There is also a contrast in the type of lavas at the two sites. This probably reflects the difference in the distance from the ultimate subsurface source of the lava, i.e., the more rapidly extruded sheet flows have a shorter distance to travel from the magma source lying directly below. This prediction was borne out from the results of both water column and seafloor observations and sampling, including the discovery of shallow chambers filled with sulfur-rich microbial floc and deeper sources with rich populations of hyperthermophilic Archaea. Results from the water column measurements stimulated a lengthy discussion about the nature of chemical and thermal discharges following a deep-sea eruption. The probable origin of this material is a spring diatom bloom that is common in the surface waters of the northeast Pacific.
Top photo shows new worms colonizing the new lava flow site.
Bottom photo is Marker 33 site where a year-long deployment of a camera will document new biological communities. Biological observations at the 1998 eruption site suggests that colonization of the new vents was more complex than had been predicted. Since all of the new vents were within a few hundred meters of mature communities still surviving east of the lava flow, it is unclear why there was so much variation in their faunal composition. Verena Tunnicliffe , Maia Tsurumi and Jean Marcus of the University of Victoria suggested that much of the variation is due to random chance and to differences in recruitment of larvae due to variations in hydrothermal flow rate and chemistry between the vent sites. The first year's experience at the NeMO site is laying the groundwork for a long-term realtime observatory at the site.