Seeps and vents from trench to the back-arc of the Sandwich Plate - fluid und gas circulation of a microplate

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We request financial support to perform multidisciplinary studies on hydrothermal vents and cold seeps at the Sandwich plate during RV POLARSTERN cruise ANT XXIX/4 from 22 March to 16 April 2013 (Scotia l). During this field campaign we plan to obtain geophysical, geological, and video-seafloor observation data from potential venting location in order to explore those fluid and gas emission sites and to perform a first geological and geochemical sampling. Cold seeps and hot vents are very rare in Antarctica and locations associated to the Sandwich plate are of high interest. This is because of its tectonic and geographic position between the World Ocean and Antarctica, the relevance in biogeography of the chemosynthetic organisms, the unique geochemical and geological settings within the ocean-to-ocean collision zone and its frontier character in the polar deep sea. Hydrothermal activity is indicated for two Segments of East-Scotia Ridge (E2 and E9), however, tectonically-induced seepage is yet unknown in the Sandwich fore-arc area, as it is a common phenomenon in other subduction-related compression zones. A subsequent POLARSTERN cruise (Scotia II), which is not scheduled up to now, plans to perform more detailed AUV- and ROV-work at the seep and vent sites. The cruise Scotia II will strongly relay on the results of ANT XXIX/6. A post-doctoral scientific position is applied for in order to comprehensively analyse and Interpret the data obtained from seeps and vents during ANT XXIX/4.