91B0FBB4-04A9-D5D7-16F0F3976AA697ED
C9A22247-E776-B892-2D807E7555171534
12/23/01 0200 hrs.
64 39 S
62 56 W
- 1 C, wind chill -15 C
cloudy & snowing

Yesterday was a very busy day with multiple stations with many different sampling techniques.

The ship came up the Neumayer Channel stopping in Borgen Bay. Multiple CTDT cast were done to determine water characteristics near the front of the William Glacier. A grab sample was also taken at this point to determine the character of the bottom sediment. The grab contained a large amount of rocks so no coring was attempted. The rocks in the grab were transported by the William Glacier and give an indication of the geology of the land underlying the glacier.

At the northern end of the Neumayer Channel where it enters the Gerlache Strait another CTDT cast was done. Of particular interest here were temperature and salinity as an indication of how the water of the Neumayer and that of the Gerlache differ.

In the Gerlache a cross channel profile of CTDT casts was completed with some very interesting results. Data from these casts will be the subject of one of the students senior thesis.

Our shift ended with these casts but the day's science activities continued. While transiting the Gerlache toward the next station in Lester Cove of Andvord Bay the Palmer was joined by the RV Gould  and the Polar Star. A regular traffic jam of ships in the Gerlache Strait. The Gould is on it's way to Palmer Station. I'm told the Polar Star had a group of Canadian high school students on board studying ecology, pretty nice field trip!  The Palmer left the Gerlache  again entering the ice filled Andvord Bay reaching the glacier front in Lester Cove around 8:30 pm.

Lester Cove is an area that was sampled earlier in the trip but all the sampling could not be completed due to wind driven ice piling up around the ship. Capt'n Joe was not about to let the ship become trapped in the narrow cove so a hasty retreat was made. This evening the ice conditions were similar, but with no wind. A station was established .6 NM from the glacier front in  505 meters of water. The transmissometer on the CTDT showed a number of plumes of turbid water at various depths and a full rosette of water samples was collected.

The Benthos underwater camera system was also used to take some photographs of the seafloor at this position. Unfortunately this is a film based system so we are not able to see the images until we return to shore and the film is processed.


(Click image for larger version.)


The Benthos camera system consists of a vertically mounted camera in a pressure housing and a battery powered electronic flash. The entire arrangement is mounted on the metal framework and two square 50 lb. lead weights complete the system. The camera and flash are triggered by tension being removed from the hanging trigger weight. When the trigger weight hits the seafloor tension comes off the trigger cable and the camera's shutter opens, the flash fires, the shutter closes and the film advances. The flash is needed because no light reaches the depths these photos are taken at.

Seasons Greetings from the snowy south.

Cheers,

Dave

Photo caption:
L to R: Anna Rubin, Kate McMullen and Kathleen Gavahan of Raytheon Polar Services with their creation "Frosty the Mud Man". Frosty is composed of marine sediment which remained after sampling a number of Kasten core barrels. Normally the remaining sediment is thrown over the side following each core sampling. Multiple Kasten cores combined with rough seas, high winds and cold temperatures in the Palmer Deep resulted in an accumulation of sediment just waiting for a creative spirit(s) to put it to use.

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