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Onboard scientists observe and discuss the BMS (deep sea Boring Machine System) cores collected in the Middle Okinawa Trough
hydrothermal area.
Project "TAIGA" is in the final phase
The interdisciplinary research project TAIGA, Trans-crustal
Advection and In-situ biogeochemical processes of Global subseafloor
Aquifer, was launched in 2008. The project is funded by
MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports Science and
Technology) from FY2008 to FY2012 and now we approach its final
phase. As we outlined in the last IR news, we are focusing on
subseafloor fluid advection which carries huge heat and chemical
fluxes from the interior of the earth and supports growth of
biosphere (beneath and on the seafloor). Three integrated study sites
have been selected: the southern Mariana Trough as TAIGA of
sulfur, the Indian Triple Junction as TAIGA of hydrogen, and the
Okinawa Trough as TAIGA of methane. More than fifty scientists
joined the project, and many seagoing studies are planned, mainly in
the integrated study sites. Further information can be obtained at the
project website (http://www-gbs.eps.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~taiga/
en/index.html). The latest results will be presented in a special
InterRidge-sponsored session at the AGU Fall meeting, “Deep sub
seafloor biosphere” chaired by Ishibashi, Takai, Urabe and Edwards.
Cruises in FY2011
Although our cruise plan was changed by the emergency cruise due
to the earthquake, we had 7 short cruises in the hydrothermal areas
in the Okinawa Trough and 3 short cruises in Izu-Ogasawara-
Mariana arc in FY2011. Post drilling surveys at Iheya North field
using ROV, a surface drilling cruise by BMS, an acoustic survey by
AUVs and a wide area survey by ROV were conducted in the
Okinawa Trough.
Cruises in FY2012
In reaction to the M9 earthquake, the R/V Yokosuka cruise in the
Indian Triple Junction scheduled in 2011 was postponed to January-
March 2013. Twenty dives of Shinkai 6500 are planned to clarify the
characteristics of geology, geochemistry and ecosystem around the
hydrogen-rich Kairei hydrothermal site and two newly discovered
hydrothermal sites in the Central Indian Ridge Segment 15/16
(Nakamura et al., 2012, PLoS ONE). We also plan to conduct crust
and upper mantle imaging around the triple junction by OBSs and
OBEMs. This cruise is dedicated to the memory of Prof. Kensaku
Tamaki, the former IR chair, and his pioneering works in the Indian
Ridge system. Several short cruises in the hydrothermal areas in the
Okinawa Trough and the Mariana Trough backarc spreading centers
will also be scheduled.
INTERRIDGE NEWS 40 VOL.21, 2012