cruise plans technology education participants calendar
         
 
Participant Interview:
June-July 2000
S M T W T F S
 25 26 27  28 29 30 1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29 
 30 31  1   2  3
5

 

NeMO Date: July 1, 2000
Ship's Location: 44 40.0'N/130 21.5'W

 
         
         
 

Participant Interview:
Dr. Robert W. Embley
Chief Scientist

Jeff: What are your main responsibilities as the chief scientist for NeMO 2000?
Bob: My work started a year and a half ago. The scientists meet 4 months prior to an upcoming expedition. Between the meeting and the time we sail, there is a tremendous amount of work to be done; a thousand little details. On the cruise I coordinate things. I make sure everybody gets what they want and prioritize projects and experiments with the help of the scientific party. I try to keep ahead of operations and get schedule information to everyone about what's going to happen in the next few days.

Jeff: When was NeMO started?
Bob: We've been working for 15 years on the Juan de Fuca Ridge. However, this is the 3rd year for NeMO. The expectation at NeMO's inception was that there would be an eruption sometime during our program. It occurred very early, 1998, and presented us with a wonderful opportunity. It has been my intention for the last 10 years to have a ROV or sub out here every year because we have plenty of things to do. If there's another eruption we'll be able to go down and sample soon after it takes place.

Jeff: What lies ahead for NeMO?
Bob: We look at NeMO as a long-term program; at least a decade. Volcanic cycles are probably on the order of a decade so you have to study a site for a while before you learn a lot about it. The future will depend on funding from our own sources and Canadian sources.

Jeff: Since your first ocean expedition 32 years ago, what is the most significant event?
Bob: I think the most exciting cruise was when we saw the first eruption site in 1993. We looked at the site when it was basically still steaming.

 

Bob Embley reviewing the bathymetry maps for the South Cleft site.