wounded animal by jumping from rock to rock. As soon as he reached the antelope, he cut its throat and turned the animal to bleed in the direction of Mecca.
This is a Moslem custom. In fact, when we finished setting up our camp, the cook
was already busy cleaning the kill.
From our campsite we could see the Erta’Ale Volcano that dominates the
desert. Our camp was set near an oasis where water and palm trees could keep us
away from some of the desert’s heat. The French army stationed in Djibouti had
loaned us a military helicopter so we could fly over the volcanic crater. When the
helicopter came to take us up to volcano, it flew about 200 meters above the crater.
We could feel the volcano’s heat coming in from the door that was left open for us
to better see the active, red-glowing lava lake.
Iceland Field Trip
In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the spreading ridge axis has reached the sea
surface and created the volcanic island of Iceland. Iceland is geologically and
socially one of the most interesting islands that I have visited during my sea-going
career. Because of its latitude around 60° North, Icelandic summers are marked by
long days since the summer sun sets, or comes close to the horizon, for only a
couple hours each day. This gave an opportunity for travelers like us to spend more
time in the field and enjoy the nature of the volcanic landscape. Iceland is part of
the slow spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge located above a mantle plume. The country
is unique with its empty volcanic landscape, reminding us of the lunar surface. The
island is a present day vision of what the Earth must have looked like 4.5 billion
years ago when volcanoes, fire and water were the main components shaping our
planet. Beautiful people whose ancestors were the Vikings inhabit this island.
They are very hospitable and always ready to help.
Diving off Madeira Island
Madeira Island is located in the eastern Atlantic Ocean near the African coast. It is
a volcanic cone that rises to more than 4000 m above the seafloor. This site was
chosen for our practice dives because we did not have to go far from the port of
Funchal before reaching water that was 4000 m deep. This cruise was planned to
involve the three different groups of our FAMOUS team: the ship’s crew, the
submersible’s engineering and technical group, and the scientists, all of whom
were to be trained together. The main technical objectives were to test the
hydraulic system of the Archimède and also to verify the water bottle sampling
capability of the submarine to ensure success for our scientific goals. In addition, it
176
7 Oceanic Spreading Ridges and Sea Floor Creation
This is a Moslem custom. In fact, when we finished setting up our camp, the cook
was already busy cleaning the kill.
From our campsite we could see the Erta’Ale Volcano that dominates the
desert. Our camp was set near an oasis where water and palm trees could keep us
away from some of the desert’s heat. The French army stationed in Djibouti had
loaned us a military helicopter so we could fly over the volcanic crater. When the
helicopter came to take us up to volcano, it flew about 200 meters above the crater.
We could feel the volcano’s heat coming in from the door that was left open for us
to better see the active, red-glowing lava lake.
Iceland Field Trip
In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the spreading ridge axis has reached the sea
surface and created the volcanic island of Iceland. Iceland is geologically and
socially one of the most interesting islands that I have visited during my sea-going
career. Because of its latitude around 60° North, Icelandic summers are marked by
long days since the summer sun sets, or comes close to the horizon, for only a
couple hours each day. This gave an opportunity for travelers like us to spend more
time in the field and enjoy the nature of the volcanic landscape. Iceland is part of
the slow spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge located above a mantle plume. The country
is unique with its empty volcanic landscape, reminding us of the lunar surface. The
island is a present day vision of what the Earth must have looked like 4.5 billion
years ago when volcanoes, fire and water were the main components shaping our
planet. Beautiful people whose ancestors were the Vikings inhabit this island.
They are very hospitable and always ready to help.
Diving off Madeira Island
Madeira Island is located in the eastern Atlantic Ocean near the African coast. It is
a volcanic cone that rises to more than 4000 m above the seafloor. This site was
chosen for our practice dives because we did not have to go far from the port of
Funchal before reaching water that was 4000 m deep. This cruise was planned to
involve the three different groups of our FAMOUS team: the ship’s crew, the
submersible’s engineering and technical group, and the scientists, all of whom
were to be trained together. The main technical objectives were to test the
hydraulic system of the Archimède and also to verify the water bottle sampling
capability of the submarine to ensure success for our scientific goals. In addition, it
176
7 Oceanic Spreading Ridges and Sea Floor Creation