Archive for October, 2008
The Met Office and assorted floating devices – Friday 31st October 2008
As part of the fun we have out here, lots of people ask for samples to be taken. Some want water, some want the water filtered to look at plankton etc. but some let us play with expensive bits of hardware like the nice Met Office boys at Exeter.
As we are at the Southern turn of the transect at 28degrees South/25 degrees West today which is before we turn south west and then head straight for the Falklands, we have been requested to deploy (posh word for chuck! No honestly, we lower then in by a crane, Jon) some buoys and floats into the water.
Argo floats
The picture shows in the foreground the very expensive Argo floats, these have a CTD (conductivity, temperature, depth) sensor on them and have the technology to sink to 200m, rise back up to the surface and then send the data back to the Met Office people. Clever bit of kit that will drift around and send results back from wherever the currents take it. These Argo buoys are part of the global Argo float array. Many countries deploy these as part of their oceanographic research programmes.
So that’s the long yellow thing in the photo. Behind it is a drifting buoy, which has a drogue attached to take it with the ocean currents. Both the Argo and global drifters are key to observing ocean systems that are contributing to the Global Climate Observing System and the Global Ocean Observing system (GOOS).
So we have deployed 2 of each so far then one more tomorrrow and Sunday. This gives a good cluster around the 28South position.
Posted by: Kelly-Marie Davidson on Friday, 31st Oct, 2008
Spook-tastic – Friday 31st October 2008
Halloween fun
It’s Friday 31st October and it’s… Halloween.
Scary monsters on the JCR or is it just men having a bad hair day… you decide! Personally I blame the doctor.
Posted by: Kelly-Marie Davidson on Friday, 31st Oct, 2008
Gordon Ramsey eat your heart out – Friday 31st October 2008
Pasteurization of seawater to contribute to a global series of certified nutrient reference materials
Ingredients:
400 litres of seawater, plus a drop or two of perspiration to taste. Cook for 12 hours minimum at 85-90C, then store in a dark place indefinately.
Posted by: Kelly-Marie Davidson on Friday, 31st Oct, 2008
Colours in the sky – Friday 31st October 2008
Sky phenomenon
This morning it was quite overcast and with rain in the air, but with a couple blue patches poking through the gloom. On looking up we noticed this rainbow effect but very high up in the clouds, most strange. There was no rainbow before or after so a strange phenomenon…
Posted by: Kelly-Marie Davidson on Friday, 31st Oct, 2008
Physics on AMT – Thursday 30th October 2008
Since the beginning of the AMT, the programme was centred around optics, satellites and ocean biogeochemistry. It was this that established the AMT as one of the world’s leading oeanographic programmes (and hence data sets), which we are now able to call ‘long-term’ as we enter this new phase with Oceans 2025 funding for the next 5 years. The big gap in our knowledge was always recognised as being the very limited ocean physics studies that were carried out during all the earlier cruises. However this has now been remedied to a large extent with the inclusion of the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) on-board team of Jo and Stuart, with invaluable help and guidance from John Allen up to the Azores. Although to be factually correct Jo has just started working at Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory (POL).
Jo and Stuart
The output is some excellent data which is near real-time and enables us to study the outputs from the Moving Vessel Profiler (MVP) and Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) to see what is going on in the water column and how that links to the chemistry and biology being studied in the main labs.
Posted by: Kelly-Marie Davidson on Thursday, 30th Oct, 2008
How to worry a Principle Scientific Officer – Tuesday 28th October 2008
Conductivity, temperature and depth profiler (CTD)
So here we sit here at 1000 local time, an hour behind you in the UK. Its a gently rolling sea with blue sea, blue skies (have you looked at the webcam?) and a very pleasant morning. We have carried out the regular 2 CTD’s to 300m pre-dawn and today is one of the 2 deep CTD’s that we will sample in the Southern Atlantic gyre region down to the ocean floor, a few thousand metres below the sea surface.
Posted by: Kelly-Marie Davidson on Tuesday, 28th Oct, 2008
Webcam – Monday 27th October 2008
For those wanting to look out the front window of the Bridge on the James Clark Ross as we steam southwards then the webcam can be found at:
http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/images/webcams/rrjcr/index.php
And yes I can confirm its sunny today, at last!
Posted by: Kelly-Marie Davidson on Monday, 27th Oct, 2008
Parottnapping on the high seas – Monday 27th October 2008
In a final desperate measure before meeting their judgement the dastardly Pollywogs Parotknapped the Nutrient Parrot. This chap is an old hand of 24 years at sea and far too many cruises to even start to discuss. The parott is/was cared for by the Chief of Police who is now quite distraught at this turn of events.
Poor Polly
However, despite this intervention he followed government guidlines and refused to negotiate with the terrorists who had taken the bird. Ransom posters were displayed and even after the event the parott has yet to be released. However it is now in the hands of the ships underground secret police led by Polly Mann who are confident they will find the bird and the criminals.
Any infomation please contact your local station, or ring Crimestoppers on 065346671882.
Posted by: Kelly-Marie Davidson on Monday, 27th Oct, 2008
The Atlantic Gyres – Monday 27th October 2008
Since ‘crossing the line’ we have sampled eight stations in the southern hemisphere to find out what is going on in the Southern Gyre.
So what is a Gyre? It is a swirling vortex, which in the ocean is created by wind or currents. There are two main gyres in the Atlantic Ocean, which are created by currents; the northern Gyre which circulates clockwise and is created by the North Equatorial and North Atlantic currents and the southern Gyre which swirls anti-clockwise, created by the South Equatorial and Antarctic Circumpolar currents.
Posted by: Kelly-Marie Davidson on Monday, 27th Oct, 2008
Crossing the Equator – Sunday 26th October 2008
GPS reading at the Equator
At 2am on Friday, this good ship carried us over the line. I was a little disappointed to learn that there are no flashing lights, steps in the sea nor traditional song and dance for the watchmen to perform as they drove the ship into the southern hemisphere, and I hope that my arrival on the bridge dressed in a fake sailor’s hat, proclaiming “Ahoy there sailors!” and making the tea, will prompt more of an effort in the celebrations for next time.
It became clear however that the festivities had merely been postponed until later in the day, and they commenced with the Captain’s welcome aboard to King Neptune and his wife:
King Neptune and his lovely wife
Once the formalities had taken place, it was time for Neptune’s police (”trusty shellbacks” as are called those who have previously been through this initiation) to begin their search of the ship. They were hunting for “pollywogs” – people who have never sailed over the equator.
Neptune's police
From my hiding place in a cupboard on the bridge, I could hear giggles from those on watch as they witnessed (from a safe distance) the arrest of the first pollywog. Though, I hear, she put up a good fight, poor Manuela was overpowered and brought before the court of King Neptune for judgment.
Once the charges had been stated, and the pollywog in question given opportunity to plead innocent (an unwise move I later discovered), judge (Tom) would invariably then proceed to declare said pollywog as guilty.
Punishment began with a ceremonial shave by the barber and then the hair was washed and trimmed. The haircut was followed by being anointed and washed of sin (using a vile smelling concoction made up of last week’s food waste) by Neptune’s doctor (Riff):
Mario being given the "truth serum"
Meanwhile, up on the bridge, I was feeling rather smug that I had found such a good hiding place whence I could hear the commentary from the watch keepers and learn that I was amongst the last to be caught. I had even started to think that I may not be found at all, and had made myself comfortable with a pillow in anticipation of a long night ahead. Little did I know that my trusted watch keeper colleagues were in cahoots with the police: I heard the bridge door open and the police were straight on to me. Resistance was futile (but attempted), and soon it was my turn to face the judge. I cannot understand why I had twice as many charges as the other pollywogs; perhaps it was my opening of the “charges suggestion box” with a scalpel and removing charges against me which antagonized the shellbacks?
I receive my comeuppance
As did Jeremy
Medicine consumed, the pollywog proceeds to “kiss the kipper” as demonstrated by Carolyn and Ross:
Carolyn "kissing the kipper"
Ross "kissing the kipper"
An important lesson was then taught to Johnny (chief of police): “trusty shellbacks” are clearly not to be trusted. They turned on their leader (because he had not brought his certificate and was thus unable to prove himself to be a shellback) and dressed him with the remainder of the truth serum:
It dawns on Johnny that he should have brought his certificate!
This year the pollywogs had planned a counter-attack and it was judge Tom who got to taste his own medicine first followed by “Doctor” Riff. Tom seems to be blaming me for instigating this attack because it was I who shouted “pollywogs revolt!”, however as is evident from the photo, we were a united force. Days later Tom and I are still negotiating some form of truce.
Pollywog revolt
Finally came the clean-up.
Hose down
The day ended with a delicious Thai curry on the deck and dancing for those who were clean enough to be within sniffing distance of a dance partner. As always, a grand time was had by all – but I am relieved that as a new shellback, I will not have to suffer this ordeal again on the trip home!
(Diary and images courtesy of the British Antarctic Survey)
Posted by: Kelly-Marie Davidson on Sunday, 26th Oct, 2008