Dive 1613 Cable Lay Eastern Caldera
This dive installed a 4140 ft electrical extension cable (ECALW7) deployed at Eastern Caldera secondary node site and running north to its termination point that will include a short-period seismometer. The medium power junction box (MJ03E) was deployed at this site on a previous dive. After setting ROCLS on the seafloor, ROPOS plugged the extension cable into the J-Box, hooked up a strain line (kellum grip) running from the cable to the J-Box, unfurled the figure-8 cable on the ROCLS horns, and then began laying cable. The run ended in a small sediment pond, perfect for follow-on deployment of the short-period seismometer. ROPOS pulled the two pins to release the flange box protecting the wet mate connector at the end of the cable, and then surveyed the cable. During the survey, the vehicle transited over a few small collapse zones. At the end of the dive, ROPOS went back and relatched into ROCLS for recovery.
Video credit: OOI-NSF/UW/CSSF