Perspective view of the bathymetry (25 cm grid) of the southern area of hydrothermal activity at the ABE Vent Field along the Central Eastern Lau Spreading Center. Hydrothermal activity (identified with white boxes) was observed on a platform between two faults, each with throw of at least 10 m.
Species (common):
Year: 2008
Details:
Media Type: Map
Data Type: Bathymetry
Device Type: Sonar:Multibeam
Feature: Lau:C-ELSC:ABE
Investigator: Vicki Ferrini
Expedition: TUIM05MV
Chief Scientist: Margaret Tivey
Species:

Perspective view of the northern and central portions of the ABE hydrothermal vent field (25 cm resolution). Observed areas of hydrothermal activity (both focused and diffuse flow) are outlined with white boxes and are located on and adjacent to a NE–SW trending fault with a throw of 10–20 m. Individual vent edifices are identifiable in this view, and finger-like flows are evident within the white box at the northeastern extent of the view.
Species (common):
Year: 2008
Details:
Media Type: Map
Data Type: Bathymetry
Device Type: Sonar:Multibeam
Feature: Lau:C-ELSC:ABE

The Tow Cam vent field in the Northern Eastern Lau Spreading Center consists of two areas of hydrothermal activity (identified with white boxes) adjacent to a fault with throw of nearly 20 m. These hydrothermal vent areas are directly connected by a small fault (throw ~ 1 m). The bumpy texture evident in this perspective view is due to the presence of pillow and lobate lavas.
Species (common):
Year: 2008
Details:
Media Type: Map
Data Type: Bathymetry
Device Type: Sonar:Multibeam
Feature: Lau:N-ELSC:TowCam
Investigator: Vicki Ferrini
Expedition: TUIM05MV

The Kilo Moana vent field along the Norther Eastern Lau Spreading center is characterized by pillow lavas cut by intersecting fissures. The bumpy texture evident in this bathymetric map (resolution: 25 cm), is due to pillow lavas. Three areas of hydrothermal activity, identified with white boxes, are located near the fissures. A hydrothermal vent complex with structures as tall as 15 m is evident at the intersection of the fissures.
Species (common):
Year: 2008
Details:
Media Type: Map
Data Type: Bathymetry
Device Type: Sonar:Multibeam
Feature: Lau:N-ELSC:KiloMoana

This image shows the deeper rift valley in blue, running east-west. The African Plate is to the north (top), and the Antarctic Plate is to the south (bottom). Where there is no multibeam data, the image appears fuzzy and out of focus.
Species (common):
Year: 2008
Details: Mid-Ocean Ridge
Media Type: Map
Data Type: Bathymetry
Device Type: Sonar:Multibeam
Feature:
Investigator: MGDS
Expedition:
Chief Scientist:
Species:

Perspective view of the oceanic spreading center known as the East Pacific Rise (EPR) looking to the north with Central America in the far distance. At this spreading center two of the major tectonic plates on Earth are spreading apart at a rate of about 5 inches/year (11 cm/yr). The spreading center is the straight and smooth shallow ridge shown in warm colors. This ridge is interrupted by transform faults which are perpendicular to the spreading center and 100s of miles apart.

The South American plate (to the left), the African plate (central and upper right), and Antarctic (lower part of image) lithospheric plates meet in the Bouvet Triple Junction located in the far South Atlantic ocean near the island of Bouvet. Italian multibeam survey data gives a high resolution view of this region; the area that was not surveyed is masked with a darker color. Two sections of rift valley (deeper sections highlighted in dark blue) are clearly visible in this view. Bouvet Island is a remote, uninhabited island containing only an unmanned weather-monitoring station.

This is a perspective view looking north along the East Pacific Rise spreading center toward a prominent (dark blue = deeper) transform fault running to the east. The North American plate is to the right (east) of the rise. The Pacific plate is to the left (west). Shipboard multibeam bathymetry provides this closeup 3D view of the ocean floor. The seafloor seems out of focus in areas where there is no high-resolution bathymetry data available.
Species (common):
Year: 2008
Details: Mid-Ocean Ridge
Media Type: Map
Data Type: Bathymetry
Device Type: Sonar:Multibeam
Feature:

Shipboard multibeam bathymetry provides this closeup view of the Pitman fracture zone on the ocean floor, where the Pacific Plate (upper right) meets the Antarctic Plate (lower left). This fracture zone is located in the far southern Pacific ocean, on the Pacific-Antarctic ridge between New Zealand and Ross Sea, Antarctica.
Species (common):
Year: 2008
Details: Mid-Ocean Ridge
Media Type: Map
Data Type: Bathymetry
Device Type: Sonar:Multibeam
Feature:
Investigator: MGDS
Expedition:
Chief Scientist:
Species:

This broad view of a section of the eastern central Pacific Ocean shows a multitude of seamounts on both sides of the East Pacific rise. Recent research has suggested that seamounts form near the ridge axis and are then carried away by the movement of the plates away from the spreading center.
Species (common):
Year: 2008
Details: Mid-Ocean Ridge
Media Type: Map
Data Type: Bathymetry
Device Type: Sonar:Multibeam
Feature:
Investigator: MGDS
Expedition:
Chief Scientist:
Species: