During our expedition to the East Pacific Rise, our sampling site erupted! It is the first time humans have ever witnessed an active underwater eruption along a mid-ocean ridge, a string of volcanoes circling the globe like seams on a baseball. One day, we were exploring a living, vibrant community of fish, crabs, tubeworms, and mussels … the next day, the area was completely paved over by hardened black lava.
The exciting event was first covered by the New York Times and there was a press release from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Once we returned home, the RPI contingent shared their experience and perspective with the Times Union. The videos here show footage from the human-operated submarine, Alvin.
