Winter 2006 Newsletter

Deep Ocean Exploration Institute

Investigating Earth’s Dynamic Processes

the National Science Foundation. In undertaken by our students. Matt’s February 2006, I was asked to participate award by the AGU reflects the very high in a conference on the Oceans in the caliber of our students and acknowledges Nuclear Age at UC Berkeley, where their achievements. there was considerable discussion about The seafloor geodetic experiment the policy and science of nuclear waste being carried out by Jeff McGuire and disposal in the oceans – past and future. Mark Behn underscores how important Public and educational outreach is also technology development is to conducting a focus of DOEI through the Dive and world-class experiments on fundamental Discover™ Web site. Dive and Discover™ earth and ocean science problems. Their (http://www.divediscover.whoi.edu) experiment is unique. It will provide Dan and his able assistant Riley provides a fun and interactive educational not only crucial tests of hypotheses about Director’s Notes program for K-12 students and the how ocean island flanks deform, but their general public. In 2005, Dive and instrumentation will also play a major In 2005, DOEI funded six new Discover™ hosted Expedition 9, a revisit role in the understanding of oceanic research projects, with investigators to the Galapagos Rift that included Alvin transform behavior and, by analogy, how representing all WHOI departments dives and deep-sea camera exploration faults behave and how their movements and encompassing all of the Institute’s for hydrothermal vents. Currently, Dive may be better predicted. research themes - Seafloor Observatory and Discover™ Expedition 10 is ongoing As I write these notes, many investi- Science, Fluid Flow in Geologic Systems, in the Antarctic’s Southern Ocean. gators at WHOI will be pondering their and Earth’s Deep Biosphere. Some DOEI is also looking to the future upcoming proposal submissions to DOEI of those projects are well underway in terms of identifying important cross- for consideration of funding in 2006. I in collecting data, while a few are still disciplinary science topics with great look forward to reviewing what I am waiting for time to go to sea to deploy promise for developing into national sure will be seminal ideas for innovative instruments. By this fall, most of the and international programs. NSF’s research that will continue to push at the experiments will have results in hand. recently approved Ocean Observatory boundaries of our knowledge about deep In addition, DOEI currently supports Initiative ties into DOEI thematic ocean and earth processes. two research fellows (Stan Hart and research in many ways, and WHOI - Dan Fornari, March 3, 2006 Greg Hirth, both of the Geology & investigators will, no doubt, continue to Geophysics Department), one post- think creatively about these and other Table of Contents doctoral fellow and a graduate student, opportunities. DOEI is committed to Notes from the DOEI Director in its efforts to expand the research help with these endeavors and other Dan Fornari ...... 1 options available to scientists and science programs to ensure the viability Student Highlights engineers in all departments at WHOI. of WHOI and its scientific, engineering Emily Van Ark, geology research . . . . . 2 (See the DOEI Web site at and technical staff. Matt Jackson, student paper award . . . 2 http://www.whoi.edu/institutes/doei Research highlighted in this Investigators Spotlight for more information). We expect to newsletter reflects the breadth and inno- Mark Behn & Jeff McGuire ...... 3 add a Claudia S. Heyman Institute vative nature of science being carried out DOEI Fieldtrip Fellow in 2006 to those already in place. by DOEI investigators at WHOI. First AUV adventure ...... 4 DOEI-sponsored activities have also and foremost, WHOI and DOEI realize Deep Ocean Exploration Institute included outreach in various forms. that investing in our students is key www.whoi.edu/institutes/doei For example, in September 2005 I met to the current and future health of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution with delegations in the US Congress Institution and ocean sciences. Emily Dan Fornari email: [email protected] to discuss the importance of basic Van Ark’s and Matt Jackson’s research Andrew Daly email: [email protected] science and oceanographic research projects embody the range in geographic Audrey Rogerson email: [email protected] and to support increased funding for and disciplinary breadth of work being Editor: Alison Kline email: [email protected] DOEI Newsletter March 2006 Student Highlights

Research: Geology & Geophysics seismic reflection data, which she later Graduate Student, Emily Van Ark processed into images of the ocean crust. And, with MIT Professor Emily Van Ark is interested in Stephane Rondenay, she is using a magma and volcanism in Earth’s seismic wave propagation model to mantle and crust under the ocean. find signatures of molten regions As a member of the MIT/WHOI within the core-mantle boundary that Joint Program, she is working on might be targeted for identification in three research projects. The first is seismograms recorded at the surface of focused on the volcanic production the earth. of the Hawaiian Islands and their Through all of her research, Emily undersea continuation, the Hawaiian hopes to gain a greater understanding and Emperor seamounts. The second of the dynamics of Earth’s interior involves the magma chambers at the Emily Van Ark on a May 2005 Field School trip (sponsored by the NSF’s Ridge 2000 program) studying the and the interactions that occur at the Juan de Fuca Ridge off the coast of Troodos Ophiolite in Cyprus. An ophiolite is a section boundaries between the ocean and the Oregon and Washington states (figure of oceanic crust that has been deposited on dry land, allowing geologists to get “up close and personal” with crust, the crust and the mantle, and below). For the third project, Emily the rocks. the mantle and the core. She wants to is working with models of partially know why Hawaii is where it is, how molten mantle, deep in the earth near by satellites to estimate how much new ocean crust forms at mid-ocean the core-mantle boundary. the ocean crust has been thickened spreading centers, how that crustal Emily uses a variety of geophysical by volcanism. For the Juan de Fuca formation interacts with the amazing techniques to study these problems. Ridge project, she spent a month at hydrothermal chemical and biological For the Hawaiian islands seamount sea with WHOI Senior Scientist Bob systems on the ocean floor, and whether project, she worked with WHOI Senior Detrick and Associate Scientist Pablo there is just as much fascinating Scientist Jian Lin using small variations Canales along with collaborators from variation at the core-mantle boundary in the strength of gravity measured other institutions, collecting marine as there is at the surface of the planet.

AGU Outstanding Student Paper Award

Please join us in con- gratulating MIT/WHOI Joint Program Student, Matt Jackson, for receiving an Outstanding Student Paper Award for his presentation at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall meeting in October 2005. Matt’s paper, “Implications of New High 3He/4He Values from Matt Jackson, recipient of an Outstanding Student Paper Award at the American Geophysical Union. Matt the Samoan Hotspot,” will explains about his research: “Helium isotopes (3He and be listed in an upcoming 4He) are produced by fusion inside stars. Both were publication of Eos, the trapped inside Earth’s mantle when it coalesced from the solar nebula 4.5 billion years ago. Therefore, when we Map of the Juan de Fuca Ridge off the coast of Oregon and weekly paper of AGU, and find rare, high helium isotope ratios in volcanic rocks, we Washington states. The map shows the location of one of he will receive a certificate think we are looking at an ancient piece of Earth’s mantle Emily’s research areas, the Endeavour segment (upper black of achievement at the next that has managed to remain isolated, preserving part of box). Inset: tectonic setting of the Juan de Fuca Ridge, where its early-Earth signature.” Matt is working with WHOI JdF = Juan de Fuca Plate, Exp = Explorer Plate, Grd = Gorda AGU meeting in May 2006. Senior Scientist, Mark Kurz, of the Marine Chemistry Plate, and Pacific = Pacific Plate. (Lower black box outlines and Geochemistry Department, on this project. location of main map). [Van Ark et al., submitted.]

2 Investigators Spotlight

A Seafloor Geodetic Experiment to away along a system of seaward-dipping appears to be accommodated Monitor Deformation on the Slope faults that transport material to the aseismically; and, prior to this project, of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii southeast at rates of approximately ten no submarine geodetic measurements Co-PIs: Mark Behn and Jeff McGuire centimeters per year (see figure). had resolved horizontal motions on the Two competing theories explain the flank. Seafloor geodesy represents an movement of the Hilina slump. One Project ‘AHOLO involves exciting new field in marine geophysics. posits that this extension may represent an eight-month deployment of a In geodesy, the size and shape of Earth’s merely the upper-flank expression of a new acoustic extensometer system surface can be mapped through a more massive slump sliding coherently developed at WHOI to monitor network of accurately surveyed points seaward. Alternatively, several recent deformation in Kilauea’s submarine of geographic position using longitude, studies have proposed that volcanic flank. Extensometers measure small latitude and elevation, while taking spreading associated with magma increments of deformation. When into account the curvature of the injection at the summit of Kilauea many are used in a network, a earth through precise mathematical causes the upper flanks to extend continuous time series can be obtained, calculations. while simultaneously generating showing incremental changes in Developments over the last several compression and thrust faulting in the land formation. The continuous time decades in satellite-enabled GPS (Global lower submarine flanks. If correct, this series obtained by the extensometer Positioning Systems) and InSAR second model implies a more stable flank network can be compared to onshore (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture configuration, with less potential for continuous GPS data to look for Radar) systems have provided the massive landslides and tsunami genesis. correlations between transient periods ability to make geodetic measurements Distinguishing between these models of deformation. with sub-centimeter accuracy on the for the Hilina slump has been difficult, In addition to explaining the continents. These remote sensing because much of the deformation movement of the Hilina slump, the techniques have led to unprecedented discoveries in fault behavior and earthquake mechanics on land. K In comparison, seafloor geodesy is in its infancy; and, to date, only a few scattered geodetic measurements have been made in the ocean basins. 0 00 This DOEI-funded project, ‘AHOLO, HF -4

N 19 15' employs geodetic techniques to study -1000 -2000 -3000 undersea earthquakes and landslides in Hawaii. (‘AHOLO stands for A BM30 Hawaiian Ocean Landslide Observatory -5000 BM28 BM29 - ‘Aholo being the Hawaiian word for D8 landslide.) -1000 -1000 Massive slope failure and debris HS -4000 Seismicity (2004-present, < 20km) avalanches on the flanks of oceanic 0 Continuous GPS -2000 00 N 19 00' -5 Seismometer -3000 -2000 volcanoes have been linked to tsunami GPS-A survey site GPS-A monument pad Existing generation in the Pacific and Atlantic Junction Box Proposed L GPS-A buoy Oceans. However, the process by which Extensometer (w/pressure sensor)

-3000 Extensometer on GPS-A pad the flanks of active volcanoes deform OBS 5 cm/yr Fluid Seep Package & OBS remains poorly understood. One of the Pressure Moored Hydrophone 10 km best-studied active volcanic landslides is Sensor W 155 15' W 155 00' the Hilina slump on the southeast flank Map of the ‘AHOLO project located offshore on the southern flank of Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, of Kilauea volcano, Hawaii. Geodetic showing the location of WHOI’s newly developed extensometer network (yellow diamonds). Exten- measurements and field observations on someters are devices that measure small increments of movement or deformation in Earth’s surface. K = Kilauea Caldera; HF = Hilina Faults; HS = Hilina Slump; L = Loihi Seamount. land show that the Hilina slump breaks

3 DOEI Newsletter March 2006 data collected in this study will also be used to improve future seafloor geodetic studies, including those associated with NSF’s ORION seafloor observatory initiative. (ORION stands for Ocean Research Interactive Observatory Networks.) New high- resolution multi-beam bathymetry and backscatter data were also collected during the deployment cruise, which was conducted aboard the University of Hawaii’s R/V Kilo Moana between October 15-22, 2005. The bathymetric data will be analyzed and integrated with previous seismic reflection data to Left to right: Mark Behn, Jeff McGuire and Matthew Gould (all at WHOI) with Ben Brooks (University of provide new insights into the tectonic Hawaii). The four were co-PIs on a cruise aboard R/VKilo Moana in October 2005 for the ‘AHOLO project. setting of the Hilina slump. Steam clouds from active Kilauea lava flows entering the sea are visible in the background, left. Project ‘AHOLO was funded through a combination of sources One of our long-term goals is to faults on the East Pacific Rise in 2007. including WHOI’s Deep Ocean establish a strong seafloor geodesy Furthermore, we are currently involved Exploration Institute, the National program at WHOI. To this end, in ORION initiatives that, if selected, Science Foundation, and a University McGuire will be using the WHOI will place extensometer systems along of Hawaii grant for ship time. A cruise extensometer system on another the Blanco transform (part of the Juan to recover the extensometer system is upcoming NSF-funded cruise to study de Fuca Ridge system) and off the Big planned for June 2006. fault behavior on oceanic transform Island of Hawaii. DOEI Field Trip

In August 2005, WHOI Trustees and Members of the Corporation partici- pated in an “AUV Adventure” aboard the R/V Tioga. The outing, sponsored by the DOEI, gave the group an opportunity to learn more about a new autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) – the Puma/Jaguar system. Designed to operate under the ice, the Puma/Jaguar system is pushing the boundaries of technology in navi- gation, maneuverability, and sampling. During the field trip, the group was able to discuss the vehicle’s capabilities with the project team, led by WHOI scientists Hanu Singh (AOP&E) and Rob Reves-Sohn (G&G), and to participate in the at- sea testing of its new instrument components.

Associate Scientist, Hanu Singh (center) directing Back row (left to right): Ken Woodcock, Sally Thibault, George Thibault, Frank Hoch, Lisina Hoch, Anne the retrieval of an autonomous underwater James, Bob James, Alix Laager, Ruedi Laager, Peter Aron, Ben Richards, Reuben Richards. Front row (left to vehicle (AUV) aboard the R/V Tioga, after an right): Ballard Blair, Kathryn D’Epagnier, Chris Roman, Chris Murphy, Dan Fornari, Audrey Rogerson. at-sea test of the AUV’s systems and capabilities.