SGER Proposal: Rare Research Opportunity to Study Geotectonic Fluids in Bransfield Strait and Scotia Arc, Antarctica

9731695该奖项支持俄勒冈州立大学(OSU)研究人员参加德国海洋研究船Polarstein号前往南极海洋的探险(Polarstein邮轮ANT-XV/2)。在美国南极计划的支持下，俄亥俄州立大学之前的研究人员发现了布兰斯菲尔德海峡的几个热液喷口区域。这一发现对喷口动物的生物地理学、矿床的地质演化以及地球的化学和热量收支具有重要的意义。之前的工作是在侦察水平上对喷口上方的水和颗粒物进行采样。随后对这些样品的化学分析提供了对海底喷口发出的流体化学的洞察。Polarstein邮轮提供了一个独特的机会，可以在布兰斯菲尔德海峡的这些发现的基础上再接再厉，促进布兰斯菲尔德地区未来的国际工作，将热液活动的研究扩展到南极半岛地区的其他地区，并与一个强大的国际组织发展工作关系。特别是，Polarstein探险提供了机会：1)对布兰斯菲尔德热液遗址上空的水柱中的水和悬浮颗粒物进行更多的采样；2)德国摄影侦察将辅助这种采样；2)为了确定更广泛的热液活动地理范围，侦察将扩展到Scotia Arc和海沟地区，遵循德国方案的总主题，即从Scotia-Bransfield系统排出流体；以及3)使用Polarstein上可用的独特工具，如照相机、雪橇和Grab海底采样器。这项工作将使人们有可能更好地确定热液喷口的位置，并开始量化这种热液活动排出的水量。如果喷口能够被精确定位，底部的照片有望揭示与这些海底温泉相关的可能的生物群落。

9731695 Klinkhammer This award supports participation of Oregon State University (OSU) researchers in an expedition of the German oceanographic research vessel POLARSTERN to the Antarctic Ocean (POLARSTERN cruise ANT-XV/2). Previous OSU researchers supported by the US Antarctic Program identified several areas of hydrothermal venting in the Bransfield Strait. This discovery has important implications to the biogeography of vent animals, the geological evolution of ore deposits, and the chemical and heat budgets of the Earth. The previous work sampled water and particles from above the vent sites at a reconnaissance level. Subsequent chemical analyses of these samples provided insight into the chemistry of fluids emanating from vents on the sea floor. The POLARSTERN cruise affords a unique opportunity to build on these discoveries in the Bransfield Strait, foster future international work in the Bransfield area, extend research on hydrothermal activity to other parts of the Antarctic Peninsula region, and develop a working relationship with a strong international group. In particular, the POLARSTERN expedition provides the opportunity for: 1) additional sampling of water and suspended particulate matter in the water column over the Bransfield hydrothermal sites this sampling would be aided by German photographic reconnaissance; 2) reconnaissance, to determine the broader geographical extent of hydrothermal activity, would be extended to the Scotia Arc and trench areas following the general theme of the German program which is fluid expulsion from the Scotia- Bransfield system; and 3) the use of unique tools available on the POLARSTERN such as a camera sled and grab bottom sampler. This work will make it possible to better define the location of hydrothermal vents and to begin to quantify the amount of water being expelled by this hydrothermal activity. If vents can be precisely located, the bottom photography holds the promise of revealing possible biologic al communities associated with these submarine hot springs.