side, then completed 7 video lines spaced 15 meters apart The transponder positions were resurveyed using in-hull nav data, and the nav tracks and dotcloud were rerun.
Plots for ABE 39
Data for ABE 39

ABE40

date: 99/02/24
start: 19:35:49
bottom: 22:27:26
end: 27:30:07
survey time: 05:02:41
distance on bottom: 10400
number of pictures: 1747

Summary

We made 8 40 meter spaced tracklines at imagenix height, then made almost 9 15 meter spaced tracklines at video height. We took our first wax core midway through the first video leg. The transponder positions were resurveyed using in-hull nav data, and the nav tracks and dotcloud were rerun.
Plots for ABE 40
Data for ABE 40

ABE41

date: 99/02/25
start: 18:59:11
bottom: 21:48:19
end: 23:43:50
survey time: 01:55:31
distance on bottom: 4000
number of pictures: 324

Summary

Data logger failed (disk full) after 2 hours on bottom. Took one core shortly after, and took another core later. Vehicle appeared to follow the program exactly, desired positions of cores should be correct. Made 5 imagenix lines, filling some key gaps before logger quit. Total run time was 6 hours, not that it counts. The transponder positions were resurveyed using in-hull nav data, and the nav tracks and dotcloud were rerun.
Plots for ABE 41
Data for ABE 41

Post-processed Nav plots


ABE 23 Nav
ABE 24 Nav
ABE 25 Nav
ABE 27 Nav
ABE 28 Nav
ABE 29 Nav
ABE 30 Nav
ABE 31 Nav
ABE 32 Nav
ABE 34 Nav
ABE 35 Nav
ABE 36 Nav
ABE 37 Nav
ABE 38 Nav
ABE 39 Nav
ABE 40 Nav
ABE 41 Nav

Scanning sonar plots


ABE 23 Bathy
ABE 24 Bathy
ABE 25 Bathy
ABE 27 Bathy
ABE 28 Bathy
ABE 29 Bathy
ABE 30 Bathy
ABE 31 Bathy
ABE 32 Bathy
ABE 34 Bathy
ABE 35 Bathy
ABE 36 Bathy
ABE 37 Bathy
ABE 38 Bathy
ABE 39 Bathy
ABE 40 Bathy
ABE 41 Bathy
ABE SEPR-99 Engineering Results
 RV Atlantis Voyage 3 Leg 31
M. Cormier* W. Ryan* D. Yoerger** A. Bradley** R. Catanach** A. Duester**
* Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
** Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Webmaster: D. Yoerger