Axial Caldera V16

Axial Caldera Science Site PN3B
Instruments at the ASHES vent field

Location of nodes, cables and instruments to be deployed during the VISIONS'13 expedition at, and near, the ASHES Hydrothermal Vent Field.

Central Caldera Site Axial Seamount

The cabled geophysical array at the Central Caldera Site is focused on measuring the inflation and deflation of the volcano, earthquakes, and the movement of of molten lava within the core of the volcano. Bathymetric data are from D. Clague and D. Caress, MBARI. Image Credit: University of Washington.

Location: 46.1ºN  130.0ºW    Water Depth: 1510-1530 meters  

Axial Seamount is the most magmatically robust volcano on the Juan de Fuca Ridge spreading center, having erupted in 1998 and most recently in April 2015. It hosts numerous active hydrothermal fields and abundant sites of diffuse flow, and is expected to erupt again within the next 8 to 10 years. The Axial Caldera study site hosts myriad geophysical, chemical and biological instruments connected in real-time to the Internet via an array of junction boxes and extension cables, including an HD video camera trained on an active hydrothermal venting system.