Right now, there is some really cool science being done aboard the ship. We are presently positioned over a deep canyon on the ocean floor. We are lowering a CTD (an instument that measures, water conductivity aka salinity, temperature and depth) over 6,000 meters into the trench and taking rapid readings that will produce very detailed data graphs. Because the cold deep water flows water though the canyon and hits the wall, it is forced upwards towards the surface. The scientists on board are trying to understand how that is effecting a variety of things including how that might influence the aggegation of life in this otherwise empty patch of sea. The captain caught a Dorado and several squid last night, so it apprears that something lives here.
The next trip to Antartica is supposed to be brutal. 42 days in the cold with very rough weather toped of by being cooped up inside most of the days. In 2005 they made a run there and dropped a bunch of Iron pellets in the water and we will be going back to see if that produced algae blooms. 37 new scientists will be coming aboard for that one. On the plus side there is supposed to be spectacular scenery and icebergs miles long.
End of Zeta Talk
B
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4 comments:
That's some wild stuff, cousin B. Both the deep sea and the Antarctic adventure. There are some totally bizarre animals in the deep sea - it's literally another planet. I recommend the BBC Planet Earth series and the Deep Sea episode. It gave me nightmares.
Here is the world's longest link to an article about some KC folk who ran a marathon in Antarctica http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/jan/06/antarctic_marathoners_return_triumphant_icy_odysse/
OK that didn't work, so here's the long and the short of it -
“The door opened, and you just kind of look out to the endless expanse of snow and ice; it was a neat experience,” Andresen said....
“It was light 24 hours a day, so it really messed with you,” he said. “… The incredible thing, the thing that really surprised me the most — I knew it was an ice continent, I knew it was snow a couple miles deep, but until I saw it, I didn’t really understand. It’s impossible to explain to people; it truly stunned me.”
Cara,
I have watched all the Planet Earth episodes atleast 2 or 3 times each. The Deep Sea one is crazy! I met Dan Hartman this summer. He was the guy that shot the Pine Marten footage in the seasonal forest episode.
I noticed they were prepping the hottub today...so maybe Ill get to see this ice continent in style...
B
The seasonal forest was my favorite episode so far. We've rented it again from the library so now we'll get to see the rest.
A hot tub - that's pretty swank. Is there a shuffleboard and a wet bar too?
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