My Dearest Anais,

Big excitement last night...We received an urgent message that there have been numerous and small earthquakes occurring about 30 kilometers south of us. Such a swarm usually means that magma is moving in the earth and also that a volcanic eruption is either taking place or about to take place (don't worry, were not in any danger). All this is going on below the ocean, so it is not so obvious what is actually happening. Since we were the closest ship to the possible eruption, we decided we had to investigate. If an eruption had started, not only lava, but also volcanic gases and possibly even the fluids and the microbes living in the cracks in the rocks at the vent site would be entering the ocean, so we wanted to be there to sample what is coming out at the beginning of the eruption. So off we went, and over the side went the contraption that samples and measures the temperature and other properties of the water. All we found was ocean--no signs of an eruption in progress. But we shall keep listening for earthquakes and probably go back to the site later.

Jason before the launch.

We have started our project. Yesterday we made a detailed map of the axial valley of the Juan de Fuca ridge. I think I tried to explain this to you before I left, but you should ask Mama to explain it again. Actually, the Juan de Fuca ridge is not a ridge at all--it's a series of ridges all parallel to each other and about as high as the ridge on the east side of the Hudson River (the Palisades), where we live. And running down between the two highest ridges is a valley, called the axial valley, where most of the volcanic eruptions occur. That is also where hot water, heated by magma at depth, is coming out of the ocean crust and where the bizarre rocks form that we want to study.

Jason being launched over the side of the Atlantis.

How do we make a map in water so deep that we cannot see the bottom? We use something called sonar, which basically means that we make a noise in the water and listen for the echo as the sound bounces off the bottom. To make a really detailed map, however, we can't just make the sound and listen for the echo from the ship. We've got to do that from an instrument near the bottom that is towed by the ship and that sends the signal back to the ship on a wire. We've finished that project, and this morning we are attempting to launch Jason, which is the underwater robot, called an ROV, or remotely operated vehicle to be exact. This launch is very tense because the ocean is rough today, and if there are any mistakes our whole project could go down the drain.

Otherwise life on the ship is rather pleasant. My biggest achievement has been to figure out how to get in and out of my top bunk without (a) hitting my head, knees, or whatever on the ceiling and (b) falling on my head when trying to get out of it (the hard part). Making the top bunk is another matter...I havent mastered that yet, although I will admit (as I am sure Mama has already guessed) to not actually having put much effort into the task. As I mentioned, the waves are bigger today. No one is sea sick, but on the rocking ship it is odd to reach for something to discover that either you or that something is not where you thought it was. So, how's school, kiddo? I hope that you and Mama are doing well, and thank you for the letter you and Mama wrote.

Love, Papa