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

在拟议的研究过程中，对记录的喷口流体温度数据进行分析，并将这些数据与生物和地球化学同事的调查结果和观测结果相对照，将能够评估下列问题：(1)自1991年喷发以来，东太平洋隆起生物样带地区高温和低温喷口的温度是如何继续变化的；(2)流体温度的长期(数月至数年)和短期(数小时至数周)变化是什么，它们沿生物样带在空间上是如何相互关联的。高温或低温喷口流体的温度变化之间是否存在耦合？生物样带的部分是否一直比其他部分更热？与ASC沿线裂隙和熔岩形态的变化有什么关系？(3)发生了哪些地质变化(如熔岩流面的坍塌、微震、岩墙侵入和熔岩喷发)，反映了轴向顶端破火山口的热状态。(4)不同仪表点的生物群落的组成(如物种多样性)和特征(如生长、健康、面积覆盖率)有何变化，以及它们与探头测量的喷口流体温度变化有何关系。(5)潮汐循环是否对喷口的热行为产生重大影响，或者它们只是通过移动温暖的水包来调节海底的温度，从而影响局部、社区规模的生物过程。

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.