In May of 2017 researchers from Temple University, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Cal Tech, Occidental College, and the University of Rhode Island were on board the RV Atlantis from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The team studied methane seeps off the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, in the methane-rich Costa Rica Margin. Using the Alvin submersible Chris Roman, Associate Professor at The University of Rhode Island, deployed four tilt current meters (TCM-3’s) on the seafloor. They were “to study variability and steady flow in the bottom currents and to get a sense of what was happening to currents”. The researchers were approximately 3,000 meters deep in the ocean and used the deep water TCM's that were suitable up to 4,500 meters. The TCM's were left at the bottom of the seafloor with 10-pound dive weights in varying locations to record data for over a year.
“The benefits of using these TCM’s are its affordability and ease of use. You can use multiple meters in several areas to get better data more quickly”, Roman said, “and the length of time that it can be [deployed] gives you a better time series.”
Especially relevant to how methane influences the sea, Roman said, “we want to understand the impact of methane seeps on local communities”.
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