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| Titel |
Investigating the active hydrothermal field of Kolumbo Volcano using CTD profiling |
| VerfasserIn |
Maria Eleni Christopoulou, Theo Mertzimekis, Paraskevi Nomikou, Dimitrios Papanikolaou, Steve Carey |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2014
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 16 (2014) |
| Datensatznummer |
250093187
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 EGU/EGU2014-7691.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
| The submarine Kolumbo volcano NE of Santorini Island and the unique active hydrothermal
vent field on its crater field (depth ~ 500 m) have been recently explored in multiple cruises
aboard E/V Nautilus. ROV explorations showed the existence of extensive vent
activity and almost completely absence of vent-specific macrofauna. Gas discharges
have been found to be 99%-rich in CO2, which is sequestered at the bottom of
the crater due to a special combination of physicochemical and geomorphological
factors.
The dynamic conditions existing along the water column in the crater have been studied
in detail by means of temperature, salinity and conductivity depth profiles for the first time.
CTD sensors aboard the ROV Hercules were employed to record anomalies in those
parameters in an attempt to investigate several active and inactive vent locations.
Temporal CTD monitoring inside and outside of the crater was carried out over a period
of two years. Direct comparison between the vent field and locations outside the
main cone, where no hydrothermal activity is known to exist, showed completely
different characteristics. CTD profiles above the active vent field (NNE side) are
correlated to Kolumbo’s cone morphology. The profiles suggest the existence of four
distinct zones of physicochemical properties in the water column. The layer directly
above the chimneys exhibit gas discharges highly enriched in CO2. Continuous
gas motoring is essential to identify the onset of geological hazards in the region. |
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