Approach
The main objective of our expedition to the volcanoes of the Marianas is to determine the composition of volatiles
emitted from the magmas that lie below to the Earth's surface and quantify the emission rates of these volatiles to
the atmosphere. To achieve this goal we have assembled a team of scientists and students. Each member of the team
has a different 'area of expertise' and all members have worked on active volcanoes before. It is critical for the
success of the project to collect the samples of gases and rocks that will yield the information we are after. Therefore,
our work begins on the volcanoes where we collect the samples, make the field measurements and record our observations.
This step is then followed by analyses of these samples in our laboratories back home. Once we have analyzed the samples
and compiled all the data we will interpret our results and hopefully we can answer some of the questions that we were
asking in the beginning. Of course, we do not know what kind of gas samples we will be able to collect because nobody
has collected samples from these volcanoes before. Based on the team's experience at other volcanoes world-wide, we will
target high temperature (> 100 degrees Centigrade) gas vents (fumaroles), and lower temperature bubbling hot springs and
mud pots. We will also sample lavas and tephra deposits.
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