L'Atalante MARSUED IV
Cruise plan
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | L'Atalante (35A3) |
| Cruise identifier | MARSUED IV |
| Cruise period | 2008-01-07 — 2008-01-31 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Recife, Brazil |
| Port of return | Dakar, Senegal |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | Cruise was originally scheduled to take place on the Maria S Merian.
This cruise had two major aims given the time available. Focusing on the MARSUED Area (5°S, 12°W) in the central Atlantic these were: 1. Returning to observe and sample at the 4°48'S hydrothermal site (Turtle Pits, etc), which provided a wide variety of fluid types, habitats and geological settings to investigate the linkages between magmatism, fluid circulation and ecosystems in the deep sea. 2. Observing and sampling the lower crust on the 5°S Inside Corner High as there is mounting evidence that the deep crust also plays an important role in hydrothermal circulation and that water in the deep crust can strongly influence magmatic processes. Using the ROV Kiel 6000 at hydrothermal vents at Turtle Pits, turbulent fluid emanations with temperatures of about 400°C, i.e. the highest temperature measured so far in fluids at the MAR, have been observed. |
| Chief scientist | Colin Devey (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel (West Shore Campus)) |
| NPRC |  (0.09 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | South West Atlantic Ocean (limit 20W) |
| Specific | Central Atlantic |
