Research cruise 2007

Be a virtual participant in some of the most exciting avant-garde research in Norway. In this web site you will be able to follow the researchers day by day and you will learn about how they undertake a scientific exploration of this fascinating environment.

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See images and videos of the scientists at work, and ones from the hydrothermal vents themselves.

Learn more about hydrothermal vent systems and the organisms that live in this hostile environment.

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CGB

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Day 1 - 25 June

After breakfast, the ship moved from Nykirkenkaien to Laksevågkaien to load the final equipment supplies including the new ROV. This new ROV has better camera, lighting and sampling equipment and can dive to 3000m.

Day 2 - 26 June

The GOSars was repaired over night and we are en route to the waters north of Jan Mayen Island.

Day 3 - 27 June

Since heading north from Bergen we have lost the good weather. Things are pretty quiet as people try to get their sea legs.

Day 4 - 28 June

The uncomfortable sailing conditions continue. It is less choppy than before, but more rolling. Most are able to enjoy the excellent food on board – and perhaps the enforced moderation is good for us!!

Day 5 - 29 June

We have arrived at our first station. Everyone was on hand to watch the first CTD go down. It is equipped with three extra sensors brought by geochemical expert, Eric Olson from the University of Washington.

Day 6 - 30 June

We finished the CTD scanning last night, and headed north. We expect to be at our next location around 23.00 tonight. Then it's more CTD-scanning.

This information screen is on the bridge. It tells all kinds of information...

Day 7 - 1 July

The day started off at midnight (00:00). However, here in the land of the midnight sun, it could just as well have been 12:00 noon!

scientists grouped around a newly opened sediment core

Day 8 - 2 July

It has been the busiest day yet for the scientists on board. Yesterday’s CTD series finished in the early hours with a second, even stronger, anomaly signature. There is definitely something down there.

Day 9 - 3 July

We have now completed three CTDs that indicate anomalies, and several that indicate nothing, enabling us to pin down the potentially "interesting" area more closely (please see map).

Day 10 - 4 July

Our nightly mapping and CTD series are showing increasingly interesting features.

Rolf Pedersen and Eric Olson discuss search strategies.

Day 11 - 5 July

We continue to hunt our elusive hydrothermal zone with CTDs and the ROV.

data from a CTD cast showing an Eh anomaly

Day 12 - 6 July

Today was the first day of poor weather. We had been told to expect foggy weather because this area is near a frontal zone of ocean currents, but while mostly overcast, the weather has been clear and the visibility good until today. However, our work does not depend on visibility so we continued as...

Stig Monsen preparing to split a gravity core

Day 13 – 7 July

The day started at midnight with the microbiologists and Christoffer Schander working on preserving and studying organisms from the recovered wood the ROV had brought up from 2900m.

Day 14 – 8 July

Around 06:00 the ship stopped battling the head wind and moved into a stationary position over the expected location of the CTD on the sea-floor (267m).

participants in the first leg (some continued in the second!)

Day 15 - 9 July

A new group of researchers has come on board replacing some of the group from the first part of the cruise.

Day 16 - 10 July

We expect to reach Mohn’s Ridge and our research area around 18:00. Although the sea has been a little rough, the newcomers on board are managing really well.

Day 17 - 11 July

The wind has been increasing all day and is now up to 17-20m/s. The waves are too high to be able to safely launch the ROV or to be able to undertake the core sampling we had planned.

Day 18 - 12 July

The wind has dropped and we are again able to set the ROV in the sea. We first dove to the northern face of the seamount. Here the slope surface is made up of landslide debris consisting of chunks of rock of various sizes.

view of a gravity core split open - you can see the different layers

Day 19 - 13 July

Before we finish the cruise we hoped to dive to the deepest part of this volcanic rift valley. Is today the day for such a venture? The wind is beginning to increase and the wave height as well … In addition, it is Friday the 13th!

Bildet viser flasken som ble klemt sammen av det enorme trykket

Day 20 - 14 July

The southern face of the 2500m seamount was mapped overnight. The map shows steep cliffs that were created by movements along fault lines. Such fault movement results in earthquakes.

Day 21 - 15 July

The wind and wave conditions made it too difficult to take any last sediment cores.

18.01.2010