Thank dott. Rajola to your support on our project.
Lost Island Project Team.
Thank dott. Rajola to your support on our project.
Lost Island Project Team.
A History of Coral of times gone by
Thank dott. Rajola to your support on our project.
Lost Island Project Team.
What we are looking for: Fumarole
The exhalative field, strictly elongated north-south, from the depths of 90-100 m is followed down along the side of the building and then through the floor with marine volcanic, with an overall probably more than 3 km. The fumaroles have a reach really very high and give rise to violent eruptions gaseous form of chains of bubbles, which rise to several tens of meters forming dense and wide (20-30 m) columns; higher columns fray and thin, while remaining perfectly recognizable to the surface, where you can see large bubbles still on the rise. This is not the usual fumarolic exhalations; seem continuous steam of the geysers, expelled under great pressure.
We used (Sanfilippo, Lanzafame, 2006) a camera mounted in a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) to study the fumarolic field in the floor with marine volcanic and we followed him to the north, to a depth of 173 m, without reaching the northern limit . The study of the seabed outside the northern base of the cone, showed that they are made from mobile sediments, sandy-muddy, whitish and organogenic nature. There are also isolated blocks, the number and the size of which increases in the vicinity of the cone, to indicate their origin gravitational at the expense of the slopes of the building. The sea floor is largely covered by a veil of black sand of volcanic origin, composed of material ialoclastico, as shown by the analysis of samples collected during the background investigation. The volcanic sands, with evidence, have been observed to hold the blocks and also sessile organisms living. The depths of the whole area examined (about 1 sq. km) are littered with depression, funnel-shaped, metric sizes (diameter and depth), often organized along north-south orientations, some of which are still home to very weak fumaroles. These findings, in reference to what is known even about the fields exhalative land, indicate that small craters are now sold out of the product flow fumarole high energy which, when they were in business, digging troughs removing the finest materials , bringing them up and dispersing them in the area. The observation of granules blacks, of volcanic origin, of living organisms confirms unequivocally that the phenomenon is still in place in the adjacent volcanic areas.
We used (Sanfilippo, Lanzafame, 2006) a camera mounted in a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) to study the fumarolic field in the floor with marine volcanic and we followed him to the north, to a depth of 173 m, without reaching the northern limit . The study of the seabed outside the northern base of the cone, showed that they are made from mobile sediments, sandy-muddy, whitish and organogenic nature. There are also isolated blocks, the number and the size of which increases in the vicinity of the cone, to indicate their origin gravitational at the expense of the slopes of the building. The sea floor is largely covered by a veil of black sand of volcanic origin, composed of material ialoclastico, as shown by the analysis of samples collected during the background investigation. The volcanic sands, with evidence, have been observed to hold the blocks and also sessile organisms living. The depths of the whole area examined (about 1 sq. km) are littered with depression, funnel-shaped, metric sizes (diameter and depth), often organized along north-south orientations, some of which are still home to very weak fumaroles. These findings, in reference to what is known even about the fields exhalative land, indicate that small craters are now sold out of the product flow fumarole high energy which, when they were in business, digging troughs removing the finest materials , bringing them up and dispersing them in the area. The observation of granules blacks, of volcanic origin, of living organisms confirms unequivocally that the phenomenon is still in place in the adjacent volcanic areas.
Enjoy!
Scientific Research
predominant, and in many volcanic areas, as on the island of Linosa and in the submarine volcanoes of Adventure plateau and Graham and Nameless Banks, are the only products found. The general petrologic features of the volcanism of the Sicily Channel point to an anorogenic magmatism similar to that found in continental rift areas (Corti et al. 2006). The trace element distribution is comparable with that observed in intraplate basalts or ocean island basalts. Petrological evidence suggests that the ascent of magmas to the surface was relatively rapid, probably through channels superim- posed over the major tectonic discontinuities of the rift. Major and trace element data indicate an ocean island basalt affinity for Graham and Nameless Banks alkaline lavas and a depleted tholeiitic signature for one Pantelleria seamount, which had a shallower mantle source (Rotolo et al. 2006).
On a regional scale, the distribution of the positive magnetic anomalies appear to follow two main trends: one (where the largest magnetic anomaly was found) follows the axis of the Pantelleria Graben, slightly shifted to the south; the other situated along a broad NNE-SSW-oriented belt extending from Linosa Island to the eastern margin of the Nameless Bank. This belt partly coincides with that proposed by Argnani (1990) on the basis of bathymetric, volcanic, and seismic considerations, and was interpreted as a strike-slip transfer fault zone separating the rift system in two independent areas, the Pantelleria Graben to the west and the Malta and Linosa grabens to the east. The factors playing a major role in the distribution and affinity of the Sicily Channel volcanic rocks appear to be: (a) the petrological characteristics of the mantle source; (b) the geodynamic processes responsible of the crustal rifting, which in turn depends of the grade of intensity of the extensional stresses; (c) the presence of pre-existing crustal tectonic structures which favoured the rising of the mag- matic manifestations.
The main magnetic anomaly is closely related to a large magmatic body in correspondence to a boundary fault of the south–western Pantelleria Graben. Boundary faults seem to have played a crucial role in the distribution of volcanic manifestations, probably because they channeled the magmatic material along the principal fault planes. The other two anomalies seem to be either related to: (a) a sort of off-axis volcanism, because they are located relatively close to the boundary faults, but in an external position on the shoulders of the rift, as occurring in other divergent systems, like a segment of the East African Rift, where Bosworth (1987) described paired zones of volcanism and lithospheric thinning off-axis from the rift proper; or (b) to a focussing of magma emplacement in correspondence with a structurally complex area (where pre-existing structures are present) representing a transfer zone between the Pantelleria and Linosa/Malta grabens. Geophysical data show that the rifting in this sector of the African platform is a passive response to a regional stress field, allowing hot mantle rocks to penetrate locally the lithosphere. Ascend- ing magmas within the Pantelleria Graben floor seem to migrate from the S to E sector of the depression toward the N–W sector, which is almost entirely floored by igneous material, and where the volcanic edifice of the Pantelleria Island, elongated in the same direction as the rift itself, is emerged (Civile et al. 2010).
There are some analogies between the Sicily Channel volcanism and the main Ethiopian rift volcanism, where the structural control (both inherited and/or rift-related) on magma emplacement played a major role, with major magmatic features located in specific structural locations like boundary faults and transfer zones (Corti 2008). The sequence of events in this segment of the East African Rift system includes a first episode of volcanism (possibly with coeval doming), later followed by lithospheric rifting connected to the Afar plume, that in turn may be a superficial expression of a deeper (lower mantle) superp- lume (Corti 2009).
Enjoy!
A taste of Sicily
More of a sugar-spiked espresso than a milky
cappuccino, Sicily will reward you with an intense bittersweet
experience rather than anything lightweight and frothy. In Sicily it
seems as though the sun shines brighter, the shadows are darker, and
life is lived full on and for the moment. Overloaded with art treasures,
undersupplied with infrastructure and continuously struggling to thwart
Mafia-driven corruption, Sicily possesses some baffling social
topography. Brace yourself to reconcile baroque architectural beauty in Catania with modern squalor in Palermo,
artistic excellence with moral ambivalence and the rational with the
sensual. This is an island to be visited with an open mind – and a
healthy appetite; one factor remains a constant, and that is the
uncompromisingly high quality of the cuisine.
After some 25 centuries of foreign domination,
Sicilians are heir to an impressive cultural legacy, from the refined
architecture of Magna Graecia to a beguiling, if contradictory, artistic
fusion of Arab craftsmanship and Norman austerity. This complexity of
culture is matched by a startling diversity of landscape that includes
the smouldering Mt Etna, an aquamarine coastline with a tiara of Aeolian Islands and Parco Naturale Regionale Delle Madonie.
Today,
Sicily’s new generation is loathe to remain trapped in the past. New
ventures are seeing aristocratic entrepreneurs prising open the doors of
some of Europe’s finest palazzi and villas, while sensitive agriturismi
(farm stay accommodations) are shedding light on Sicily’s hidden rural
treasures and national parks. Sicily also has a refreshing lack of
neon-blazing entertainment and theme parks, which further helps preserve
its individuality and appeal.
The road to discovery
The road to discovery
In our previous posts we have talked about the Balck Smokers and their great scientific importance. The evidence that we have collected over the last few days, give us hope. As you know the Island Ferdinandea is an unknown destination and out of the reach of diving centers, which in this area can be counted on the fingers of one hand. The stories of those few divers told us of a few sightings of bubbles coming from the bottom. It is important to understand that the island, even after 200 years after its sinking, is unexplored. Over the years there have been some scientific expeditions, but none of this has ever made an objective study of the seabed with the help of divers. Those who have immersed, they did it with outdated equipment and always with air, reaching at maximum the foot of the volcano and only for a few minutes, limiting their activities in some sampling of rocks. The awareness of being the first to venture on those unknown depths in the middle of the Strait of Sicily is a strong stimulus and feeds the discovery of fire that burns within us. But back to the mysterious object of our research, those "Black Smokers" or "Fumaroli," which should provide basic information about the origin of the volcano. We have combined the testimonies of divers to Multibeam data in our possession and we were able to highlight two zones within which exist the possibility to find a clear rising gas coming from underground. Proceed according to schedule, our first goal is to map the volcanic cone and highlight in a first stage a series of geological and biological Main Target. The map will be a key tool in our subsequent search of the mysterious gas lift. To know every centimeter of the environment where we make our research is an indispensable condition for our success. If we manage to find the Balck Smokers our task will be to film them and to sample the gas that escapes from them paying attention to everything around them. The data we collect and the video samples will be sent to our scientific directors, who will analyze and study them. There is no doubt, if we could find one of these gas lift, this would be an exceptional find and probably one of the first ever occurred in the Mediterranean Sea.
We are ready ... and you?
In our previous posts we have talked about the Balck Smokers and their great scientific importance. The evidence that we have collected over the last few days, give us hope. As you know the Island Ferdinandea is an unknown destination and out of the reach of diving centers, which in this area can be counted on the fingers of one hand. The stories of those few divers told us of a few sightings of bubbles coming from the bottom. It is important to understand that the island, even after 200 years after its sinking, is unexplored. Over the years there have been some scientific expeditions, but none of this has ever made an objective study of the seabed with the help of divers. Those who have immersed, they did it with outdated equipment and always with air, reaching at maximum the foot of the volcano and only for a few minutes, limiting their activities in some sampling of rocks. The awareness of being the first to venture on those unknown depths in the middle of the Strait of Sicily is a strong stimulus and feeds the discovery of fire that burns within us. But back to the mysterious object of our research, those "Black Smokers" or "Fumaroli," which should provide basic information about the origin of the volcano. We have combined the testimonies of divers to Multibeam data in our possession and we were able to highlight two zones within which exist the possibility to find a clear rising gas coming from underground. Proceed according to schedule, our first goal is to map the volcanic cone and highlight in a first stage a series of geological and biological Main Target. The map will be a key tool in our subsequent search of the mysterious gas lift. To know every centimeter of the environment where we make our research is an indispensable condition for our success. If we manage to find the Balck Smokers our task will be to film them and to sample the gas that escapes from them paying attention to everything around them. The data we collect and the video samples will be sent to our scientific directors, who will analyze and study them. There is no doubt, if we could find one of these gas lift, this would be an exceptional find and probably one of the first ever occurred in the Mediterranean Sea.
We are ready ... and you?
Enjoy!
Lost Island: What we are lookin' for Part II
Did you ever imagine that life could start at the very depths of the ocean floor? Some scientists hypothesize, with help from studies on “black smokers,” that underwater sea vents could be originators of life.
According to a 2007 report on livescience.com, geologists from Saint Louis University have discovered 1.43 billion-year-old fossils of deep-sea microbes next to fossils of sea vents. The new finding provides scientists with evidence that life may have started on the very bottom of the ocean floor.
Black smokers were discovered in 1977 as hydrothermal sea vents by scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The initial black smoker found was located in the East Pacific Rise in the Pacific Ocean, near the Galápagos Islands. Underwater vents are also being discovered in the Atlantic Ocean and along the Pacific Antarctic Ridge. The Earth Institute at Columbia University says that the latest locations to search for sea vents is about 1,000 miles from the west coast of Antarctica, where geochemist Gisela Winckler thinks sea vents could be located. With help from her colleagues, they have pinpointed six spots on the remote Pacific Antarctic Ridge where they think sea vents could appear.
According to the scientists in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment at the University of Delaware, a hydrothermal vent is a geyser on the seafloor. A geyser on the seafloor would be similar to a spring; in this case it erupts periodically, ejecting a column of hot water and steam into the water above. These sea vents constantly discharge extremely-hot, mineral-rich water that helps sustain a varied population of organisms.
Some black smokers have chimney-like pinnacles, and are formed from suspended metals that precipitate out when the super-hot vent water meets the neighboring cold ocean water. The temperature of the water that comes out of the chimney of these vents surpasses 360 °C. Most black smokers are found to be at an average depth of about 2,100 meters in areas of seafloor spreading along the Mid-Ocean Ridge system. These black smokers are the hottest of vents, ejecting mainly iron and sulfide, thus making iron monosulfide. With this compound, the black color is produced, hence showing where the name came from.
"Most of the deep ocean is like a desert, but these vents are oases of life and weirdness," said Winckler. "The Pacific Antarctic ridge is one of the ridges we know least about."
“Wherever we look along the ridge, we find vents,” Christopher German said in a 2007 interview, “and the vents in different regions of the ocean host very different animals.” German, Chief Scientist of Deep Submergence at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, conducts research on black smokers..
“Roughly 550 vent species have been discovered living in extreme temperature and pressure conditions, and new vent species are discovered at a rate of nearly two per month,”said Paul Tyler with the British National Oceanography Centre, Southampton.
Unique arrays of ecosystems are found around these underwater structures. People believed that all life on Earth sustained its energy from the sun; now that assumption is being challenged with proof of underwater creatures. Giant tubeworms, around eight feet tall take over most of the surrounding area, and clams cover the seafloor.
Creatures, such as eyeless shrimp and giant crabs, are also found around vents and get their food directly from black smokers. This is a process known as chemosynthesis. Bacteria in the water feed on noxious chemicals, and then smaller animals feed on these bacteria, and those smaller animals provide food for the larger animals. This creates a whole new ecosystem, separate from any other in the world of light, say experts.
These vents form on the seafloor, because in some regions along the Mid-Ocean Ridge, the colossal plates that form the Earth’s crust are spreading apart, constructing fractures and gaps in the bed of the seafloor. As seawater moves into openings, it becomes heated by magma that lies beneath Earth’s crust. As the water is boiling, it rises and looks for a path back out into the ocean through another opening; this creates the black smoker.
“I think that the idea that life originated from black smokers is a very plausible theory,” says Sam Berendzen, science instructor at Francis Howell High School. “However, we still need more evidence to resolve problems of the origin of life.”
According to a 2007 report on livescience.com, geologists from Saint Louis University have discovered 1.43 billion-year-old fossils of deep-sea microbes next to fossils of sea vents. The new finding provides scientists with evidence that life may have started on the very bottom of the ocean floor.
Black smokers were discovered in 1977 as hydrothermal sea vents by scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The initial black smoker found was located in the East Pacific Rise in the Pacific Ocean, near the Galápagos Islands. Underwater vents are also being discovered in the Atlantic Ocean and along the Pacific Antarctic Ridge. The Earth Institute at Columbia University says that the latest locations to search for sea vents is about 1,000 miles from the west coast of Antarctica, where geochemist Gisela Winckler thinks sea vents could be located. With help from her colleagues, they have pinpointed six spots on the remote Pacific Antarctic Ridge where they think sea vents could appear.
According to the scientists in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment at the University of Delaware, a hydrothermal vent is a geyser on the seafloor. A geyser on the seafloor would be similar to a spring; in this case it erupts periodically, ejecting a column of hot water and steam into the water above. These sea vents constantly discharge extremely-hot, mineral-rich water that helps sustain a varied population of organisms.
Some black smokers have chimney-like pinnacles, and are formed from suspended metals that precipitate out when the super-hot vent water meets the neighboring cold ocean water. The temperature of the water that comes out of the chimney of these vents surpasses 360 °C. Most black smokers are found to be at an average depth of about 2,100 meters in areas of seafloor spreading along the Mid-Ocean Ridge system. These black smokers are the hottest of vents, ejecting mainly iron and sulfide, thus making iron monosulfide. With this compound, the black color is produced, hence showing where the name came from.
"Most of the deep ocean is like a desert, but these vents are oases of life and weirdness," said Winckler. "The Pacific Antarctic ridge is one of the ridges we know least about."
“Wherever we look along the ridge, we find vents,” Christopher German said in a 2007 interview, “and the vents in different regions of the ocean host very different animals.” German, Chief Scientist of Deep Submergence at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, conducts research on black smokers..
“Roughly 550 vent species have been discovered living in extreme temperature and pressure conditions, and new vent species are discovered at a rate of nearly two per month,”said Paul Tyler with the British National Oceanography Centre, Southampton.
Unique arrays of ecosystems are found around these underwater structures. People believed that all life on Earth sustained its energy from the sun; now that assumption is being challenged with proof of underwater creatures. Giant tubeworms, around eight feet tall take over most of the surrounding area, and clams cover the seafloor.
Creatures, such as eyeless shrimp and giant crabs, are also found around vents and get their food directly from black smokers. This is a process known as chemosynthesis. Bacteria in the water feed on noxious chemicals, and then smaller animals feed on these bacteria, and those smaller animals provide food for the larger animals. This creates a whole new ecosystem, separate from any other in the world of light, say experts.
These vents form on the seafloor, because in some regions along the Mid-Ocean Ridge, the colossal plates that form the Earth’s crust are spreading apart, constructing fractures and gaps in the bed of the seafloor. As seawater moves into openings, it becomes heated by magma that lies beneath Earth’s crust. As the water is boiling, it rises and looks for a path back out into the ocean through another opening; this creates the black smoker.
“I think that the idea that life originated from black smokers is a very plausible theory,” says Sam Berendzen, science instructor at Francis Howell High School. “However, we still need more evidence to resolve problems of the origin of life.”
Here some links to download pdf files on Black Smokers and a really cool video from ROV
Enjoy!
