Fine-scale seafloor survey in rugged deep-ocean terrain with an autonomous robot

Abstract

The rugged, mountainous regions of the deep seafloor hold both great scientific interest as well as a host of difficult challenges for autonomous robots. Exploiting its abilities for precise navigation, trackline following, and bottom-following in rough terrain, the autonomous benthic explorer collected fine-scale bathymetry, magnetic, temperature, optical backscatter and conductivity over a rugged, neo-volcanic and active tectonic zone of the southern east Pacific rise (18/spl deg/S). We combined these data sets to produce a variety of maps showing dramatic terrain in unprecedented detail. We also created the first systematic map view of hydrothermal temperature anomalies over the mid-ocean ridge.