Time-Series Studies of Hydrothermal Vent Fluid Temperatures on the EPR 9'49'-51'N: Correlating Geological, Biological and Geochemical Processes following the 1991 Eruption

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During the course of the proposed study, analysis of the recorded vent fluid temperature data, and correlation of these data with the findings and observations made by biological and geochemical colleagues will allow evaluation of the following questions: (1) How have temperatures at high-temperature and low-temperature vents in the Bio- Transect area of the East Pacific Rise continued to change since the 1991 eruption; (2) What are the long-term (months to years) and short-term (hours to days to weeks) variations in fluid temperature and how do they correlate spatially along the Bio-Transect. Is there coupling between temperature changes in high-temperature or low-temperature vent fluids? Are sections of the Bio-Transect consistently hotter than others? What are the correlations to variations in fissuring and lava morphology along the ASC? (3) What geological changes (e.g. collapse of lava flow surfaces, microseismicity, dike intrusion and lava eruption) have occurred which reflect the thermal state of the axial summit caldera. (4) How has the composition (e.g. species diversity) and character (e.g., growth, health, areal coverage) of the biological communities at the different instrumented sites changed, and how do they correlate to the variations in vent fluid temperature measured by the probes. (5) Do tidal cycles provide a major influence on the thermal behavior of the vents, or do they simply modulate temperature at the seafloor by moving packets of warm water around in such a way as to influence biological processes at a local, community-scale.