Dawn Wright
Dawn Wright (a.k.a. Deepsea Dawn) has immersed herself in two disciplines. She is a geologist who studies the structures along the mid-ocean ridges--the volcanic mountain ranges and sites of seafloor spreading that snake along the bottom of the oceans thousands of meters deep. These mid-ocean ridges are the sites of hydrothermal vents and the unique ecosystems that the vents support. She is also a geographer who specializes in the software oceanographers of all disciplines use to map and analyze the seafloor.
Dawn points out features on a map of the seafloor.
When in geologist mode, Dawn focuses on cracks (called fissures) that form on the seafloor along these seafloor-spreading centers. These fissures, which range in width from a few inches to several feet, act as passageways beneath the seafloor for magma (molten rock) rising from the mantle and for seawater. Hydrothermal vents are created when seawater percolates down through the cracks in the ocean crust, is heated by magma, then rises back though the cracks to the surface. Therefore fissures provide important clues to the nature of volcanic eruptions and to the birth and death of hydrothermal vents.
To learn more about this seafloor "plumbing system", Dawn has studied photos, videos, and sonar images of the seafloor taken by remotely operated vehicles such as ARGO II. She has also descended to the seafloor in the research submarine ALVIN to observe and photograph these fissures firsthand. She is especially interested in the origin of these fissures. One possibility is that the spreading of the tectonic plates stretches the seafloor and opens up cracks. Other cracks might form when magma forces its way up through the crust.
Three-dimensional view of the East Pacific Rise spreading center. Colors represent water depths. Blues are deep and yellow/reds are shallow.
When in geographer mode, Dawn devotes her expertise to developing better ways of displaying, analyzing, and interpreting information she and other oceanographers collect from the seafloor. She is one of the leading authorities on geographic information systems (GIS). At the most basic level, GIS and similar programs convert data into maps. Yet within these maps, oceanographers can incorporate a wide variety of data. Not only might a GIS map display geological features such as fissures or vents, it might also show variations in water temperature and chemistry, changes in currents, and the distribution of different organisms. Oceanographers can also use GIS to manipulate and analyze a number of data sets simultaneously. A biologist might analyze the relationship between the distribution of organisms and water temperature. Dawn is using GIS to plot the positions of fissures to analyze how their distribution relates to the presence of hydrothermal vents and their associated biological communities.
Dawn visits Ahu Tongariki during a research expedition that stops at Easter Island.
Although GIS has been used in a wide variety of fields from landscape ecology to archaeology to climatology, it has only recently been adapted for oceanography. Oceanographers study the ocean in three dimensions since they must take depth into account. GIS, however, still has difficulty handling the 3-dimensional data that oceanographers often collect. Dawn writes software that processes these types of oceanographic data and eases transition of these datasets into GIS.
Recently Dawn edited a book called Marine and Coastal Geographical Systems. She has also written for the magazine GeoInfo Systems, was chosen as a U.S. Fellow to the International Young Scholar's Summer Institute in Geographic Information in Berlin, Germany, in 1996, and was profiled on Black Entertainment Television's website. Currently she teaches three courses in GIS.
Dawn Wright
- Professor, Department of Geosciences
- Oregon State University
More about Dawn
- Profile
Dawn's profile. - Interview
Read an interview with Dawn. - Background
Get more info on Dawn's background. - Picture Gallery
See images of Dawn at work. - Learn More
Learn more about Dawn's field - Dawn's Calendar
See Dawn's typical work week. - Related Links
Other sites related to Dawn's career.
More Remarkable Careers
- Melanie Holland
- Faculty Research Associate, Microbial Ecology
Melanie Holland studies the microbes that thrive in scalding temperatures surrounding hydrothermal vents. These amazing organisms not only reveal important information about the vent communities, they may also provide insights into the origin of life on Earth and the possible existence of life on other planets.
- Lauren Mullineaux
- Senior Scientist, Marine Biology
Lauren Mullineaux’s research group studies a side of benthic organisms (animals that live on the seafloor) that until recently has received little attention.
- Jo Griffith
- Principal Illustrator, Scientific and Oceanographic Data
Technical illustrator Jo Griffith hasn’t picked up a pen in over five years. Instead she uses a variety of computer programs to create graphs, maps, and illustrations for researchers.
- Emily Klein
- Professor of Geology, Geochemistry
Emily collects rocks from the deep seafloor. The chemicals that make up the rocks provide clues to how the oceanic crust is built.
- Wen-lu Zhu
- Associate Scientist, Geology and Geophysics
Wen-lu Zhu studies the properties of rocks found deep in the ocean crust by recreating those conditions in the laboratory.
- Ashanti Pyrtle
- Assistant Professor, Aquatic Science
Ashanti Pyrtle studies the fate of radioactive material that enters rivers, lakes, and oceans. She also advises minority science students on how to navigate through graduate school and prepare for a career afterwards.
- Debby Ramsey
- Third Engineer, Marine Crew
As Third Engineer onboard the Research Vessel Thomas G. Thompson, Debby Ramsey helps keep all of the equipment that has moving parts running smoothly.
- Maya Tolstoy
- Research Scientist, Geophysics
Marine seismologist Maya Tolstoy helps find active volcanoes on the seafloor by listening for their eruptions.
- Rose Dufour
- Ship Scheduler and Clearance Officer, Ship Operations and Marine Technical Support
Rose Dufour and her job-share partner Elizabeth Brenner create the schedules for four research ships. The challenge is to keep the scientists, funding agencies, and foreign governments happy.
- Claudia Benitez-Nelson
- Assistant Professor, Chemical Oceanography
Claudia Benitez-Nelson uses radioactive isotopes to study the complex world of nutrient cycling in the oceans.
- Kathryn Kelly
- Professor (Affiliate), Physical Oceanography
Kathryn Kelly studies how changing ocean currents affect the climate. And she does all of her research from the comfort of her office.
- Amy Bower
- Associate Scientist, Physical Oceanography
Amy studies the interactions between ocean currents and climate. These interactions are very complex.
- Kathryn Gillis
- Professor, Earth and Ocean Sciences
Kathryn Gillis dives to rifts in the seafloor that are as deep as six kilometers to learn about the processes taking place within the ocean crust.
- Margaret Leinen
- Assistant Director for Geosciences
As a scientist, Margaret Leinen studied sediments that have accumulated on the ocean floor. Now as the Assistant Director of Geosciences at the National Science Foundation, she oversees programs in Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean, and Environmental Sciences. She is also working on initiatives to bring more women and minorities into these fields.