Dive and Discover : Expedition 9 : Galapagos Rift : Hot Topics

Return to the Galápagos Rift
Expedition 9:
May 20-June 3, 2005

Hot Topics

Godzilla, Sasquatch, and Homer Simpson:
The Curious Names of Deep-sea Features
From Expedition 8: Hydrothermal vent fields and their individual chimneys may be places for serious scientific research, but some of their names come straight from science fiction. Learn more »

Bacteria at Hydrothermal Vents
From Expedition 4: Small but mighty, bacteria live everywhere at hydrothermal vents. Learn more about bacteria »

Looking for Microbes
From Expedition 2: Prof. Rachel Haymon and Dr. Patricia Holden, from the University of California - Santa Barbara, have an idea about how to look for microbes in active hydrothermal vent chimneys. Read about their experiment »

Biogeography of Hydrothermal Vents
From Expedition 4: Biogeography is the study of distribution patterns of organisms and what causes those patterns to exist. Learn more »

Lava Flows
From Expedition 5: When a volcano erupts, the molten rock (or magma) that comes out of the Earth is called lava. Lava is the most common form of material erupted from volcanoes that form oceanic islands. Learn more about Lava Flows »

What Does a Young Submarine Lava Flow Look Like?
From Expedition 5: As we investigate the submarine slopes of Galápagos volcanoes we see life that no one has photographed before. Learn more about our camera tow survey »

Deep Sea Biology
From Expedition 5: As we investigate the submarine slopes of Galápagos volcanoes we see life that no one has photographed before. The creatures that live at these depths have adapted to a way of life in one of the world's most challenging environments. Learn more »

Galápagos Animal and Marine Life
From Expedition 5: The words “Galápagos Islands” bring to mind images of fantastic animals and plants, ranging from dragon-like iguanas and comical blue-footed boobies to incredibly slow moving giant tortoises lumbering through arid lava fields dotted with cacti. Learn more about the Galápagos’ wildlife »

Seabird Observations in the Western Galápagos Islands
From Expedition 5: One of the investigations complementing the geologic studies the scientists on board RV Revelle are carrying out, is a survey of the seabirds inhabiting the Galápagos. Learn more about Galápagos Seabirds »

Keeping the “Big O” Out of Alvin
From Expedition 1: Alvin pilot BLee Williams explains the dangers of using electricity in the ocean. Read the article »

The Hydrothermal Vent Prospecting Team
From Expedition 4: CTD (Conductivity-Temperature-Depth) sensors are used to detect hydrothermal plumes in the deep ocean. Learn more about CTDs »

Measuring Temperature At Hydrothermal Vents—Al Bradley’s Ingenuity
From Expedition 4: ICLs (Inductively Coupled Links) transmit data through water without a cable. Learn more about ICLs »

Finding Telltale Hydrothermal Plumes With MAPRs
From Expedition 3: MAPRs (Miniature Autonomous Plume Recorders) are small instruments that measure ocean pressure and how warm and clear the ocean water is. Learn more about MAPRs »

How Old is That Volcano?
From Expedition 5: One of the most common questions that scientists and nature lovers ask when they see an interesting rock is: how old is it? Learn more about determine the age of a volcano »

The Galápagos Islands
From Expedition 5: The Galápagos is a group of volcanic islands (sometimes called an archipelago); each of the 13 major islands is made up of at least one volcano. Learn more about the Galápagos Islands »