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In order to choose the best robot for the mission, you will need to take into consideration a number of things:
Location
Depth
Things we want to do
Can it be tethered, or do we need to be able to let it go far away?
Tools our robot will need
Special circumstances
As you read the description of the mission, look over the robots you have available and decide which one or ones would best meet the needs of the mission
Mission 1
We are planning an expedition to study an unexplored area off the coast of Alaska with a maximum depth of 1,800 meters. Ocean explorers are particularly interested in mapping scarps (a steep slope or cliff, formed by the movement of a geologic fault, a landslide or erosion). We want to investigate the water salinity near the feature. We will also sample organisms that may be living on these formations. One challenge of working in this area during much of the year is bad weather and sea ice.
Mission 2
Our team is studying an unexplored chain of underwater volcanoes. These may be extinct or potentially active. We want to sample geological formations as well as biological communities. We won’t know exactly what types of samples will be needed until we can illuminate and see the area. The bases of these volcanoes are about 4,500 meters deep. Their summits (peaks) are around 1,500 meters deep. One of our lead researchers is not able to go to sea due to family obligations. He is very interested in participating remotely by watching a livestream video of the exploration.
Mission 3
While a team on a telecommunication ship was installing new cables on the seafloor, they came upon a Spanish galleon shipwreck lying in a deep canyon. We need a complete, detailed photographic survey of the area around the ship. The wreck lies in waters approximately 3,000 meters deep. A no-touch investigation will use video and photos of the cargo on board. This may help the team determine from which port the ship may have last sailed. These clues will help archaeologists support a recommendation that the area should be protected from disturbance.
Mission 4
As plate boundaries collide and subduct, deep trenches are formed. Along these boundaries, subduction can cause large faults as evidence of underwater earthquakes. These large seismic events also cause sediment to fall and accumulate at the trench bottom. Little is known about the processes in these areas. The Java Trench is an area with little previous study. Our team wants to better understand the landslide risk in an area at a depth of 7,400 meters in this region. Photos taken from multiple angles will help us to answer some of our questions.
Mission 5
Glass sponges are animals that form massive reef colonies. Many thought glass sponges had gone extinct 66 million years ago. However, since the late 1980s, glass sponge reefs have been discovered in cold waters around the world. We are learning that these ‘living fossil’ reefs are home to many animals such as fishes, crabs and sea stars. Ocean explorers plan to study the organisms living on a recently discovered glass sponge reef at a depth of 1,400 meters. We want a complete photographic record of the study area (approximately 10,000 square meters). We also need to collect samples of unknown organisms for identification.
Mission 6
The Murray Fracture Zone is 3,000 kilometers long, 90 kilometers at its widest spot, and up to 2,000 meters deep. Our expedition is tasked with creating the first high-resolution map of the entire area. The project will require continuous data collection over several days.
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