The essays below will help you to understand the goals and objectives of the mission and provide additional context and information about the places being explored and the science, tools, and technologies being used.
August 2 - August 18, 2011 | By Chris German and Kelley Elliott
Much of the August 2011 exploration was focused along the walls that bound either side of the Mid-Cayman Rise rift-valley where, long-lived fault-systems lift rocks from deep within Earth’s interior up to the ocean floor along so-called “oceanic core complexes”.
Read moreBy Professor Paul Tyler
The discovery of hydrothermal vents along the Galapagos Rift in 1977 resulted in the description of a wonderful collection of animals, many previously unknown to science.
Read moreBy Julie A. Huber, PhD and Julie Meyer, PhD
As a refresher, all of life on earth is divided into three domains- Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.
Read moreBy Mike Cheadle and Barbara John
Mid-ocean ridges are the topographic manifestation of where the Earth’s tectonic plates separate and spread apart and new oceanic crust is created.
Read moreBy Jeffrey Seewald
Locating a hot-spring on the seafloor can be like searching for a proverbial needle in a haystack.
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