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• Scientific Breakthrough: Deep-Sea Volcano Eruption Documented

• 
  Bernd Laeschke

  (not a XING member)

  Scientific Breakthrough: Deep-Sea Volcano Eruption Documented

  Arlington (Global Adventures): Scientists funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and NOAA have recorded the deepest erupting volcano yet discovered. High-definition video of the undersea eruption of the West Mata Volcano (links are on our website) is just "spectacular."
  
  "For the first time we have been able to examine, up close, the way ocean islands and submarine volcanoes are born," said Barbara Ransom, program director in NSF's Division of Ocean Sciences. "The unusual primitive compositions of the West Mata eruption lavas have much to tell us."
  
  The volcanic eruption, discovered in May, is nearly 4,000 feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, in an area bounded by Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.
  
  "We found a type of lava never before seen erupting from an active volcano, and for the first time observed molten lava flowing across the deep-ocean seafloor," said the expedition's chief scientist Joseph Resing, a chemical oceanographer at the University of Washington.
  
  "Since the water pressure at that depth suppresses the violence of the volcano's explosions, we could get an underwater robot within feet of the active eruption,” said co-chief scientist Bob Embley, a marine geologist at NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Newport, Oregon. “On land, or even in shallow water, you could never hope to get that close and see such great detail."
  
  Imagery includes large molten lava bubbles three feet across bursting into cold seawater, glowing red vents exploding lava into the sea, and the first-observed advance of lava flows across the deep-ocean floor. The West Mata Volcano is producing boninite lavas, believed to be among the hottest on Earth in modern times, and a type seen before only on extinct volcanoes more than one million years old.
  
  This story was first published by Global Adventures, LLC. You can find the full article here:
  
  http://www.global-adventures.us/2009/12/18/deep-sea-volcano-...
  
  • 18 Dec 2009, 6:49 pm
  Bernd Laeschke wrote: > Arlington (Global Adventures): Scientists funded by the National > Science Foundation (NSF) and NOAA have recorded the deepest erupting > volcano yet discovered. High-definition video of the undersea > eruption of the West Mata Volcano (links are on our website) is just > "spectacular." > > "For the first time we have been able to examine, up close, the way > ocean islands and submarine volcanoes are born," said Barbara Ransom, > program director in NSF's Division of Ocean Sciences. "The unusual > primitive compositions of the West Mata eruption lavas have much to > tell us." > > The volcanic eruption, discovered in May, is nearly 4,000 feet below > the surface of the Pacific Ocean, in an area bounded by Fiji, Tonga > and Samoa. > > "We found a type of lava never before seen erupting from an active > volcano, and for the first time observed molten lava flowing across > the deep-ocean seafloor," said the expedition's chief scientist > Joseph Resing, a chemical oceanographer at the University of > Washington. > > "Since the water pressure at that depth suppresses the violence of > the volcano's explosions, we could get an underwater robot within > feet of the active eruption,” said co-chief scientist Bob Embley, a > marine geologist at NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in > Newport, Oregon. “On land, or even in shallow water, you could never > hope to get that close and see such great detail." > > Imagery includes large molten lava bubbles three feet across bursting > into cold seawater, glowing red vents exploding lava into the sea, > and the first-observed advance of lava flows across the deep-ocean > floor. The West Mata Volcano is producing boninite lavas, believed to > be among the hottest on Earth in modern times, and a type seen before > only on extinct volcanoes more than one million years old. > > This story was first published by Global Adventures, LLC. You can > find the full article here: > > http://www.global-adventures.us/2009/12/18/deep-sea-volcano-eruption/
• 
  Billy Ivy    Premium Member   Group moderator   Ambassador

  The company name is only visible to registered members.

  Re: Scientific Breakthrough: Deep-Sea Volcano Eruption Documented

  Thanks for sharing Bernd. As I shy away from Volcanoes and Polar Bears this area will be marked for avoidance on my GPS!!!
  
  • 18 Jan 2010, 4:24 pm
  Billy Ivy wrote: > Thanks for sharing Bernd. As I shy away from Volcanoes and Polar > Bears this area will be marked for avoidance on my GPS!!!
• 
  Bernd Laeschke

  (not a XING member)

  Re^2: Scientific Breakthrough: Deep-Sea Volcano Eruption Documented

  I'm still working on the task to set way-points for all of my favorite spots. Perhaps we can exchange our databases! Thanks for commenting on the story!
  
  • 24 Jan 2010, 3:48 pm
  Bernd Laeschke wrote: > I'm still working on the task to set way-points for all of my > favorite spots. Perhaps we can exchange our databases! Thanks for > commenting on the story!