Undersea Volcanoes, Live from Lau Basin

Tune in every day through Sept. 26 to live video sent from a robot exploring volcanoes at 4,000 feet underwater. UW and NOAA oceanographer Joe Resing, is leading a team of scientists to the Western Pacific’s Lau Basin, located between American Samoa, Fiji and Tonga. This is one of the most concentrated areas of active submarine volcanism and hot springs anywhere on Earth, according to Resing.

When researchers visited the site in 2009 they were among the first people to ever witness an underwater volcanic eruption. They captured the stunning display, complete with audible booms, on live video.

They may not be so lucky this time, but they plan to conduct visual surveys, collect sediment samples and map the geological, biological, archaeological and chemical aspects of the ocean area.

Video highlights, daily mission logs, interactive maps, scientist biographies and 3D virtual fly-throughs of the Lau Basin are already available.

To watch the live transmissions tune in every day between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. PDT.

More information can be found at NOAA News

Originally posted September 18, 2012 by UW Office of News and Information