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OET Nautilus WorkshopUniversity of Rhode Island, ISC69 May 2013

AT25-04: Hydrogeologic, Geochemical, and Microbiological Experiments in Young Oceanic Crust of the Northeastern Pacific Ocean Using Subseafloor Observatories S. Cooper1, A. T. Fisher2, and NSF co-PIs31 Consortium for Ocean Leadership2 Earth and Planetary Sciences Department andCenter for Dark Energy Biosphere InvestigationsUniversity of California, Santa Cruz3 K. Becker, J. Clark, J. Cowen, C. G. Wheat

1Most of the seafloor is hydrogeologically active

modified from Ge et al. (2003); Fisher (2005)2Seafloor hydrogeology influences...the physical state and evolution of the crust and mantle, including volatile cycling at subduction zones; the chemical evolution of the oceans;heat loss and the thermal evolution of Earth; anddevelopment and evolution of remarkable biological communities, both on and within the crust.

Focus of this expedition:seafloor hydrothermal circulation3The upper oceanic crust is a global-scale aquifer

A permeable aquifer4

Overview of CORK subseafloor observatoriesCreated by Stephanie Keske, IODP Expedition 327Department of Visualization, Texas A & M University5Post-drilling CORK servicing with ROVHydrogeology, Geochemistry, MicrobiologyFollowing IODP Expedition 327, CORK servicing accomplishing by ROV in Summer 2011 (very successful!) Deploy long-term well-head OsmoSampling systems to collect fluids, run microbiology incubation experiments Extract, collect, filter, analyze samples from well-heads using active pumping systems Deploy flowmeter and open large-diameter valve to allow measured free-flow of hydrothermal fluids, create pressure perturbation, collect samples Expedition AT25-04 (Summer 2013) is designed to "wrap up" initial phase of single-hole and multi-hole experiments through sampling, data downloads, perturbation of experimental systems6CORK Observatory System in Operation!

Planning for 2013 (AT25-04) and beyond

ROV JasonDownload pressure dataExchange flowmeterExchangeOsmoSamplersRecover GeoM sledSummer 2013Large EOC effort planned (5-6 participants)Education, Outreach, CommunicationIODP 327, AT18-07, AT25-04

Numerous web conferences (schools, museums) EOC and scientist blogs Adopt-a-Microbe program Podcasts, videos, photography Curriculum development, museum displays High-band-width "tele-presence" with OET/URI!poreOrcutt et al. (2011)Acknowledgements

Collaborators from ODP Leg 168, IODP Expeditions 301 and 327, numerous R/V Atlantis expeditions during 2004-11+Collaborators: Funding, leadership:

Thank you!Ship operators, crew, techs:

Seafloor hydrothermal circulation isthe passage of warm (or hot) water through rock of the oceanic crust; generally a result of heating from below, although it can also occur immediately adjacent to newly-erupted magma;partly responsible for making the ocean "salty";thought likely to have occurred very early in Earth history - and may occur on other planetary bodies in our solar system.

This presentation explores large-scale, ridge-flank hydrothermal systems (in contrast to "black smokers")11Ridge-flank hydrothermal systems are subtle but importantfar from the magmatic and thermal influence of seafloor spreading; fluid temperatures are often ~5-30C, so systems are hard to detect; driving force is heat rising slowly from deep inside the Earth, not active volcanism;result in huge fluid flows, chemical impacts less well understood;may help to support vast, subseafloor ecosystems (thermal and other conditions are optimal).

Eastern Flank of the Juan de Fuca RidgeHydrogeology, Geochemistry, MicrobiologyFocus on active ridge-flank processes to address these questions: What are the magnitude and nature (distribution, extent of channeling) of permeability in crustal fluid-rock systems, variations, scaling (temporal, spatial)? What are the magnitudes and directions of driving forces, fluid fluxes, and associated solute, heat , and microbial transport? What are the magnitude and nature of storage properties, variations with fluid pressure, scaling (temporal, spatial)? What are relations between fluid flow, vertical and horizontal compartmentalization, microbiological communities, seismic properties, alteration, structure, and primary crustal lithology? How large are distinct fluid reservoirs, what are fluid residence times and fluid velocities, and how do these respond to transient events and processes (tides, seismic events)?

Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations (C-DEBI)Site Review, 2013: Fisher, Juan de Fuca Ridge Flank

modified from Fisher, Tsuji et al. (2011)Primary field locations13New borehole observatories installed in 2010IODP Expedition 327: Site 1362

Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations (C-DEBI)Site Review, 2013: Fisher, Juan de Fuca Ridge Flank

Instrument and sampling baysMicrobiologist for scale14

Started Summer 2010IODP Exp. 327First controlled measurement of water, solute particle velocity!modified from Fisher et al. (2011)