Robotic Vehicles

[hh5]

 

so whats under the ice in the north or south pole ridges that different than other ridges?

 

Edited July 6, 2013 by hh5

[Sasha Distan]

won't it be fun to find out huh?

[Bill W]

Seeing we actually don't know very much about the ocean, mostly due to the pressures at those depths, the robotic vehicles are an ideal source of information.  I know men have journeyed to the Challenger Deep twice and both trips were hazardous, so this is a great option to gain the same information without risking lives.  We already have robotic vehicles exploring other planets, either doing a flyby or orbiting the planet, but we also have rovers on mars.  It appears as if a lot of our future information will be gained in this fashion. 

[dc89]

According to my Earth Scientist boyfriend.

 

"The Gakkel ridge exhibits some unique characteristics that make it an important area for study for biologists, oceanograhers and geologists. These characteristics include

 

- It is the slowest known spreading ridge on the planet.

- It has the deepest known evidence of pyroclastic volcanic deposits (it was previously thought they could not physicaly exist below 3000m, the ridge is at 4000 and the concentration of CO2 in the magma was found to be 10 times the expected maximum at that depth.

 

These geological features make it both unique and interesting as it redefines some of our long standing ideas of geological processes in the deep ocean

 

Also it has numbers of hydrothermal vents, and (possibly related) evidence of large deep ocean microbial communities with previously unknown species.Life in these kind of environments is important because they match some of the predicted environments in extraterrestrial environments we are able to study in out own solar system (eg Europa, Ganymede) so may provide a model for life on other planets.

 

All in all, lots to see.

 

So basically, lots going on there that may redefine our understanding of geology, geophysics and extreme biology, that you wont find the same anywhere else.

 

Plus, it totally rocks."

 

For what it is worth.

Edited July 6, 2013 by dc89