Robot sub streams live undersea view off Oregon coast

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A robot submarine is roaming around the ocean floor off the Oregon Coast in an effort to detect any geological activity underground, and researchers are offering a live stream of the underwater view.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports (http://bit.ly/1U8zuU2) that a 64-meter vessel operated by the Ocean Exploration Trust and its remotely operated vehicle, Hercules, are providing views of the Astoria Canyon through June 20. The live stream can be viewed at http://NautilusLive.org.

The mission off the Pacific Northwest is intended to find “methane seeps,” where the natural greenhouse gas is released from the ocean floor along the Cascadia subduction. That’s the fault line that’s expected to one day cause what’s known as the “Big One,” a 9.0-magnitutde earthquake 95 miles off the coast of Oregon that results in a tsunami.