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

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POLARSTERN对南极海洋的考察（POLARSTERN巡航ANT-XV/2）。以前俄勒冈州立大学的研究人员在美国南极计划的支持下，在布兰斯菲尔德海峡发现了几个热液喷口。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意义。先前的工作是在侦察水平上从喷口上方取样水和颗粒。随后对这些样品的化学分析使人们对海底喷口流出的液体的化学性质有了更深入的了解。北极星巡航提供了一个独特的机会，在布兰斯菲尔德海峡的这些发现的基础上，促进布兰斯菲尔德地区未来的国际工作，将对热液活动的研究扩展到南极半岛地区的其他部分，并与一个强大的国际集团建立工作关系。特别地，POLARSTERN考察提供了以下机会：1)对布兰斯菲尔德热液地点上方水柱中的水和悬浮颗粒物进行额外采样，这种采样将由德国摄影侦察协助；2)为了确定热液活动的更广泛的地理范围，将按照德国方案的总体主题（斯科舍-布兰斯菲尔德系统的流体排出）扩展到斯科舍弧和海沟地区；3)使用POLARSTERN上的独特工具，如相机雪橇和抓取底部采样器。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。如果喷口能被精确定位，海底照片就有希望揭示与这些海底温泉有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.