News Release : New Underwater Volcano Found Near Samoa |
| |
May 25, 2005
Media Relations Office
93 Water Street MS #16
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(508) 289-3340
media@xxxxxxxx
Shelley Dawicki
![]() |
![]() |
|
Enlarge Image
Vailulu'u rises 14,300 feet from the Pacific Ocean seafloor near the Samoan Islands. It ranges 21 miles at its base and is crowned with a mile-wide caldera that is 2,000 feet below the ocean surface. The new volcano, Nafanua, is growing inside the caldera and is nearly 1,000 feet high. (Stan Hart, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
|
![]() |
Shelley Dawicki
May 25, 2005Source: Media Relations
An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of Oregon and University of Sydney, has discovered an active underwater volcano near the Samoan Island chain about 2,400 miles southwest of Hawaii.
During a research cruise to study the Samoan hot spot, scientists uncovered a submarine volcano growing in the summit crater of another larger underwater volcano, Vailulu’u. Researchers explored the unique biological community surrounding the eruption site, and were amazed to find an “Eel City,” a community of hundreds of eels.
This new volcano, dubbed Nafanua after the ferocious Samoan goddess of war, did not exist just fours years
ago, according to co-chief scientists Stan Hart, a geochemist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) , and Hubert Staudigel, a geologist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. With a growth rate averaging eight inches per day, the volcanic cone has rapidly formed since the scientists’ last expedition to this area in May 2001. Nafanua now stands at 300 meters, or nearly 1,000 feet.
“To actually have a documented case of an underwater volcano that has been constructed within a known period of time is very rare—this is one of those cases,” said Hart, a Senior Scientist in the WHOI Geology and Geophysics Department.
Scientists were tipped off to the volcano’s existence when they profiled the seafloor of the Vailulu’u crater using multi-beam mapping. Existing maps of the seafloor in the area gave little indication that this volcano existed. When sound beams were directed into the crater this time, they measured an
unusually shallow depth. These interesting results prompted further investigation of the area using the manned submersible Pisces V—a seven-foot sphere that can dive to more than 6,000 feet, operated by NOAA’s Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory.
The water surrounding the volcanic cone is extremely turbid due to hydrothermal activity and the vigorous vents that produce this volcanic “fog” are obscured, according to Staudigel. Although visibility from the submersible was less than 10 feet, the researchers were able to observe the unique biological community surrounding the newly formed volcanic cone.
Much of Nafanua is covered with yellow “fluff,” microbial aggregations that are produced by microscopic life feeding on chemical energy from the volcano’s hydrothermal system. ---As this international team explored the area, they discovered a number of large communities of eels inhabiting the fragile cavernous rock
pillars surrounding the hydrothermal vent area. As the submarine landed near this area, scores of eels, each approximately one foot long, emerged from the rock caves and crevices. The scientists named this novel marine hydrothermal community “Eel City.”
“At this point we do not know why we found such extensive eel communities surrounding this volcano—it’s a mystery that we hope to learn more about on future cruises,” Staudigel said.
Within decades, continued growth of Nafanua could bring the summit of this volcano from its current depth of 600 meters to a depth of approximately 200 meters—close enough to the sea surface that it could provide a potential hazard to ocean navigation and coastal communities. Such hazards may include the explosive reaction between red-hot lava and seawater, or tsunamis that may be caused by the collapse of the newly built volcano.
“It is a good idea for us to keep
our eyes on this area, but there is no real reason for concern about immediate danger,” said Hart.
Three students from High Tech High in San Diego were aboard one of the two expeditions to Nafanua and assisted researchers in collecting and analyzing data. These students also created and maintained an in-depth Web site related to the cruise where they posted reports, maps, photos and videos from submersible dives. Also, the students and scientists aboard the ship participated in the first ever student-to-student videoconference between a high school and a research vessel with the help of HiSeasNet, a satellite communications system that provides continuous Internet connectivity for oceanographic research vessels at sea.
This research was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Australian Research Council. The discovery of Nafanua included
investigators from oceanographic institutions in the U.S. and Australia, in addition to graduate, undergraduate and high school students. Investigators included Hart from Woods Hole; Staudigel, Anthony Koppers, Alexis Templeton, and Brad Tebo from Scripps; Craig Young and Sandra Brooke of the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology at the University of Oregon; Adele Pile of the University of Sydney; Ian Hudson from the British National Oceanography Centre, Southampton; Ray Lee from Washington State University; and Ed Baker of NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory. This research was performed aboard two research vessels from the University of Hawaii, Ka’imikai O Kanaloa and Kilo Moana, and the NOAA submersible Pisces V.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is a private, independent marine research and engineering and
higher education organization located in Falmouth, MA. Its primary mission is to understand the oceans and their interaction with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate a basic understanding of the ocean's role in the changing global environment. Established in 1930 on a recommendation from the National Academy of Sciences, the Institution operates the US National Deep Submergence Facility that includes the deep-diving submersible Alvin, a fleet of global ranging ships and smaller coastal vessels, and a variety of other tethered and autonomous underwater vehicles. WHOI is organized into five departments, interdisciplinary institutes and a marine policy center, and conducts a joint graduate education program with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Last updated: September 23, 2009 |
| |
|
News Release : New Underwater Volcano Found Near Samoa |
|
May 25, 2005
Media Relations Office
93 Water Street MS #16
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
media@xxxxxxxx
Shelley Dawicki
![]() |
![]() |
|
Enlarge Image
Vailulu'u rises 14,300 feet from the Pacific Ocean seafloor near the Samoan Islands. It ranges 21 miles at its base and is crowned with a mile-wide caldera that is 2,000 feet below the ocean surface. The new volcano, Nafanua, is growing inside the caldera and is nearly 1,000 feet high. (Stan Hart, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
|
![]() |
Shelley Dawicki
May 25, 2005Source: Media Relations
An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of Oregon and University of Sydney, has discovered an active underwater volcano near the Samoan Island chain about 2,400 miles southwest of Hawaii.
During a research cruise to study the Samoan hot spot, scientists uncovered a submarine volcano growing in the summit crater of another larger underwater volcano, Vailulu’u. Researchers explored the unique biological community surrounding the eruption site, and were amazed to find an “Eel City,” a community of hundreds of eels.
This new volcano, dubbed Nafanua after the ferocious Samoan goddess of war, did not exist just fours years ago, according to co-chief
scientists Stan Hart, a geochemist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) , and Hubert Staudigel, a geologist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. With a growth rate averaging eight inches per day, the volcanic cone has rapidly formed since the scientists’ last expedition to this area in May 2001. Nafanua now stands at 300 meters, or nearly 1,000 feet.
“To actually have a documented case of an underwater volcano that has been constructed within a known period of time is very rare—this is one of those cases,” said Hart, a Senior Scientist in the WHOI Geology and Geophysics Department.
Scientists were tipped off to the volcano’s existence when they profiled the seafloor of the Vailulu’u crater using multi-beam mapping. Existing maps of the seafloor in the area gave little indication that this volcano existed. When sound beams were directed into the crater this time, they measured an unusually shallow depth. These
interesting results prompted further investigation of the area using the manned submersible Pisces V—a seven-foot sphere that can dive to more than 6,000 feet, operated by NOAA’s Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory.
The water surrounding the volcanic cone is extremely turbid due to hydrothermal activity and the vigorous vents that produce this volcanic “fog” are obscured, according to Staudigel. Although visibility from the submersible was less than 10 feet, the researchers were able to observe the unique biological community surrounding the newly formed volcanic cone.
Much of Nafanua is covered with yellow “fluff,” microbial aggregations that are produced by microscopic life feeding on chemical energy from the volcano’s hydrothermal system. ---As this international team explored the area, they discovered a number of large communities of eels inhabiting the fragile cavernous rock pillars surrounding the
hydrothermal vent area. As the submarine landed near this area, scores of eels, each approximately one foot long, emerged from the rock caves and crevices. The scientists named this novel marine hydrothermal community “Eel City.”
“At this point we do not know why we found such extensive eel communities surrounding this volcano—it’s a mystery that we hope to learn more about on future cruises,” Staudigel said.
Within decades, continued growth of Nafanua could bring the summit of this volcano from its current depth of 600 meters to a depth of approximately 200 meters—close enough to the sea surface that it could provide a potential hazard to ocean navigation and coastal communities. Such hazards may include the explosive reaction between red-hot lava and seawater, or tsunamis that may be caused by the collapse of the newly built volcano.
“It is a good idea for us to keep our eyes on this area,
but there is no real reason for concern about immediate danger,” said Hart.
Three students from High Tech High in San Diego were aboard one of the two expeditions to Nafanua and assisted researchers in collecting and analyzing data. These students also created and maintained an in-depth Web site related to the cruise where they posted reports, maps, photos and videos from submersible dives. Also, the students and scientists aboard the ship participated in the first ever student-to-student videoconference between a high school and a research vessel with the help of HiSeasNet, a satellite communications system that provides continuous Internet connectivity for oceanographic research vessels at sea.
This research was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Australian Research Council. The discovery of Nafanua included investigators from
oceanographic institutions in the U.S. and Australia, in addition to graduate, undergraduate and high school students. Investigators included Hart from Woods Hole; Staudigel, Anthony Koppers, Alexis Templeton, and Brad Tebo from Scripps; Craig Young and Sandra Brooke of the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology at the University of Oregon; Adele Pile of the University of Sydney; Ian Hudson from the British National Oceanography Centre, Southampton; Ray Lee from Washington State University; and Ed Baker of NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory. This research was performed aboard two research vessels from the University of Hawaii, Ka’imikai O Kanaloa and Kilo Moana, and the NOAA submersible Pisces V.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is a private, independent marine research and engineering and higher education
organization located in Falmouth, MA. Its primary mission is to understand the oceans and their interaction with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate a basic understanding of the ocean's role in the changing global environment. Established in 1930 on a recommendation from the National Academy of Sciences, the Institution operates the US National Deep Submergence Facility that includes the deep-diving submersible Alvin, a fleet of global ranging ships and smaller coastal vessels, and a variety of other tethered and autonomous underwater vehicles. WHOI is organized into five departments, interdisciplinary institutes and a marine policy center, and conducts a joint graduate education program with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Last updated: September 23, 2009
--- On Tue, 9/29/09, Ali Hashemi
<ali.hashemi+ontolog@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: Ali Hashemi <ali.hashemi+ontolog@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [ontolog-forum] Systems Biology Graphical Notation (SBGN)
To: "[ontolog-forum]" <ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tuesday, September 29, 2009, 9:42 PM
Anyone hear of this? Does anyone know if any ontologists were included on the project? Or how well are the semantics of the terms defined?
"
Le Novère and 38 scientists from across five continents have developed a standardized language for biological diagrams called the Systems Biology Graphical Notation, or SBGN. With the first phase of the four-year effort completed, the scientific community must now assess the functionality and design of SBGN and decide whether or not to adopt the new language.
...
In 2005, Le Novère and his colleagues, Michael Hucka at Caltech and Hiroaki Kitano at the Systems Biology Institute in Tokyo, recruited computer scientists, biochemists, and modelers working in systems biology to begin developing SBGN. They approached the project with a simple philosophy: Design a biological language that is basic, clear, and can be processed by a computer.
....
The result was three languages to describe molecular processes, relationships, and the flow of activity through a system. Besides being complementary, the languages are also efficient; combined, they use only about 50 symbols.
“Once people learn the symbols and grammar they will be able to share biological pathways in the same way musicians share music,” Le Novère says. “An American pianist, a European pianist, and a Chinese pianist can all read and interpret the same sheet of Mozart.”
...
King sees the efforts of the SBGN team as indicative of a larger trend within biology. “There is a movement right now to increasingly formalize biological knowledge,” he says. “Experiments are getting so complicated and there are many things being done and recorded that we want to reuse it in efficient ways.”
Appropriately, the growth of systems biology has required scientists to step outside the traditional bounds of their research to reconsider how they communicate with one another. It remains to be seen whether or not SGBN will become the standard language for biology, but it seems clear that the efforts of its developers were not in vain. Their work represents a significant advancement in our understanding of how to articulate, formalize, and present the complex biological ideas that emerge from the unprecedented amounts of data researchers produce—and then must confront—today.
"
Follow link for full article..
Ali
--
(•`'·.¸(`'·.¸(•)¸.·'´)¸.·'´•) .,.,
-----Inline Attachment Follows-----
|
_________________________________________________________________
Message Archives: http://ontolog.cim3.net/forum/ontolog-forum/
Config Subscr: http://ontolog.cim3.net/mailman/listinfo/ontolog-forum/
Unsubscribe: mailto:ontolog-forum-leave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Shared Files: http://ontolog.cim3.net/file/
Community Wiki: http://ontolog.cim3.net/wiki/
To join: http://ontolog.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?WikiHomePage#nid1J
To Post: mailto:ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (01)
|