This projext funds the PIs propose retrieve four Chemical and Aqueous Transport (CAT) apparatuses that were deployed in May 2006 in conjunction with a JAMSTEC Shinkai 6500 dive program in the Kumano basin. The objective is to monitor fluid seeps from out-of-sequence thrusts (OOSTs) near the NANTROSEIZE drilling area (SW Japan), and the frontal thrust region. The instruments were originally deployed with funding from an ODP SGER grant, which was essential to take advantage of the "free"JAMSTEC ship and submersible time.
This work is intended as a pilot study that will allow the PIs to begin to understand how the seeps in the Nankai region behave and what opportunities and problems may arise as they plan for future work in this region. A Japanese Shinkai 6500 dive proposal has been approved for dives in 2007. This work will allow the PIs to do the analysis of the data in order to determine the basic activity and chemistry of the seeps in this region and redeploy new instruments to maintain observation continuity.
The broader impacts of this project include the training of a graduate student, who will have responsibility for analysis of the samples. The project will support increased international collaboration with Japanese researchers. The data will also provide a signification contribution to the greater science community studying subduction processes at Nankai, a MARGINS focus site. The project has significant societal relevance as well, since one of the aspects of the Nankai research is the generation of large earthquakes and tsunamis.
