Mid-ocean ridge exploration with an autonomous underwater vehicle

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Date
2007-12Author
Yoerger, Dana R.
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Bradley, Albert M.
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Jakuba, Michael V.
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Tivey, Maurice A.
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German, Christopher R.
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Shank, Timothy M.
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Embley, Robert W.
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https://hdl.handle.net/1912/2785As published
https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2007.05DOI
10.5670/oceanog.2007.05Abstract
Human-occupied submersibles, towed
vehicles, and tethered remotely operated
vehicles (ROVs) have traditionally been
used to study the deep seafloor. In recent
years, however, autonomous underwater
vehicles (AUVs) have begun to replace
these other vehicles for mapping and
survey missions. AUVs complement the
capabilities of these pre-existing systems,
offering superior mapping capabilities,
improved logistics, and better utilization
of the surface support vessel by allowing
other tasks such as submersible operations,
ROV work, CTD stations, or multibeam
surveys to be performed while the
AUV does its work. AUVs are particularly
well suited to systematic preplanned surveys
using sonars, in situ chemical sensors,
and cameras in the rugged deep-sea
terrain that has been the focus of numerous
scientific expeditions (e.g., those to
mid-ocean ridges and ocean margin settings).
The Autonomous Benthic Explorer
(ABE) is an example of an AUV that has
been used for over 20 cruises sponsored
by the National Science Foundation
(NSF), the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Office of Ocean Exploration (OE), and
international and private sources. This
paper summarizes NOAA OE-sponsored
cruises made to date using ABE.
Description
Author Posting. © Oceanography Society, 2007. This article is posted here by permission of Oceanography Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Oceanography 20, 4 (2007): 52-61.