Patton Seamount
Encyclopedia
Patton Seamount is a prominent seamount
(underwater volcano) in the Cobb-Eickelberg Seamount chain
in the Gulf of Alaska
. Located 166 nmi (307 km) east of Kodiak Island
and reaching to within 600 ft (182.9 m) of the ocean surface, Patton is one of the largest seamounts in the Cobb-Eickelberg Seamount chain
. It was originally created near the coast of Oregon
by the Cobb hotspot
33 million years ago, and was moved to its present location by tectonic plate movement. Patton is one of the most well-understood seamounts, as a major expedition using DSV Alvin
in 1999 and another in 2002 helped define the scope of the seamount's biological community. Like other large seamounts, Patton acts as an ecological hub for sea life. Dives have revealed that the volcano is heavily encrusted in sea life of various forms, including sea star
s, coral
s, king crab
s, demersal rockfish, and other species.
, and it lies in the Cobb-Eickelberg Seamount chain
. The Cobb chain is unusual in that it is not one individual volcanic chain, but a mosaic of many, created by several hotspot
s that now lie along the western coast of North America. Patton Seamount lies near the northwestern edge of the chain, in the Gulf of Alaska
, and is 33 million years of age, among the oldest in the group. The part of the chain that Patton Seamount lies in is known variably as either the "Gulf of Alaska Seamounts" or the "Patton Seamounts." The Gulf seamounts are the best-known and most heavily studied features in the chain.
Patton itself is over 10000 ft (3,048 m) tall and 2 mi (3 km) wide at is base, and originally formed off the coast of Washington 33 million years ago. It has since been moved to its present Gulf location by the northwestern movement
of the Pacific Plate
. Dives indicate that the structure of Patton Seamount is rough near the top, with many boulders, and consists of much broader, finer particulates near the ocean bottom. Not much is known about Patton geologically, as expeditions have mostly focused on its biology.
once said "...it's just astonishing how much there is around you. You see rocky outcroppings and there's life everywhere—sponges and sea stars." Patton Seamount, like many other seamounts, serves as an "oasis of life" for resident organisms. Isolated populations found on seamounts like Patton have been shown to have high levels of endemism and specialization, and Patton Seamount is almost completely encrusted in life.
Limited-scale fishing operations and scientific investigations were carried around in the 80s and 90s, mostly due to the rough nature of the seamounts, and the difficulty of sampling at such depths. July 1999 marked the first detailed observations on the seamount, in an expedition based on the R/V Atlantis and utilizing the DSV Alvin
. for which the Patton cruise served as a model. 8 dives were conducted during the cruise, the deepest being 3375 m (11,073 ft) deep, and 86718 m² (933,425 sq ft) of the seamount's surface was surveyed.
The researchers found that the volcano's ecosystem could be divided into three parts or faunal assemblies. First is a shallow ecosystem, predominated by demersal rockfish of the (Sebastes
) and Sebastolobus
genuses. Other residents include Embassichthys bathybius, Lithodes aequispinus
, Florometra spp., brittle star
s, sea anemone
s, and sea star
s. The mid-range community had a greater degree of suspension feeders, including Psolus spp., coral
s, and sponges. It also included Albatrossia pectoralis and Anoplopoma fimbria. The deepest community was distinct from the two above it, as it was populated less by sessile
animals and more by more mobile ones. Especially notable are Coryphaenoides spp.
, Antimora microlepis, and Macroregonia macrochira.
The most interesting and surprising find on Patton Seamount was the discovery of a complete skeleton of a right whale
. The skeleton had been mostly stripped of flesh when it was found, indicating that it had probably spent many years on the ocean bottom. Although it was not obvious from surrounding fauna, whale fall
s like this may be boons for organisms living in ordinarily resource-poor regions.
Seamount
A seamount is a mountain rising from the ocean seafloor that does not reach to the water's surface , and thus is not an island. These are typically formed from extinct volcanoes, that rise abruptly and are usually found rising from a seafloor of depth. They are defined by oceanographers as...
(underwater volcano) in the Cobb-Eickelberg Seamount chain
Cobb-Eickelberg Seamount chain
The Cobb-Eickelberg Seamount chain is a seamount chain stretching from the Aleutian Trench in the north to Axial Seamount, the youngest volcano in the chain, which lies approximately 300 miles west of Cannon Beach, Oregon. The chain was created by the Cobb hotspot as the Pacific Plate drifted in a...
in the Gulf of Alaska
Gulf of Alaska
The Gulf of Alaska is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the east, where Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage are found.The entire shoreline of the Gulf is...
. Located 166 nmi (307 km) east of Kodiak Island
Kodiak Island
Kodiak Island is a large island on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska, separated from the Alaska mainland by the Shelikof Strait. The largest island in the Kodiak Archipelago, Kodiak Island is the second largest island in the United States and the 80th largest island in the world, with an...
and reaching to within 600 ft (182.9 m) of the ocean surface, Patton is one of the largest seamounts in the Cobb-Eickelberg Seamount chain
Cobb-Eickelberg Seamount chain
The Cobb-Eickelberg Seamount chain is a seamount chain stretching from the Aleutian Trench in the north to Axial Seamount, the youngest volcano in the chain, which lies approximately 300 miles west of Cannon Beach, Oregon. The chain was created by the Cobb hotspot as the Pacific Plate drifted in a...
. It was originally created near the coast of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
by the Cobb hotspot
Cobb hotspot
The Cobb hotspot is a volcanic hotspot located off the Oregon/Washington coast of the United States. The hotspot is at the Juan de Fuca Ridge, and has made the Cobb-Eickelberg Seamount chain...
33 million years ago, and was moved to its present location by tectonic plate movement. Patton is one of the most well-understood seamounts, as a major expedition using DSV Alvin
DSV Alvin
Alvin is a manned deep-ocean research submersible owned by the United States Navy and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. The vehicle was built by General Mills' Electronics Group in the same factory used to manufacture breakfast cereal-producing...
in 1999 and another in 2002 helped define the scope of the seamount's biological community. Like other large seamounts, Patton acts as an ecological hub for sea life. Dives have revealed that the volcano is heavily encrusted in sea life of various forms, including sea star
Sea star
Starfish or sea stars are echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea. The names "starfish" and "sea star" essentially refer to members of the class Asteroidea...
s, coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
s, king crab
King crab
King crabs, also called stone crabs, are a superfamily of crab-like decapod crustaceans chiefly found in cold seas. Because of their large size and the taste of their meat, many species are widely caught and sold as food, the most common being the red king crab, Paralithodes camtschaticus.King...
s, demersal rockfish, and other species.
Geology
Patton Seamount was created by the Cobb hotspotCobb hotspot
The Cobb hotspot is a volcanic hotspot located off the Oregon/Washington coast of the United States. The hotspot is at the Juan de Fuca Ridge, and has made the Cobb-Eickelberg Seamount chain...
, and it lies in the Cobb-Eickelberg Seamount chain
Cobb-Eickelberg Seamount chain
The Cobb-Eickelberg Seamount chain is a seamount chain stretching from the Aleutian Trench in the north to Axial Seamount, the youngest volcano in the chain, which lies approximately 300 miles west of Cannon Beach, Oregon. The chain was created by the Cobb hotspot as the Pacific Plate drifted in a...
. The Cobb chain is unusual in that it is not one individual volcanic chain, but a mosaic of many, created by several hotspot
Hotspot (geology)
The places known as hotspots or hot spots in geology are volcanic regions thought to be fed by underlying mantle that is anomalously hot compared with the mantle elsewhere. They may be on, near to, or far from tectonic plate boundaries. There are two hypotheses to explain them...
s that now lie along the western coast of North America. Patton Seamount lies near the northwestern edge of the chain, in the Gulf of Alaska
Gulf of Alaska
The Gulf of Alaska is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the east, where Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage are found.The entire shoreline of the Gulf is...
, and is 33 million years of age, among the oldest in the group. The part of the chain that Patton Seamount lies in is known variably as either the "Gulf of Alaska Seamounts" or the "Patton Seamounts." The Gulf seamounts are the best-known and most heavily studied features in the chain.
Patton itself is over 10000 ft (3,048 m) tall and 2 mi (3 km) wide at is base, and originally formed off the coast of Washington 33 million years ago. It has since been moved to its present Gulf location by the northwestern movement
Plate tectonics
Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that describes the large scale motions of Earth's lithosphere...
of the Pacific Plate
Pacific Plate
The Pacific Plate is an oceanic tectonic plate that lies beneath the Pacific Ocean. At 103 million square kilometres, it is the largest tectonic plate....
. Dives indicate that the structure of Patton Seamount is rough near the top, with many boulders, and consists of much broader, finer particulates near the ocean bottom. Not much is known about Patton geologically, as expeditions have mostly focused on its biology.
Ecology
Patton Seamount is ecologically vibrant: geologist Randy Keller of the Oregon State UniversityOregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
once said "...it's just astonishing how much there is around you. You see rocky outcroppings and there's life everywhere—sponges and sea stars." Patton Seamount, like many other seamounts, serves as an "oasis of life" for resident organisms. Isolated populations found on seamounts like Patton have been shown to have high levels of endemism and specialization, and Patton Seamount is almost completely encrusted in life.
Limited-scale fishing operations and scientific investigations were carried around in the 80s and 90s, mostly due to the rough nature of the seamounts, and the difficulty of sampling at such depths. July 1999 marked the first detailed observations on the seamount, in an expedition based on the R/V Atlantis and utilizing the DSV Alvin
DSV Alvin
Alvin is a manned deep-ocean research submersible owned by the United States Navy and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. The vehicle was built by General Mills' Electronics Group in the same factory used to manufacture breakfast cereal-producing...
. for which the Patton cruise served as a model. 8 dives were conducted during the cruise, the deepest being 3375 m (11,073 ft) deep, and 86718 m² (933,425 sq ft) of the seamount's surface was surveyed.
The researchers found that the volcano's ecosystem could be divided into three parts or faunal assemblies. First is a shallow ecosystem, predominated by demersal rockfish of the (Sebastes
Sebastes
Sebastes is a genus of fish in the family Sebastidae , most of which have the common name of rockfish. Most of the world's almost 110 Sebastes species live in the north Pacific, although two live in the south Pacific/Atlantic and four Sebastes is a genus of fish in the family Sebastidae (though...
) and Sebastolobus
Sebastolobus
Sebastolobus is a genus of fish in the Sebastidae family. Some authorities do not recognize that family, in which case Sebastolobus is included in Scorpaenidae.It contains the following species:* shortspine thornyhead...
genuses. Other residents include Embassichthys bathybius, Lithodes aequispinus
Lithodes
Lithodes is a genus of king crabs, containing the following species:*Lithodes aotearoa Ahyong, 2010*Lithodes australiensis Ahyong, 2010*Lithodes ceramensis Takeda & Nagai, 2004*Lithodes chaddertoni Ahyong, 2010...
, Florometra spp., brittle star
Brittle star
Brittle stars or ophiuroids are echinoderms in the class Ophiuroidea closely related to starfish. They crawl across the seafloor using their flexible arms for locomotion. The ophiuroids generally have five long slender, whip-like arms which may reach up to in length on the largest specimens...
s, sea anemone
Sea anemone
Sea anemones are a group of water-dwelling, predatory animals of the order Actiniaria; they are named after the anemone, a terrestrial flower. Sea anemones are classified in the phylum Cnidaria, class Anthozoa, subclass Zoantharia. Anthozoa often have large polyps that allow for digestion of larger...
s, and sea star
Sea star
Starfish or sea stars are echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea. The names "starfish" and "sea star" essentially refer to members of the class Asteroidea...
s. The mid-range community had a greater degree of suspension feeders, including Psolus spp., coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
s, and sponges. It also included Albatrossia pectoralis and Anoplopoma fimbria. The deepest community was distinct from the two above it, as it was populated less by sessile
Sessility (zoology)
In zoology, sessility is a characteristic of animals which are not able to move about. They are usually permanently attached to a solid substrate of some kind, such as a part of a plant or dead tree trunk, a rock, or the hull of a ship in the case of barnacles. Corals lay down their own...
animals and more by more mobile ones. Especially notable are Coryphaenoides spp.
Coryphaenoides
Coryphaenoides is a genus of rattails of the family Macrouridae.- Species :* Pacific grenadier, Coryphaenoides acrolepis - * Coryphaenoides affinis - * Coryphaenoides alateralis - * Coryphaenoides altipinnis -...
, Antimora microlepis, and Macroregonia macrochira.
The most interesting and surprising find on Patton Seamount was the discovery of a complete skeleton of a right whale
Right whale
Right whales are three species of large baleen whales consisting of two genera in the family Balaenidae of order Cetacea. Their bodies are very dark gray or black and rotund....
. The skeleton had been mostly stripped of flesh when it was found, indicating that it had probably spent many years on the ocean bottom. Although it was not obvious from surrounding fauna, whale fall
Whale fall
Whale fall is the term used for a whale carcass that has fallen to the ocean floor. Whale falls were first observed in the 1980s, with the advent of deep-sea robotic exploration....
s like this may be boons for organisms living in ordinarily resource-poor regions.