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type: Concept

ARCTIC VENTS EXPEDITIONS
type: Concept
definition: We propose an international collaboration to study hydrothermal venting on the ultra-slow spreading Arctic mid-ocean ridge system. The Gakkel Ridge is a key target for hydrothermal studies because it has distinctive geological characteristics as a result of ultra-slow spreading (full spreading rate of 3-7 mm/yr), and because it is hydrographically isolated from the rest of the world’s ocean basins, which has important implications for vent field biological communities. In addition, major portions of the Arctic mid-ocean ridge system lie in deep water (> 4000 m) under the ice pack, rendering them inaccessible to traditional deep submergence technologies. We are solving this problem by developing robotic vehicles that will be able to autonomously detect, localize, survey, and sample deep-sea vent fields under the Arctic ice pack. As a result, our project is technology intensive and involves a strong component of discovery while at sea, which, when combined with our scientific objectives produces a compelling project that is very much in line with the objectives and spirit of the International Polar Year. Our major scientific themes are the geological diversity and biogeography of hydrothermal vents on the Arctic mid-ocean ridge system. Our major technology theme is autonomous exploration and sample return with an explicit mandate to develop techniques and methods for eventual use in astrobiology missions to search for life under the ice covered oceans of Europa, a moon of Jupiter (through funding from the US NASA). Our plan is to stage a series of at least two expeditions to different portions of the Arctic mid-ocean ridge during the IPY period (2007-2008). A US-led expedition will target suspected hydrothermal vent sites under "permanent" pack ice at 85E and 9E on the Gakkel Ridge, and a Norway-led expedition will target sites in seasonally ice-free water over the Mohns Ridge. The results of these two expeditions will be combined to reveal systematic patterns regardi…
in scheme: projects