M162 – GLORIA FLOW: Exploring subsurface fluid flow and active dewatering along the oceanic plate boundary between Africa and Eurasia (Gloria Fault)

Abstract

Between 06.03.2020 and 11.04.2020 a R/V Meteor cruise M162 was conducted along the unexplored area of the Gloria Fault between the Azores Plateau and the Madeira-Tore Rise in the central Northeast Atlantic.The results obtained during the cruise might have important implications concerning the alteration of oceanic lithosphere and their control on tectonic and seismic activity as well as the spread of chemosyn thetic ecosystems and the understanding of global element cycles. Simultaneously, the meiofauna samples were collected with the main aim to establish the link between sedimentary conditions, microbial diversity and nematode communities and to analyze the large-scale distributional patterns of nematode assemblages along the Oceanic Plate boundary between Africa and Eurasia - Gloria Fault (Central North Atlantic).