High-Definition Video Camera 2013
Streaming Real-Time Video from Axial Volcano to Shore
The ROV ROPOS powers up the RSN-OOI camera for the first time at the hydrothermal chimney called Mushroom. This image is from ROPOS with the vehicle lights off, and only the RSN-OOI HD camera providing illumination of the chimney while collecting the first video imagery from the seafloor, which was then streamed live over the Internet. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF.
This down-looking view of the Mushroom Hydrothermal Vent and adjacent Inferno chimney shows where the high definition video camera, fluid sampler (OSMO), and 3D temperature (thermistor) sensors will be placed. The HD camera and thermistor array will be cabled. In concert, these instruments will allow characterization of how fluid chemistry and temperature impact biological communities, and how these evolve over time in response to volcanic and seismic events.
During the VISIONS'13 UW-RSN OOI Expedition, a SubC 1Cam high-definition video camera was installed at the base of the hydrothermal vent called Mushroom in the ASHES hydrothermal field on the western side of the caldera at Axial Volcano. On August 12th, 2013 the camera was powered up using the ROV ROPOS through 4 km of extension cable installed on the seafloor and the video was streamed in real-time to shore. Onboard the R/V Thompson, the uncompressed video and the compressed stream were archived. During testing of the camera, the zoom, pan, and tilt capabilities were fully tested, as were the lasers. Several hours of video were collected.
