Mail Buoy
March 29, 2001
Hello, and I have a question for the crew please. Why did you choose the central Indian Ridge as your next exploration area? Is there always activity here? And is there seismic evidence that the ridge is active?
And
Where did you sail from to start your expedition and how long has it taken you to reach there.
Many thanks,
Kieran Burns BSc
Hi Kieran:
The reason we chose the Central Indian Ridge was because we have some evidence from previous cruises by German and Japanese scientists that there are hydrothermal plumes (which occur above vents) at some locations. We are planning to try to find the vents themselves and then sample them. The reason is that we want to know whether the biological communities around vents are related to those found at Atlantic or Pacific vents or both.
The Central Indian Ridge is a mid-ocean ridge where there is volcanic activity. We do not know how often volcanic activity occurs, and because the area is quite isolated, there is no seismic data that has been collected.
We started our expedition in the Seychelles, but had to come to Mauritius (where we are now) to pick up our equipment because it had not made it to Seychelles. We plan to leave tomorrow, and then it will be about 2-3 days before we reach our first site.
Thanks for your questions -- keep Dive and Discovering!
Susan Humphris
Hi, my name is Dory and I was just wondering what do you think you might find in the hydrothermal vents and what is so important about these discoveries?
Thanks
Hi Dory:
Well, if they are anything like vents in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, we expect to find tall chimneys made of metal-rich sulfides and large communities of exotic animals and microbes. Check out the Vent Chemistry and Vent Biology modules under Deeper Discovery. Why is this important? Well, we didn’t know these hydrothermal systems existed until 1977 -- so we are still discovering a lot about them! Studies of vents are important for understanding how the chemical composition of seawater is controlled, how certain types of ore deposits (rich in copper, zinc and iron) are formed, there are whole new biological communities that have been discovered, and because enzymes from the vent bacteria are finding use in the biotechnology industry.
Thanks for Dive and Discovering -- stay tuned!
Susan Humphris
I am taking a marine science course and we will be following the expedition as much as possible. I was wondering what type of life you live while on an expedition like this? Do you live a crazy life, with little sleep? Is it fun? That is my question for now, but I may have another on later.
Hi there:
Glad to hear that you are following along! Yes, life is pretty crazy once we actually start doing science. The ship works 24 hours a day, so both the scientists and the ship’s crew stand “watches” -- 4 hours on watch, and 8 hours off watch -- while we are surveying and sampling. That might sound pretty easy, but in fact, it is during the “off watch” time that all the samples have to get processed and the chemical and biological analyses done. So most of us do not get too much sleep while we are out here. However, we make sure that everyone gets enough rest so that we can make good decisions and be very conscious of safety all the time.
Is it fun? Well, I think so! I like going to sea and discovering new things -- you never know what you might see. In addition, living with over 60 people on a small ship is interesting. There are people out here who have led very different lives, and it is fun to share adventures. Check out the Interviews section of the Daily Update. We shall be posting interviews with different people throughout the cruise.
Susan Humphris
Hello!
My name is LeeAnn and I go to Nantucket High School. I am studying Marine Science and today as part of our class we went online and checked out your new website. It’s very nice! I was wondering if you have a hypothesis on what you’re going to find in hydrothermal vents. If you have time you can email me back. Thanks for you time, I hope the trip is going well for you!
Hi LeeAnn:
Thanks for the question. One of the great things about Oceanography is that you never know what you are going to find! Since this will be the first detailed study of hydrothermal vents in the Indian Ocean, we are all excited to see what is there. Stay tuned, as we will post pictures of anything unusual that we collect or see with our cameras on the remotely operated vehicle Jason.
Best wishes,
Susan Humphris
How come Alvin doesn’t crush under the pressure?
Angelina Slocum
Good question! The sphere that the people are in on the Alvin is made of a very strong metal called titanium. It is about 1” thick and is able to withstand the difference in pressure between the inside and the outside. A jet plane keeps atmospheric pressure on the inside, but has lower pressure on the outside; the Alvin keep atmospheric pressure on the inside, but has much higher pressures on the outside.
Susan Humphris
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