Alvin Dive 4605
Transcript: Starboard Voice Recorder
Julie Bowles
Time
15:39
15:40
15:43
Depth
2725
2729
2722
Head
17
339
300
15:46
2719
324
15:49
15:53
15:58
2718
2718
2711
330
329
349
15:59
16:00
2709
2708
313
311
16:03
2716
324
16:05
16:07
2722
2725
276
295
16:11
16:14
2733
2742
286
309
16:15
2747
343
16:16
2749
336
16:17
16:20
16:27
2753
2762
2784
325
305
337
16:28
2788
325
Comment
Bottom in sight.
Landing on top of ridge south of WP 1.
At bottom of steep slope consisting of broken pillow faces to
starboard side; flattened out in front of us. Pillows on bottom
directly below me. Talus in front of us.
Steep slope to starboard has pretty much full sediment cover,
lighter dusting on protruding pillows, but pockets coalescing
and deep in places in between. We’re at bottom of slope and
there’s a little sediment apron at bottom of slope.
Sample #1
Leaving landing site and heading north towards WP2
Coming up and over top of ridge – top still looks like broken
pillow fragments.
Blue water out starboard window
On starboard pan and tilt camera: looks like steep slope (port
side) with pillows, elongate pillow tubes, some pillows broken
On bottom cam: looks like pillows or broken pillows – image
fuzzy but moderately sedimented with some pockets between
pillows coalescing.
Back to pan and tilt
Still moving down slope towards WP1 – pillows and elongate
pillow tubes, some broken. Sediment cover seems fairly heavy
for such a steep slope -- a little bit difficult to tell (can only see
on monitor), but looks like light dusting to ~ 1 cm thick on
pillow tops, and pockets coalesced up to several cm deep
between.
Bottom cam
Talus field. Blocks fairly angular. Hard to tell size on camera,
but look like 10s of cm to ½ m in diameter. Still can’t see
anything out window.
Sediment cover on talus appears quite a bit less than on
previous slopes and flat-lying areas. Maybe a little dusting on
the surface.
About half-way down slope to flat-lying area between WP1
and WP2
Bottom cam
Still flying over talus with apparently little sediment cover.
Still over talus but appears to be a little more rounded, broken
pillows, less angular
Contact between talus and lobate or very large pillows, perhaps
16:29
2789
355
16:31
16:39
16:40
2791
2788
2787
1
20
21
16:42
2784
6
16:44
16:45
2786
2784
6
6
16:46
2782
6
16:48
2782
6
16:49
2784
6
16:50
2787
7
16:51
2788
6
16:54
2778
6
16:57
2768
6
16:59
2759
3
1 m to 1.5 m in diameter. Sediment cover on pillows tops is
light dusting in places to maybe a cm or more. Grooves and
pockets on surface of flows all filled in, and pockets between
flows coalescing with 5 or more cm sediment. Also, switched
back to pan and tilt a little bit ago.
Intermixed lobes and pillows. Pillows have striated features on
them. Sediment cover now quite continuous in places between
big mounds, at least 10 cm thick.
Looking for sample #2
Leaving sample location and continuing on to WP2
Pillows and lobes here look much more ornamented all of a
sudden. Some have fallen off
Pillows now have an appearance similar to where sample #2
location. Seems there was small patch with extra
ornamentation.
Going over another little patch with a lot of extra ornaments
Some of the pillows have collapsed. Sediment cover still
relatively thick on tops of pillows -- >= couple cm with a deep
continuous layer in between
Still lots of largish pillows or lobe-ish pillows – many striated,
most intact. No collapse features that I can see here. Pillows
1-2 m or more across
Coming off a cliff that’s maybe 5 m or so high (drops down in
front of us)
Just came up another little cliff face a few m and now a steep
slope again in front of us.
Slope dropping away steeply in front of us. We’re going to
proceed straight across towards WP2, not following bottom.
Slope now coming up in front of us. Looks like mostly
pillows. Out starboard window looks like some broken pillows
in place with perhaps additional fallen fragments. Out front on
camera: surface appears smooth and lightly sedimented as if
there was some kind of rock fall or something.
Sediment cover seems somewhat uneven. Fairly steep slope.
Protruding pillows maybe have a light dusting, but everywhere
else pockets starting to coalesce with 5-10 cm sediment. At the
base of this slope is a talus pile. The slope directly above that
pile has fairly heavy sediment. Talus composed of broken
pillows and angular fragments. Think some of the pillows in
place, but maybe not.
Slope in front of us again mostly composed of broken off
pillows. Sed cover similar to what seen in steeper areas
Flattened out again now. Have more similar largish pillows to
lobate pillows, some broken up. Sediment cover again light
dusting on protruding areas to 1cm + thick on flat-laying top.
Blankets quite deep and continuous in between pillows. Now
17:01
2751
0
17:04
2737
32
17:06
17:11
17:14
2738
2740
2756
22
283
332
17:16
2762
352
17:17
17:20
2761
2752
337
333
17:21
2751
333
17:21
17:25
2752
2759
332
343
17:26
2775
336
17:34
2758
331
17:38
17:39
2764
2765
300
315
17:40
2764
327
seem to be crossing over into a little talus slope.
Moved off little talus/scree slope. More pillows very heavily
sedimented. Pillow size is smaller.
At top of little mound, just east (?) of WP2. Top fairly heavily
sediment. Broken pillow fragments laying around on top.
Sample #3 from top of mount near WP2.
On our way to waypoint 3. Switched to bottom cam
As we head down slope now crossing talus field. Just a minute
ago it was talus intermingled with pillows and broken pillows.
Sed cover seems to be considerably less than it was on the
other side of this little mound, thought difficult to really tell
with all the talus. Also, just getting my view from the bottom
cam– no view out window.
Upward slope out starboard window. Looks more sedimented
again here. Broken and intact pillows. Any kind of marginally
flay-lying surface on this slope is covered with 1 cm +
sediment.
Pan and tilt
On slope passing into talus. Blocky angular talus and pillow
fragments ~ 30 cm to ½ m in diameter. All talus is at least a
little bit sedimented. Now passing back into more intact
pillows. Now more talus.
Slope now dropping away in front of us. Looks like mostly
talus below us. Broken pillows, pillow fragments. On far
bottom (~10-15 m below us) maybe large in place pillows
several m in diameter.
Bottom cam
Talus – some pockets of sed in places. Mostly relatively
angular, blocky fragments, maybe 10s cm to ??
Contact with intact pillows/elongate pillows. Lots of
ornaments. Pillows striated. Some pillows collapsed.
Sediment cover up to 1 cm + on tops of pillows and ponding in
pockets, sometimes coalescing… up to 5-10 (?) cm deep.
Now flying over talus field. Talus has a good dusting of
sediment. Pockets of sediment >= 2 cm in places in between
angular blocks. Talus blocks 20-30 cm to ½ m in diameter.
Coming up to a big drop off -- cliff dropping down.
Bottom cam.
Flying over fairly steep slope and what looks like fairly
ornamented pillows (bottom cam view). Hard to tell sed cover.
Lot of pillows look intact interspersed with broken fragments
or small talus.
Now above big talus field – can see out window as well.
Dusting of sediment on surfaces of talus blocks. Blocks fairly
angular (<10 cm to ½ m in diameter) with a few rounded
pillow fragments. Fairly heterogeneous.
17:41
17:45
2765
2764
320
15
17:46
2763
325
17:50
17:53
2757
2741
331
338
17:58
17:59
2740
2741
15
4
18:00
2741
56
18:01
18:04
1743
2737
39
41
18:10
2734
56
18:12
2729
85
18:14
18:21
2730
2722
111
357
18:22
2718
359
18:24
2710
353
18:27
18:30
18:36
2706
2708
35
344
Pan and tilt
Roughly at base of seamount below WP3. Still flying over
talus field.
Headed up towards WP3. Still over talus. Relatively little
sediment (though sediment color may be darker). Light dusting
to ~½ cm thick in places. Some largish pillow fragments
intermixed with smaller angular blocks a few 10s of cm across
or less.
Coming up out of talus to outcrop. Pillows.
Steep slope composed of pillows and broken pillows.
Sediment cover appears thinner than what seen so far on
slopes. Dusting to ~½ cm thick in places. No real deep pockets
anywhere that I can see. Looking for sample #4.
Leaving Sample 4 location, headed to WP4
On more shallow slope out starboard slide have rounded
pillows to lobate flows, 1-2 m in diameter. Sediment cover
hard to tell but maybe ½ cm or more on tops of pillows starting
to coalesce around them. Steeper slope on port side.
On starboard pan and tilt pointed towards the port side see
smaller pillows to elongate pillow tubes. Sediment cover hard
to distinguish on video.
Out port window broken pillow fragments and talus
Mostly talus. Have been going in and out of areas of intact
pillows and elongate pillows and areas of talus.
Contact between talus and large pillows to lobate pillows 2 m
or more in diameter. Maybe cm or so of sediment on tops of
pillows. Some pockets in between maybe 5 cm deep. Don’t
see big blankets that did before, but terrain may be a little bit
rougher?? Some pillows now have a lot of very glassy
ornaments on them. Many are striated and up to 3 m long.
Looking for next sample. Sitting on top of one of these big
pillows that’s a bit broken up at the top. Sediment cover on
surface of pillow is < ½ cm. Quite a bit of glass.
Sample #5
Headed towards WP5. Pillows becoming smaller and more
elongate as we fly over steeper slope. Some of them collapsed
and hollow inside. Lot of them striated. Still lots and lots of
ornaments.
Lots of glassy, smooth, almost sheet-like flows draping some
of the pillows. Looks like pillows collapsed and lava flowed
out.
Lots of very complicated ornaments. Some very long, 10s of
cm long, inter-tangled. Almost look like octopuses.
Sediment getting thicker? Ponding more between pillows.
Contact with talus.
Pan and tilt
18:37
2705
357
18:40
2695
290
18:41
18:52
2693
2693
273
342
18:52
18:55
19:00
2693
2691
2689
337
1
30
19:03
2680
286
19:06
2669
197
19:18
2680
168
19:19
19:27
2681
2702
301
87
19:31
19:32
19:35
2694
2697
2706
96
109
78
19:39
2722
93
19:41
2729
106
19:44
19:45
2740
2742
65
62
Flying over pretty steep slope with talus intermixed with scarps
presumably from mass wasting events.
Still have a lot of big talus off to starboard side thru window.
Big blocky talus, 1/3 to < 1 m in diameter. Broken pillow
fragments. In front and ahead of us we have intact outcrop.
Sample #6 from some ornamented pillows in front of us
Traveling along to WP6, slope up to port and down to
starboard. Looks like from camera more or less intact pillows
and elongate pillows on slopes.
Bottom cam
Talus
Pan and tilt. Still traveling along contour/slope towards WP6,
going back and forth through blocky talus and outcrop of
pillows which seem to look a little bit glassy. Can’t tell
sediment cover.
Approaching top of seamount near WP6. Bottom is covered in
pillows. Again a lot of them striated, lots of ornaments.
Sediment cover maybe >=1 cm on tops of pillows, starting to
pond in between them but not a lot of coalescence. Lot of
ornaments. Pillows up to ~1/2 to 2+ meters in diameter.
Sample #7. In an area with some of these big pillows, also lots
of broken fragments laying around them. Pillows look fairly
glassy. Lots and lots of ornaments. Relatively light sediment
cover similar to what I just described a few minutes ago.
Heading towards WP7. Fairly steep slope (up) off to
starboard. Pillows and broken pillows. Pretty glassy looking.
Light sediment cover.
Turning around now so that same slope on port side.
Coming to a flat spot – not exactly sure where we are on map
relative to WP 6 but bottom has fairly large pillows, 1-2 m + in
diameter. Sediment cover may be a little bit thicker than just
previously. 1 cm or more on tops of pillows and starting to
pond in pockets between pillows. Pillows look somewhat less
ornamented than before. Maybe. Now approaching talus field.
Still going over talus. Smallish, angular, blocky fragments.
Talus field relatively flat. Blocks 10s of cm in diameter.
Bottom cam. Looks like going over pillows, some elongate,
lots of ornaments. Hard to tell size, but pillows look smaller
than on flat-laying areas. Probably ½ to <1 m diameter. Fair
bit of sediment coalesced in between pillows
Now flying over talus field with occasional pillow outcrop.
Talus mostly angular. Some rounded pillow fragments.
Over mostly outcrop again. Mostly ornamented pillows.
Again all from cameras.
Crossing back in and out of talus and outcrop.
Outcrop in bottom cam is elongate pillow tubes. Pillows fairly
19:46
19:52
2748
2776
54
72
19:53
2777
72
19:55
19:56
20:02
2778
2777
2765
73
69
69.3
20:02
2765
70
20:05
2754
67
20:06
2751
66
20:09
2738
18
20:17
2738
85
20:25
2743
88
20:30
2738
169
ornamented. Sed cover difficult to determine but doesn’t look
like a lot of ponding in between.
Talus below us.
Should be nearing lowermost point of saddle between WP 6
and 7. Topography flattened out quite a bit; can now see
bottom out window. Lots of pillows to lobate flows. Sed
cover probably ½ - 1 cm (max) thick on tops of flows and
starting to pond in between crevices. Some small ornaments
on flows.
Driving along contact between talus to northwest, and to south
and starboard side are pillows becoming more ornamented.
Not clear where talus coming from. Pillows look fairly glassy.
Sediment cover a little bit more continuous now. But overall
relief perhaps a little bit less? Sediment definitely coalescing
in between pillows and around them. Sediment cover maybe a
little thicker on flow tops -- maybe 1 cm or more.
Sediment cover definitely got thicker in the last few minutes.
Pillows look pretty glassy still. Same sed cover
Fissure 2-3 m deep and 1-2 m wide running roughly along our
track.
Pillows seem to becoming progressively more ornamented.
Little buds and toes coming off in many places. Ornamented
pillows intermixed with big elongate pillows with few
ornaments. Sediment cover maybe getting lighter. Looks like
< 1 cm on tops of pillows. Pockets not terribly coalesced.
Terrain seems rougher overall with lots of little, bumpy pillowlets.
Headed upslope towards WP7. Sediment cover may be
slightly less. Still looks like at least ~ 1 cm thick on tops of
pillows in some places, though I’m a little far from bottom
now. Some broken pillow fragments as head upslope. Pillows
becoming smaller, less ornamented.
Broken pillows, talus interspersed with some larger pillows.
Large pillows ~2 meters across. Smaller pillows ~ ½ m.
Preparing to take sample #8. We’re on slope headed up
towards WP7, with pillows to elongate pillows, striated, a lot
of ornaments, fairly glassy. Sed cover maybe 1+ cm on tops of
pillows. Lots of crevices between all these ornaments for
sediment to fall into so not a lot of ponding between them.
Leaving sample #8 site (near WP7) heading towards WP8 and
WP9.
Traveling over pillows. As far as I can tell sediment cover
hasn’t changed drastically. But just looking at camera – can’t
see out window.
Still traveling over similar pillows to elongate pillows. Maybe
few more ornaments. Sediment cover not noticeably different
20:32
2737
181
20:35
2723
67
20:40
20:43
2719
2719
51
51
from sample #8 location.
Now crossing into talus field. Mostly angular, blocky
fragments. 10s of cm to ~½ m + in diameter.
Roughly below WP8 and heading up out of talus into outcrop.
Lots of ornamented pillows. Sed cover maybe a little bit less.
Probably <1/2 cm on tops of pillows but is ponding in pockets
between them, maybe 5 cm deep. Some pillows striated. Lots
of glassy-looking ornaments. Some very elongate features that
seem to pour down over some of pillows.
Sample #9
About to surface