Expedition Explores The Arctic Sea Floor (broadcast Friday, July 6th, 2007)

The Puma, or "plume mapper," autonomous underwater vehicle uses sonar, lasers, and chemical sensors to search wide areas near the ocean floor to detect hydrothermal vent plumes. Image courtesy Hanumant Singh, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

A team of scientists is heading toward the Gakkel Ridge in the Arctic Ocean, hunting for hydrothermal vents on the Arctic sea floor. The researchers, based at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, are on a six-week voyage and are using two new autonomous undersea vehicles to try to explore the world under the Arctic ice Join Ira and guests in this hour of Science Friday as we check in with the expedition, live from onboard a ship in the Arctic, and find out what the expedition is looking for -- and what they're finding. Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.