PLUME

Plume-Lithosphere Undersea Mantle Experiment (PLUME) 

A Seismic Experiment to Image the Hawaiian Hotspot and Swell

deployment map

PIs:

Gabi Laske (UCSD)
John Orcutt (SIO)
Jason Phipps Morgan (Cornell)

 

Nature News Feature

Science Publication

Nature Geoscience Publication

Figure from Dalton Nature article, click for source.

Experiment Summary

(Taken from NSF Abstract Award #1446414): This project will deploy 64 wide-band ocean-bottom seismometers and ten portable broad-band seismic island stations in a 15-month-long investigation. The objectives are to: locate and image the plume conduit beneath the Hawaiian hotspot, image the roots of the Hawaiian swell over a sufficient area and with a sufficient resolution to distinguish among competing hypotheses for plume-lithosphere interaction, and relate the findings from the seismic imaging experiments to geodynamical and geochemical, models for mantle plumes.

Cruises

1/7/2005 - 1/25/2005

35 broadband ocean bottom seismographs were deployed on board the R/V Melville. [Cruise Report]

1/7/2006 - 1/22/2006

32 broadband ocean bottom seismographs were recovered on board the R/V Ka'imikai-o-Kanaloa, 3 instruments were not responding. [Cruise Report]

4/12/2006 - 5/11/2006

37 broadband ocean bottom seismographs, 13 SIO and 25 WHOI, were deployed on board the R/V Kilo Moana. [Cruise Report]

5/11/2007 - 6/6/2007

28 broadband ocean bottom seismographs were recovered on board the R/V Kilo Moana, 8 were not responding and 2 did not lift off the seafloor. [Cruise Report]

2007 - 2007

Rescue mission with ROV Jason on board the R/V Kilo Moana. 1 stainless bail and 3 SIO OBS were recovered along with 2 WHOI sensor balls and 2 intact WHOI OBS. [Unoffical Report]

Data

Data from all instruments deployed are archived under temporary network code YS at the IRIS DMC.