tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64767708264199469182024-02-06T19:51:52.933-08:00Sea LegsAdventures of an ocean scientist.Randiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238236110960551707noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476770826419946918.post-12027592530264322252013-05-12T07:10:00.001-07:002013-05-12T07:10:41.430-07:00Homeward Bound<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpbF9E3pgklkQ_beNvJrwDSws2MmHIrfrGmFA4GcjkOVqsRZU_ypLHFtgAQQTHjc6U_g_5nCjVqJscdW5pvP3XwGhWnby-aT1c-JS9b8CCzhkEweDEyjjiMlcAU6aKLhqLjdpQSKfhMU9o/s1600/photo(15).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpbF9E3pgklkQ_beNvJrwDSws2MmHIrfrGmFA4GcjkOVqsRZU_ypLHFtgAQQTHjc6U_g_5nCjVqJscdW5pvP3XwGhWnby-aT1c-JS9b8CCzhkEweDEyjjiMlcAU6aKLhqLjdpQSKfhMU9o/s320/photo(15).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King Sejong Station on King George Island.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOh7D-G4k-XGtwri2JkoiO780pdi831ZlNfVvd1ER0-mNlgn4IlEs9HAN6tAqodN7MdUlVDqKmKtaMWZzhxnkeVe5CPWagd-F5_XcLGOHgVg_Y_uUcx2QR7SWsBt4p9px8i1ehh9m-rkLg/s1600/photo(16).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOh7D-G4k-XGtwri2JkoiO780pdi831ZlNfVvd1ER0-mNlgn4IlEs9HAN6tAqodN7MdUlVDqKmKtaMWZzhxnkeVe5CPWagd-F5_XcLGOHgVg_Y_uUcx2QR7SWsBt4p9px8i1ehh9m-rkLg/s320/photo(16).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crew members loading supplies onto the barge and into zodiacs.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQnbNSrH9zNUaXDt1YlDXfRP52gcGPAupfaIwuK4in8v90xm-v_hNE-V2ie3DhcLXp-tqpxrdx79rqSCtkR7DAXE_1hfDxfyOWJPssxthEl4vLBMKy-dZtKiO2JeA-XgZlO60S2wevpCm/s1600/photo(17).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQnbNSrH9zNUaXDt1YlDXfRP52gcGPAupfaIwuK4in8v90xm-v_hNE-V2ie3DhcLXp-tqpxrdx79rqSCtkR7DAXE_1hfDxfyOWJPssxthEl4vLBMKy-dZtKiO2JeA-XgZlO60S2wevpCm/s320/photo(17).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frozen aftermath of the bad weather, a life-saving buoy on deck.</td></tr>
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For the past five days we have been at King Sejong station, the Korean base on King George Island on the Antarctic Peninsula. We came to the station to give the researchers more supplies for the winter (including food and fuel), because many of them will be spending the winter on the Island. There was no pier at the base in order to offload supplies and our boat was too large to pull directly up next to the base, so we had to transfer the fuel and supplies via small zodiacs and a large barge. The first day we managed to get most of the food supplies offloaded, but then the weather got really bad and we could not offload anymore. When the wind picks up and the waves start to get too big, it is not safe for the zodiacs and the crane. Since we were their last chance to resupply for the winter, we had to stay at the base for five days until there was a window of good weather to finish resupplying. Unfortunately, the weather was also too poor for any of us to go to the base, so we waved enthusiastically at the Korean scientists but did not get to meet any of them. We finished loading on Friday, and yesterday began our long and slow journey back across the Drake Passage to Chile. In a way it was a blessing we had to wait at the station, because the weather across the Drake has been horrendous the past few days and we are managing to slip right in between two very large low pressures systems in order to make our way across. We are expected to get some high seas by later tonight, but that should be just in time for us to start rounding Cape Horn and getting into Chile. We are hoping the weather cooperates for a few more hours! We should be arriving in Chile on Tuesday, after going through the Straits of Magellan in relatively protected waters for most of Monday. Many of the scientists are sad about our late arrival though, because everyone had to reschedule their flights and tell their families they would be home later than expected. This is quite common on these trips though, as the weather and the ship can often be unpredictable. Overall, we are happy we were able to give the station the supplies they needed, and so far we are happy that the weather has been our side for this crossing. Wish us luck for the next 20 hours or so, I woke up to a red sky which can sometimes be ominous based on an old sailor's saying:<br />
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"Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.."<br />
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We know a storm is coming though, so hopefully we make it past before it hits us. It is looking pretty good though! We are looking forward to being back in port and having a nice dinner in Chile! <br />
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<br />Randiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238236110960551707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476770826419946918.post-26603683391537440722013-05-06T20:02:00.000-07:002013-05-06T20:02:00.257-07:00March of the Penguins<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmdEqcly4IoZqGUMHJD-ZZls44qo8UcFqcl2HFx8xfi4JhNIT58Gk4OxLljc2NQSO-Tr__D_aXNjFPKtY5juFwI_FrryxAp4v_G5TvpOMerwuX35EKZ28VUo4Y2bbe5EuLZacJr-o0dvE/s1600/pengin1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmdEqcly4IoZqGUMHJD-ZZls44qo8UcFqcl2HFx8xfi4JhNIT58Gk4OxLljc2NQSO-Tr__D_aXNjFPKtY5juFwI_FrryxAp4v_G5TvpOMerwuX35EKZ28VUo4Y2bbe5EuLZacJr-o0dvE/s400/pengin1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gentoo penguin at Spring Point, Antarctica.</td></tr>
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Yesterday was one of our last days of doing science on the boat, and it was a great day! All of the students on board got to go with the glaciologists to repair a seismic station on land at a place called Spring Point. A seismic station is an instrument that records seismic events, usually something like an earthquake or anything that shakes that the ground. In Antarctica, this can also be when a large piece of ice collapses, or falls into the ocean. This station at Spring Point can then record when these events happen, so the scientists have an idea of how often large pieces of ice are falling into the ocean and melting. In order to get to the seismic station, we all went by a zodiak and hiked up to the station. We wore lots of warm clothes, and went with an experienced mountaineer who could show us the best way to hike up to the tower. The glaciologists did all of the repairing, so that left a lot of time for sightseeing for the rest of us. A small colony of Gentoo penguins live there, and they were pretty interested in us so we spent most of our time taking pictures and laughing at the penguins. They are very curious, so they get pretty close to you as long as you sit down on the snow and don't look too threatening. We also saw a bunch of seals, and some other birds throughout the day. It started to snow pretty heavily at the end of the day, so we rushed back to the boat and got warm inside before having a great dinner that the crew had prepared for everyone in celebration of most of our work being finished. It was a great way to end all of our hard work!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBWJMo2Vs8q4qXYi0T0Gp_ZHM7JolHxJBlMASMCPn0rMZk7ETGcFUDsaISb7Fz_JvaoEu2fnEbIdbdG-BTaxyadLuvWDsBxwqgiJafL-jrJokJCO0Ph3u66d-tjp3sY-DH2hAuAKC1S45/s1600/penguins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBWJMo2Vs8q4qXYi0T0Gp_ZHM7JolHxJBlMASMCPn0rMZk7ETGcFUDsaISb7Fz_JvaoEu2fnEbIdbdG-BTaxyadLuvWDsBxwqgiJafL-jrJokJCO0Ph3u66d-tjp3sY-DH2hAuAKC1S45/s320/penguins.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gentoo penguins and the R/V Araon in the background.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggl4aPchJFsJySpCDHz5i7MadG18u2qO5uxJTkLIWqWZ3EjmPZh4KO4APoGdQTZvXH3OMvZPRuTXH1yzfH0g7VhVgLjplpw0RlE9qAsf2znA3m1IF6L7UEHKb464WGuEMYmI4ZgJl_d1M/s1600/party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggl4aPchJFsJySpCDHz5i7MadG18u2qO5uxJTkLIWqWZ3EjmPZh4KO4APoGdQTZvXH3OMvZPRuTXH1yzfH0g7VhVgLjplpw0RlE9qAsf2znA3m1IF6L7UEHKb464WGuEMYmI4ZgJl_d1M/s320/party.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Korean BBQ night on the R/V Araon.</td></tr>
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Today we traveled to the Korean research base in Antarctica, called King Sejong station. It is located on King George Island, in a beautiful bay. Unfortunately, there is huge storm here now so we are sitting just outside the bay waiting out the storm before we can navigate the narrow passage into the bay to deliver supplies to the station. About 15 Korean research scientists will be staying on the base over the Antarctic winter (our summer), so we are delivering them food, fuel and other supplies. The storm made our trip to the base a very eventful one, there were 60 knot winds (hurricane style winds) and large waves coming all the way up to the 4th deck of the ship. The ship rode pretty well most of the time, but early this morning we had to take a heading toward the station at an angle to the waves (instead of straight into them), and that made a lot of the waves come over the side decks, which ended up flooding the room with our CTD instrument. This room is made to get wet, but not to flood, so we were all frantically grabbing the stuff floating around in there so that the CTD would not get damaged from other bottles and equipment slamming into it. At the end of the day everything was ok once we stopped, but there was a big mess to clean up and not many people slept well last night. Tonight should be better because we are still stopped outside the bay, and it seems like the wind is calming down. Wish us luck delivering the supplies!<br />
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<br />Randiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238236110960551707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476770826419946918.post-85223510869563650802013-05-03T15:17:00.000-07:002013-05-03T15:17:18.255-07:00Flandres Bay<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglclYx-gUh70C4uhTay4Fpf8piUPApxh5IsjTgwp_MmKCPbY-5aGdDnl_SKoeP54qFNvVZPUI4oMaR1z3izXymEvEMGQV6sraeiavLLYycFJQCZ27jHvg8sAEkpDUVjyVBKo_0dl5ChBSE/s1600/helicopter4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglclYx-gUh70C4uhTay4Fpf8piUPApxh5IsjTgwp_MmKCPbY-5aGdDnl_SKoeP54qFNvVZPUI4oMaR1z3izXymEvEMGQV6sraeiavLLYycFJQCZ27jHvg8sAEkpDUVjyVBKo_0dl5ChBSE/s400/helicopter4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and the pilot in the helicopter flying over Flandres Bay.</td></tr>
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Today was a great day in Flandres Bay. We woke up to beautiful skies, and relatively warm weather. We saw some penguins, whales and a few seals, and were outside watching the glaciologists take off in the helicopters. There were headed over the mountains to another glacier on the other side of the Peninsula called Crane Glacier, but unfortunately when they went over the mountains there were too many clouds and they had to come back. That was not very good luck for them, but it was nice for the rest of us because all of the other people on board got to go on helicopter joy rides! We went four at a time, and got a tour around the bay and back again to the boat. It was so beautiful, with no wind, and the pilots took us by some icebergs, out over the water and near the mountains. I took some video, and lots and lots of pictures! It was so fun! It is pretty thrilling to be in a helicopter in Antarctica, you can see so many things that no one else has seen.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbr_dTOkVmL5-NanlK3nYbJj3G5HMkkxd3DLTetWj6QHUjfZlVAfdUwuNuCbyp7SXfBeZnWHucFDn90OSI_s3KqWGdys-OsdE5Xq5KAL8ybJSAb-z8VzA4Mcomk_9Lxz1-RTohTZ1mhCg/s1600/helicopter3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbr_dTOkVmL5-NanlK3nYbJj3G5HMkkxd3DLTetWj6QHUjfZlVAfdUwuNuCbyp7SXfBeZnWHucFDn90OSI_s3KqWGdys-OsdE5Xq5KAL8ybJSAb-z8VzA4Mcomk_9Lxz1-RTohTZ1mhCg/s320/helicopter3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helo crew with the biologists.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzWdFB5uowLu7ysV7sy2swHxOMk0FFue6m9D3TRep3qSkS_vukJ66zK0c8SDDRKpw_zg852sWdTIPR_IC7r1ccfkyCJ_PhZXmm7tgwnn45d_FzWnOItI6HK3l3fQVM8dfx8I6pCM8iJm1g/s1600/helicopter1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzWdFB5uowLu7ysV7sy2swHxOMk0FFue6m9D3TRep3qSkS_vukJ66zK0c8SDDRKpw_zg852sWdTIPR_IC7r1ccfkyCJ_PhZXmm7tgwnn45d_FzWnOItI6HK3l3fQVM8dfx8I6pCM8iJm1g/s200/helicopter1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the helo deck.</td></tr>
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To top the day off, we had a small pod of about 8 whales circling the boat for a few hours showing off and eating some phytoplankton and krill. Overall it was a great day!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNZyCCqAzitaETRLa3y0pgbL5ChM1jWcXQmEIMYJhEBlWKdei3szAsLhxad5fql9lfTfisSvXar0r1eUuZxXgYSTVgLBlE8fTobh0SQH6qr9aUhraS52NB_hC2z653jhopmYVnPiqDPs0/s1600/whales.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNZyCCqAzitaETRLa3y0pgbL5ChM1jWcXQmEIMYJhEBlWKdei3szAsLhxad5fql9lfTfisSvXar0r1eUuZxXgYSTVgLBlE8fTobh0SQH6qr9aUhraS52NB_hC2z653jhopmYVnPiqDPs0/s200/whales.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minke whale in Flandres Bay.</td></tr>
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Tomorrow night we will head to the Korean base on the Peninsula to give them some supplies for the winter (it is winter here during our summer in the northern hemisphere) and we will visit for a few days. Then, we will be heading back to Punta Arenas, Chile across the Drake Passage. The cruise has gone by pretty fast!<br />
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<br />Randiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238236110960551707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476770826419946918.post-37748030486133678662013-04-30T12:58:00.000-07:002013-04-30T12:58:22.766-07:00CTD Palooza<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg30c4C6QOVm3iAaxnqVZjgfv_BbRn7rggwsqskjPAjZkmp7BAVQ9__MAXWH6RGf9n1h29WT2qb8rtWNx9Ab8MvSqWVhVGBcxFAAfTbrnxr3QBqc3zwWjRGbQf1PZCAAQE_dQcj1OSZ1YeU/s1600/me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg30c4C6QOVm3iAaxnqVZjgfv_BbRn7rggwsqskjPAjZkmp7BAVQ9__MAXWH6RGf9n1h29WT2qb8rtWNx9Ab8MvSqWVhVGBcxFAAfTbrnxr3QBqc3zwWjRGbQf1PZCAAQE_dQcj1OSZ1YeU/s400/me.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me freezing in Flandres Bay.</td></tr>
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For the past two days we have been working almost non-stop, but we have gotten a lot of good data from it! There are several different groups of scientists on board the ship, and I am part of the "biology" group (even though I'm a chemist); there are also geologists (they study rocks and sediments), glaciologists (studying the movement and melting of glaciers), and physical oceanographers (studying the currents and the movement of water masses in the ocean). All of us have different research goals, and depending on the location of the ship and weather conditions, different groups have been working at different times. The past two days was our turn to work a lot, because the weather was too bad for the helicopters to fly (for the glaciologists), and we were not in a good location to collect sediment cores (for the geologists) because there was hardly any sediment on the ocean bottom.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8i4VcEH11tYDhQlomEmz1Q-Ki4dUFCvbXwngxPGLyOT1INMifJm-85guMVxm53eKK4BgWDk0YqawwVK5IW4qfQHQjQCnCoxfjUbTIn-kFFg5kPj3ARKRZyF9pijwd9__NishBnBainOd5/s1600/CTD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8i4VcEH11tYDhQlomEmz1Q-Ki4dUFCvbXwngxPGLyOT1INMifJm-85guMVxm53eKK4BgWDk0YqawwVK5IW4qfQHQjQCnCoxfjUbTIn-kFFg5kPj3ARKRZyF9pijwd9__NishBnBainOd5/s320/CTD.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The CTD entering the water in Flandres Bay.</td></tr>
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When we are working, we mostly use the CTD rosette in order to collect water. It has 24 bottles on it, and each bottle can be closed at a different depth in the water in order to collect water from that depth. We watch the instrument as it moves down in the water on a computer screen that shows us what all of the sensors are reading (like temperature, salinity, etc...) and from that we can decide where we want to collect samples. Then, we press a button on the computer in order to close the bottle when we are bringing the instrument back up to the ship at certain depths. Each time we put this instrument in the water it takes about 1 hour for it to go down to the bottom and back up again (about 300 meters, or 600 feet down), and then we collect the water and filter it or process it in various ways depending on what we are measuring. The filtering can take anywhere from 1-4 hours, so it is a lot of work! We did 20 CTD casts in two days, so we were all very exhausted afterwards. Most of us slept for only 3 hours during that time, so we took long naps today in order to catch up. We did the sampling in a very beautiful bay called Flandres Bay, so it was worth it. There are several glaciers feeding into this bay and we were interested in seeing if the melting of these glaciers was effecting the circulation (currents in the bay) and the biology (the growth of phytoplank <br />
ton, and the growth of animals that live on the seafloor). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir596r61VUSJBlqAURhC74OD5X0wda_9aLymWmW2IABBCpxu_gtRlfTkkui-RyuG0aTUqZnMaRwQV3It4_EfKjcGQ6OkUqQUunByu307mImEREaTT4V1ZWvMOurwP_ev8CQnOOkCl5oOFF/s1600/seals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir596r61VUSJBlqAURhC74OD5X0wda_9aLymWmW2IABBCpxu_gtRlfTkkui-RyuG0aTUqZnMaRwQV3It4_EfKjcGQ6OkUqQUunByu307mImEREaTT4V1ZWvMOurwP_ev8CQnOOkCl5oOFF/s320/seals.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crabeater seals in Flandres Bay.</td></tr>
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Now we are mostly done with the biological work, and the geologists and glaciologists will be trying to finish their work for the rest of the cruise. We are now trying to go to different locations so the glaciologists can fly the helicopters to the land in order to install some instruments, but the weather is bad in a lot of places so it is difficult for them to get their work done. They are all kind of sad about that, so we are thinking sunny thoughts so they can hopefully fly! Randiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238236110960551707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476770826419946918.post-77181078814725194502013-04-26T11:28:00.002-07:002013-04-26T11:28:46.526-07:00A Day in the Life<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMZz8hfZv5lmIe-icM0fk1vGTe_-5n8HCkNB2i_Etf9hDXEn4G-LhyphenhyphenY_ASHiWzV5J_bUP9iWQyb3Nwtwpfyo0hnIEdY_PckOhkeciiwcS9PX9Bc3ZYm5twIPGCWjE-qAZqDrOJPBi0fhxh/s1600/lab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMZz8hfZv5lmIe-icM0fk1vGTe_-5n8HCkNB2i_Etf9hDXEn4G-LhyphenhyphenY_ASHiWzV5J_bUP9iWQyb3Nwtwpfyo0hnIEdY_PckOhkeciiwcS9PX9Bc3ZYm5twIPGCWjE-qAZqDrOJPBi0fhxh/s320/lab.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My lab space on the R/V Araon.</td></tr>
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When you go on a family roadtrip most parts of the trip are amazing. Some days you wake up and the drive is beautiful, you are singing along to Disney songs and playing car games, and everyone seems to be getting along. Then there are those days, maybe only a few, when the car breaks down and it is too hot outside and you are hungry all day and your brother just won't stop poking you. Well, being on a ship is kind of like that.<br />
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It is difficult to describe life on a ship. Imagine you wake up just like any other day, and plan to get dressed and go have breakfast. Only, you wake up and you have to hold onto to your closet before you get to the bathroom because your whole room is moving. Then, once you finally manage to get dressed in the dark (because your roommate is probably sleeping), you head down to breakfast. There are 30 other people also having breakfast, who you only just met and now they are looking at your un-brushed hair. Their hair looks a little un-brushed though too.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2Ybf3mRy-FjRbgHSamDbs8lVXG6DTvVu5IDHb2Tnqug4dpd5kxtInICb8COCyL9q-D97_t0cw-PlQ23GIR57i4dJYoLG-GE7PEilt7dxJ6SxB4XKcHDQlH88A173eEUoqtG1_dUlNZVg/s1600/gym.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2Ybf3mRy-FjRbgHSamDbs8lVXG6DTvVu5IDHb2Tnqug4dpd5kxtInICb8COCyL9q-D97_t0cw-PlQ23GIR57i4dJYoLG-GE7PEilt7dxJ6SxB4XKcHDQlH88A173eEUoqtG1_dUlNZVg/s320/gym.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gym on the Araon.</td></tr>
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The day could get interesting from here. You have your coffee, then you might put on as many clothes as you can find and go outside to see what the weather is like today. If you are lucky, it is sunny and calm with no wind, and you can see some penguins sliding on the ice in the distance, as a whale slowly passes by. This is one of those good days on the family roadtrip. You could also have no work to do today because the boat is moving for the next 12 hours to your next station, so you spend the day walking around on the deck and taking pictures, talking to your fellow scientists and eating too many cookies that the cooks left out in the galley the night before.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrTheVyGSOqy7Cbf-O7toBS6oV1b2N1i2T6S7T43nSW-EVNItHbTq1Tot5r5VqCsrYZbsuqlL_EqWVLpPHJnhLOXe5xkm-H2hoVt58JZg8w7vFERDNVcZmed_q7PIv60SzCS5qdpOjYvo/s1600/filtering.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrTheVyGSOqy7Cbf-O7toBS6oV1b2N1i2T6S7T43nSW-EVNItHbTq1Tot5r5VqCsrYZbsuqlL_EqWVLpPHJnhLOXe5xkm-H2hoVt58JZg8w7vFERDNVcZmed_q7PIv60SzCS5qdpOjYvo/s320/filtering.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mattias doing what oceanographers do best- filter!</td></tr>
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If you are un-lucky, you go outside after breakfast and can stay out there for about 5 minutes before you feel like you might loose a toe from frostbite. You also have to change clothes once you come in because a whole pile of snow blew right into your face and down your jacket the moment you set foot on deck. Then, when you come in to change you see that your lab is flooded because the drains on the ship are all frozen because it is too cold. Next, you might have to stand and filter some seawater for the next 12 hours, then go to bed and do it all again. This is one of those bad roadtrip days.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCg9xSgL-67QTpqqGcxygQnByRHKnBDsszA5x3hngxsYHSQoAs1Dm0bV8yGXrNdIyGL840wWcLPG1XmQfNLyxAoVMqbXS2Ba_40zilQiTQCan0IUVDMVrKJtKqJRi6ASXlI_fO2Qx1HcDD/s1600/room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCg9xSgL-67QTpqqGcxygQnByRHKnBDsszA5x3hngxsYHSQoAs1Dm0bV8yGXrNdIyGL840wWcLPG1XmQfNLyxAoVMqbXS2Ba_40zilQiTQCan0IUVDMVrKJtKqJRi6ASXlI_fO2Qx1HcDD/s320/room.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My stateroom on the cruise, much larger than on other ships!</td></tr>
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The good news is, in fact the great news is, is that the bad days don't happen very often. In fact, hardly at all. And when you look back on a day in the life of your average oceanographer, you only remember when you saw those penguins, that beautiful sunset, got that great data, and those wonderful friends you made. Not a bad job at all!<br />
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<br />Randiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238236110960551707noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476770826419946918.post-623138219860869352013-04-22T15:06:00.001-07:002013-04-22T15:06:57.931-07:00Ice, Ice, BabyToday we spent another day on the eastern side of the Peninsula, and it is much, much colder now than earlier in the cruise. Today it was about -10 degrees Celsius, or about 14 degrees Fahrenheit. Everything keeps freezing outside, including all of our equipment. It makes things interesting! We were chased out of one area because of some bad weather, but we got to take another ice core before we left and saw a cute seal sunning himself on the ice. The helicopters were flying that day and luckily made it back in time before the really bad weather hit, but it was close! The landings were a bit tricky, but the pilots we have are very good at what they do.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKCANBRESEBdKujL580nWaHIKeul7NXhHj2-rceuo69WCCy8oCkNckIbSFMaf0KK08rLGZ4K-VGGGmSJKKrrFW0QE_vEeM2qPHJyK1VsurUbmSeWG-_N9tXfLODnPwC7sUyttzmT7hPBe/s1600/ice1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKCANBRESEBdKujL580nWaHIKeul7NXhHj2-rceuo69WCCy8oCkNckIbSFMaf0KK08rLGZ4K-VGGGmSJKKrrFW0QE_vEeM2qPHJyK1VsurUbmSeWG-_N9tXfLODnPwC7sUyttzmT7hPBe/s320/ice1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea ice starting to form once the temperature dropped.</td></tr>
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Since it is so cold now, we have been able to see sea ice form really quickly on the surface of the water. It is amazing how fast it can freeze once it gets cold and the wind starts blowing. First, a really thin layer of ice forms on the surface, and you can see it really well, because the water looks very calm and slick in that area. Then pancake ice forms, which really looks like pancakes, and then it just keeps getting thicker and thicker throughout the night. In a matter of 30 minutes a few inches of ice can form, and coat the entire surface of the ocean for as far as the eye can see. Pretty amazing!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pancake ice forming on the surface of the water.</td></tr>
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Yesterday, we picked up a piece of scientific equipment, called a mooring, near the coast. This instrument is kind of like a fancy buoy, but it stays slightly under the water at a certain depth and can stay in one spot for many years at a time. This particular mooring has been in its spot for almost exactly a year; the scientists on board dropped it off last year around this time. This instrument has been taking measurements such as salinity and temperature for that whole year, and it also had sediment traps attached to it in order to catch any of the particles falling through the water column towards the sediments. The traps are really interesting, because you can get an idea about the kind of phytoplankton, and other invertebrates such as krill that might be living in this area. We saw some cool little critters in those traps!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh517P74tJTl0LmBGQcDYccIWd1FiVg3Wivy5XwY3tUTVpcHmx3dOJL-VOdflGX85BPcdFzOH5L1dcqh2yJtI5OJDFXAJ_fVrzeHc2ic5JyviZnHqUPUEC0jmfRpqAemyXJ7FQyrq7wkobr/s1600/sediment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh517P74tJTl0LmBGQcDYccIWd1FiVg3Wivy5XwY3tUTVpcHmx3dOJL-VOdflGX85BPcdFzOH5L1dcqh2yJtI5OJDFXAJ_fVrzeHc2ic5JyviZnHqUPUEC0jmfRpqAemyXJ7FQyrq7wkobr/s320/sediment.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sediment trap from the mooring with cool critters!</td></tr>
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Today was a busy day of science and getting water samples, but tomorrow the weather should be good and the helicopters can fly to the glaciers again. Usually when the helicopters are gone we can not do much else on the ship, because they want to make sure all of the crew members are ready in case anything happens with the helicopter flights. Safety for these flights is the first priority of the ship during that time. It is ok for us though, because it leaves more time for sight-seeing and penguin spotting :)<br />
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<br />Randiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238236110960551707noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476770826419946918.post-5456444473779078332013-04-20T07:08:00.001-07:002013-04-20T07:10:34.400-07:00The Eastern Peninsula<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHIXD5vxqnK7F1MIQf6Mf3AzBZ3HAZTZLu4ApfLN0Ur5mPtavT6ALtokzlXqx7BIyUdiQf6D8FaOkZtl7SNdMQH8Bt-qcgkp02OusDSz2uwY0myTB_kkmad70pFgG9yhnUCn1Pb-6HAM-v/s1600/ice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHIXD5vxqnK7F1MIQf6Mf3AzBZ3HAZTZLu4ApfLN0Ur5mPtavT6ALtokzlXqx7BIyUdiQf6D8FaOkZtl7SNdMQH8Bt-qcgkp02OusDSz2uwY0myTB_kkmad70pFgG9yhnUCn1Pb-6HAM-v/s320/ice.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mattias Cape and Maria Vernet collect an ice core.</td></tr>
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Yesterday we had a great day, after arriving on the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula. We are searching for a safe way to get close to the coast through all of the sea ice, which has proven to be tricky. The Araon can break 1m of ice going at a speed of 3 knots, which is pretty slowly. We started having to break ice around 5am yesterday, and it sounds like there is an avalanche outside when we are doing it. Needless to say, we did not sleep much during that process. We also have to back up and change direction often, in order to find the best path through the ice. In the end we were surrounded by ice bergs without a clear path to the coast, so tomorrow we will have the helicopters fly around and try to determine a good way for us to travel.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The top 1m of an ice core, with the layers shown from shallow to deep.</td></tr>
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Otherwise, the weather was so beautiful and we are close to James Ross Island and Snow Hill Island, which are beautiful and full of massive tabular icebergs that look like mesas. There is also tons of wildlife around these islands, so we saw tons of penguins! There were small emperor penguins, and adele penguins near the ice edge, and lots of birds and some seals. Since we have to wait around until we find a clear path, we decided to do an ice core station on the ice edge. The ship pulled up next to the ice and we were allowed to get off the ship to drill some ice cores. It was so fun! We took so many pictures, and did lots of hard work drilling the ice cores.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVOWvOHRXbOG-Y8z-0cWH8OulFm3vRGjuiPpgmI4HarFAlngkPGzd6IQqPSVd1OZKqiIIVOtFUk5lEBe3lXM4BEa58xDeZ0tZZJBSVPr7PfwB-vEtuFjeKVciSEQ0stSY2C9HPX0H6g-yd/s1600/penguins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVOWvOHRXbOG-Y8z-0cWH8OulFm3vRGjuiPpgmI4HarFAlngkPGzd6IQqPSVd1OZKqiIIVOtFUk5lEBe3lXM4BEa58xDeZ0tZZJBSVPr7PfwB-vEtuFjeKVciSEQ0stSY2C9HPX0H6g-yd/s400/penguins.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Young emperor penguins on the eastern side of the peninsula.</td></tr>
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The sea ice on the eastern side of the peninsula accumulates over many years, and leaves a thick layer of ice, in this case it was almost 3 m thick (9 feet!). We have a large coring device that we have to do by hand in order to core this entire length of sea ice, and because it was so long we had to do it in 3 separate cores. Then, we remove the cores and and place the layers into separate bags and label them according to the depth of the core where the layer came from. The ice forms in layers like sediments, so we measure the temperature in each of the layers and then take chlorophyll, pigment, and isotope measurements in each layer. This gives us information about the conditions under which each layer of ice formed: what the atmospheric temperature was, if there were sea ice algae present, etc...The ice is interesting in that it will (approximately) maintain the temperature of the atmosphere in which it formed, so each layer can have a different temperature. Pretty cool!<br />
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All were happy at the end of the day after seeing the penguins, and we celebrated by having a nice dinner in the galley and staying up late chatting and sharing pictures. A great time!!!<br />
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<br />Randiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238236110960551707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476770826419946918.post-52794305283422277632013-04-18T15:07:00.000-07:002013-04-18T15:07:15.407-07:00Up, Up and Away<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVcfGG8n8b3dJIIo3647eYZc5ftSo-NMiJesCPgcozHrjSaBeh-7xGnWEbqtKFrDTZHhjro8-Du0qSXx7pPs0BxneB61dia0kgeMqqwKwU3SDcMreKOppWy-FCqZ8r4jFdzBf9REcY334i/s1600/whales.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVcfGG8n8b3dJIIo3647eYZc5ftSo-NMiJesCPgcozHrjSaBeh-7xGnWEbqtKFrDTZHhjro8-Du0qSXx7pPs0BxneB61dia0kgeMqqwKwU3SDcMreKOppWy-FCqZ8r4jFdzBf9REcY334i/s320/whales.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minke whale off the stern in Beascochella Bay.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixuwh2Q2kxOeci5vbwFb5dW04mEW1GYpUJYtnlc3gVH_muEGqWvbDpP9lT2NKNTbFsfbmy8k3nnT7JZxe36D4hoWRWwzKOjXijllpHRYWxhzlM68m0MXugDM5hrUDqsQASLWL4EyjKHpgn/s1600/helicopters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixuwh2Q2kxOeci5vbwFb5dW04mEW1GYpUJYtnlc3gVH_muEGqWvbDpP9lT2NKNTbFsfbmy8k3nnT7JZxe36D4hoWRWwzKOjXijllpHRYWxhzlM68m0MXugDM5hrUDqsQASLWL4EyjKHpgn/s320/helicopters.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helicopters on the Araon about to take off with a group of glaciologists.</td></tr>
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We have spent the past few days in the fjords on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula. These bays are really beautiful, and they are full of sea life and beautiful mountains. We were able to see some Minke whales and a bunch of different types of sea birds, like Cape Petrels and Snow Petrels. When we enter one of these bays, we start by using the multi-beam (an instrument to map the sediments) and then we begin other types of sampling including using the CTD (conductivity, temperature and depth), and net tows to collect phytoplankton and zooplankton. Some scientists have also taken sediment cores in order to look at the sediments formed in these bays in the past, in order to gain some information on whether or not the bay used to be completely iced covered or not and when that has changed over time. The CTD gives us information about what the temperature, oxygen, phytoplankton and salinity are like from the surface all the way down to the bottom of the bay.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
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Even more exciting are the group of glaciologists on board the ship, who are studying the melting of glaciers in this region. They have to install and gather data from the top of the glaciers themselves, and in order to do that they take a helicopter from the ship. Yesterday we had the first helicopter flight and it was very exciting! The helicopters are piloted by two Chilean pilots and two other Chilean engineers, and then 3 other scientists were also on board. Communication was difficult on these flights, because the pilots speak Spanish, the scientists speak English, and the captain and crew speak Korean. They had to have several meetings before the flight in order to work out all of the safety details to make sure everyone was on the same page. The flights went really well though, and all of the scientists and pilots were very happy. Their pictures and videos look amazing! We are compiling a bunch of video clips from the cruise, so I will share that at the end of the trip.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5t9t2UHgi5N0L1miqJ2r7_TTLXc_XMWnOrqqlQEzwEdmuXzcUoCascCHFUTyLlPxVN2nJpdq7oAAHY1Kp08bys50IKfKGVcOJOOPZURnsag550qII_eueKIW0eOSq4XMFF4Z3YV-b77py/s1600/girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5t9t2UHgi5N0L1miqJ2r7_TTLXc_XMWnOrqqlQEzwEdmuXzcUoCascCHFUTyLlPxVN2nJpdq7oAAHY1Kp08bys50IKfKGVcOJOOPZURnsag550qII_eueKIW0eOSq4XMFF4Z3YV-b77py/s320/girls.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scientists from University of Houston, Hamilton College and Colgate.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We are now headed over to the east side of the Peninsula, which everyone is very excited about because that is where we were supposed to go initially. We had decided to come to the west side instead because there is too much ice on the east side right now, but now it has opened up again and so we are going for it! The ship has the ability to break through about 1 meter of ice and we have a special "ice pilot" (Russian ice expert) on board, so we will be able to hopefully get some data from over there. The east side of the peninsula is very interesting because a large ice shelf just collapsed there in 2005, called the Larsen B, and the scientists on the Araon are interested in how the ecosystem has changed because of it. The ice shelf was about the size of Rhode Island, and used to cover the ocean in that area but now the ocean is open to the sunlight which can allow for phytoplankton to grow, which are at the base of the food web. So there could be some very important effects from the collapse of this ice shelf. More updates from the Larsen B soon!<br />
<br />
Life on board has been great so far, we wake up everyday and have breakfast in the galley (ship term for dining area), and then we do some science throughout the day and have usually had a break at night. Sometimes at night people play cards, chat together in the lounge, watch movies, or start a mad game of ping pong in the gym upstairs. The Koreans are dominating everyone on the ship, of course. They are really good! <br />
<br />
<br />Randiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238236110960551707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476770826419946918.post-11130782756289202832013-04-15T09:32:00.001-07:002013-04-15T09:49:33.306-07:00Land Ho!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wDFv_vqN68KQbqwgpQEeBBaOyUaFrrKzNRxzJuAZlzrriUeQhGlXjV9_RCNzQ92b4hrlJ4UtM7Ix0ERZnSo0ksQczK2o-WkLInzuq2kqXniMNMHGs3fpedeAhd4q0WPNGz3TjvA02IxM/s1600/firstview-765626.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5867112436683104738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wDFv_vqN68KQbqwgpQEeBBaOyUaFrrKzNRxzJuAZlzrriUeQhGlXjV9_RCNzQ92b4hrlJ4UtM7Ix0ERZnSo0ksQczK2o-WkLInzuq2kqXniMNMHGs3fpedeAhd4q0WPNGz3TjvA02IxM/s320/firstview-765626.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First view of the Antarctic Peninsula</td></tr>
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<div class="mobile-photo">
</div>
Today we reached the Antarctic Peninsula, into one of the many fjords
<br />
(glacial carved bays) on the western side. We arrived to a snowy,
<br />
windy landscape with numerous seabirds and lots of floating icebergs
<br />
nearby. Our trip across the Drake Passage was miraculously calm, which
<br />
was very lucky for all of the new scientists on board so we could get
<br />
used to the rolling of the ship and gain our "sealegs" so we won't get
<br />
seasick. Last night we hit a small storm which caused a lot more
<br />
rolling of the ship, but early this morning we arrived into the
<br />
protected bay and are much more sheltered.
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioneGFXT10NVQq0pYsKHKIrf99HQVelp7ivE0N8SHgrzDydf2qZfa4PPjc98c5lBctm841Me8eH5An9uHpjkmeWx079qqQgmCiF5Nh1lOqqhd3GDIZl7Yi1gQe_yRJ2hqVX5WXfeFzp3gv/s1600/bbq-766872.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5867112444442184530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioneGFXT10NVQq0pYsKHKIrf99HQVelp7ivE0N8SHgrzDydf2qZfa4PPjc98c5lBctm841Me8eH5An9uHpjkmeWx079qqQgmCiF5Nh1lOqqhd3GDIZl7Yi1gQe_yRJ2hqVX5WXfeFzp3gv/s320/bbq-766872.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mattias Cape, a marine biologist on board, enjoys Korean BBQ.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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It is very cold outside now, and in order to go outside I have to put
<br />
on several layers of clothing including:
<br />
<br />
- long-underwear pants and shirt
<br />
- pants
<br />
- wool socks
<br />
- another shirt
<br />
- fleece jacket
<br />
- fleece gloves
<br />
- down jacket
<br />
- wind proof jacket
<br />
- neck protector
<br />
- beanie
<br />
- boots
<br />
<br />
This is a lot of clothing for this southern California girl! It is
<br />
worth the beautiful view outside though. One of the goals for the
<br />
scientists on this cruise is to fly to the land from helicopters we
<br />
have on-board the ship in order to sample the glaciers and install
<br />
some new weather stations on the continent. The weather was not good
<br />
enough for the helicopters to fly today, so now we are going to map
<br />
the seafloor sediments using a multi-beam, which basically allows the
<br />
scientists to see what the seafloor looks like in this bay, and where
<br />
there might be interesting sediments for them to sample. I am part of
<br />
a small group of scientists on the ship that is interested in taking
<br />
samples from the water, or water column as we call it, in order to see
<br />
the types of phytoplankton (plants in the water), and nutrients that
<br />
are present in these narrow bays. We will be starting our sampling
<br />
tomorrow by going out on a zodiak (small inflatable boat) to collect
<br />
some glacier ice to start an experiment. More soon on the science!Randiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238236110960551707noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476770826419946918.post-8894269465361808582013-04-12T07:35:00.000-07:002013-04-12T07:35:57.179-07:00Setting Sail<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJxPu-ZAXT-KaMYys5XOMSHVg0oXv-6d1JKULh6FjyrLGGBoTil5zFXlwgB3oH59rYSuYQV5GqvTup3MuwAj-KMLooF0Ow6e5_mOXtIpESK17LChOkOx2Spb1pGagibTdjxgZjno9-Icq/s1600/boat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJxPu-ZAXT-KaMYys5XOMSHVg0oXv-6d1JKULh6FjyrLGGBoTil5zFXlwgB3oH59rYSuYQV5GqvTup3MuwAj-KMLooF0Ow6e5_mOXtIpESK17LChOkOx2Spb1pGagibTdjxgZjno9-Icq/s320/boat.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Araon as seen from a fish-eye lense at the dock in Punta Arenas</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We have now set sail! We began our journey in Punta Arenas, Chile (the very southern tip of Chile) by first loading all of our scientific gear onto the ship, the Korean ice-breaker the Araon (in Korean meaning "the whole sea"). This is a very complicated process because we have to load all of our scientific equipment, as well as all the food, clothes and safety equipment needed for one month at sea in Antarctica. We managed to do all of this in only 6 hours because the ship arrived late and we were trying to remain on schedule. This was very busy indeed! Loading the ship involves using cranes to bring the heavy equipment on board, and then everyone pitches in to help put everything in its place, and also to tie it down before we set sail. We have to "secure" everything because as the ship starts moving, all of the equipment and supplies start moving too.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3DTN8UdHvJ1haoEEztikMAYDhTsOrkCwp8FRZt4yRcBsXoKMHO81QoyxAJiaL2zNcWdT58DFnJq3rHvmizos7lbITBXQixr-QtB9YjzboUNDkXno_hMhuV3D6pyhJz5gVtTnqFups7ev/s1600/leaving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3DTN8UdHvJ1haoEEztikMAYDhTsOrkCwp8FRZt4yRcBsXoKMHO81QoyxAJiaL2zNcWdT58DFnJq3rHvmizos7lbITBXQixr-QtB9YjzboUNDkXno_hMhuV3D6pyhJz5gVtTnqFups7ev/s320/leaving.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving the dock in Punta Arenas heading for the fuel dock.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Araon is the largest ship I have ever been on, it is more than 100 m (about 300 feet) long and 20 m (about 60 feet) wide. The Korean scientists on board gave us a tour once we arrived, and they showed us some of the amazing features of this boat; it has spacious bedrooms with couches and TVs in each one, the toilets have about 10 buttons on each one (including one that plays music and heats the seat!), there is a sauna, several lounges for movies and games, and a karaoke room (!). <br />
<br />
We first went to a fuel dock to get some fuel for the journey, which took about 2 hours of travel and then we were docked there for 9 hours. Last night around 10 pm we left the fuel dock, and are making our way through the Straits of Magellan toward the Atlantic Ocean. It will take us another day to reach the very southern tip of Chile, and then we will cross the Drake Passage (the part of the ocean between southern Chile and Antarctica, across the Southern Ocean) to Antarctica. We will be going to the western Antarctic Peninsula, and we will be sampling very close to shore because some scientists on board will be flying helicopters to the land in order to collect ice and rocks. More on the science on board another day! Wish us a safe passage across the Drake, known as one of the roughest seas to cross in the world. Lucky for us, the forecast looks good!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDH5yc7Ly2ruKXShklB07y4jailGHiY2xSLUQ-ZuZycPlvGhrUqwD3SFwtBh5IFIsKtG8bbGB788TP5nDQTicLqSN2S_qBuP3f4J23EluzDpIOekJN6ODsrmvHVd_3B3sTsRC2cJPytpRW/s1600/map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDH5yc7Ly2ruKXShklB07y4jailGHiY2xSLUQ-ZuZycPlvGhrUqwD3SFwtBh5IFIsKtG8bbGB788TP5nDQTicLqSN2S_qBuP3f4J23EluzDpIOekJN6ODsrmvHVd_3B3sTsRC2cJPytpRW/s320/map.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our proposed cruise track from Punta Arenas, Chile to Antarctica.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Randiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238236110960551707noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476770826419946918.post-52242844666295681092011-12-09T03:52:00.000-08:002011-12-09T03:52:13.075-08:00Saharan Dust<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwluL7OGm95Jhd6TES9RlYbPP0eBwqOY8JyR-EQ6F2_XPFdedo5CqHxmzsZGkwcGzTJl0R1cLDnn2M66UdltV89Ek8d5LEywntC1sxK75eT0lNFEEStEEgdCdYhLqjcDodzK5_wnLpr6kG/s1600/desert.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwluL7OGm95Jhd6TES9RlYbPP0eBwqOY8JyR-EQ6F2_XPFdedo5CqHxmzsZGkwcGzTJl0R1cLDnn2M66UdltV89Ek8d5LEywntC1sxK75eT0lNFEEStEEgdCdYhLqjcDodzK5_wnLpr6kG/s320/desert.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saharan dust storm in 2003. We are just south of the frame of this picture</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Now that we are nearing the coast of Africa, we have been seeing lots of Saharan dust coming from the continent. Why would anyone care about this dust, you might be asking? The Sahara Desert is the second largest desert in the world (Antarctica is considered the first), and is a vast dry area full of sand and dust. Strong winds often sweep over the continent from Europe, and can carry this dust thousands of miles-it can be seen across the Atlantic Ocean and into the United States. These large dust storms can carry important nutrients, as well as harmful things into the ocean and onto land, and is one of the important sources of nutrients to the ocean that is being studied on this cruise. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBXaPzYWvrQSguzOGrqkIabj3eRsLgT3R4_GU2p6rjUK71SSu9lp0vAXPmr91BP_4ubqzkJKEeQUnC2UB2PZwUt3_PurqqZT2kE4DL6PRfb7GEVc8VKjJ6LQYLsCPBx3voBleEYBI1iWw/s1600/ee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBXaPzYWvrQSguzOGrqkIabj3eRsLgT3R4_GU2p6rjUK71SSu9lp0vAXPmr91BP_4ubqzkJKEeQUnC2UB2PZwUt3_PurqqZT2kE4DL6PRfb7GEVc8VKjJ6LQYLsCPBx3voBleEYBI1iWw/s320/ee.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aerosol samplers on the flying bridge with lots of dust!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Some scientists on board from University of Alaska, Fairbanks and from Florida State University, are studying these dust storms and other "aerosols" in the marine environment. Aerosols are tiny particles that are generally made up of some kind of dust or sea salt, and water. They are called aerosols because they are a mixture between a liquid and a solid, and are found floating in the air. Aerosols are comprised of many things, and oceanographers often distinguish between anthropogenic aerosols (aerosols that are human-derived, often forms of smoke/smog and other pollution) and natural aerosols (like those from the Sahara). By measuring the sizes of the aerosols, and the different metals and nutrients in the aerosols, scientists can often distinguish where these particles originated from and how far they have traveled. This is just what scientists on our ship have been doing everyday of the cruise since we left. They have large aerosol samplers on the "flying bridge" of the ship, which is the highest desk on the ship above everything else so that the samples don't get contaminated by any pollution coming from the ship itself.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_Mybs-B4zhSom0YynZNI855rkFlUMPb2XLCPf-Ki2T2z1Yfj0Xe9D6JgfGowA39gNw807xgxSlNsO9UfgT2Y32w7Osk-3lKGQuInVRPTRVljyTQId7OhE7RavviVuVtgapFlnIvk2MVC/s1600/cc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_Mybs-B4zhSom0YynZNI855rkFlUMPb2XLCPf-Ki2T2z1Yfj0Xe9D6JgfGowA39gNw807xgxSlNsO9UfgT2Y32w7Osk-3lKGQuInVRPTRVljyTQId7OhE7RavviVuVtgapFlnIvk2MVC/s200/cc.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red/orange Sahara dust in the medium size range</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkNfMRsgh-8zv-KcGJCFi-F-FaMV_ebyArf2QQPwf47Hd1hGr7t4pzsZSoTHvxVIIWv_17zKW6p1o-nd5OXQTynyke6ZODwriw022PPGk3mVtjmFkulTDo0KSdby08XqOw-Kw91E-HMtY5/s1600/dd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkNfMRsgh-8zv-KcGJCFi-F-FaMV_ebyArf2QQPwf47Hd1hGr7t4pzsZSoTHvxVIIWv_17zKW6p1o-nd5OXQTynyke6ZODwriw022PPGk3mVtjmFkulTDo0KSdby08XqOw-Kw91E-HMtY5/s200/dd.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black/gray anthropogenic dust in the small size fraction</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The dust from the Sahara is visibly orange/red and is generally greater than 1 micron in size. Knowing the size of the dust is helpful, because both the color and size can help scientists distinguish it from other types of dust, like anthropogenic dust, which is generally gray/black in color and in the small size range (0.45-0.95 micron). Each type of dust contains different levels of metals, and when it lands on the ocean it may have different effects on the resident phytoplankton communities.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiupGTuth613rBjVmv7WWVvBv6Xo568QGMKefRyj9jna6-9eemQjIAcp8la8ksl56KJlV2-fqAKj29A3KBTlpAQDdLHOqgr8Fl-W-eDVthFpc5ugl3IxzSvp4Bddv0YzLo93Xpuic44O7Ck/s1600/bb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiupGTuth613rBjVmv7WWVvBv6Xo568QGMKefRyj9jna6-9eemQjIAcp8la8ksl56KJlV2-fqAKj29A3KBTlpAQDdLHOqgr8Fl-W-eDVthFpc5ugl3IxzSvp4Bddv0YzLo93Xpuic44O7Ck/s200/bb.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sahara dust on the aerosol filters</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
For example, dust from the Sahara usually has high levels of iron, an important nutrient for phytoplankton, so a dust storm could mean an increase in nutrients that the phytoplankton need. On the other hand, anthropogenic dust from industrialized areas has high levels of toxins such as lead and sometimes mercury, which can be potentially harmful to phytoplankton and other organisms.Randiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238236110960551707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476770826419946918.post-81870824493541127182011-12-08T05:06:00.000-08:002011-12-08T05:06:54.979-08:00The Scientists Take Over the Galley!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4wzwiLbFc_PabwJBnit7egPYBzI_1tp86aEdBKDBrLmajaDggZU7fK4mQOnMsynTz-qWY93DeJarMYcxiIypWcl22zh69GHmoIu6sBR0uVu6WCRxj-SSHAMTmGCMnN0Zb1opYw3bfqvp/s1600/y.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4wzwiLbFc_PabwJBnit7egPYBzI_1tp86aEdBKDBrLmajaDggZU7fK4mQOnMsynTz-qWY93DeJarMYcxiIypWcl22zh69GHmoIu6sBR0uVu6WCRxj-SSHAMTmGCMnN0Zb1opYw3bfqvp/s320/y.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Menu items</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I think most people would agree that the most difficult job on the ship is the cook and the stewards (other cooks, who help with preparing meals). They have long hours, have to feed up to 60 hungry people 3 times a day, all with different likes/dislikes and diet requirements. They usually get up at 4 am each day to make breakfast, and chop and prepare other items to be used throughout the day. They stay up working until around 7pm, when they have finished cleaning all of the dishes for the day, and have planned meals for the next day. Talk about a tough job!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiez9mzJ8ks9zQZzlClEpHa1IsUwoI65VceQCXBSR9NGVgQsKv6TJtAWZ89Iuyl7cCapWqvDrWV2BQsdMhlQJ8s9vk-NoWBA1zHzgBZwqsoiZ2MGpCl7uGEWAoplapcVuGYIdWHvQwgXq_6/s1600/w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiez9mzJ8ks9zQZzlClEpHa1IsUwoI65VceQCXBSR9NGVgQsKv6TJtAWZ89Iuyl7cCapWqvDrWV2BQsdMhlQJ8s9vk-NoWBA1zHzgBZwqsoiZ2MGpCl7uGEWAoplapcVuGYIdWHvQwgXq_6/s320/w.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Melissa and Chief Scientist Greg Cutter preparing the meal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The scientists on the ship felt that the cooks had therefore been working way too hard over the past 30 days, so we asked if we could give them something in return and cook for them and all of the crew. They agreed, so a feast was prepared. The Chief Scientist, Greg Cutter, decided on making his legendary fajitas recipe, and we took the job in shifts in order to make sure we made it on time, and had enough food. Other scientists made some other delicious dishes, including homemade hummus by Chris Measures, salsa and guacamole from some of the other scientists, and desserts by Ana Aguilar-Islas and Rachel Shelley. I helped to serve the meal to all of the crew members and scientists when they came to eat.<br />
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Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, and we definitely had a lot of fun. I think all of the cooks enjoyed the break too, and we definitely appreciate how hard they work everyday! We were in the galley (another name for the kitchen on a ship) from 10am-7pm just for one meal! It was also nice to cook a little bit for those of us who enjoy cooking, because it is usually one of the things that we miss from home when out on these cruises.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCGBy-Y3elgCeCdFSrSl5dl9tWoFPTpuFrfoKe92stvgMO_CgjZRoR-1xyUBjBamSRSoLTyphvj219Z1qgfrKqY9nRKIqHIfJRdLQvNjUFpA-yYXOmJXnvU6WgzHmVC1bh_Kd4eg0J2Brx/s1600/x.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCGBy-Y3elgCeCdFSrSl5dl9tWoFPTpuFrfoKe92stvgMO_CgjZRoR-1xyUBjBamSRSoLTyphvj219Z1qgfrKqY9nRKIqHIfJRdLQvNjUFpA-yYXOmJXnvU6WgzHmVC1bh_Kd4eg0J2Brx/s200/x.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished product!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We are continuing on in our journey, and are almost done! We pull into port on Sunday morning in Cape Verde, and are currently on station 22 out of 24. The countdown has begun!Randiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238236110960551707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476770826419946918.post-22005639879607582932011-12-01T21:01:00.000-08:002011-12-01T21:01:35.518-08:00Mid-Atlantic Ridge<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51t9oKYX36JvcpEEKzMCEpKRrC28OmZOYL0vKue1CRQ-picy_-BWaEMUT01ZzJ7Z3kx9hn2W2cOGtWWYlK_f71YuMQMhiF3YojaEC44_qZIW95qBG3T73SdXMReioTjW4EF4CA2h_iNrC/s1600/plume.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51t9oKYX36JvcpEEKzMCEpKRrC28OmZOYL0vKue1CRQ-picy_-BWaEMUT01ZzJ7Z3kx9hn2W2cOGtWWYlK_f71YuMQMhiF3YojaEC44_qZIW95qBG3T73SdXMReioTjW4EF4CA2h_iNrC/s400/plume.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Relative amount of particles in the water over the Mid-Atlantic Ridge </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We just finished a station over the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a huge plate boundary that runs down the middle of the Atlantic ocean as a long underwater mountain range. Some parts of this mountain range are more than 3000m (about 9000 ft) higher than the surrounding ocean floor. This is only slightly lower than Mt. Whitney in California. This huge mountain range under the sea is a divergent plate boundary, or an area of the Earth's crust where two plates are moving apart from one another. In this case, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge forms the boundary between the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate. The plates are moving apart at about 2 cm/yr. When the plates move apart, lava and other chemicals are emitted into the water that we can measure. Once the lava hits the seawater, it rapidly cools off since the seawater is colder than the lava, and looks like black smoke when it comes out of the vents. Due to this, these underwater volcanoes are often called "black smokers." Black smokers are interesting for a group of scientists studying metals, because some of these metals are emitted in extremely high concentrations near these hydrothermal vents, or underwater volcanoes. Some of the metals that were found in high concentrations at this sight were iron, and mercury. In order to sample in the plume from the ridge, we first put some sensors into the water, including one that can measure the relative amount of particles in the water at different depths. This is called a transmissometer, and where the measurements rapidly decrease (due to an increase in particles), is generally where the plume should be. We therefore collected samples in the plume, as well as directly above and below it for comparison. We also got our instrument a little too close for comfort to the bottom of the ocean at this station, and had a little bit of a scare that we might have damaged our equipment, but all was well when it came back on board (phew!).Randiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238236110960551707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476770826419946918.post-1140118156396250532011-11-28T11:04:00.000-08:002011-11-28T11:04:12.772-08:00Whales<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4F-bQmol4Tt45D7ao5xv_Jzvtf_LFTOrtEQPhqdw46_kZVpkm3lSVmEtJ3vnUchCrTYyx5i-4CugG1diapMCtljQl9QKE-g3NrbDSK1VUmFj6_DtOoQ9hxTEbozajmUzfryn6LllMs6Vy/s1600/u.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4F-bQmol4Tt45D7ao5xv_Jzvtf_LFTOrtEQPhqdw46_kZVpkm3lSVmEtJ3vnUchCrTYyx5i-4CugG1diapMCtljQl9QKE-g3NrbDSK1VUmFj6_DtOoQ9hxTEbozajmUzfryn6LllMs6Vy/s200/u.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whale watching</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Today we saw a few whales, who decided to hang out around the boat almost all day. It was a beautiful, still day, and the whales made it almost perfect. We all think it was a female Minke whale and her calf, because one was much larger than the other and they stuck very close together. They spent the entire day going back and forth under the boat, enjoying the clear blue water and investigating the sounds coming from the large pumps we had deployed over the side of the ship. Minke whales are one of the smallest whales, and they tend to be found in the open ocean rather than close to the coast. They are also baleen whales, which means they have baleen, a substance that looks and feels like hair, instead of teeth. They use this to filter phytoplankton and krill out of the water, just like in "Finding Nemo" when the whales "swallows" Dory and Marlin.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshimnrr_rJ7EOgE0jxo36PMTSTS2IQ4jh2baRF3HRow6_ciw22n7ShpjzkloACrK0hS3i3ryJLrL_bZfhVq7M8isy5prhfT1zkvHYBX3rjpP7K6pRBqqKDA3P5Oi5E1-4E9FN6OzpiTa8/s1600/v.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshimnrr_rJ7EOgE0jxo36PMTSTS2IQ4jh2baRF3HRow6_ciw22n7ShpjzkloACrK0hS3i3ryJLrL_bZfhVq7M8isy5prhfT1zkvHYBX3rjpP7K6pRBqqKDA3P5Oi5E1-4E9FN6OzpiTa8/s200/v.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minke whale</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Next we will be heading to TAG (Trans-Atlantic Geo-traverse), a station that is directly over the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, an underwater mountain range in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. More on this later!Randiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238236110960551707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476770826419946918.post-18019656835045990332011-11-25T06:57:00.000-08:002011-11-25T06:57:41.501-08:00Thanksgiving<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaDnW_iguZauZSoowk0ncQDKbcjTa9GTN7fZDhsXu8hYcH2jGZSXS_M3zrs1xur7WWudKIqGiTO6ES8W15ZKLK2jcBSC0sU_acURs8uc9MUIwJlxPRFRo6vS61kwO1pAx3elArNKsMX-33/s1600/q.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaDnW_iguZauZSoowk0ncQDKbcjTa9GTN7fZDhsXu8hYcH2jGZSXS_M3zrs1xur7WWudKIqGiTO6ES8W15ZKLK2jcBSC0sU_acURs8uc9MUIwJlxPRFRo6vS61kwO1pAx3elArNKsMX-33/s200/q.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Port hole decorations</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Yesterday was Thanksgiving, and we all had a great day. We stopped all deck work during dinner so that everyone could sit down and enjoy the meal, because normally there is work going on non-stop so that we can make the most efficient use of our time. It was a beautiful day outside, and some of the scientists kept themselves busy by working at a leisurely pace, and others busied themselves with trying to get the best possible reception on their XM radios so they could listen to football all day.<br />
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All 3 cooks were slaving in the kitchen since breakfast, cooking 3 turkeys and 1 ham for all of us to eat, along with many other side dishes and fixings. We gave the cooks a round of applause after the meal, because they sure deserved it! Everything was delicious, and helped most of us miss home a little bit less.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0STlteOrE0SFLTRRQKocmBVNQ4IPrNc_-Cia3Pl3rfQFrvKR2grdWuE-R_gJe-6GufVHpU5cxaLdd5DUbmUMmNFbJLUcnBXHiBq3EP1U3EUhnaoQEldaYr98HgEof0VOM_kmFPkHoPNbx/s1600/r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0STlteOrE0SFLTRRQKocmBVNQ4IPrNc_-Cia3Pl3rfQFrvKR2grdWuE-R_gJe-6GufVHpU5cxaLdd5DUbmUMmNFbJLUcnBXHiBq3EP1U3EUhnaoQEldaYr98HgEof0VOM_kmFPkHoPNbx/s200/r.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adjusting the XM radio antenna</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-ijgjR_bUVD66nANIOixfM0R-W1w1OBkFEmBRim6rfjzvkRTRcO2Z1LI1sZJiS4INbbfsJmSwpW3myzIb0r739ZAYcHJZpi3Qii7sAa5rjT_nVe7ca0h-tddPUFkd63rJ6I_dgc-z7iV/s1600/s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-ijgjR_bUVD66nANIOixfM0R-W1w1OBkFEmBRim6rfjzvkRTRcO2Z1LI1sZJiS4INbbfsJmSwpW3myzIb0r739ZAYcHJZpi3Qii7sAa5rjT_nVe7ca0h-tddPUFkd63rJ6I_dgc-z7iV/s200/s.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner menu and appetizers</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJTtPrJYH_zC8bA2peaGcNjJKZdgRNLCE_p2POZGrCsW-kp-fxgy_PlNRkJ0OT4wyOFJHjI5ePqCi04aQ3eile5O8B8bcfpOgLuh37Qpy2TFdlxhSGD3y8D-GPzVzep3H89i3a62STVzaz/s1600/t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJTtPrJYH_zC8bA2peaGcNjJKZdgRNLCE_p2POZGrCsW-kp-fxgy_PlNRkJ0OT4wyOFJHjI5ePqCi04aQ3eile5O8B8bcfpOgLuh37Qpy2TFdlxhSGD3y8D-GPzVzep3H89i3a62STVzaz/s200/t.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Thanksgiving dinner</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We are moving along smoothly still with our work, and are more than half-way done now. We are now at station 13, out of 24 stations, with 20 hours of "steaming", or just driving the boat, between each station. All of us are thankful for those long steams so that we can get plenty of rest. Hopefully the rest of the cruise will remain running smoothly!Randiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238236110960551707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476770826419946918.post-16248316762708234562011-11-20T16:18:00.000-08:002011-11-20T16:18:46.685-08:00Bermuda<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihhOavQG1m7hPjjUBQ4fzplAO3wQU3FyYRR-NpqGWGYicOX4zNfShWhKKAXOqcXULEpSLMPZDd8hveW03mzRcJKLl4urfNIF1cFIC_1y88wz42ctbqZsifBURVsqxCnU3qAvlaaCDpxDLb/s1600/n.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihhOavQG1m7hPjjUBQ4fzplAO3wQU3FyYRR-NpqGWGYicOX4zNfShWhKKAXOqcXULEpSLMPZDd8hveW03mzRcJKLl4urfNIF1cFIC_1y88wz42ctbqZsifBURVsqxCnU3qAvlaaCDpxDLb/s200/n.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bermuda Triangle in the Atlantic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>On Friday we arrived in Bermuda, a island directly east of South Carolina. Most people think of Bermuda as being in the Caribbean, but it is actually on the edge of the Sargasso Sea with the nearest land 1,000 km away. Bermuda is often also associated with historical accounts of the "Bermuda Triangle," which describes an area of the Atlantic where many ships and airplanes have been reported to go missing under "mysterious" circumstances. Modern research has revealed that there have no more disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle than in any other part of the ocean, but the name has stuck. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYCjjMi7_c5_D4T41sICqyRyvvxZqH22ylLAH4uVUmKMkXwc6pv1KcCyZK6mrxlUmEM-F0H-160tIHivTj5Yt0_oZpzZHX8r6glHcAOyqvCDPcrmKvNHvVtlozu-Se4E8cxhFg4iCE_p8/s1600/k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYCjjMi7_c5_D4T41sICqyRyvvxZqH22ylLAH4uVUmKMkXwc6pv1KcCyZK6mrxlUmEM-F0H-160tIHivTj5Yt0_oZpzZHX8r6glHcAOyqvCDPcrmKvNHvVtlozu-Se4E8cxhFg4iCE_p8/s200/k.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pilot boat pulling up next to the R/V Knorr </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Although the tales of the Bermuda Triangle are somewhat exaggerated, there are many shipwrecks along Bermuda due to the reefs that surround the island. This makes navigating the island in a boat tricky if you are not a local. To prevent an issues when a ship like ours comes in from a foreign port, it is common at all ports to have a "pilot" boat come out to meet your boat before you come into the port. This consists of a small boat coming out to meet you, pulling up alongside your boat, and the "pilot" jumps on board. The pilot is someone who has intimate knowledge of the local waters, and the pilot directs the captain as we pull up to the dock. This is especially important in Bermuda, as the harbor entrance is extremely narrow. It was hard to imagine how the huge cruise ships could fit through such a small passageway!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTz20d6LXTMjMUO9N8J2LvNPAho5gHTuU269_new-6kgf2g6sQluQZJDuDvnQP-NV5SpqsGQeHjF70jVxx51IGkcr3920cq5ab3Tclq2drg19q9-uTfxsGeuGfy02Q-SgOFzRcrXL0iGY/s1600/l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTz20d6LXTMjMUO9N8J2LvNPAho5gHTuU269_new-6kgf2g6sQluQZJDuDvnQP-NV5SpqsGQeHjF70jVxx51IGkcr3920cq5ab3Tclq2drg19q9-uTfxsGeuGfy02Q-SgOFzRcrXL0iGY/s200/l.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulling into the harbor at St. George's, Bermuda</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Once we docked, customs came aboard to make sure everything was in order and we were allowed to go on dry land! even though we have only been at sea for 2 weeks, the prospect of going on shore was like a mini vacation. We headed directly to Tobacco Bay, a really nice beach in St. George's (one of the municipalities of Bermuda, the other one Hamilton). On our way we viewed the town, and took in the beautiful landscape. Bermuda is really colorful, owing to the crystal clear waters and the brightly painted buildings in blue, pink, green and white (these colors are mandatory in Bermuda, and are chosen based on what year the building was built). We then went to a nice dinner, and a party at the local oceanography station, called Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS). Fellow collaborators at this institution put on a wonderful party for everyone on the ship, and we got to explore the station. Most people who work at BIOS live right next to the ocean science station, as the living expenses in Bermuda are really expensive, but living is subsidized on the station (the government helps pay the bills for rent so that most can afford to live there). This makes for a really fun, close-knit group of people living and working on station. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxdqmT2up2Eqe6V8xznZbxxjrW4WtlgGSTw6VSmaQvPxnnRIYlNtpfYuNLYH1FEgqP9mXZfxySGqCAshxU4KXL2fhMsh9G0x5R6a6Ea31Knx32fckqsiJrcGKtW8fd-QoILWPqTvOri0t4/s1600/j.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxdqmT2up2Eqe6V8xznZbxxjrW4WtlgGSTw6VSmaQvPxnnRIYlNtpfYuNLYH1FEgqP9mXZfxySGqCAshxU4KXL2fhMsh9G0x5R6a6Ea31Knx32fckqsiJrcGKtW8fd-QoILWPqTvOri0t4/s320/j.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner at Wahoo's in St. George's, Bermuda</td></tr>
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We are finishing up our work at BATS, our next station after Bermuda, and then moving on with the rest of our cruise on the way to Cape Verde. From now on the stations are much further apart (about 20 hours), so everyone is looking forward to having some nice breaks in between working hard on station!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPGy5dhMX77IfjT0H2EmkNoUwSbUBKYEQ893OufPGM31GkdJ_yz8mMeGaESM2DrnRY1LttY_nJagxBnjPBzL4d5CtrHXk3FzKA4jHXMljmIBB5YjXTVWma-tUIx8AX_3QcH4UT60RiJ8Z/s1600/m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPGy5dhMX77IfjT0H2EmkNoUwSbUBKYEQ893OufPGM31GkdJ_yz8mMeGaESM2DrnRY1LttY_nJagxBnjPBzL4d5CtrHXk3FzKA4jHXMljmIBB5YjXTVWma-tUIx8AX_3QcH4UT60RiJ8Z/s320/m.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a break at Tobacco Bay, Bermuda</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Randiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238236110960551707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476770826419946918.post-60783000461390802482011-11-17T15:37:00.000-08:002011-11-17T15:37:28.182-08:00Sargasso SeaWe are officially in the "Sargasso Sea" now, which is just another name for the North Atlantic gyre, or an area of the open ocean that has currents that spin around it on all sides. The North Atlantic gyre is surrounded by the Gulf Stream that runs north along the east coast of the United States, this then turns east and eventually converges with the Canary Current running south off the coast of Africa. This particular ocean gyre is called the "Sargasso Sea" because of a type of sea weed called <i>Sargassum</i> that accumulates there. The currents presumably cause the sea weed to collect in the gyre, and it can be seen everywhere throughout the Sargasso Sea.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3HUi6rf1QVpnX6JtP4qm6eJ8mkGK0kjmnOTg4gs69niNDc9Xk_pCxDJNFt8KtFg-uBA3xw5Mimazr1qKv9lHRulDE9W8Fc94GpjZaiGT5BfwXc8z98A1VMMzshyphenhyphen362lcWQC9KYL1kFdWq/s1600/i.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3HUi6rf1QVpnX6JtP4qm6eJ8mkGK0kjmnOTg4gs69niNDc9Xk_pCxDJNFt8KtFg-uBA3xw5Mimazr1qKv9lHRulDE9W8Fc94GpjZaiGT5BfwXc8z98A1VMMzshyphenhyphen362lcWQC9KYL1kFdWq/s320/i.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sargassum</i> floating near our boat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We are now headed to Bermuda, and should arrive there early tomorrow morning. Everyone is busy planning what they want to do as soon as we get off the ship-most people have plans to go to the beach and go snorkeling. Then, we have a party in the evening at the BIOS station (Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences) where we will have some dinner with some other scientists who work there. Once we leave Bermuda on Saturday morning, our first station will be at a station that is named BATS (Bermuda Atlantic Time Series). This is a special station in the ocean because scientists go to this same exact spot in the ocean many times a year and make several different measurements each time. Thus, we have a "time series" of measurements like temperature, salinity, nutrient levels and chlorophyll levels for the past 20 years. Our data, from this cruise, can then help to decipher some of the trends perhaps that have been seen in the ocean measurements that have been previously made at this same location. Time series locations in the oceans such as BATS have been very important in helping scientists to understand how the oceans have been changing over time. Another important time series station is "HOT", or the Hawaiian Ocean Time Series. Many cruises like ours tend to overlap with these particular stations when they are in the same area, so that data can be compared between different years and different scientific groups.Randiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238236110960551707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476770826419946918.post-69215179574085118252011-11-15T16:54:00.000-08:002011-11-15T16:54:42.028-08:00Red Sky at Night, Sailors' Delight; Red Sky in the Morning, Sailors Take Warning<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Mj1b32ElTp24tk2Hqg43oEhdNulPNsEV_mcCr9Aeui255vN1wHzm0IecVUpNzPBZIk7GueLLgH5_wSTcEEhK_Ldkq0LzBgf45cu6B8tNPRflkaSEwR69zt2YXatD6Vzk1e6aCruB3PlD/s1600/g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Mj1b32ElTp24tk2Hqg43oEhdNulPNsEV_mcCr9Aeui255vN1wHzm0IecVUpNzPBZIk7GueLLgH5_wSTcEEhK_Ldkq0LzBgf45cu6B8tNPRflkaSEwR69zt2YXatD6Vzk1e6aCruB3PlD/s320/g.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset on day 3 of the cruise, before the storms began.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgBkaReNgHORvFiwGybAfveZrgjS2RH-W9yXqZCu6vwJDV9Tg4XojeLUmXFRU13j1l7FFu_muRz88IXqfLT1mUasPt_hSdYQbMIZpBVGRTai7PC8keRtzKBiW3Bk89pc6pg3eUk0RfrYm/s1600/h.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgBkaReNgHORvFiwGybAfveZrgjS2RH-W9yXqZCu6vwJDV9Tg4XojeLUmXFRU13j1l7FFu_muRz88IXqfLT1mUasPt_hSdYQbMIZpBVGRTai7PC8keRtzKBiW3Bk89pc6pg3eUk0RfrYm/s320/h.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise before hurricane Sean.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We weathered hurricane Sean, and are now on our way to Bermuda. We are a little behind schedule though, because with the bad weather everything takes longer. When we put our instruments in the water, we have to do everything more carefully, and lower the instrument more slowly through the water since there are strong currents and winds. We also have certain "stations" (specific latitude and longitude coordinates in the ocean) where we are getting samples, but in between sampling times for different scientists the boat sometimes drifts off the station where we began, and it takes a while to drive the boat back to the original station after each scientist is taking turns gathering their samples. This has caused us some delays in the schedule, so we have canceled one of our stations before we get to Bermuda. <br />
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Besides the rough weather, we are definitely getting into much warmer waters and it is really hot and humid outside despite the wind. We have also seen a bunch of flying fish (fish that jump out of the water and glide across its surface as though they are flying), including one that almost hit me in the head when it jumped on board the ship on accident. They are attracted to the lights of the boat at night, and sometimes jump out of the water and find themselves on deck. We catch them and throw them back overboard. We also saw a huge Mahi, a really bright blue and green open ocean fish, that was circling the boat for hours last night. Many of the crew members were mad that we didn't come wake them in the middle of the night so they could try to catch it. Some of the crew are quite avid fishermen.Randiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238236110960551707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476770826419946918.post-54240392063286178872011-11-11T12:19:00.000-08:002011-11-11T12:19:03.194-08:00Cheese o'clock<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjssSjm7XzKCzfSYz7Af6B7opn4zNsY1OliI45N6J61ZTsOuk0ecM0v2QpDl16_QivTr7DwejjPOAqPaWnftyjC6qlPKyBn0psa0Cmh1v_rpioTUBWPQUo3y1ws6ImqwewJ1GPODEv6FD/s1600/d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjssSjm7XzKCzfSYz7Af6B7opn4zNsY1OliI45N6J61ZTsOuk0ecM0v2QpDl16_QivTr7DwejjPOAqPaWnftyjC6qlPKyBn0psa0Cmh1v_rpioTUBWPQUo3y1ws6ImqwewJ1GPODEv6FD/s320/d.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheese platter every afternoon!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In other places of the world it might be 5 o'clock somewhere, but on a dry ship (absolutely no alcohol allowed on board) it is cheese o'clock. At 3 o'clock everyday on this boat, the cooks put out an awesome platter of cheese as a snack before dinner. I think it is the favorite time of day for most people on the ship. We even have small pagers on this ship with preset messages, so that we can get woken up or told to meet someone somewhere on the ship, and one of our preset messages is "cheese o'clock." Clearly, it is important facet of life on the boat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDlOahD6zP-U_XxW16CbXYY60-wYE17OwSsvM-v98Ajxx0SP6ue2wpEzy1PkYRIy7PkWWI8d-brldcHqpo64P97BZqPa3hA1TJHnOXQmyt7KdJDJIXfrilgumfyZ_JN3SMxqoSSmarl9va/s1600/e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDlOahD6zP-U_XxW16CbXYY60-wYE17OwSsvM-v98Ajxx0SP6ue2wpEzy1PkYRIy7PkWWI8d-brldcHqpo64P97BZqPa3hA1TJHnOXQmyt7KdJDJIXfrilgumfyZ_JN3SMxqoSSmarl9va/s320/e.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainy night on the Knorr</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBoJfHuS9AKoHsg6KVgClo9Q7BtaLmWT58FcXEsajDjv43VBGnqfyPKGewGUt0oZXTm4gOKJat1DW4Cth74lWNtGaylJiWU0btDUUrNOHXB3GFXsmmh5OrWiPiossfJKnlxBj6aS1EWo8n/s1600/f.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBoJfHuS9AKoHsg6KVgClo9Q7BtaLmWT58FcXEsajDjv43VBGnqfyPKGewGUt0oZXTm4gOKJat1DW4Cth74lWNtGaylJiWU0btDUUrNOHXB3GFXsmmh5OrWiPiossfJKnlxBj6aS1EWo8n/s320/f.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Knorr in relation to hurricane Sean</td></tr>
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We are now at station 3 and heading to station 4 at the end of the day today. We were way ahead of schedule, and now we are back on schedule because we have been delayed by a storm. Hurricane "Sean" is in the Atlantic now, but we are on the outer edge. We have gotten a lot of rain and wind, but not too big of swells. We have continued work on normal, but everything takes longer because of the weather. The storm is supposed to pass us in the next 36 hours and then we can continue on our way to Bermuda!<br />
<div class="yj6qo c4rCgd"><div class="EtNW5c" data-tooltip="Show trimmed content" id=":10f" role="button" tabindex="0"><img class="a2ZOTe" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/images/cleardot.gif" /></div></div>Randiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238236110960551707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476770826419946918.post-33578592791796448052011-11-08T19:22:00.000-08:002011-11-11T10:16:30.604-08:00It's My Job<div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvreyclVxQijoYpHSvzfvjgq5TgRqfVVO7s8ksdaJknUCh13WhHrTmSP3hfw18_tESp70qRsmpTKjKnjPpESpywnii-E0gki98-LLUxikA3MqdSX6l7bsOhIMmlDclYB42ULNE3kBVsfJr/s1600/a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvreyclVxQijoYpHSvzfvjgq5TgRqfVVO7s8ksdaJknUCh13WhHrTmSP3hfw18_tESp70qRsmpTKjKnjPpESpywnii-E0gki98-LLUxikA3MqdSX6l7bsOhIMmlDclYB42ULNE3kBVsfJr/s320/a.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the Woods Hole Scientists waving goodbye as we pull away from the dock</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We shoved off on Sunday from Woods Hole, with a few of the Woods Hole faculty members there to wish us well and wave goodbye. There was hardly a breath of wind, and the sun was out. We couldn’t have asked for much better weather. On Sunday we did a bunch of safety drills, which included putting on our survival suits, also known as “Gumby suits” because you look like Gumby when you put them on. They are huge wetsuit-like suits that cover your head as well, and have lights and reflectors on them. Everyone on the ship has one in case of an emergency. Usually the only people who have to put these on at beginning of the cruise are the people who are sailing on a ship for the first time, but the captain made all of us put them on. I should have had my camera for that, because it was quite a sight to see 32 Gumbies walking around.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwiOKKq7ask9_DGv45AUzVgwxZ10NcFQNPGsifeYbafdgsZf3AoaBO6Dwpd2uFqpbQj7KBbHAwHhZSvkFTvAHDZvMeWR5ls2YFXkqKngu6sXTYnZLgVzNVZXJkVOZLFYswZ2kO9a-RmaV/s1600/b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwiOKKq7ask9_DGv45AUzVgwxZ10NcFQNPGsifeYbafdgsZf3AoaBO6Dwpd2uFqpbQj7KBbHAwHhZSvkFTvAHDZvMeWR5ls2YFXkqKngu6sXTYnZLgVzNVZXJkVOZLFYswZ2kO9a-RmaV/s320/b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deploying the GEOTRACES rosette of sampling bottles over the side of the ship. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoUMCrPh10fCNLYprzNoZDkVRXP5J7HjwGPBqU8ZXVVDoNjO4RVbiZTvhXQ3vyOocO7fO7YkjhzaB70DnZXkR6KdZf88lE-uqf-EvdnLfQS15iz4jJ1H1_d5OpjlJRrvS39P6zgSfUVMv/s1600/c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoUMCrPh10fCNLYprzNoZDkVRXP5J7HjwGPBqU8ZXVVDoNjO4RVbiZTvhXQ3vyOocO7fO7YkjhzaB70DnZXkR6KdZf88lE-uqf-EvdnLfQS15iz4jJ1H1_d5OpjlJRrvS39P6zgSfUVMv/s320/c.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside our make-shift lab, also called the "bubble" because it is made of walls out of plastic to protect from the metal ship.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We got to our first station in the evening, and stayed up all night collecting water samples, and filtering them. My job on this cruise, involves getting everyone on the ship’s sampling bottles ready before we put our sampling instrument into the water. The instrument we use has 24 12 liter bottles attached to it, along with some other instruments. We send it over the side of the ship on a wire, and then we close each bottle, at which ever depth we would like to collect water from, by clicking a button the computer on the ship. Then we have 12 liters of water from 12 different depths, because we usually close 2 bottles at each depth. At each station, we do this twice, so that at any given spot in the ocean where we stop the ship and gather water, we will have samples from 24 different depths going from the surface all the way down to the bottom of the ocean (usually about 3000-5000m). This is a big job. To do this, we first gather everyone’s bottles and put them in separate crates corresponding to which depth they would like a sample from. This makes it easy for us when we are filling up the bottles, so that we can just take one crate at a time. Once we have all the bottles ready in the crates, then we are ready to deploy our instrument over the side of the ship. This takes 4 people to do. One person operates the winch, which is a big crane that can support the weight of the instrument. One person gives hand signals to the person operating the big crane, and the other 2 people operate “tag lines” which are ropes attached to the instrument so that the instrument doesn’t swing when we raise it and put it over the side of the ship. The instrument then goes down in the water to all of the depths we want to sample, then we bring it back up on the deck. We take the bottles into a large “van” that is on the deck of the ship, which is a make-shift lab made out of a large shipping container. Since we are sampling for metals, this protects the water from getting any contamination from the ship, since the ship is a huge hunk of metal. Then we fill up all the bottles for everyone on the ship who wants a sample, and then distribute them and put them away. Some scientists on board are analyzing the samples right away, and others are taking them back to their lab to analyze at home. The whole process takes about 8-10 to complete, then we go to sleep and do it again!</div>Randiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238236110960551707noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476770826419946918.post-78518663249885243362011-11-05T07:13:00.000-07:002011-11-05T07:13:25.662-07:00Planes, shuttles, buses, subways, and now a boat.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbX0qF3ZAx0mR_wZMfJlk2FzsPV7_0E8JD27lLiP5AfzhKYGD-Xt8_H3HIwaxurSWX2cWv1K76Wnz0GlIhTOcpq1NVUrCBIMwbbIrP2e7AzBjr-AxlcFFQnAbODGrdNXd7TABLOOZMrcj/s1600/IMG_1054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbX0qF3ZAx0mR_wZMfJlk2FzsPV7_0E8JD27lLiP5AfzhKYGD-Xt8_H3HIwaxurSWX2cWv1K76Wnz0GlIhTOcpq1NVUrCBIMwbbIrP2e7AzBjr-AxlcFFQnAbODGrdNXd7TABLOOZMrcj/s320/IMG_1054.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pond near Boston Common</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_kFD-AXYYem2gnhMVaLmzxuvzXLah9og2K3MPzyUbKQtzhpfi4M5J-rR4GEhNYlOMh0neTFGS7w_fT4qEyu261VC37VXd3H2hXs2IcCnwpjnsAWBucwS3ARvb_xkQadSh4kK8ubiFx-t/s1600/IMG_1061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_kFD-AXYYem2gnhMVaLmzxuvzXLah9og2K3MPzyUbKQtzhpfi4M5J-rR4GEhNYlOMh0neTFGS7w_fT4qEyu261VC37VXd3H2hXs2IcCnwpjnsAWBucwS3ARvb_xkQadSh4kK8ubiFx-t/s320/IMG_1061.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back-up on the assembly line loading the food </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaw8EOxJ1DlcAja3NB2lCXXV_P8PMH_CfclNhR4Z0ODL9uZNbEf1t6nLjdQBLvik7oWmVptf0rYsqw9CfCnNf0_9LC3FgQfJedLJu-CqhMSvaI2Ph9yAxw2uVQNgV85FskKgkG3DsT-_xe/s1600/IMG_1067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaw8EOxJ1DlcAja3NB2lCXXV_P8PMH_CfclNhR4Z0ODL9uZNbEf1t6nLjdQBLvik7oWmVptf0rYsqw9CfCnNf0_9LC3FgQfJedLJu-CqhMSvaI2Ph9yAxw2uVQNgV85FskKgkG3DsT-_xe/s320/IMG_1067.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The R/V Knorr getting ready for the cruise</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This week I arrived in Boston, MA before heading to Woods Hole to leave on the cruise. I stayed in Boston for the night and got to see Fenway Park, and almost the whole city. I did the Freedom Trail, and relaxed a bit in Boston Common. After my visit in Boston, I took the subway to the bus station, then the bus for two hours to Falmouth, then I smuggled myself on a shuttle to the ferry dock in Woods Hole headed to Martha's Vineyard, and finally I walked to the dock where we were loading our boat, the R/V Knorr. Everyone has now been busy this week loading the scientific equipment we need for our research, as well as securing things around the ship- tying everything down to make sure it doesn't fly about the boat when we go out to sea and start moving a lot with the swells. The Knorr is a large ship, about 200 feet long, and there are a lot of things to take care of before leaving. The crew has to make sure everything on the boat is in working order, the scientists have to set-up and test their equipment, and the most important part is the food we will need on our 36 day cruise has to be loaded. This is a huge job, and one that involved almost everyone who is going on the boat. We all make a huge assembly line from the dock to the kitchen, and pass the food along to each person, and finally to the cook, who places in the pantry and freezers. I have never seen as much food as was loaded onto the boat this time- it took almost 3 hours! This is because our final stop is in Cape Verde, which are small islands and do not have a lot of grocery stores for the cook to buy more supplies before turning around and heading back to Woods Hole. We are leaving tomorrow morning, so the final preparations are being made today and then we are off!Randiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238236110960551707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476770826419946918.post-30650332204146396642011-10-18T11:59:00.000-07:002011-10-18T16:05:11.964-07:00GEOTRACES: Atlantic<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1aNA9juh9F8JbEKTW9l-dmov6MF4ZLgN811pMBsE1pJENule7Pca2mUlp9rX7K8vYmXb1cVxBJTOFcz-EwxMDrUShiLN5uwrJCBUtEap69Aagu5eAJq9Wc1CwMJ1tUEyWsRJsqT5lXgO6/s1600/GeotracesMap11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1aNA9juh9F8JbEKTW9l-dmov6MF4ZLgN811pMBsE1pJENule7Pca2mUlp9rX7K8vYmXb1cVxBJTOFcz-EwxMDrUShiLN5uwrJCBUtEap69Aagu5eAJq9Wc1CwMJ1tUEyWsRJsqT5lXgO6/s400/GeotracesMap11.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cruise Track for GEOTRACES cruise 2011</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I'm getting ready to embark on my next "cruise", though not to type where you play shuffle board and sip fancy drinks with little umbrellas. This "cruise", or perhaps more properly named a "voyage", is an oceanographic research cruise with the purpose of studying the chemistry of the ocean. Specifically, the scientists on board this research vessel (the R/V Knorr) will be studying different metals in ocean. Most of the time we think of metals as the stuff that makes up things we see everyday: aluminum cans, steel or iron ore beams for buildings, or gold in jewelry. All of these metals come from rocks in the Earth, and these rocks also influence what types of metals, and minerals that are in our oceans. These metals are important to study because some of them are important nutrients for organisms in the oceans (just like we need iron, they need iron too!), some are toxic (animals don't want to eat some arsenic either...), and some help oceanographers to understand how the currents and different water masses move around the globe. I am studying iron and copper, and both are important metals that effect the growth of tiny plant-like animals that live in the sea, called phytoplankton. These little plants (I do mean little, you can't see them with the naked eye) have a BIG impact on our climate, even though they are so small. Just like trees on land, phytoplankton do photosynthesis in the ocean, which means they take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. This is essential not only for the other sea creatures living in the ocean, but also for us. Phytoplankton in the ocean produce half of the oxygen that exists in the air that we breathe! They also take up carbon dioxide in the process, and therefore help to reduce the amount of this greenhouse gas in our atmosphere. Important little guys!<br />
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Our cruise will cross the North Atlantic Ocean, deploying instruments and collecting samples to study the metals that effect the growth of phytoplankton. This cruise is important because it is just one cruise out of many, in a project called GEOTRACES, that is seeking to measure these metals in every ocean of the world. This is the first time EVER that this has been done. Pretty remarkable considering how much we know about the moon, and how relatively little we know about the oceans.Randiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05238236110960551707noreply@blogger.com2