Exploring the Aurora Vent Field: 4000 m Under Ice with the NUI Hybrid Remotely Operated Vehicle
We report engineering results from 2023 under-ice fieldwork exploring the Aurora hydrothermal vent field with the hybrid remotely operated vehicle (HROV) Nereid Under Ice. The vehicle generated bathymetric maps, video, and 3D visual reconstructions of vent chimneys over 20 m in height, and collected samples, including the first low-temperature ( 125°C) fluids collected from any vent field on the Gakkel Ridge. NUI’s unique design enabled multi-modal operation (mapping, inspection, sampling), often as components of the same dive, while on the sea floor at 4000 m in the challenging conditions imposed by moving 9/10ths-10/10ths sea ice cover.
Authors
- Allisa J. Dalpe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2637-3740)
- Christopher R. German (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3417-6413)
- Andrew Klesh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4190-7891)
- Matthew Silvia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4722-1930)
- Michael V. Jakuba (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0440-0074)
- Laura Lindzey (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3475-0996)
- Molly Curran
- Tea Isler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1805-6702)
- H. Jakob Buenger
- Victor Naklicki
- Rosemary A. Loer
Institutions
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (DE)
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory (US)
- University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory (US)
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (US)
Publication Details
- Published
- 2024-09-18
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1109/auv61864.2024.11030778
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Aerospace Engineering and Energy Systems
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.60