A MULTIPLE-LOOP, ROV CONTROLLED, INSITU WATER SAMPLER

Our capability to conduct precision sampling and observations at depth in aquatic environments has been greatly expanded through the use of ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles). We describe a simple, relatively inexpensive ROV-based sampling system designed to collect water samples from small sublacustrine hydrothermal springs. The system consists of a peristaltic pump connected to a 16 loop flow trapping high pressure valve powered and actuated electrically from the surface. Multiple thermistors serve to detect geothermally warmed regions of the lake bottom and to indicate when heated hydrothermal solutions are being sampled. The system has been used successfully to collect water samples from high temperature springs in Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.