Collaborative Research: Discovery, sampling, and quantification of flows from cool yet massive ridge-flank hydrothermal springs on Dorado Outcrop, eastern Pacific Ocean

典型的山脊-侧翼热液系统的原始流体从未被取样，主要是因为不可能找到集中排放的地点，在那里可以收集有代表性的样品。PIS们在东太平洋隆起东侧23英里的古老海底上找到了一个小型的地下室地物Dorado Outcreen，他们计划对其进行采样，以确定流体成分，并评估露头的排放速度，以便他们能够量化这一热液系统的化学影响。他们计划进行一次为期18天的考察，将AUV哨兵号(水深测量、海底声纳、照片拼接、水柱异常)的探测能力与一艘能够收集高质量多波束数据和CTD样本的海洋级船只结合起来，并支持ROV Jason II的探测和采样能力，以收集泉水和羽流流体、热流数据、沉积物推进岩芯以及静止和视频摄影。这些数据和样本将被结合在一起，有望产生第一个对Dorado露头的热液流动进行良好约束的估计。这次探险的结果是从一条消防水龙带上收集了样本和数据。关于脊侧水热系统的研究，挑战了通常认为脊侧水热系统的排放主要来自弥散渗漏的观点。更广泛的影响本科生和研究生以及初级教员将通过参加这个项目获得经验。麦子和Hulme正在开发实践科学技术包，让K-8学生在为期一周的学习机会中参与其中，其中包括每个年级三个基于技术的活动，并满足国家科学、数学和语言艺术标准。

Pristine fluids from a typical ridge-flank hydrothermal system have never been sampled, mainly because it has not been possible to locate a site of focused discharge where representative samples could be collected. The PIs have located a small basement feature, Dorado outcrop, on 23 m.y.-old seafloor on the eastern flank of the East Pacific Rise that they plan to sample to determine the fluid composition, and to assess the rate of discharge from the outcrop, so that they can quantify the chemical impact of this hydrothermal system. They plan an 18-day expedition that combines the surveying capabilities of the AUV Sentry (bathymetric, sub-bottom sonar, photo mosaics, water column anomalies) and an ocean-class vessel capable of collecting high-quality multi-beam data and CTD samples, and supporting the survey and sampling capabilities of the ROV Jason II for collection of spring and plume fluids, heat flow data, sediment push cores, and still and video photography. These data and samples will be combined hopefully to generate the first well-constrained estimates of hydrothermal flows from Dorado outcrop. This expedition will result in the collection of samples and data from a ?fire hose? of ridge-flank, hydrothermal system, challenging the commonly held view that discharge from ridge flank hydrothermal systems occurs primarily from diffuse seeps. Broader Impacts Undergraduate and graduate students and a junior faculty member will gain experience by participating in this program. Wheat and Hulme are developing hands-on science-technology packages to engage K-8 students during week-long learning opportunities that include three technology-based activities per grade level and meet national science, mathematics, and language arts standards.