(On-axis, 17°33.5'S to 17°35' S)

Rodey Batiza (port observer), Milène Cormier (starboard observer), and Steve Faluotico (pilot)

Transcript of the video tapes
Milène Cormier, starboard observer

Nota:
- Alvin X,Y coordinates are referenced to a net origin of 17°25.080'S, 113°12.853'W, and make use of the 1866 Clarke spheroid.
- Depths indicated are total water depths (= Alvin depth + Alvin altitude-1m)
- These depths are shallower than SeaBeam 2000 depths by less than 10 m
- The pan-and-tilt camera could not tilt during this dive.
- Relative ages of lavas ranged from 0.7 to 1.5 according to the scale of K.C. Macdonald

Time Course X,Y Depth(m) Comments

08:34 performing two Maggie calibration loops at 1000 m depth (ccw)

09:37 -2305,-15599 2612 On bottom, about 400 m east of topographic ridge axis. Flow of small lobates with uniform dusting of sediment (~ age 1.5). Looking for a sample site.

09:42 178° Looking for a sample site; Lobates with a uniform dusting of sediments.

09:44-09:46 on station Seafloor is sloping upward ahead of Alvin toward the SE = away from topographic ridge axis ?!? This agrees with the SeaBeam 2000 map, which show a very flat topography east of the topographic ridge axis.

09:47 c/c 252° -2317, -15625 Still looking for a sample location
09:49-10:02 on station Sample 3359-1 Lobate flow, uniform dusting of sediment Sample is a fragment of a collapsed lobate

10:03 253° -2320, -15624 A few collapse in the lobate

10:04 collapse in lobate, sediment accumulation in the folds and on top of lobates

10:06 252° very flat topography, but slowly climbing to topographic ridge crest; lobate flow

10:07 253° -2420, -15664 broad lobates with buds. still slowly climbing toward topographic ridge axis; occasional large anemones, pink sea cucumber;

10:08 253° slope steepens

10:09 253° pillows sighted ahead of Alvin; broad pillows with lots of buds

10:10 pillows about 1 m across, lots of buds; glassy age 1.0

10:11-10:20 on station -2543, -15713 Sample 3359-2 broad pillows with buds on them; uniform dusting of sediments

10:20 294° leaving station

10:21 257° climbing obliquely toward ridge axis; broad lobates with buds

10:22 257° pillows are grading into lobates; visual impression these are glassier and less sedimented.

10:23 small collapse a few meters across; flow is more glassy; some big pillows amongst the lobates; light sediment cover

10:24 256° flow contact; Younger flow consists of smaller pillows about half the size of the older lobates; this flow is more glassy and covered by a thinner dusting of sediment; heading back to check out the contact

10:25 114° -2632, -15733 into the younger flow: small pillows
10:28 245° 2593 heading SW again;

10:29 256° just past flow contact again

10:30 256° 2591 glassy lobate flow; a few collapse, thinner sediment cover

10:31 glassy lobate flow; fish, crab

10:32 larger collapse a few meters across, spaghetti worms everywhere
10:33-10:46 on station -2697, -15785 2592 Alvin stopped right on-axis (as we figured out later on) Sampling next to a large collapse; There is some fine layering into the wall of the collapse spaghetti worms.
sample 3359-3

10:36-10:46 on station 293° looking into the large collapse from starboard and cannot see its bottom; small (< 1m across) truncated tubes are visible in the wall; fishes

10:46 258° lobates

10:48 258° 2594 going down the west flank of the EPR; small glassy lobates

10:49 261° -2934, -15910 flow contact on west flank; newer flow consists of pillows at contact

10:50 258° -2697,-15785 2598 older flow consists of broad lobates, not very glassy

10:52-53 187°, cc to SE 2608 broad lobates
10:54-11:00 on station -2913, -15869 2606 sample 3359-4 bud from lobate
11:01 128°, cc to SE turning to SE to cross ridge axis again; occasional anemones, pink cucumber uniform dusting of sediment

11:02 123° 2602 small collapse in lobate; flow does not appear glassy through the sediment cover; some collapses

11:03 broad lobates; fissures oriented NNE, about 50 cm across

11:04 126° -2828, -15933 2601 Just passed contact again; newer flow is glassier, with a thinner veneer of sediments

11:05 135° 2596 Small glassy pillows with buds; some hydrothermal staining; pillows insensibly grading into lobates
11:07 145° 2596 young glassy lobates, some are collapsed. cloudy water, abundant fauna in water column; shrimps, crabs, serpulide worms; fishes

11:09 151° -2775, -16009 2592 Must be right at the ridge axis. broad collapse; serpulide, shimmering water in collapse; inactive chimney visible from starboard

11:09 cc 193° change course to drive southward along the ridge axis

11:10 255° 2593 lobates, fishes
11:12 186° 2594 pillows, fishes everywhere in water column

11:13 193° -2818, -16885 2594 mixed lobates and pillows
11:14 190° glassy lobate flow (small lobes); fishes, serpulides

11:16 large , broad pillows with buds

11:16-11:25 on station -2834, -16159 2597 sample 3359-5 - pillow bud glassy, small lobates with buds, some broad pillows, light dusting of sediment

11:26 193° 2595 glassy lobate flow, fissure visible on starboard striking about SSW, spaghetti worms

11:27 191° 2593 small lobates, some pillows, glassy with light dusting of sediments

11:28 191° 2593 lobates, spaghetti worms

11:30 190° 2594 pillows with buds, smaller in size (~50 cm across), light dusting of sediments; broken lobates spaghetti worms

11:31 193° 2596 glassy lobates fissure running parallel to Alvin (SSW)

11:32 199° 2594 fissure, 50-100 cm across, striking SSE; truncated faces of pillows visible in wall; pillows are not glassy, older than previous flow we decide to follow the fissure spaghetti worm

11:33-35 204° 2593 glassy lobates, some pillows, still following fissure, 0.5 to-2 m wide

11:36 200° -2903, -16461 2592 stopped along-side fissure to change video-tapes, fissure = about 1 m wide spaghetti worms

11:37 181° -2911, -16491 2593 lobates; fissure is 1-2 m across broken fragment

11:38 180° -2928, -16508 2595 fissure has ended; the flow has changed texture: lobates / pillows are smaller across and seem younger; spaghetti worms

11:39 151° -2903, -16558 2596 going over a flow contact? smaller lobates, glassier, lots of buds course has changed while heading for way point 5, probably a bad fix? fish

11:40 159° -2878, -16605 2596 lobates, some large pillows; broader lobes, fewer buds

11:42 109° 2596 broad pillows (1 m across); heading east to cross the axis to find lowest point of axis

11:42 pillows with buds; seafloor going down

11:43 077° 2601 contact in older, non-glassy pillows with buds; higher sediment cover (age 2)

11:44 319° 2605 turning around to get back on-axis lobates with buds

11:45 2602 still climbing, large pillows, more glassy; that may be the flow contact; behind large pillows, smaller, glassier lobates

11:46 273° 2597 Just past a contact, small glassy lobates

11:47 270° -2905, -16583 2595 glassy pillows and lobates with buds fissures

11:48 302° lobates and some large pillows, buds fissure on starboard spaghetti worms

11:49-51 on station-2924, -16584 2597 sample 3359-6 pillow bud

11:52 352° 2597 leaving station small lobates, glassy

11:53 °265° -2935,-16559 2595 c/c 270° to find flow contact on west flank; small lobates with occasional collapse fish, spaghetti worms

11:54 266° -2954, -16555 2596 glassy lobates, some large pillows

11:55 246° -2967, -16556 2602 just passed contact; broad pillows seem more sedimented, less glassy than small lobates heading back east toward ridge axis

11:56 144° -2988, -16563 2600 glassy lobate flow, small lobes
11:57 112° 2598 small lobes; some broken fragment

11:58 088° 2596 small glassy lobes with buds; marker (not visible from starboard) which looks like a detergent bottle

11:59 099° -2924, -16597 2596 lobates, somewhat glassy with a dusting of sediments. slope is going down ahead crabs

12:00 c/c 195° -2894, -16601 2594 back on ridge axis; change course to 190° glassy lobates

12:01 194° glassy lobates without buds, less sediment cover cloudy water, anemones

12:02 197° 2595 broad lobates, glassy, some collapse, no buds field of anemones, crabs, fishes

12:04 183° -2917, -16698 2594 glassy lobates; bigger pillows visible ahead, but not on starboard

12:04 195° 2596 Flow contact? We are now in a field of big pillows, 1 m across, no more anemones, sediment cover seems heavier, fissure striking at 2 o'clock relative to Alvin fish resting on bottom

12:05 195° lobates, fissure striking about SSW exposing truncated faces of pillows/lobates no fauna

12:06 194° broad pillows, 1 m across, fissure < 50 cm parallel to Alvin (SSW), not very glassy anemones, a few crabs

12:07 194° -2951, -16835 2597 relatively glassy lobates, 2 fissures occasional anemones

12:08 195° 2597 mixed pillows and lobates, buds, slightly glassy

12:09 196° -2970, -16897 2596 mixes lobates and pillows with buds

12:10 195° 2595 pillows with buds mixed with lobates anemones

12:12 192° 2594 lobates with hairline cracks

12:13-14 191° 2592 glassy lobates

12:15 193° 2591 fissure, lobates, may be older

12:16 195° 2593 fissured, shattered lobates form talus, hydrothermal staining spaghetti worms It seems that something has pushed upward; shattering the lobates into fragments ~ 10 cm across ?? Steve can see a drop-off on either side of the talus mound

12:17 212° 2591 on top of talus mound; hairline crack fissures on starboard side (Alvin must be sitting on western edge of push-up)

12:18 c/c to east 2591 turning to the east to check the outer wall of feature;
shimmering water

12:19 following crest northward 2593 west wall of push-up feature (?) is an upturned slab of lobates dipping at ?? 45° ?? a few fissures on starboard anemones

12:21-22 289° 2593 stopped on top of the feature, looking at shattered rubble, pondering on its origin

12:24 189° 2591 still atop the feature, heading south; rubble is sandwiched between two up-turned slabs striking ridge-parallel; This feature must correspond to the lineaments visible in DSL-120 as 2 elongated 50-100m long, ~20 m wide lineaments.
On starboard, broad lobates with orange hydrothermal staining in their fold; not very glassy, small fissures spaghetti worms, eel-like fish, a few hairline cracks

12:26 196° 2592 big fissure parallel to track, 0.5-1 m wide broad gentle lobates with hydrothermal staining in their folds The seafloor steepens ahead, and we turn around to get a good view of that other odd feature. spaghetti worms

12:27 wall of pillow/lobate on port side, on starboard rubble, then lobate flows on steepen wall. spaghetti worms

12:28 229° 2590 right over the push-up structure, rubble sandwiched between two thick slabs of lobates (again) spaghetti worms

12:29 185° 2588 going along the feature, on its top; 3-chip confirms it consists of two upturned slabs of lobate sandwiching a lot of rubble spaghetti worms

12:30-35 on station 2589 sample 3359-7 a chunk of the lobate wall, taken at the top

12:36 199° 2593 lobates, some fissures

12:37 199° 2592 lobate flow

12:38 189 -3133, -17426 2592 lobates
12:39 more ridge-parallel fissures, hydrothermal staining spaghetti worms everywhere

12:40 196° -3137,-17506 2592 lobates, hydrothermal staining in the fold; scattered fishes

12:41 197° 2593 broad pillows, 1m across. buds; hydrothermal staining in the folds; following fissure

12:42 194° -3159,-17578 2593 lobates, hydrothermal staining in the folds of the lobates anemones

12:44 197° pillows, not very glassy

12:44 197° 2594 lobates with buds, some pillows hydrothermal staining few anemones and galatea, red shrimp

12:45 197° 2596 lobate flow octopus, a few large anemones

12:47 193° big pillows with buds mixed with lobates

12:48 lobates and pillows, lots of buds, may be slightly more glassy than previously?

12:49 193° lobates with buds

12:50 197° lobates, pillows, lots of buds

13:51-13:05 on station -3252, -17911 2593 sample 3359-8 difficulty sampling the buds; obtain a piece of bud after third try.
13:06 193° 2596 big fissure, 1-2 m wide, ridge-parallel; lobate flows with some pillows; fissure decreases to ~50 cm wide

13:07 197° 2596 pillows, ridge-parallel fissure

13:08 196° 2596 lobates, then large pillows, 1-2 m across; some pillows with push-up tooth-past features on their top some big anemones, crinoids

13:09 195° 2595 large pillows, some fine scale fissuring

13:11 198° 2598 fissure visible ahead mixed lobates and pillows with buds

13:12 198° -2747, -18037 2600 broad pillows, then small lobates fish

13:13 185° 2601 lobates, lots of small buds some galatea, fishes

13:14 163° 2599 lobates, somewhat glassier, sediment cover uniform Waiting for fix toward Mrs. Wormwood hydrothermal site; it seems that we passed it, so we head back north

13:15 014° 2598 approaching Mrs. Wormwood hydrothermal site? Steve sees uphill to the left (west), so we decide to head west. somewhat glassier lobates

13:17 024°, cc 2598 lobates, lots of fishes; we must be near Mrs. Wormwood site

13:18 064° -3201, -16599 2595 broken pillows and lobates, fishes

13:19 031° -3262, -18171 2594 lobates, and some pillows c/c clockwise to north to find Mrs. Wormwood site fish
13:21 233° 2596 pillows, lobates, still looking for Mrs. Wormwood site

13:22 298° 2600 pillows, lobates some fishes anemones

13:24 028° lobates, some big pillows; many buds, glassy lavas still looking for Mrs. Wormwood'site, heading back north

13:25 357° 2600 lobates, big pillows topography is uphill to our left (west)

13:27 005° 2596 lobates, seems older (not as glassy and thicker sediment cover than the past few minutes

13:28 011° large lobates, hydrothermal staining

13:29 011° 2596 lobates with buds, pillows, anemones

13:30 012° lobates, pillows with buds, same as before, still looking for Mrs. Wormwood site.

13:33 c/c to 194° 2592 cannot find site, and decide to turn around and go to next way point to the south; lobates with hydrothermal staining in their folds, uniform dusting of sediment fish, shrimp

13:35-37 193° -3315, -17999 2594 pillows, lobates, buds anemones

13:37 End of VHS tape 2
13:39 Start of VHS tape 3

13:40-41 191° 2597 broad pillows, lobates, buds, lightly sedimented

13:42 188° 2600 lobates, cloudy water, some fishes

13:44-50 189° 2596-2602 big pillows, lobates, buds some fishes, occasional big anemones

13:51 c/c 206° 2595 turning right to zig across the axis, and check for fresher flow

13:53 161° 2595 big pillows, lobates seafloor sloping to the west, turn around to east to recenter on ridge axis

13:54 106° 2592 pillows, lobates

13:55 106° 2596 waiting for direction to WP7 crossing ridge parallel fissure

13:56 192° 2597 fresher looking flow (glassier): flow contact? lobates, some collapsed, buds

13:57 lots of buds, broad pillows, glassy; fissure water more cloudy, more fishes

13:58 129 2594 crossing ridge parallel fissure, about 1 m wide,pillows, lobate fishes

14:00 033° 2597 anemones everywhere, crabs

14:02 357° 2596 anemones, serpulides, crabs

14:03 005° 2597 at the base of Hobbs: several chimneys a few meters high, Steve can see one of them smoking lots of fauna, galatea, ...

14:05 069° 2597 lobate flow, anemones everywhere, galatae occasional small collapse top on lobates

14:07 192° passed Hobbs hydrothermal site, pillows with buds

14:08 178° about to stop for sampling in pillows

14:09
14:24 on station ? 2592 field of pillows and lobates, lots of buds; try looking for a good sampling site

14:24 on station ? sample 3359-9a and 3359b:3359-9a fell in a compartment with another sample by accident; decides to sample again pillow buds

14:25 191° 2593 lobates and pillows with lots of buds, uniform sediment cover anemones

14:26: 190° 2592 field of pillows and lobates ~1 m wide fissure, ridge- parallel

14:27 190° set of 20-50 cm wide fissures

14:28 190° spaghetti worm on pillows; buds

14:29 191° going slightly uphill; pillows with broken pieces occasionally, lots of buds

14:30-32 189° 2591 pillows are fairly sedimented, lots of buds

14:32 pillows

14:34 187° 2593 some truncated pillows crab, octopus
14:35-52 193° on station sample 3359-10 pillow bud

14:42 on station
2594 big fish in field of view of Pan-and-Tilt

14:52 262°° 2591 heading south for end of dive

14:53 264° 2588 pillows, lobates, small fissure galatae, fishes, spaghetti worms

14:54 196° 2594 ridge-parallel fissure, 50 cm wide, spaghetti worm, crab

14:55 194° 2596 collapse lobate, some buds anemones, spaghetti worms

14:56 181° 2594 glassy lobates with anemones, spaghetti worms, fishes, galatea, serpulide worm
148° big fissure 1m wide, fairly deep, ridge parallel crabs, serpulide

14:57 249° set of ridge-parallel fissures anemones, lots of spaghetti worms,

14:58 277° crossing ridge-parallel fissure, 10 cm wide glassy lobates

14:59 350° ridge-parallel fissure

15:01 025° fissures everywhere, leaving bottom

maggie loop at about 1000 m water depth