Instruments collect oceanographic data off west Maui

Instruments deployed on the seafloor to understand oceanographic controls on submarine groundwater fluxes off west Maui. The blurriness of the photograph is caused by fresh submarine groundwater (with a different index of refraction than seawater) discharging from the seafloor. The instrument in the foreground is a high-resolution acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV) measuring wave-induced pumping of groundwater discharge from a specific vent (below the three-pronged sensor). The instrument in the background is an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP), measuring current velocities throughout the water column as well as wave height (as indicated by fluctuations in water pressure) to better predict the movement of the groundwater away from the vent site and determine potential zones of impact. Water depth is approximately 1.7 meters (5 feet).