Scientists return to the Kermadec Arc, to explore in great detail the Brothers submarine volcano. This will mark the most comprehensive exploration of this type of arc volcano and is one of the most vigorous geothermaly active yet discovered. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/07fire/welcome.html http://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/include/images/ocean_explorer_podcast_100.jpg http://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/07fire/welcome.html This page contains a complete gallery of photos taken during the New Zealand American Submarine Ring of Fire 2007 (NZASRoF'07) expedition that took place on the Kermadec Arc, northeast of New Zealand from July 28 – August 16, 2007. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/07fire/logs/photolog/photolog.html The 2007 New Zealand American Ring of Fire exploration expedition has been an outstanding success for all partners. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/07fire/logs/aug16/aug16.html Learn why buying a complex underwater vehicle is not like buying something at a store. Before an ROV can be used for science, a lot of equipment needs to be thoroughly tested at enormous pressures surrounded by seawater. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/07fire/logs/aug14/aug14.html See three dimensional views of bathymetry data sets that give scientist a greater understanding of how things work in the natural world. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/07fire/logs/aug10/aug10.html While weather has prevented the ROV from being deployed, it has also provided scientist with more time to explore the deep basins of the backarc of the Havre Trough for signs of hydrothermal venting. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/07fire/logs/aug9/aug9.html Using the AUV data as roadmaps, the ROV pilots can then accurately home in on the vent targets to obtain CTD samples of sulfide minerals and vent fluids. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/07fire/logs/aug5/aug5.html When scientists first gazed at the map of the northwest slopes of Brothers volcano, they thought that their eyes were playing tricks on them – the clarity of the fine scale features was absolutely stunning. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/07fire/logs/aug3/aug3.html Magnetic anomaly surveying will be used to help identify recent lava flows. The younger and larger the volcanic lava body is, the greater the magnetic anomaly is expected to be associated with it. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/07fire/logs/aug1/aug1.html The expedition team will measure and locate the numerous hydrothermal plumes inside the Brothers caldera so that in the end they will have a wonderful 3-D virtual model of the volcano that will show exactly where all the chimneys and hot springs are, all draped over a very detailed map. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/07fire/logs/july31/july31.html The expedition team is looking forward to seeing ABE's first dive high-resolution map of Brothers caldera! http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/07fire/logs/july30/july30.html Watch a NOAA video podcast on the New Zealand American Submarine Ring of Fire 2007 expedition that will take place north of New Zealand along the Kermadec Arc. Join scientists as they return to the Kermadec Arc, to explore in great detail the Brothers submarine volcano. This will mark the most comprehensive exploration of the Brothers submarine volcano, this type of arc volcano is one of the most vigorous geothermaly active yet discovered. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/07fire/background/plan/media/07fire_podcast.html Ocean Explorer Expedition Education Modules (EEM) are designed to reach out in new ways to teachers, students, and the general public, and share the excitement of daily at-sea discoveries and the science behind NOAA’s major ocean exploration initiatives with the people around the world. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/07fire/background/edu/edu.html The Kermadec Arc Exploration Site brings scientific discovery to the Web via a series of computer animations of the sea floor. Click on a thumbnail or area of the map to view a virtual fly-through of the indiviual sites, or to view photo's and video from an area. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/07fire/background/kermadecarc/kermadecarc.html The accumulation of CO2 in Earth’s atmosphere and ocean is steadily increasing, raising concerns about global climate change and the increasing acidity of the ocean. While this increase is overwhelmingly caused by human activities, learn why the supply of CO2 and other gases from volcanic eruptions have strongly contributed to the geochemical carbon cycle and the evolution of our atmosphere. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/07fire/background/volcanic_co2/volcanic_co2.html A map is a symbolic construction that relates visual features seen by the human eye (or a camera) to the broader context of its surroundings. This is relatively easy to do above sea level because maps can be produced directly from images made by satellites or planes. However, it is still challenging to produce such a map of the ocean floor because light does not penetrate more than about 100 meters. Learn about the considerations that lead to using sonar and satellite techniques and how the past decade has seen the rapid evolution of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/07fire/background/mapping/mapping.html Read about the highly trained research team of 26 scientists and engineers from New Zealand, Germany and the U.S. and share the excitement of at-sea discoveries to the Brothers submarine volcano, a site of vigorous geothermal activity north of New Zealand along the Kermadec Arc. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/07fire/background/explorers/explorers.html The cruise targets for the New Zealand American Submarine Ring of Fire 2007 (NZASRoF'07) expedition will be both the Brothers Submarine Volcano and the Ngatoro Rift Basins. The research vessel SONNE will depart from Auckland New Zealand on July 27th and return on August 16th. The Autonomous Benthic Explorer (ABE) robotic mapping vehicle will conduct near-bottom surveys down to more than a half a mile in depth, mapping the seafloor and its properties in detail never before seen on this type of seafloor volcano. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/07fire/background/plan/plan.html