Spotlight 1: Axial Seamount

Axial Seamount is a hotspot volcano superimposed on the Juan de Fuca Ridge (JdFR) in the Northeast Pacific Ocean. Due to its robust magma supply, it rises ~ 800 m above the rest of JdFR and has a large elongate summit caldera with two rift zones that paral-lel and overlap with adjacent segments of t...

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Main Authors: William Chadwick, David Butterfield, Robert W. Embley, Verena Tunnicliffe, Julie Huber, Scott Nooner, David A. Clague
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The Oceanography Society 2010-03-01
Series:Oceanography
Subjects:
Online Access:http://tos.org/oceanography/issues/issue_archive/issue_pdfs/23_1/23-1_chadwick1.pdf
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author William Chadwick
David Butterfield
Robert W. Embley
Verena Tunnicliffe
Julie Huber
Scott Nooner
David A. Clague
author_facet William Chadwick
David Butterfield
Robert W. Embley
Verena Tunnicliffe
Julie Huber
Scott Nooner
David A. Clague
author_sort William Chadwick
collection DOAJ
description Axial Seamount is a hotspot volcano superimposed on the Juan de Fuca Ridge (JdFR) in the Northeast Pacific Ocean. Due to its robust magma supply, it rises ~ 800 m above the rest of JdFR and has a large elongate summit caldera with two rift zones that paral-lel and overlap with adjacent segments of the spreading center. Submersible dives at Axial in 1983–1984 discovered the first active black smoker vents in the Northeast Pacific. The New Millennium Observatory (NeMO; http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/vents/nemo/) was established at Axial in 1996 to study volcanic events and the perturbations they cause to hydrothermal and biological systems. As if on cue, Axial erupted in January 1998 and was the first seafloor eruption detected remotely and monitored by in situ instruments. In fact, one instrument was caught in a 1998 lava flow but later recovered with data intact, providing new insight into the emplacement of submarine lavas. Initially, research focused on mapping, sampling, and documenting the impact of the eruption on the hydrothermal vents and biological communities. The emphasis has gradually shifted to long-term geophysical, geochemical, and biological monitoring of the volcano in anticipation of its next eruption.
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spelling doaj.art-407d290c54784241b87f64d8b8b4b0572022-12-21T22:11:25ZengThe Oceanography SocietyOceanography1042-82752010-03-012313839Spotlight 1: Axial SeamountWilliam ChadwickDavid ButterfieldRobert W. EmbleyVerena TunnicliffeJulie HuberScott NoonerDavid A. ClagueAxial Seamount is a hotspot volcano superimposed on the Juan de Fuca Ridge (JdFR) in the Northeast Pacific Ocean. Due to its robust magma supply, it rises ~ 800 m above the rest of JdFR and has a large elongate summit caldera with two rift zones that paral-lel and overlap with adjacent segments of the spreading center. Submersible dives at Axial in 1983–1984 discovered the first active black smoker vents in the Northeast Pacific. The New Millennium Observatory (NeMO; http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/vents/nemo/) was established at Axial in 1996 to study volcanic events and the perturbations they cause to hydrothermal and biological systems. As if on cue, Axial erupted in January 1998 and was the first seafloor eruption detected remotely and monitored by in situ instruments. In fact, one instrument was caught in a 1998 lava flow but later recovered with data intact, providing new insight into the emplacement of submarine lavas. Initially, research focused on mapping, sampling, and documenting the impact of the eruption on the hydrothermal vents and biological communities. The emphasis has gradually shifted to long-term geophysical, geochemical, and biological monitoring of the volcano in anticipation of its next eruption.http://tos.org/oceanography/issues/issue_archive/issue_pdfs/23_1/23-1_chadwick1.pdfAxial SeamountNew Millennium Observatoryseamounts
spellingShingle William Chadwick
David Butterfield
Robert W. Embley
Verena Tunnicliffe
Julie Huber
Scott Nooner
David A. Clague
Spotlight 1: Axial Seamount
Oceanography
Axial Seamount
New Millennium Observatory
seamounts
title Spotlight 1: Axial Seamount
title_full Spotlight 1: Axial Seamount
title_fullStr Spotlight 1: Axial Seamount
title_full_unstemmed Spotlight 1: Axial Seamount
title_short Spotlight 1: Axial Seamount
title_sort spotlight 1 axial seamount
topic Axial Seamount
New Millennium Observatory
seamounts
url http://tos.org/oceanography/issues/issue_archive/issue_pdfs/23_1/23-1_chadwick1.pdf
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