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To Pito Deep

January 12, 2017

The research vessel Atlantis is currently in Easter Island, as it was in this photo in 1998, and is preparing to begin an expedition to Pito Deep with the remotely operated vehicle Jason and autonomous underwater vehicle Sentry. Pito Deep forms part of the Easter Island micro-plate, where tectonic activity has fractured the seafloor and may provide novel pathways for seawater to circulate deep beneath the surface. The shipboard science team will be studying the geology of the seafloor in the area, while WHOI geochemist Chris German will be examining sensor data from Sentry and Jason to help explore for new sites of fluid flow via telepresence. (Photo by Gary Chiljean, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)