Popping Rocks
  • Science
  • Location
  • Technology
  • People
    • 2016 People

Technology

AlvinHOV Alvin
WHOI operates the U.S. Navy-owned Deep Submergence Vehicle Alvin for the national oceanographic community. Commissioned in 1964 as one of the world’s first deep-ocean submersibles, Alvin has made more than 4,700 dives. MORE

 

 

 

 

SentryAUV Sentry
The autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Sentry a fully autonomous underwater vehicle capable of exploring the ocean down to 6,000 meters (19,685 feet) depth. The vehicle’s hydrodynamic shape also gives it vertical mobility when exploring rugged seafloor terrain. MORE

 

 

 

 

TowCamTowCam
The WHOI TowCam is an internally recording, digital, deep-sea camera system that also aquires volcanic glass and seawater samples using up to eight rock core winches and four 1.2 liter or 5.0 liter Niskin bottles, meanwhile collecting and transmitting CTD water properties data. MORE

 

 

 

 

AtlantisR/V Atlantis
The research vessel (R/V) Atlantis is owned by the U.S. Navy and operated by WHOI for the oceanographic community. It is one of the most sophisticated research vessels afloat, and it is specifically outfitted for launching and servicing Alvin. MORE

 

About this expedition: Popping rocks revisited

We will be using the research vessel Atlantis, the submersible Alvin, and the autonomous underwater vehicle Sentry, to find and collect samples of “popping rocks”—basaltic seafloor lavas that contain large amounts of carbon dioxide and other gases trapped in high-pressure bubbles that pop when the rocks are brought to the surface. We intend to use these rocks to understanding the composition and origin of gases in the deep earth. This project began with an expedition in 2016 that was cut short due to mechanical problems. You can still see blog posts from the first trip here, and we will continue adding to them during the 2018 expedition.

Recent Posts

  • From Rocks to Rock Stars: A step-by-step guide to how a sample becomes a star
  • A Sacrifice to the Sea
  • Things on Ships
  • Our Cups Runeth Under
  • Traditions and Opportunities

Follow along live

Tweets by @popping_rocks

Follow our expedition

Completely spam free, opt out any time.

Email address
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution logoWHOI is the world's leading non-profit oceanographic research organization. Our mission is to explore and understand the ocean and to educate scientists, students, decision-makers, and the public.
Popping Rocks
Copyright © 2023 All Rights Reserved
Privacy Policy.
Problems or questions about the site, please contact webapp-support@whoi.edu
National Science FoundationThis expedition is funded by the National Science Foundation.