A group of American scientists are currently studying Samoa’s underwater volcanoes and seamounts while deploying seismometers to the ocean floor.

An American oceanographic research vessel, Thomas G. Thompson berthed at the Matautu wharf at dawn on Wednesday last week. It took a scientific party of 20 scientists, graduate students, technicians, engineers and international observers, who will conduct a 28-day scientific research project focused on marine geology and geophysics in the Samoan volcanoes and seamounts, Tonga Trench and Lau Basin.

According to a statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Apia, the upcoming project is a U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) funded marine geology and geophysics project entitled “Interactions between the Tonga-Lau subduction system and the Samoan plume.”

The goal of the project is to study the interactions among the Tonga slab, the Lau back-arc basin and the Samoan mantle plume using seismology, geochemistry and petrology. The objectives of this research cruise are to deploy approximately 30 ocean bottom seismometers on the ocean floor until they are recovered 18 months later and to sample seafloor basalt samples for geochemical analysis.

The project is in collaboration with Samoa's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE). An observer from the ministry will also be aboard the ship participating in the research.

The study area includes the Samoan Islands, the Tonga Trench and the Lau Basin, and the researchers have permission to conduct scientific research in the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of Tonga, Samoa and Niue. Additional international observers will also participate in the project.

The RV Thomas G. Thompson is a 274-foot research vessel owned by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and operated by the University of Washington – School of Oceanography in Seattle, WA. It has a crew of 21 professional mariners and two marine technicians employed by the University of Washington. The vessel routinely hosts up to 36 scientists from many different institutions to support their oceanographic research.