Tuesday 21st March 2017 : First operations

Tuesday 7h : at 40 nautical miles from the hydrothermal site Snake Pit, the Pourquoi Pas ? slowed down to acquire the first mapping data with the multi-beam echosounder.

These maps enable us to locate the sites where the hydrocast "GEOTRACE" and the traditional hydrocast have been deployed. Two tests meant we were able to validate the functioning of both tools and gave us hands-on experience with handling the equipment.

Further acoustic tests (multi-beam echosounder, water column, beacons...) and the first rock dredge are planned for Wednesday followed by the first dive of the Nautile on Thursday. First the chemists, now for the geologists!