Surveying a subsea lava flow using the Autonomous Benthic Explorer (ABE)

TLDR

The study reports on the first science deployment of the Autonomous Benthic Explorer (ABE) at the Juan de Fuca Ridge, operating at 2200–2400 m depth. The ABE navigated with long‑baseline acoustic transponders and dead‑reckoned tracklines, following the seafloor 7–20 m apart while using an acoustic fathometer, magnetometer, stereo video, and conductivity/temperature sensors to map a new subsea lava flow and a hydrothermal plume. Seven successful dives covered over 35 km of tracklines, and detailed power logs enable extrapolation of the ABE’s performance to other missions and larger batteries.

Abstract

This paper summarizes results from the first science deployment of the Autonomous Benthic Explorer (ABE), conducted on the Juan de Fuca Ridge (46°N, 129°W) at depths between 2200 and 2400 m. Using long baseline acoustic transponders, the ABE descended with precision to a preassigned starting point, then executed dead-reckoned tracklines. It followed the bottom at distances between 7 and 20 m using an acoustic fathometer as a reference sensor. The ABE mapped a new subsea lava flow with a magnetometer, imaged the seafloor with a stereo snapshot video system, and mapped a hydro thermal plume with conductivity and temperature sensors. The ABE completed 7 successful dives and covered over 35 km of tracklines. Detailed power records were logged, which permits extrapolation of the ABE's performance to other missions and higher capacity batteries.