HR: 1340h
AN: B13A-0162    [Abstracts]
TI: Very High Resolution Bathymetric Mapping at the Ridge 2000 Integrated Study Sites: Acquisition and Processing Protocols Developed During Recent Alvin Field Programs to the East Pacific Rise and Juan de Fuca Ridge
AU: * Ferrini, V
EM: ferrini@ldeo.columbia.edu
AF: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964 United States
AU: Fornari, D J
EM: dfornari@whoi.edu
AF: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole, MA 02543 United States
AU: Shank, T
EM: tshank@whoi.edu
AF: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Biology Department, Woods Hole, MA 02543 United States
AU: Tivey, M
EM: mtivey@whoi.edu
AF: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole, MA 02543 United States
AU: Kelley, D S
EM: kelley@ocean.washington.edu
AF: University of Washington, School of Oceanography Box 357940 , Seattle, WA 98195 United States
AU: Glickson, D
EM: glickson@ocean.washington.edu
AF: University of Washington, School of Oceanography Box 357940 , Seattle, WA 98195 United States
AU: Carbotte, S M
EM: carbotte@ldeo.columbia.edu
AF: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964 United States
AU: Howland, J
EM: jhowland@whoi.edu
AF: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering, Deep Submergence Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543 United States
AU: Whitcomb, L L
EM: llw@jhu.edu
AF: The Johns Hopkins University, Department of Mechanical Engineering 123 Latrobe Hall 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218 United States
AU: Yoerger, D
EM: dyoerger@whoi.edu
AF: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering, Deep Submergence Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543 United States
AB: Recent field programs at the East Pacific Rise and Juan de Fuca Ridge have resulted in the refinement of data processing protocols that enable the rapid creation of high-resolution (meter-scale) bathymetric maps from pencil-beam altimetric sonar data that are routinely collected during DSV Alvin dives. With the development of the appropriate processing tools, the Imagenex sonar, a permanent sensor on Alvin, can be used by a broad range of scientists permitting the analysis of various data sets within the context of high-quality bathymetric maps. The data processing protocol integrates depth data recorded with Alvin's Paroscientific pressure sensor with bathymetric soundings collected with an Imagenex 675 kHz articulating (scanning) sonar system, and high-resolution navigational data acquired with DVLNAV, which includes bottom lock Doppler sonar and long baseline (LBL) navigation. Together these data allow us, for the first time, to visualize portions of Ridge 2000 Integrated Study Sites (ISS) at 1-m vertical and horizontal resolution. These maps resolve morphological details of structures within the summit trough at scales that are relevant to biological communities (e.g. hydrothermal vents, lava pillars, trough walls), thus providing the important geologic context necessary to better understand spatial patterns associated with integrated biological-hydrothermal-geological processes. The Imagenex sonar is also a permanent sensor on the Jason2 ROV, which is also equipped with an SM2000 (200 kHz) near-bottom multibeam sonar. In the future, it is envisioned that near-bottom multibeam sonars will be standard sensors on all National Deep Submergence Facility (NDSF) vehicles. Streamlining data processing protocols makes these datasets more accessible to NDSF users and ensures broad compatibility between data formats among NDSF vehicle systems and allied vehicles (e.g. ABE). Establishing data processing protocols and software suites, routinely calibrating sensors (e.g. Paroscientific depth sensors), and ensuring good navigational benchmarks between various cruises to the Ridge 2000 ISS improves the capability and quality of rapidly produced high-resolution bathymetric maps enabling users to optimize their diving programs. This is especially important within the context of augmenting high-resolution bathymetric data collection in ISS areas (several cruises to the same area over multiple years) and investigating possible changes in seafloor topography, hydrothermal vent features and/or biological communities that are related to tectonic or volcanic events.
DE: 3045 Seafloor morphology and bottom photography
DE: 3094 Instruments and techniques
SC: Biogeosciences [B]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting