biology chemistry geology instruments
Lost City Expedition: Science

Measuring Tides at the Seafloor

We will be deploying some sensors in the Lost City Field to make time-series measurements of chemical and physical properties in the area. A pressure sensor capable of measuring the height of water above the field to a precision of 1 cm (several times per hour) will allow us to “sense” the fluctuation of pressure due to the local tides. The ebb and flow of water due to the interaction of the Moon and Earth, also occurs away from shore and small pressure changes are “felt” even deep within the ocean. We have found this to be an influence felt by high-temperature vents in other systems, where both chemistry and temperature can be correlated to the changes in lunar tides.