|
 |
Barbara Campbell
Research Scientist |
|
|
Do the black smokers produce black smoke 24/7? And does the smoke pollute the water? And what is the average size (length) of the black smoker? Thank you for your time. Student
Name: Thomas
State: FL Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
Yes! They never stop. Well, actually that's not quite true. Changes occur below the surface (the spreading of the tectonic plates may slow or is altered) that many hydrothermal sites that were active are no longer. The opposite is true as well, where new sites form from new cracks in the seafloor. In fact, a new vent feature was found during this cruise and it was named Michael's vent, after the Atlantis captain's son. |
|
|
|
|
How does the team narrow down the experiments they can perform aboard the research vessel based on time factors, resources, personnel expertise, etc.? Student
Name: Preston
State: VA Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
Great question! We decide well ahead of time what might be possible to do, mostly based on previous experience working with the pilots and crew of Alvin. We then base our experiments on that and the types of questions we would like to answer. All of the experiments start either during the dive (by the scientists/pilot in Alvin) or after the sub comes up with samples. Many of us stay up late in the night performing these experiments. There are many new scientists sailing for the first time, so the more experienced scientists will help out if needed. Also, many of the experiments rely on equipment placed on Alvin's basket, and several scientists help clean and prepare them for the next days dive. It takes all of us, including the entire Atlantis and Alvin crew to make this a successful cruise! |
|
|
|
|
What type of experiments do you conduct on the ocean floor in Alvin? Student
Name: Jeremy
State: VA Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
The scientists on the ship are interested in conducting a variety of experiments on the sea floor. Personally, I am involved in studying the Pompeii worm (Alvinella pompejana). We are interested in understanding the metabolic properties of the symbionts on the dorsal surface (back) of the worm. To do this we need to measure the temperature, take samples for chemistry, for molecular and culture work. Specifically, this involves using the manipulator arms of Alvin to deploy a temperature probe inside Alvinella's tube to measure the temperature where Alvinella lives. At the same time, samples are 'sipped' with the sipper (Small discrete water sampler) into glass syringes for chemical analysis on the ship after recovery. A small 'handful' of Alvinella (typically 3-8) are then collected into a chamber located on Alvin's basket and immediately flooded with a nucleic acid stabilization buffer. This is important to do on the seafloor, because changes can occur in the sample in a very short period of time. The nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) are then extracted from the samples on the ship. A few Alvinellas are also collected for culturing of the symbionts on the ship. |
|
|
|
|
After watching you guys starting off the expedition, it made me think about what it must be like for you. Does it get scary for you guys, being so far down, and away from your loved ones? Student
Name: Mary
State: VA Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
We spend most of our time on the ship, not down in Alvin. The weirdest thing about being on the ship for so long is that we don't see land for such a long time (3 weeks on this cruise). I was apprehensive my first time on a ship, but it becomes relatively routine after a few days. I do miss my family (answered in a previous Ask the Scientist question), but I can phone them and they can follow what I do on the Extreme 2004 web site! In fact, I talked to my 3 1/2 year old son tonight and he wondered if I was sleeping on the top or bottom bunk (I'm sleeping on the bottom bunk on this cruise, although I have slept on the top bunk on previous cruises). |
|
|
|
|
From your research, have you been able to tell how long a pompeii worm can live? Student
Name: James
State: CT Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
Our group is working mainly with the symbionts of Alvinella pompejana and not the worm itself. There is very little work on the lifespan of Alvinella. No one knows for sure how long the worms live. |
|
|
|
|
How do the pompeii worm and other animals you collect survive the ride back to the surface? Student
Name: Richard
State: CT Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
Some of the animals survive the trip to the surface. We have brought up crabs that have survived for months. Other scientists have brought back Riftia tubeworms and pressurized them and they survived for several hours. Recently, a French group has brought back Alvinella and repressurized it. There was movement observed for 12 hours. As you might expect, these animals don't survive long, we cannot reproduce their environment. That's why they live down there and we live up here! |
|
|
|
|
How will the information be used that you and the research crew find out from the experiments you do with the Pompeii worm? Student
Name: Monique
State: CT Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
As scientists, we are interested in discovering new things, and how all things work. This research will help further many aspects of basic science (remember Isaac Newton and his apple?). I, along with Craig Cary, have already found a relatively unknown pathway which incorporates carbon dioxide into cell biomass, during the course of our research. This had never been described in deep-sea hydrothermal vent microbes, including the Alvinella pompejana symbionts. Our group is also taking a relatively new molecular approach (meta-genomic, see the web site) to investigate the relationship between the Pompeii worm and its symbionts. These types of experiments and research are broadly applicable to others interested in environmental genomics. In addition, by studying the worm in its environment, we hopefully will find out what types of tricks the worm uses to thrive in such a harsh habitat. |
|
|
|
|
You have accomplished many great things. I am a big fan of your work. You are the reason I want to be a marine biologist. What advice do you have for a young scientist like me? Student
Name: Mike
State: ID Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
That's great Mike, I'm glad that you have a passion for marine biology. The best advice I could give is stay passionate about science, study hard and never stop wondering why and how things work. In school, if you understand the why, the details will be much easier to remember. I would say pick a good college, but really, if you apply yourself in any good undergraduate school, then if you want to get your PhD, then it shouldn't be a problem. |
|
|
|
|
Does it get cold or hot while you are at the vents or not? Student
Name: Wayne
State: NC Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
If you mean inside the sub, no, once we descend below 500 m or so, it starts to get quite chilly. Somewhere between 10-15 degrees Celsius. Once we get to the bottom, the ambient seawater temperature is around 2 degrees Celsius. The pilot is able to read the temperature at his view port, and monitors it closely, so it doesn't get above 10 degrees Celsius. If it does, he knows that we are too close to hot hydrothermal fluid. |
|
|
|
|
We enjoyed talking to you during Friday's Phone Call to the Deep. It was AWESOME!!!! We were wondering what the dripping sounds were that we heard when we were connected with the Alvin. Was that pinging from Atlantis' sonar? Does Alvin have its own sonar? Many thanks!! Student
Name: Mrs. Henderson's Class
State: GA Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
I actually didn't know the answer to your question, so I asked Alvin Pilot-in-Training Anthony Berry. Here's what he had to say. "ALVIN does have its own sonar but the dripping noises you heard were from our acoustic navigation system and not the sonar. When we navigate the sub using LBL, or long baseline navigation, the ship will transmit two audible "pings" every thirty seconds. One ping interrogates a transponder network in the water, and the other interrogates the submarine. When a transponder, or the submarine, receives a ping it replies with another ping of a different frequency. All of these noises are heard inside the submarine through our underwater telephone, and these "pings" are the dripping noises you were hearing." |
|
|
|
|
Hi my name is Kaelyn I have just one question for you. What made you want to be a scientist and why? Thank you for your time and your cooperation.
Have a nice day, a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! Student
Name: Kaelyn
State: LA Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
I think it takes a passion about looking at things and wondering how they work. I was always keen on looking at life from the microscopic to macroscopic when I was in grade school. Certainly by the time I took high school biology I knew I wanted to study biology. Science is fun and very exciting to me, because of many aspects, but mainly because of being able to discover new and exciting things and of the mental challenges that scientists encounter everyday. I hope you have a great holiday season as well. |
|
|
|
|
What kind of food do you eat at sea and on Alvin? Student
Name: Blake
State: LA Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
Too much good food. On this cruise, we have Carl, Torii and Linda who keep us supplied with all sorts of great selections. I will rave about the chicken ravioli with pesto sauce yesterday and the apple crisp the other night, but there are always things to rave about, and I, along with the other scientists will most likely gain more weight than we would like to. It's a bit different in Alvin, because there are no refrigerators or microwave ovens, so we get by with water, coffee, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and what we call mystery meat sandwiches (typically ham and cheese). They also throw in an apple and chocolate bar. I brought a few Mars bars for us to snack on as well. Generally they are appreciated by the pilot and other science observer. |
|
|
|
|
Ms. Barbara,
When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? Student
Name: Molly
State: LA Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
Hi Molly. When I was very little, I don't remember specifically what I wanted to do. I'm sure it was something like a nurse or teacher. Later, in high school, I became really interested in biology and how things work. |
|
|
|
|
What is the most interesting creature you've seen so far? Student
Name: Cade
State: LA Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
I'm a bit biased with that question. Since I work with Alvinella pompejana, I think that is the most interesting creature I've seen. However, there are several 'cool' looking fish, shrimp and sea cucumbers down there, to name just a few others. |
|
|
|
|
Why was this particular site chosen for this research expedition? And what are some of the locations Alvin and its crew have explored in hopes of making new discoveries? Student
Name: Brittany
State: LA Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
The research expedition is centered around how Alvinella pompejana lives/thrives in deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Alvinella is found at hydrothermal vents from 21 degrees N to 32 degrees S along the East Pacific Rise. Alvin and its crew have been around the globe, in places as diverse as near the Galapagos Islands, the Gulf of Mexico, and along the Mid Atlantic Ridge. Certainly one of the most famous deep-sea places Alvin has been is the resting place of the Titanic. |
|
|
|
|
What do Pompeii worms feed off of? Student
Name: Brittany
State: LA Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
No one really knows, although most scientists believe that the Pompeii worms digest bacteria that grow near where they live. |
|
|
|
|
Dear Scientist,
Is there always at least one or two people up all day everyday? (when everyone is sleeping is someone up making sure that everything is ok?) Thank you! Student
Name: Ramsey
State: LA Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
As with any sailing vessel on the ocean, there are crew that stay up during the night to make sure things run smoothly. On the Atlantis, there is a mate and an AB (able-bodied seaman) that keep watch from the wheel house (bridge) and an engineer to make sure the boat is functioning properly. |
|
|
|
|
What is the speed at which the submarine makes its descent, and why must it go so slowly? Student
Name: Drexel Perkins
State: LA Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
According to Alvin Technician and Pilot-in-Training Greg Speer, it's all about physics. Alvin's descent and buoyancy have a lot to do with how much water the submersible displaces. There are ways to increase speed on the ascent if it were an emergency, such as dropping heavy items that are detachable like the manipulators, the scientific basket or the batteries. You could also point the thrusters straight down and turn them on if you had power left. |
|
|
|
|
How does the pressure allow those organisms to live down at the depths of the ocean without being crushed? What is the difference between their structures and our structures? Student
Name: Krystal
State: LA Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
Pressure affects those of us with air in our lungs, flowing through our bloodstream, in the spaces between our cells. There is no air at those pressures, if there were the animals would get crushed. So the animals have evolved to use other things like oils and they extract oxygen from the seawater in different ways. |
|
|
|
|
Does the pressure, temperature, and/or light affect the organisms living in the ocean? Student
Name: Kendell
State: RI Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
Yes, all of the above. It’s a bit complex, and something that I cannot spend a lot of time here answering. Certainly at hydrothermal vents, organisms have evolved to thrive in various temperatures and at high pressures. In deep-sea hydrothermal vents, there is no penetration of sunlight and it is pitch black. However, it has been proposed that there actually may be some light given off by bioluminescent organisms or the chimneys themselves. This is not enough to support life, therefore the primary producers rely on chemical energy to fix carbon dioxide. |
|
|
|
|
What is the most unique creature you have seen? Student
Name: Brian
State: CT Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
All the animals we see down in the deep are unique, with many modifications that make them thrive in the dark, hot, pressurized and chemically toxic (to us) environment. I'm a bit biased, and would say that the most unique animal is the Pompeii worm, because that's what I study. |
|
|
|
|
When was the first year that the Extreme On-Line Expedition took place? Student
Name: Leighann
State: NJ Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
Our Extreme expeditions started in 2000 with a formal Web site. It may still be accessible, check it out! |
|
|
|
|
How much did it cost to build Alvin? Student
Name: Calvin
State: MA Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
That is a hard estimate to come up with. Initially, Alvin was built for $472,517. This was for the initial sub/sphere in 1960. Since then, Alvin has undergone several improvements and modifications. Each of these cost more than what the original sub was built for. There is a new deep submergence vehicle proposed, with an estimated cost of over $20 million dollars. |
|
|
|
|
What do you like about your job? Student
Name: Anna
State: MA Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
The list would be endless but to narrow it down I'd have to say the following: working with the people I meet out here, getting to travel to exotic places and having the opportunity to dive to the seafloor along the way is great. Working outside and getting to see the sunrise and set over the ocean everyday isn't too bad either. It's a challenging job but that certainly adds to the enjoyment. It's been a great way to learn about science from an on-hands point of view too. |
|
|
|
|
How many dives in Alvin have you taken in your life? Student
Name: Joe & Stephen
State: OR Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
I started going on scientific cruises in 1999. I've been on 5 and dove in Alvin 4 times. I was also fortunate to go out on a French-sponsored research cruise and dove in the deep submergence vehicle Nautile as well. That's actually a yellow submarine (and they make the scientists wear a yellow jumpsuit!). Too bad they didn't play any Beatles music! |
|
|
|
|
What kind of bacteria are you expecting to find? Student
Name: Ashley Buell
State: OR Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
We know from molecular studies of the Alvinella pompejana symbiont community that we will find a certain type of bacteria called epsilon Proteobacteria. They like to grow under the conditions found at hydrothermal vents - warm (from 20 degrees to 60 degrees Celsius), with sulfur/sulfide and carbon dioxide and a bit of hydrogen as well. However, there are many other different types of microbes that inhabit hydrothermal vents, from psychrophiles that grow below 15 degrees Celsius to hyperthermophiles that grow above 80 degrees Celsius. Other scientists have isolated a particular type of microbe (Archaea) from hydrothermal vents whose optimal growth temperature is 116 degrees Celsius! |
|
|
|
|
What habitat does the Pompeii worm prefer? (EX: under rocks, swimming freely) Student
Name: Angela
State: WI Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
The Pompeii worms are found on the sides of black smokers. The temperatures are very high, with a low pH, and a high amount of iron. The worms build their own tubes made out of chitin (similar to insect's shells). |
|
|
|
|
Has anyone ever brought the Pompeii worms out of their environment, and if so, how long did they survive? Student
Name: Mrs. Pierson's class
State: WI Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
We, and others are interested in seeing if the Pompeii worms can survive at the surface. For a long time, it was believed that the worms were dead when they were brought to the surface. However, a French group has recently put a few worms in a pressurized vessel and noticed movement after 6 hours, and up to 12 hours. We have a researcher on the ship, Michelle Phillips, who is attempting this as well. She is trying different temperatures and conditions to see if the worms can survive even longer. |
|
|
|
|
What is it like being a scientist and going down into the deep ocean and looking for interesting findings? Student
Name: Carrie
State: NE Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
I love it! I especially like the feeling when I've discovered something that actually makes the textbook writers change what they've written. It makes me feel that my work is contributing to the knowledge of others, to how things work (in my case the metabolism of deep-sea hydrothermal vent bacteria) and to how the earth may have been millions of years ago. |
|
|
|
|
Whats it like going down in the sub for 9 hours at a time? Do you get to see a lot of cool stuff on the way down? Student
Name: Kasey
State: NE Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
Between the time the hatch closes on Alvin, we are lowered into the ocean to the time we surface and then are brought back on ship, the time flies! Launch is around 8 am, where recovery is around 5 pm. When I went down a couple of days ago (Dive 4063), the water was clear, but turned dark quickly. By 500 meters below the surface, we were seeing bioluminescent organisms - green stars in the ocean floating by. At the bottom it is pitch black until we turn on Alvin's lights. I've described elsewhere what we see on the bottom. On the way back up the water turned from black to dark green to light green to the surface blue. Somewhere between the light green and surface, we started seeing Salps, colonies of gelatinous filter feeders. They were in long strands, sometimes up to 15 feet long! The swimmers who help in the launch and recovery of Alvin were wondering if they would sting like jellyfish (they don't, in fact they are not at all related to them). I was down a few years ago, and on the way back up, Alvin's sonar was picking up whale conversations. We found out after we were recovered that pilot whales had been sighted that afternoon. So, even on the ascent and decent we observe many types of marine life. |
|
|
|
|
What is the most unique animal you have seen so far? Student
Name: Jonathan
State: NE Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
All the animals we see down in the deep are unique, with many modifications that make them thrive in the dark, hot, pressurized and chemically toxic (to us) environment. I'm a bit biased, and would say that the most unique animal is the Pompeii worm, because that's what I study. |
|
|
|
|
Are you afraid of being down in the water that deep? Student
Name: Tony
State: NE Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
Yes, but not overly so. The worst time I had was the first time I dove. I was worried about everything imaginable before I went down. Once the hatch closed and we were lowered into the water, I decided that I couldn't worry so much, we were going down and I might as well enjoy it. I still get a little apprehensive every time I go, but that quickly fades away once we're doing science at the bottom. |
|
|
|
|
What is it like to be down there and find different things?
Is it really boring or exciting down in the dark cold ocean? Student
Name: Alysa & Lydia
State: NE Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
I wouldn't miss being able to go down in Alvin to the depths of the ocean for anything -- it is an experience like no other. Descending down through nothingness into an environment filled with black smoking chimneys, covered with bacteria and Alvinella worms, Riftia tubeworms drifting in the current generated by the sub and vent fluids emanating from the cracks -- it's a whole different world. I suppose, if Alvin didn't have lights it would be difficult to enjoy this world, but Alvin does and I get to study life in the thriving hydrothermal vents. So it is not boring and is quite unique. |
|
|
|
|
What are some of the things you like about your job? Student
Name: Shawn
State: NE Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
My job (I like to call it my career, it is so much more than a job to me) involves a lot of exciting things, but many routine tasks as well. One of the techniques in the laboratory I do is a process called PCR (polymerase chain reaction). I've actually kept track of the number of different PCR experiments I've performed since 1998. I've done more than 1030 of them! Certainly one of the most exciting things about my work is being able to explore deep-sea hydrothermal vents in Alvin. I also like the traveling and presenting my work. |
|
|
|
|
Does everyone on the ship get to go on the Alvin and go down, or only certain people? Student
Name: Zach
State: PA Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
Unfortunately, probably not. For instance, on this cruise, there are 12 scheduled dives. Two scientists can go on each dive for 10 of them. There are also 2 PIT (Pilot in training) dives, where only one scientist goes. So at the most, only 22 scientists can dive. Generally, one experienced person dives along with a person who hasn't before. There probably will be a few of us that will not dive this cruise, but may get a chance to dive on a subsequent one. Sometimes the science allows a ship crew member to go down as well. On my last cruise, we had a lottery and the SSSG (shipboard scientific support group) won and got to go down in Alvin. |
|
|
|
|
It must be really hard to be away from your family for 3 weeks, how do you cope with it? Are you able to send them emails or make phone calls? Student
Name: Seana
State: PA Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
Yes, it is hard for me. I have a husband and 3 1/2 year old son. I get to talk to them on a satellite phone (less than $2.00 a minute during the cheap times) and can email all I want. The emails are sent/received three times a day. I brought lots of family pictures and even a couple of movies of my son so I can see those as well. It was especially hard going out when my son was 7 months old (and difficult for my husband as well). I think it makes me realize what home and my family means to me. However, I enjoy being out here as well, and knowing how much I and others benefit from my research, it makes it all worthwhile. |
|
|
|
|
How do you communicate with the pilot and scientists on the Alvin even though there aren't any phone lines? Student
Name: Seana
State: PA Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
Actually, we use acoustic waves to communicate with Alvin. Sound waves travel exceptionally far distances. To hear how good it sounds, check out one of our Phone Calls to the Deep. |
|
|
|
|
How did you get picked to be with Extreme 2004? I assume there were many applicants. Student
Name: Brian
State: WI Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
Research expeditions, like Extreme 2004 are generally funded by government agencies such as the National Science foundation. Craig Cary leads a group of researchers, including myself, that wrote a grant request to fund this research. We were fortunate to obtain this money from the National Science Foundation and now bring some of this excitement to you students via the Extreme 2004 web site and curriculum. I hope you enjoy it! |
|
|
|
|
What are the educational requirements to be a marine biologist? Student
Name: Katie
State: OH Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
Most marine biologists enter the field with an undergraduate degree in biology or one with a concentration in oceanography. Most scientists on board here have their PhD in a marine biology field or are in the process of obtaining one. I am a bit different and came into marine biology after my PhD, and even after my postdoctoral position. I was married and wanted to find a research position close to home, and luckily I found the Graduate College of Marine Studies at the University of Delaware. Since I got my degree in molecular microbiology, I fit well into Craig Cary's lab and have been working there for 6 years. |
|
|
|
|
We are interested in knowing whether the trip is going well and has anything new been found so far? Is the voyage any different than your last one? Student
Name: Rachel
State: MO Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
It’s a bit early to tell if anything new has been found. Many of our experiments have just started, and some of us won't know the final answers for many months. So far, we have accomplished what we set out to do, and I'm sure that it will be a very successful cruise overall. The voyage is very similar to my last one 2 years ago (see the Extreme 2002 web site!). We have refined our sampling techniques and have a few new pieces of equipment that allow us to preserve samples in a more biologically informative way. The crew has changed a bit, and there are several different scientists on board that have different goals and objectives, so the types of samples that we collect and the analyses at the vents are a bit different as well. |
|
|
|
|
Is it true there are volcanoes in the ocean? Student
Name: Samantha
State: MI Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
Yes, but they are different from hydrothermal vents. Volcanoes spew out molten lava, the actual magma from the earth's mantle. There are several around the world, including Hawaii and some newly discoved ones off the coast of New Zealand. Hydrothermal vents spew out super heated fluids (fluids that are heated by the earth's mantle, but are then mixed with seawater). |
|
|
|
|
Can you provide any information on when the pompeii worm was discovered and who named it? Student
Name: Jeehyun
State: ** Country: Uzbekistan
|
|
| |
|
The Pompeii worm was discovered (and named) in the early 1980's, very soon after the discovery of hydrothermal vents themselves. The work was published by our French colleagues in 1983 in the journal Science. |
|
|
|
|
Do you think that it will be easier to collect samples in the new Alvin or will it be the same as in the current Alvin? Student
Name: Thomas
State: ** Country: Uzbekistan
|
|
| |
|
I actually don't know that much about the new Alvin design, but I'm sure it will be easier. The pilots and engineers have learned a lot about deep sea exploration from the first Alvin, and they are applying that knowledge to the design of the new Alvin. The engineers are designing it to be more comfortable inside, with more capabilities for sample collection and measuring such things as temperature. |
|
|
|
|
How does the pompeii worm get its food? Student
Name: Charlotte
State: VA Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
Good question. We are not sure, but believe that the worms ingest bacteria and detritus (dead stuff) from their surroundings. The symbionts may also contribute to the worm's nutrition. We are actively studying the relationship between the worm and it's symbionts. |
|
|
|
|
What do you think is the most insteresting about Extreme 2004? Student
Name: Kate
State: VA Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
Extreme 2004 is a tremendous experience for all the scientists on board. I understand that the schools involved feel the same. But for the most interesting thing - I would say that it is by far going down in Alvin to the bottom of the ocean and studying the hydrothermal vent ecosystem. I had a chance to dive in Alvin yesterday. Although it was not my first time, it was still a humbling experience. I see new and different things every time I go. |
|
|
|
|
Hello my name is Chamesha, and I am in Mrs.Reininng's 8th grade science class at Tucker Middle School. My question to you is: How deep are you diving in the Alvin? Thank you and I hope you can answer my question. Student
Name: Chamesha
State: GA Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
We dive approximately 2500 meters below the surface of the ocean. I have dove in Alvin at other hydrothermal vents, but those are a bit shallower (around 2000 meters below the surface). Work out how much that is in feet! |
|
|
|
|
Hello! How is sound affected in the depths of the sea. Thank you! Student
Name: April
State: IN Country: USA
|
|
| |
|
Good question! I didn't know the answer for sure, so I went and talked with Dave Sims, a Ship to Science Support Group technician aboard the Atlantis. He explained that sound travels very well through water - approximately 1500 m/s. However, that speed changes with depth, because of various properties of the water that change. One of these is temperature and the other is salinity. The speed of sound at the surface is pretty close to 1500 m/s, but decreases to around 1480 m/s at a place in the water column where the water temperature changes very rapidly. After it passes through the thermocline, its speed increases again. |
|
|
|
