The manned research submersible JAGO explores new underwater worlds: For the first time, scientists have inspected the submarine volcano at the Canary Islands (stock image).
(Photo:
JAGO-Team/GEOMAR)
Arrival at La Restinga, El Hierro: In February 2016, a team of scientists from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), the Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Canarias (IEO), and GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel started their expedition to the Canary islands with the German research vessel POSEIDON.
(Photo:
M. Nicolai/GEOMAR)
The volcano close to the island of El Hierro erupted in October 2011. But only now, researchers were able to examine the site during the POSEIDON expedition POS494/2. Germany’s only manned research submersible JAGO weighs only three tons and is 3 x 2 x 2,5 metres tall (stock image).
(Photo:
K. Hissmann/GEOMAR)
JAGO has been used in oceans and lakes all around the world since it was built in 1989. Since 2006, the submersible is based at GEOMAR. All in all, JAGO has been on more than 1300 dives.
(Photo:
M. Nicolai/GEOMAR)
JAGO is able to take two people to depths of up to 400 metres. It is navigated by ultrasonic waves and powered by 8 electronic motors at a maximum speed of 1 knot (1 knot = 1,85 km/h).
(Photo:
JAGO Team/GEOMAR)
At the island of El Hierro, scientists collected rock samples and documented the evolution of the eruption site and the continuing hydrothermal activity.
(Photo:
JAGO-Team/GEOMAR)
During the JAGO dives, not just rock samples, but also fluids and gases were collected in order to investigate volcanic and hydrothermal processes at the ocean floor off the Canary Islands. The samples are analysed in the home laboratories of the participating institutions after the expedition.
(Photo:
M. Nicolai/GEOMAR)
Scientists investigated the rock samples on board the research vessel POSEIDON (left Prof. Mark Hannington and right Dr. Sven Petersen).
(Photo:
M. Nicolai/GEOMAR)
“The new findings show that since the crisis of 2011, the volcano has been bathed in warm water as the subvolcanic magma cools”, Prof. Mark Hannington, marine geologist at GEOMAR and chief scientist of the POS494/2 expedition concludes. “Thus it is important to continue monitoring the volcano to assess the impact of this ongoing activity.“
(Photo:
M. Nicolai/GEOMAR)
