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Flash animation of how the NeMO Net system works:
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NeMO Net Background

Map of ASHES hydrothermal vent field

 
  NeMO Net location map
Axial volcano and NeMO Net, click for full size map
 
NeMO Net : is a two-way communication system which has linked monitoring instruments on an active submarine volcano to the Internet since 1999. The site of this seafloor observatory is Axial volcano, located about 250 miles off Oregon's coast and 1 mile underwater.

The NeMO Net system uses acoustic modems to relay data from seafloor instruments to a buoy at the surface, which in turn sends the data to NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory via satellite. In 2004-5, two instruments on the seafloor were linked into NeMO Net: a Remote Access Sampler (RAS) in the ASHES vent field, and a Bottom Pressure Recorder (BPR) near the center of the caldera. The map above shows the locations of the instruments and the NeMO Net buoy. The plots below show some of the data that has been transmitted from the seafloor.

Update: In May 2005, the RAS was retrieved to recover water samples, but the BPR remained deployed. In December 2005, the batteries powering the acoustic link on the buoy expired (which was expected because the buoy had been deployed since September 2004). In 2006 the buoy became lost at sea. Our current plan is to keep monitoring instruments deployed at Axial in 2006-7, but without the buoy link in order to work on enhancements to the system.

Check out related links . Temperature Data (RAS)
 
The Remote Access Sampler (RAS) monitored the chemistry and temperature of a hydrothermal vent (Virgin Vent) in the ASHES vent field from 2002 to 2005. The cumulative 2004-5 data from two temperature probes on the RAS are displayed here. Plots of Probe T1 (up in a funnel) and Probe T2 (down in the vent) show temperature for the last 3 days of data. Predicted tides are shown in black for comparison. T3 (not displayed) recorded background, ambient temperature. The high variability in T2 (red) is caused by shifting of the hot vent effluent. Lower values of T1 (purple) are caused by mixing of hot fluid with ambient seawater beneath the funnel.
Check out related links . Bottom Pressure Recorder (BPR)


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The BPR instrument

BPR deployed, click for full size
Deployment of 2004 BPR

 
The BPR is located near the center of Axial caldera, and precisely measures the pressure of the overlying ocean, as a way to monitor for inflation or deflation of the volcano. The raw BPR data (purple) closely follows predicted ocean tides (black). But after subtracting the tides from the BPR data, the difference (red) shows any sudden changes in seafloor height which may signal the onset of an eruption at the volcano. Three days of pressure data and the cumulative data are displayed in separate plots, with and without tides.

Check out related links . The NeMO Net buoy


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The NeMO Net Buoy

 

 
  image of NeMO Net buoy deployment, click for full size
View of the NeMO Net buoy being deployed over the side of the R/V Thompson. Click for a larger view.
 
The NeMO Net buoy is the critical communications link between the instruments on the seafloor and scientists on shore. The buoy communicates to stations on land via satellite, and to the seafloor via acoustic modems. Acoustic modems are like computer modems, but use sound instead of electricity to transfer information.
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  Major funding for NeMO Net provided by: PMEL logo Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory NURP logo West Coast National Undersea Research Center
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