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Tow Cam
Name Alias(es):
TowCam
plume 23, N-ELSC
MGDS_FeatureID lowest in hierarchy:
Vent Sites:
Activity:
Maximum Temperature:
330
Latitude:
-20.3169
Longitude:
-176.1367
Location on map:
Ocean:
Region:
National Jurisdiction:
Maximum or Single Reported Depth (mbsl):
2700
Minimum Depth (mbsl):
Tectonic setting:
Full Spreading Rate (mm/a):
79.3
Host Rock:
basalt-hosted
Deposit Type:
NotProvided
Notes on Vent Field Description:
within a well-defined axial valley ranging from 270 to 330 m deep with a width of 2.5 km. The vent field is located atop an elevated asymmetric ridge that is offset west of the center of the axial valley, and is 75 m tall and ~1.8 km wide; "northern vent area is on the northern edge of the dome and consists of at least 4 discrete vent edifices (3–15 m tall and ~2 to 3 m in diameter) that extend ~30 m E–W. By contrast, the southern area consists of several smaller active and inactive chimneys (<1 to 5 m tall) that are associated with diffuse flow"
Notes Relevant to Biology:
snails, mussels, zoanthids, barnacles, shrimp, microbial mats
Year and How Discovered (if active, visual confirmation is listed first):
2004 AUV ABE; 2004 plume only on previous cruise
Discovery References (text):
Wiens, D., et al. (2005) Status report on the Lau Basin ISS. Ridge 2000 Newsletter, Spring 2005: 11-13
(plume only): Baker et al., GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, 33, L07308, doi:10.1029/2005GL025283, 2006, Abundant hydrothermal venting along melt-rich and melt-free ridge segments in the Lau back-arc basin.
Other References (text):
Ferrini, V. et al. (2008) Variable morphologic expression of volcanic, tectonic, and hydrothermal processes at six hydrothermal vent fields in the Lau back-arc basin. GEOCHEMISTRY GEOPHYSICS GEOSYSTEMS, VOL. 9, Q07022, doi:10.1029/2008GC002047.
RDF link: