Expedition Report: Exploring hydrothermal vents in the Red Sea for iMAGE-CREATE
As a representative of the iMAGE-CREATE team, David Diekrup participated in M194 HEXPLORES cruise on the RV Meteor to the Red Sea. The expedition started in early October 2023 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and included three weeks of research in the central Red Sea before transiting through the Suez Canal and finishing in Piraeus, Greece. The science crew of 17 geologists and biologists from Germany, Canada, the UK, Saudi Arabia, and China utilized the Kiel 6000 ROV, gravity cores, OFOS, MBES, MAPR, and CTD Tow-Yo to find hydrothermal vent sites and investigate their distribution in relationship to spreading rates and volcanic activity along the Red Sea Rift.
David’s experience with banded iron formations, metalliferous sediments, and their depositional mechanisms aligned well with the scientific questions of the cruise, working collaboratively with geologists and microbiologists to better understand hydrothermal processes. Consequently, he was kept busy on board with tasks like gravity core collection, water sample processing, GIS support, and CTD monitoring. As a first-time cruise participant, M194 was a great experience for David, learning first-hand about the processes along an active rift system and life on board a research vessel.
