WHATS: a new multi-bottle gas-tight sampler for sea-floor vent fluids

DOI IR HANDLE HANDLE 1 Citations 10 References Open Access
  • TSUNOGAI Urumu
    Earth & Planetary Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University
  • TOKI Tomohiro
    Earth & Planetary Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University
  • NAKAYAMA Noriko
    Earth & Planetary Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University
  • GAMO Toshitaka
    Earth & Planetary Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University
  • KATO Hiroyuki
    Mechanical Science, Graduate school of Engineering, Hokkaido University
  • KANEKO Sho
    R&D Department 4, Nichiyu Giken Kogyo Co., Ltd.

Bibliographic Information

Other Title
  • 潜水調査船用多連式ガスタイト海底湧水採取装置の開発
  • センスイ チョウサセンヨウ タレンシキ ガスタイト カイテイ ユウスイ サイシュ ソウチ ノ カイハツ

Search this article

Abstract

We report a newly developed water sampler WHATS (Water and Hydrothermal-fluid Atsuryoku Tight Sampler), for collecting seafloor venting gas-rich fluid (or gas itself) at in situ pressure (Atsuryoku means pressure in Japanese). It consists of four 150 cm3 stainless steel sample cylinders, eight ball valves, a motor-driven arm, a rail, a peristaltic pump, and a flexible Teflon tube connected to a titanium inlet tube. The motor-driven arm on the rail can open one of the four cylinders. Then, by pumping out pure water that has filled the cylinder, we can introduce sample fluid into the cylinder. After completely replacing the pure water with sample fluid, the valves at both ends of the cylinder are tightly closed by moving the motor-driven arm again. At this stage, the next cylinder becomes to be ready for next sampling. We can take maximum 4 different gas-tight samples in series. Whole operation can be arranged inside the submersible cabin. Use of only one motor to operate valves makes the sampler small, light (28 kg in water), and easy to handle. With the sampler, we can collect almost uncontaminated sample because we pump fluid slowly (120 cm3/min.) into the cylinder using the peristaltic pump. To date, the sampler has been used for ca. 40 dives of Shinkai 2000 and Shinkai 6500 with the success rate of more than 90%. We also evaluate the safety factors in handling highly pressured samples. We conclude that the sampler can be used to the depth of 3,000 m.

Journal

  • Chikyukagaku

    Chikyukagaku 37 (3), 101-109, 2003

    The Geochemical Society of Japan

Citations (1)*help

See more

References(10)*help

See more

Keywords

Details

Report a problem

Back to top