Tracking the Evolution of a Hydrothermal Event Plume with a RAFOS Neutrally Buoyant Drifter

摘要

The migration and evolution of a deep ocean hydrothermal event plume were tracked witha neutrally buoyant RAFOS float. The float remained entrained in the plume for 60 days,and the plume vorticity was calculated directly from the anticyclonic motion of the float.Concentrations of suspended particles, particulate iron, and dissolved manganese in theplume did not decay significantly during the 60 days, which indicates that event plumeswould be easily detectable a year after formation.