Daily Journal

Agrigan

Toby's Log

After spending the night on Agrigan, we (Dave, Alison and Toby) took off by helicopter for the summit crater. We noticed that the slopes of the volcano consisted of deep gullies and ridges which, together with the dense vegetation, would make a hike virtually impossible. Access to this remote crater is therefore only possible by helicopter and then only when the peak is visible. On Tuesday morning (April 20), we were lucky and the clouds lifted for a moment allowing us access to the central crater via a small notch on the crater rim. Flying over the edge of the steep crater walls, we entered the 'Lost World' of Agrigan. The crater is about 2 km in diameter and the floor is covered by tall grasses and ferns. A large (100m x 100m) fumarole field is located at the center of the crater and is discharging volcanic gases from dozens of individual vents situated on an old lava dome. Notice the extensive alteration of the rocks and the white/yellow sulfur deposits. Here, we measured a maximum temperature of 98 degrees centigrade just about boiling point for our elevation. Toby is using a titanium tube to sample the sulfurous gases. Alison collected microbiological samples for her colleagues at Carnegie. These samples will be analyzed for any extreme life forms that may be able to thrive in the high temperature vents. We worked for about 2 hours in the crater and then waited for the clouds to lift once again, so that we could leave this amazing place. Back at camp, we said good-bye to our local hosts and thanked them for their hospitality the previous evening. We then flew along the coast towards our next target - Asuncion Island.