Search :

Listening to the Earth from Under
the Sea

by Carole VanSickle

EMAIL THIS     PRINTABLE VERSION

Intro  |  Where It All Began  |  Seismic Forecasts?   |  A Versatile Tool

Not Your Average Sea World

 

Seismic Forecasts?

Di Iorio is more focused, however, on geophysically and oceanographically derived perturbations in the vent systems. She aims to determine how oceanographic changes such as flow or temperature fluctuations effect vent output.

The "smoke" expelled by a black smoker vent is actually a hot fluid rich in metals brought up from within the earth's crust.

“We’re looking at flow and temperature fluctuations of the fluid and how that information fluctuates with the occurrence of tides, inertial oscillations and seismic events. There is a very sensitive ecosystem that thrives and depends on hydrothermal fluids. Too much might cook the system and too little might starve them.”

Di Iorio will also be able to detect any shifts in the earth’s tectonic system that are likely indicative of the flexing and bending and twitching of the plate systems. “What’s really exciting are the implications for seismic investigations,” she said. “Could we eventually forecast a seismic event by looking at the characteristics of the plume? Even if not, what I’m doing should be invaluable to knowing many of the ‘causes and effects’ between geological and oceanographic systems.”

NEXT

Intro  |  Where It All Began  |  Seismic Forecasts?   |  A Versatile Tool

EMAIL THIS     PRINTABLE VERSION


CONTENTS| BROWSE | ARCHIVE | SUBSCRIBE
UGA | OVPR | NEWS | CONTACT
Research Communications, Office of the VP for Research, UGA
For comments or for information please e-mail: rcomm@uga.edu
To contact the webmaster please email: ovprweb@uga.edu