Fire, WATER, Life: Deep-Sea VOLCANISM AND HYDROTHERMAL PROCESSES WITH
DR. DANIEL J. FORNARI UQ ART MUSEUM PRESENTS A KEYNOTE LECTURE BY
EMERITUS RESEARCH SCHOLAR, DR. DANIEL J. FORNARI IN CONJUNCTION WITH
MEL O'CALLAGHAN'S EXHIBITION _CENTRE OF THE CENTRE_.
1:30 PM KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
3:00 PM PANEL DISCUSSION WITH DR DANIEL FORNARI (WHOI), DR EMMA GAGEN
[https://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/1244] (UQ), PROFESSOR
GREGORY WEBB [https://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/44] (UQ), DR
PAUL EVANS [https://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/9601](UQ), DR
TERESA UBIDE GARRALDA
[https://sees.uq.edu.au/profile/9518/teresa-ubide-garralda] (UQ), AND
CHAIR NICK DYRIW (QUT).
The deep oceans and global seafloor are truly Earth’s last frontier.
They remain largely unexplored, yet are critical to our survival on
this planet. Covering nearly 70% of our planet and reaching depths of
greater than 11,000 metres, the ocean realm contains the largest chain
of active volcanoes, boiling hot springs, and fault zones. In undersea
mountains a mile beneath the surface, bizarre landscapes host exotic
life forms that rival the most imaginative science fiction. In this
dark and largely unexplored environment the potential exists for
profound scientific discoveries in this century that will likely shape
the future of human society.
Despite the opaque blue mask of the oceans as depicted on many maps,
the Earth’s solid crust extends continuously beneath the oceans with
distinctive geological processes, spectacular landforms, and strange
life, much of it still unknown. Whereas the continents above the sea
are easily observable, light does not penetrate the ocean depths below
~400 metres, hence imaging and exploring the vast seafloor environment
presents special challenges. Over the past few decades, using
specially developed technologies including autonomous robots, remotely
operated vehicles and newly designed, human-occupied submarines, the
global seafloor is now coming into focus and our ability to map and
visualise it can be done at centimetre-scale resolution.
The lecture will focus on the linkages between submarine volcanism
occurring on the global mid-ocean ridge crest and hydrothermal
phenomena associated with energy and chemical transfer from Earth’s
mantle to the deep ocean. Examples of new vehicle and sensor
technologies that have enabled more detailed and site-specific
exploration of seafloor processes in many tectonic environments will
be presented.
DR DANIEL J. FORNARI is a leading researcher in mid-ocean ridges who
has participated in over 150 research cruises, and has significantly
contributed to over 100 scientific publications dedicated to volcanic
and hydrothermal processes along mid-ocean ridges. Fornari has nearly
45 years of ocean exploration experience. He is an Emeritus Research
Scholar at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) – Geology &
Geophysics Dept., Woods Hole, MA USA.
IMAGE: A hydrothermal vent community of tubeworms and mussels
colonizing volcanic seafloor on the East Pacific Rise at 2510 meters
depth. Copyright Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) 2020
WITH THANKS TO:
* WHOI National Deep Submergence Facility - _Alvin _Operations Group
* MISO Imaging Facility - WHOI
* The National Science Foundation - Ocean Sciences Division
* RV _Atlantis_ crew and science team on AT42-21 Cruise
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29/02/2020 Last update