Objectives of the SFB 574 cruise were the sampling of ash layers from the Southern Volcanic Zone (SVZ) of the Andes, the description and dating of formerly mapped sub sea slides as well as the obtaining of slide material for geotechnical experiments, the search for submarine evidence for the recent 8.8 MW Maule earthquake, but also the search and detailed sampling of manifestations of fluid seeps (authigenic carbonates and cold seep faunal communities) at the Chilean Continental Margin (Linke 2011) 1. ROV KIEL 6000 was one of the tools for especially approaching the latter tasks. Authigenic carbonates could be sampling using a hydraulically driven underwater chain saw. Furthermore sediment pushcores and handnets were employed. In addition, the ROV was used to precisely deploy in-situ instruments, like Eddy correlation Modules, benthic chambers and a pore water sampler. Parallel to the ROV deployments, the GEOMAR OCEAN ELEVATOR was deployed to transport as many instruments as possible down to the seafloor at the same time. Thus, ROV bottom time during the specific dives could be used very efficiently.
During this expedition, 13 scientific dives were completed. ROV KIEL 6000 reached its so far largest diving depth of more then 6000 m.
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1Linke, Peter, ed. (2011) FS SONNE Fahrtbericht / Cruise Report SO210 ChiFlux : Identification and investigation of fluid flux, mass wasting and sediments in the forearc of the central Chilean subduction zone, Valparaiso - Valparaiso, 23.09.-01.11.2010 [Fahrtbericht]. In: IFM-GEOMAR Report, 44. IFM-GEOMAR, Kiel.
Photos (unless otherwise noted): ROV-Team GEOMAR; for enquiries on utilisation of images material please contace Public Relations Dpt. GEOMAR oder Dr. Friedrich Abegg.
