Introduction to 2018's Expedition

2018 Kilauea eruption lava entering the sea.  (Photo USGS)

The latest eruptive activity at Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii has many people thinking about volcanic eruptions. Scientists have been studying volcanic activity for centuries and in recent decades they have begun using modern instruments and monitoring techniques at underwater volcanoes, where most of the earth’s volcanic activity occurs.

2015 erupted lava draped over older lavas at NE rim of Axial's caldera.

On this expedition, we’ll be going out to Axial Seamount, which is the most active volcano in the Pacific Northwest! It has had 3 eruptions in the last 20 years and is building back up for another one. Various instruments and measurements are used to attempt to forecast when the next eruption will happen. In addition, we will be taking samples and making observations to help us better understand how this volcano works, and how its activity affects the hydrothermal vent systems, their biological communities, and the surrounding ocean.

The summit caldera at Axial Seamount is at a depth of 1500 meters below sea level. To work there, we’ll be making dives with ROV Jason and the MBARI Mapping AUV from the ship, R/V Kilo Moana. Here’s what we hope to achieve during our 10 days at sea (August 18-27, 2018).

This expedition will be focused on three main areas:

1. Monitoring the inflation of the volcano caused by magma rising into the volcanic system from below between eruptions 
2. The chemistry of hydrothermal vent fluids and how they change with time 
3. Exploration of a new hydrothermal vent field, possibly with active black smoker chimneys, that was discovered recently with high resolution AUV bathymetric mapping.

The majority of the time during the cruise will be spent studying how the shape of the volcano is changing by “inflation” caused by magma moving into a reservoir beneath the summit. This will be studied in two complementary ways:

1. Using pressure measuring instruments to determine surface elevation changes 
2. Utilizing high resolution repeat bathymetric mapping of the seafloor with the MBARI AUV.

This year, the MBARI group will be testing new terrain following software on their AUV that will improve the navigation of the vehicle and thus the precision of the mapping data. We hope you will follow along as we will be posting daily blogs while we are at sea.

This expedition is supported by the National Science Foundation and NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory.