Collaborative Research: A Submarine Eruption on the North East Lau Spreading Center, a RAPID Response Effort

本研究是由联合调查人员对西太平洋北劳盆地新发现的爆炸性喷发海底火山进行的时间临界（RAPID）响应巡航。海底火山活跃喷发的发现是罕见的，将收集许多基本的地质、热液、火山和生物问题的数据。被调查的火山是一座存在不寻常的高强度热液羽流和爆炸性喷发火山物质的火山。这项工作的目标是记录在弧后火山活动初始阶段定居的动物群，以及对早期热液流体进行取样。从喷口流出的流体强度也将被检查。很可能会发现与这些液体有关的新的和以前未知的微生物生命形式。这项工作是对南部一个由美国国家科学基金会（nsf）资助的密集工作（Ridge 2000计划）领域收集的数据的补充。这项工作的广泛影响包括研究生和博士后培训，支持在科学领域性别代表性不足的PI，使用新型ROV进行海底勘探，以及通过媒体进行公众宣传。另一个影响是国家科学基金会和国家海洋和大气管理局之间项目的跨机构性质。

This research is a time critical (RAPID) response cruise by a coalition of investigators to investigate a newly discovered explosively erupting undersea volcano in the Northern Lau Basin in the Western Pacific Ocean. The discovery of actively erupting undersea volcanoes is a rarity and data that addresses many fundamental geological, hydrothermal, volcanic, and biological issues will be collected. The volcano being investigated is one in which there is an unusual high-intensity hydrothermal plume and explosively erupted volcanic material. Goals of this work are to document the fauna that colonize the initial stages of back arc volcanism, as well as to sample early stage hydrothermal fluids. The intensity of fluid flow from the vents will also be examined. It is likely that novel and previously unknown microbiological life forms associated with these fluids will be discovered. Work is complementary to data being gathered to the south in an area of intense NSF-funded work (the Ridge 2000 Program). Broader impacts of the work include graduate student and postdoctoral training, support of a PI whose gender is under-represented in the sciences, use of a novel ROV for undersea exploration, and public outreach through media outlets. An additional impact is the cross agency nature of the project between NSF and NOAA.