Seafloor & Below
A Huge, Mysterious Reservoir of Methane Has Been Identified Deep Under The Ocean
“Identifying an abiotic source of deep-sea methane has been a problem that we’ve been wrestling with for many years,” says marine geochemist Jeffrey Seewald from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).”Here’s a source of chemical energy that’s being created by geology.”
Origin of Massive Methane Reservoir Identified
New research provides evidence of the formation and abundance of abiotic methane—methane formed by chemical reactions that don’t involve organic matter—on Earth and shows how the gases could have a similar origin on other planets and moons, even those no longer home to liquid water.
Read MoreG&G Summer Student Fellow Presentation: The Cycling of 231Pa and 230Th in Benthic Nepheloid Layers
Siyuan-Sean Chen, University of Bristol, UK Sponsored by: Academic Programs Office
Read MoreWHOI to Join $94 Million Cooperative Institute
WHOI will join a new consortium led by the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography to support ocean exploration.
Read MoreHydrothermal Vents: Oases in the dark
The waters around hydrothermal vents may seem harsh and inhospitable to life, but in reality, these regions are oases that…
Read MoreNew Deep-Sea Coral Species Discovered
New ‘bubblegum’ corals found in Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monument during human-occupied submersible dives.
Ocean Trenches
What are ocean trenches? Ocean trenches are steep depressions in the deepest parts of the ocean [where old ocean crust…
Read MoreSeamounts
Mountains rising from the ocean seafloor that do not reach to the water’s surface.
Read MoreNatural Oil Seeps
As much as one half of the oil that enters the coastal environment comes from natural seeps of oil and natural gas.
Read MoreMid-ocean Ridges
The mid-ocean ridge occurs along boundaries where plates are spreading apart.
Read MoreSeafloor & Below
From plate tectonics to underwater mountain ranges spanning the globe, the seafloor and below encompasses a large field.
Read MoreHydrothermal Vents
What are Hydrothermal Vents? In 1977, scientists made a stunning discovery on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean: vents pouring…
Read MoreExplore a Mid-Ocean Ridge Valley
Mouseover features to take a visual tour
Read MoreGodzilla, Sasquatch, & Homer Simpson
The Curious Names of Deep-sea Features The 15-story black smoker chimney resembles a monster on the seafloor, with hot fluids…
Read MoreSentry Completes Its 500th Dive
WHOI’s free-swimming robot Sentry completed its 500th dive on October 16, 2018, off the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. The autonomous underwater vehicle has used its sonar systems to help scientists map the seafloor, track the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, locate the voyage data recorder on the sunken El Faro cargo ship, and carry out advanced research on many other missions to help us better understand our ocean and our planet.
Read MorePodcast: Using Philanthropy to Explore the World’s Oceans
Quotes Mark Abbott
Journey to the Bottom of the Sea
My eyelids were tightly pressed down as I mustered all the tricks I could think of to get myself to…
Read MoreThe Discovery of Hydrothermal Vents
In 1977, WHOI scientists made a discovery that revolutionized our understanding of how and where life could exist on Earth and other planetary bodies.
Read MoreWorld-first probe into an active submarine volcano
quotes Susan Humphris
How Is the Seafloor Made?
An ultrasound for the Earth? Using sound waves, a graduate student peers into the crystalline texture of the tectonic plates that cover our planet’s surface.
Read MoreWoods Hole Scientists Make Big Deep-Ocean Discovery
quotes Adam Soule
The Fiery Mountains Under The Sea
segment features Adam Soule and the Havre volcano expedition
Living Lab Radio: Road Salt And Drinking Water, Sexual Harassment In Science, And An Underwater Volcanic Eruption
features an interview with Adam Soule
Scientist Autopsy the Aftermath of the Largest Underwater Volcanic Eruption of the Last Century
quotes Adam Soule