FS Meteor M78/2
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | FS Meteor (06M3) |
| Cruise identifier | M78/2 |
| Cruise period | 2009-04-02 — 2009-05-11 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago |
| Port of return | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | The cruise M78/2 was the last scheduled within the DFG Special Priority Program 1144 to study energy, material and life cycles at spreading axes of the Atlantic. Based on comprehensive information already assembled from the results of previous research cruises, 4 target areas were identified.
(i) Vents around 4°48´S investigated for the first time in 2004 during cruise M64/1 (ii) the Inside Corner High at 5°S where earlier studies during M47/2 and L'Atalante 2008 revealed presence of extended exposures of lower crust (iii) the Nibelungen field found during M68/1 and being the only known ultramafic-hosted systems on the southern MAR (iv) the Lilliput Vent Fields at 9°32´S where diffuse venting accompanied by a rich fauna was discovered during M64/1. At best supported by FS METEOR - she actually accomplished her first 1 million nm during the cruise - and crew as well as fine weather; a comprehensive set of samples and data were obtained from all working areas. This made possible especially due to the reliable operational capability of the remotely operated vehicle ROV "Kiel 6000" and the first successful in the field use of the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) 'ABYSS'. |
| Chief scientist | Richard Seifert (University of Hamburg Department of Biogeochemistry and Marine Chemistry) |
| Cruise report |  (5.77 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | South East Atlantic Ocean (limit 20W) |
| Specific | Mid-Atlantic Ridge |
| Track charts | (0.14 MB) |
