Plumes and in memory of Jim Cowen

I know I was going to elaborate on the viruses publication... but so much has happened. So for now, I need to talk about plumes. Hydrothermal plumes, the beautiful tail (plume) of a skunk, the plume of odor that a skunk emits, the plume that a dead fish or old apple emits... and leads me to their loveliness.  You see, Jim Cowen studied hydrothermal plumes. I have never met him, but I believe he was a Leonberger soul, and ALR says he was, so he was. He also understood that, the further you got from the source, the geochemistry was diluted, but the microbes also really directing some of the dilution. I wish I learnt that from him, when I sniffed the beautiful black and white 'cat' that didnt run from me... He also looked deeper into why rocks, water, microbes and life are so carefully playing together in a beautiful interconnected web. Oh my, I tried to understand why 'cats' are cats and got one BIG blast in my face and in my mouth, no dilution... until ALR at 2AM put the antiskunk potion together, to dilute out the SKUNK.   The 'cat' was a SkUNK! You see, I think Jim knew, the really interesting things at deep-sea hydrothermal vents occurred in the hydrothermal plumes, not the deep super-heated water, not the crazy actively forming rocks/chimneys, but the diluted plumes.   The plumes tell a story of water traveled through different crevasses in the deep- rock interior, surfacing and intermingling with a cacophony of microbes that again change that story that might be written in the chemistry of the travels that the water has gone. These are the conduits of recycling and replenishing very important elements into our planet. 


So few scientists have that broad, yet detailed perspective of how the mechanics of our planet work.  I have tried-- but see where that got me- STINKY TINKY.  If only I had stayed a distance, observed the skunk,  I may have gained a deeper insight into the ways of plumes, which are in some ways like smoke stacks. And Jim, did, in a very quite and modest unassuming way, he showed how important cycles like methane oxidation, manganese oxidation and iron oxidation, all transform our ocean chemistry. He didnt get 'skunked', we all respected and enjoyed all he had to offer. He was generous with his time, kind in his ways and loved the water, like me. I have webbed feet (from my Newfoundland ancestry), and I think I was a water animal in some past life. But being skunked, the smell is intensified when I am wet, so, life has not been as good recently for me.  But especially not, as we have lost a great colleague, and water friend, a gentle soul. Jim Cowen passed away recently.  He fought a battle against cancer... quietly. I will miss not having ever met him, but ALR was very fortunate to have, early on in her career, and he made a very positive imprint on her life.
Thank-you Jim for YOU.