THE NEXT ICE AGE - NOW!

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World's deepest chain of undersea volcanoes
to be explored
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World's deepest chain of undersea volcanoes to be explored
1 Sep 08 — Scientists at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, are set to explore the world's deepest undersea volcanoes five kilometers beneath the Caribbean.

The team of researchers led by Dr Jon Copley will explore the Cayman Trough, which lies between Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. This rift in the Caribbean seafloor plunges to a depth of more than 5000 meters below sea level.

Working at such depths will take the UK's deep-diving vehicles close to their limits. Isis is the UK’s deepest diving remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) reaching depths of 6,500 meters. The team will control Isis from their research ship to film the ocean floor and collect samples with its robotic arms.

Autosub6000, a new unmanned undersea vehicle built in Southampton, can dive to 6000 meters. The team will launch Autosub6000 from their ship to survey the area and hunt for volcanic vents on the ocean floor.

           We know more about the moon than we know about
           underwater volcanoes, so I’m excited to learn of this
           new project. How long it will take, I wonder, before
           we admit that underwater volcanoes are heating the
           oceans.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080830211000.htm
Thanks to Jimmy Walter for this link