Monitoring baseline ocean noise is critically important to understand both natural and anthropogenic changes in the marine ambient sound environment.
Check out this haiku by Lucia Upchurch and click on this link to find out more about our Ocean Noise Reference Station work.
Marine sound questions…
Ocean Noise Reference Stations
provide the baseline
This post comes to us from Dr. Bob Dziak, Acoustics Program Director:
So, why should people care what’s at the bottom of the ocean? Because humans are, by nature, explorers; we want to know what’s behind the next turn in the road – what new adventure awaits. Given that we know more about the surface of the moon than what lies beneath the vast ocean, it’s not only in our best interests to explore the ocean floor, it’s in our DNA!
The images posted here today give us a glimpse of what is at the bottom of the ice cold ocean: its volcanic fire! What you see is the latest compilation of bathymetric (i.e. topography of the seafloor) data of a chain of seamounts that is located 300 miles west of the Oregon coast and 1 mile under water.
This bathymetric data was collected over a 20 year period by several research ships. A transducer on the hull of the ship sends out an acoustic ping into the water below. The sound wave travels through the water, reflects off the seafloor, and travels back to the ship. Since we know the speed of sound in water, by precisely measuring the time it takes for the sound wave to travel to the bottom and back to the ship, we can calculate how deep the seafloor is. Then, by having the ship go back and forth, spanning a large area of the ocean (a process we call “mowing the lawn”), we can build comprehensive maps of the seafloor.
The images show the unique shapes of two extinct volcanoes (Cobb and Brown Bear) and one still actively erupting volcano (Axial). The seamounts are the youngest part of a chain of seamounts formed when the overriding Pacific plate passed over a large mantle hotspot plume called the Cobb hotspot. This is exactly how the Hawaiian Islands, the youngest seamounts in the Explorer Seamount chain, were formed.
Each seamount in the Cobb chain shown here have volcanic cones, craters and big lava flows that give the mounts their unique shapes. Axial Seamount is the youngest (500K years), and got its name because it straddles the axis of the Juan de Fuca Ridge, a place where the Pacific and Juan de Fuca plates move away from each other and the magmatic upper mantle is really close to the seafloor. Axial has erupted 3 times since 1998, the most recent occurring just last April 2015: PMEL Axial Seamount Expedition.
Cobb is the oldest Seamount (3.3 million years) and has a very distinct flat top, which was created by wave action and erosion when Cobb was above sea level. Recent studies show human migration from Siberia to the Americas occurred in one big migration 23,00 years ago. Cobb was an island during this migration, and I’ve always wanted to go explore the summit of Cobb to see if we could find evidence humans landed there long ago!
The seamounts also show an odd feature. According to classic plate tectonic theory, the depth of the seafloor should increase as you move farther away from the source ridge. But Cobb is much shallower than Axial. How can that be? We surmise that Cobb is much shallower than the other seamounts because it formed at a time when eruptions were much more voluminous, with a much higher supply of magma from the mantle magma hotspot plume. Axial is also deeper because it’s younger and hasn’t had a chance to build up yet; when Axial erupts, the magma/lava tends to get spread out along the faults of the Juan de Fuca Ridge.
Hatfield Marine Science Center Celebrates 50 years – Come Celebrate this Friday!
Help celebrate “…one of the most important and unique marine science facilities in the country…” as they celebrate 50 years since they first opened their doors. ****************** Click Here for more information ****************************
Just passing on this good information:
FREE~ Oregon Coast girls who are going into 7th or 8th grade and are interested in STEM related careers will have the unique opportunity to spend two days working with researchers at Hatfield Marine Science Center in the labs and in the field. In addition, they will spend the night at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, in the Shark Tunnel! They will get behind the scenes tours with women in Aquarium careers. Campers must provide own transportation to and from HMSC in Newport, bring sleeping bags and change of clothing. All meals provided. The camp begins at 9:00am on Monday August 17th and ends at 4:00pm on Tuesday August 18th.
For more information, to register, or to see other summer opportunities, visit the Oregon Coast STEM Hub website at: http://oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/book/summer-activities
This post comes to us from our Summer Intern, Ross Meyer:
Hello,
My name is Ross Meyer and I am an intern conducting research with NOAA- PMEL/ OSU-CIMRS Acoustics Program in Newport, OR in conjunction with Oregon State University’s National Science Foundation REU (Research Experience for Undergrads) program at Hatfield Marine Science Center. The focus of this program is to immerse students into a very educational and rewarding summer research project while also giving them access to many professional scientists to mentor them along the way. For this 10-week internship, I will be working with Joe Haxel, Bob Dziak and Anna Semple. I will be processing data collected from an NSF sponsored array of autonomous hydrophones for submarine earthquake epicenters along the Romanche Fracture Zone in the equatorial Atlantic as part of an earthquake foreshock study. Following processing and analysis of the Romanche FZ earthquake epicenters, I will compare my results to a similar study conducted on East Pacific Rise transform faults to determine if the earthquake predictability is consistent between both fracture zones.
I grew up in the small town of Sweet, ID but now live in Moscow, ID where I am working on my BS in Geology at the University of Idaho. When I’m not working or studying, I enjoy spending time outdoors with my family and friends. I am an avid hunter and fisherman, and also love to ride my motorcycle and explore new places.
This post comes to us from Dr. Bob Dziak, Acoustics Program Manager:
As many of you are probably aware, since Sunday night there has been a sequence of strong earthquakes (magnitudes 4.3-5.9) occurring on the seafloor ~250 miles west of Newport.
The earthquakes are occurring along the western Blanco Fracture Zone, a 200 mile long strike-slip fault located in water a mile deep. The Blanco forms one of the southern boundaries between the small Juan de Fuca plate and the much larger Pacific Plate.
Clusters of earthquakes of this magnitude occur on the Blanco Fracture Zone roughly every 3-5 years. A tsunami warning was not issued because these earthquakes were too small and the wrong sense of crustal motion to generate a sizable tsunami. There were a few reports of weak ground motion from the earthquakes being felt on the coast, but no damage was reported. Also, as of today, it looks like the earthquake activity is on the decline.
Even though these earthquakes are not a hazard, we thought it was a good opportunity to remind the community to review their evacuation plans and make sure your emergency supply kit is ready and up to date.
Please check out these news links for more information:
This post comes to us from Samara Haver, Graduate Research Assistant:
This winter, New Englanders watched record-breaking amounts of snow layer up outside their doors. Snow is not unusual in the Northeast region of the United States, but the transportation-halting, business-closing, structure-damaging amounts witnessed this past winter had more people than ever questioning, “what is going on?”
When we talk about global warming, nor’easters are not typically part of our mental imagery – but they should be! Although global warming is not entirely responsible for these dramatic weather events, increased global temperatures are a major part of the problem. And I do mean “warming”; the dramatic New England winter we observed this year is connected to an oceanic warming trend.
The oceans are getting warmer at an extraordinarily fast rate. So fast that climate scientists have a hard time publishing reports as quickly as changes are occurring. While it may not seem logical that warmer water causes more snow, this temperature increase is a major contributor to extreme weather.
Water absorbs and retains heat very well. When cool air travels over the surface of warm upper layers, the water heats the air and then evaporates. The newly warmed humid air rises and cools as it travels, forming clouds and eventually precipitation (in freezing New England this comes in the form of snow). This phenomenon, known as the “lake (or bay) effect” is part of what caused coastal New England to be slammed with blizzard conditions this winter.
It is not easy to fully understand the effects and extent of increasing ocean temperatures, even for oceanographers. Under static conditions, understanding vast ocean systems is difficult; surface observations and samples from depth each only give a small glimpse as to what is going on. However, current variable conditions mean that researchers must constantly gather new data and refresh records to keep up with the effects of ocean temperature rise. Extreme weather is only one consequence of these changes; the broader results of increasing ocean temperatures are felt globally and by all species.
The trend and results of global ocean warming are widespread, but not entirely understood. However, researchers do know that as ocean temperatures increase, the myriad of associated problems will intensify; including the cycle of cold air collecting moisture from the water and dumping on land. If current patterns persist, ocean warming will continue to wreak havoc at sea – and on land.
Marine Science Day is almost upon us! Come by this Saturday from 10 to 4 to see some of the scientists from our Acoustics group in the library foyer at Hatfield Marine Science Center south of the Yaquina Bay bridge in Newport.
We’ll have a PowerPoint presentation running with pictures and details about our work, a quality speaker so you can really experience some of our under ocean sounds, a hydrophone (under water microphone) to inspect, a 3-D Printer job going to check out (so cool!), a chance to see your voice on a spectrogram, and scientists there waiting for your questions. Along with all of the other groups of scientists from the Hatfield Marine Science Center campus, food available for purchase, and exhibits highlighting HMSC’s 50 years of research, this Saturday promises to be a great time. Here are some more details:
Marine Science Day at the OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Oregon
Saturday, April 11, 10am-4pm
Join the OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) in Newport for Marine Science Day. HMSC will open its doors for a behind-the-scenes peek at the cutting-edge research, education and outreach in marine sciences that makes this marine laboratory unique. Meet researchers from Oregon State University and six government agency partners. Explore with interactive science displays presented by marine scientists and special family-friendly activities by Oregon Sea Grant, the Oregon Coast Aquarium and US Fish and Wildlife. This year will feature special exhibits highlighting HMSC’s 50 years of research, education and outreach in marine sciences. Don’t miss it!
Come learn what’s new on the Oregon Coast’s most dynamic marine science campus.
For more information and Schedule of Events, see Marine Science Day
For accommodation requests related to a disability or other questions, email maryann.bozza@oregonstate.edu or call 541-867-0234.
Note: Most Marine Science Day exhibits and activities will be indoors, although visitors are advised to dress for the weather as some exhibits will be outdoors. The OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center is located at 2030 SE Marine Science Drive in Newport, Oregon.
Marine Science Day partners:
Oregon State University
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
US Environmental Protection Agency
US Fish and Wildlife Service
US Geological Survey
US Department of Agriculture
Oregon Coast Aquarium
Sara’s Blog
Whenever people find out that I am a whale and dolphin biologist (now specializing in the acoustic behaviors of cetaceans) I immediately see their eyes light up with desire and curiosity. I know that they are imagining me in some exotic location, driving a Zodiac with my trusty companions on the high seas (always calm and tropically sunny) surrounded by schools of happy-go-lucky dolphins and breaching whales, listening to their chatter through headphones connected to a hydrophone dangling over the edge of the boat. While that has been true for some of my 35 years in ‘the biz’, I always feel badly when I tell them that much of what I have been doing for the last 14 years is stare at visual representations of acoustic data (spectrograms) scrolling across a computer screen, while sitting at a desk. It isn’t as glamorous as it seems and my days of traveling to (distant) locations for work, are now pretty much limited to the occasional meeting. These are often just one-day affairs which require a full day of travel on either side of the meeting day. My most recent trip from the shores of mid-coastal Oregon was to Houston, TX in February for the annual meeting of projects funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI).
GoMRI was born shortly after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, when BP committed up to $500 million over ten years to fund research on the impact of the spill on the environment and public health in the Gulf of Mexico. The goal of GoMRI is to “improve society’s ability to understand, respond to, and mitigate the impacts from oil spills”. To date, GoMRI has funded over 500 expeditions, 300 meetings and workshops, 1800 scientific presentations, 400 peer-reviewed articles and 200 outreach activities. New research consortia are funded on a regular basis.
One of my roles in a newly-formed GoMRI consortium of 4 universities (OSU, University of Louisiana, University of Southern Mississippi, University of New Orleans) and 3 tech companies (Seiche Measurements, C&C Technologies, Proteus Technologies) is to oversee outreach activities; if I’m lucky, I might also work on some of the acoustic data our OSU team collects while ‘flying’ underwater gliders as they quietly transverse an area very close to the Deep Water Horizon spill site, making scheduled recordings of the sound scape.
This consortium is known as LADC-GEMM, which stands for Littoral Acoustic Demonstration Center-Gulf Ecological Monitoring and Modeling. GEMM is the latest offshoot of LADC, which was initiated in 2001 to conduct acoustic surveys in the Gulf of Mexico. What we now want to know is: have whale and dolphin populations changed after the Deep water Horizon oil spill tragedy?
Beaked whales, dolphins and endangered sperm whales make the Gulf of Mexico their home and are significant because of their sensitivity to environmental change; globally, marine mammals often serve as ‘ecosystem sentinels’ and this also stands true for the Gulf of Mexico. Having conducted acoustic surveys in the Gulf of Mexico for over a decade, LADC is the only group that has baseline data indicating large numbers of deep-diving cetaceans were living near the Deepwater Horizon site. In 2007, LADC conducted a two-week survey in that area. In 2010, after the spill, LADC was funded by NSF, and given ship time by Greenpeace to conduct further surveys. So, now, 5 years later, LADC-GEMM is undertaking the next logical step in cetacean research near the spill site.
Let me share with you what the GoMRI website says about LADC-GEMM:
“This study will provide relationships among short- and long-term marine mammal population variations with environmental factors such as natural and human-induced disasters, weather conditions, seasonal migration, industrial operational noise, and food supply. It pairs acoustical, oceanographic, and visual data collection with mathematical predictive modeling and integrated data analyses to understand patterns in species distribution, pollutants, and human activities…Monitoring marine mammal sounds is important because they do everything acoustically, using “clicks” to communicate with each other and explore their environment…Using integrated passive acoustic monitoring, the team will record the unique sounds that the whales and dolphins make…the collected acoustic data also will contain a wealth of information about the ocean environment the whales inhabit. Their computer programs will decode this information and pair changes in marine mammal populations with environmental factors.”
During the acoustic surveys, about 200,000 readings per second will be collected. This enormous amount of data will be used to distinguish the identity and number of young adults, females and calves. From that, future population models will be developed to anticipate increases and decreases in the population that may help resource managers and responders to be better prepared for future environmental stressors and perhaps mitigate their effects. This has worldwide application for any country doing offshore oil drilling.
The GEMM project is using some very interesting-some might say avant-garde- technology for collecting acoustic data. You should really go to the GoMRI webpage for LADC-GEMM to read more about it. Our OSU research team has been recording cetaceans using a wide variety of instrumentation, from hydrophones that stay in one place for up to two years, to automated underwater gliders that can be ‘flown’ anywhere in the world from a lab at OSU. We also have stupendous software and expertise on the analysis end. It is our glider expertise that makes us uniquely qualified for the LADC-GEMM project.
As for the outreach part? Stay tuned! We will incorporate LADC-GEMM activities and findings into NOAA kiosks at science education centers, give presentations in schools and museums, participate in “science pubs” and “science cafes” and hold student competitions to build and operate small autonomous gliders that are similar to the modern technologies used in underwater acoustic research.
As for my travels for the meeting in Houston? It involved an overnight stay the night before, getting up before dawn the next day, a flight to LA with a 5 hour layover in a terminal hub, a long packed-like-sardines plane ride into Houston and a surprising long shuttle ride into the city: 24 hours of travel time, total. Then a full day of meetings, followed by a morning of meetings, then another long shuttle ride to the Houston airport, another long trip in a stuffed plane, a 6 hour layover in LA and a 3 hour car drive home: another 24 hour trip. I did not see any of the wonders in Houston.
So you see, the work we sometimes do isn’t that Discovery Channel glamour stuff. It isn’t all sea time and great adventures upon the briney deep. The glamour of what I do is in the results of the tedium, in the big picture that results from projects like GEMM. But, I have to admit that I did have adventures in the LA airport: after 2 hours of reading papers and notes, I took an exciting shuttle ride to the terminal to kill time- on the runway, stopping at 4-way stops for enormous jets that had just landed or taxiing in line to take off.
And I did find some dolphins…
Marine Science Day at the OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Oregon
Saturday, April 11, 10am-4pm
Join the OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) in Newport for Marine Science Day. HMSC will open its doors for a behind-the-scenes peek at the cutting-edge research, education and outreach in marine sciences that makes this marine laboratory unique. Meet researchers from Oregon State University and six government agency partners. Explore with interactive science displays presented by marine scientists and special family-friendly activities by Oregon Sea Grant, the Oregon Coast Aquarium and US Fish and Wildlife. This year will feature special exhibits highlighting HMSC’s 50 years of research, education and outreach in marine sciences. Don’t miss it!
Come learn what’s new on the Oregon Coast’s most dynamic marine science campus.
For more information and Schedule of Events, see hmsc.oregonstate.edu/marinescienceday.
For accommodation requests related to a disability or other questions, email maryann.bozza@oregonstate.edu or call 541-867-0234.
Note: Most Marine Science Day exhibits and activities will be indoors, although visitors are advised to dress for the weather as some exhibits will be outdoors. The OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center is located at 2030 SE Marine Science Drive in Newport, Oregon.
Marine Science Day partners:
Oregon State University
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
US Environmental Protection Agency
US Fish and Wildlife Service
US Geological Survey
US Department of Agriculture
Oregon Coast Aquarium