Jennifer's Daily Logs
Week 1

Tuesday, September 4, 2001
Wednesday, September 5, 2001
Thursday, September 6, 2001
Friday, September 7, 2001
Saturday, September 8, 2001

Date: Tuesday, September 4, 2001 (before departure)
Location: San Diego, California
Photos: Before departure
Latitude: 32.7oN
Longitude: 117.2o W
Temperature: 75o F

Seas: Since we are still at port in a protected harbor, there is no swell. The water is extremely calm.

Travel Log: Tomorrow the ship departs San Diego, California for its big adventure! I saw the ship for the first time this morning, and had the opportunity to meet Captain Dreves and Chris Fairall, the Chief Scientist. At 274 feet long, the ship certainly isn't small, but it is docked at the Naval Station and is surrounded by huge grey navy ships, dwarfing the Ronald H. Brown. Some of my students had asked if the captain has a white beard, smokes a pipe, and has a peg leg or a patch on his eye. The answer is "no" to all of those questions (sorry to disappoint you). I'll be sure to take his picture as soon as I unpack my camera.

The pre-trip hoopla was pretty exciting and tiring. A reporter from the Navy Compass and a cameraman from KUSI, a local television station, came to the ship to interview the captain, Chris, and me. The weatherman at KUSI did a nice 2.5 minute piece about the cruise on the evening news in which he spoke about the importance of the research being conducted, and the Teacher at Sea (me!). Dr. John Kermond from NOAA gave me a tour of the ship, which Captain Dreves described very eloquently as "an industrial workplace with an enhanced chance of drowning." On the inside, it has laboratory areas, a mess hall, small library, lounge with a television, lots of staterooms, and a lot of industrial areas filled with heavy equipment and people with dirty shirts. There's something for everyone!

This afternoon John Kermond came up to my school (Guajome Park Academy in Vista, California) so I could say goodbye to my students. They wanted to know if I'm going to miss them, so let me put it in writing right here- YES! I really enjoy spending my days with my 9th and 10th grade Earth Science and Math students, and I will miss getting to see them every day.

Finally, I made it home to get my suitcase and say goodbye to my dog and cat, Birch and Hobbes. Birch knew something was going on- he gets nervous when suitcases leave the house and he's not invited. Then back to the ship for a photo shoot with the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper. What a busy day! I'm definitely not used to being in the spotlight like this, and I felt pretty awkward with cameras on me the whole day, but I survived.

Once things settled down, my husband, Rob came to the ship to see me. John and I gave him the tour, and I was very happy to see him before my big departure. Although the ship doesn't leave until tomorrow morning, I thought I would spend the night here so I can get used to is layout before it gets too wobbly in the ocean.

My first adventure on the ship went something like this: I was getting ready for bed and put my sneakers in a drawer in my stateroom. When it was time to visit the head (bathroom) I found that it had been locked from the inside. Since I share a head with another room, I thought someone was using it. After waiting a while, and realizing that the only way in was to go through my neighbor's room, I went to get my shoes on. Now, you need to understand that I received at least a half-dozen emails prior to getting on the ship telling me to bring shoes that cover my whole feet, because anything else will not be allowed outside of the stateroom. Well, when I went to get my shoes on, so that I could walk down the hall to the neighbor's stateroom, so that I could get into the bathroom, I realize the drawer had locked!! Without shoes, I couldn't leave my room, and I couldn't unlock the head! So I poked my head out of my room until someone walked by and I asked for help. The Chief Scientist showed me how to unlock the head with a penny, but we had no luck unlocking my shoes.

Question of the Day: The name of the ship I am on is the "R/V Ronald H. Brown." This question has two parts: 1. What does R/V stand for, and 2. Who is Ronald H. Brown?

Keep in touch,
Jennifer

Date: Wednesday, September 5, 2001
Location: San Diego, California
Photos: San Diego Harbor
Streaming Video: Jennifer being interview about the trip.
Latitude: 32.7oN
Longitude: 117.2o W
Temperature: 75o F

Seas: Since we are still at port in a protected harbor, there is no swell. The water is extremely calm.

Science Log: Research has not yet started. The scientific crew was notified in a ship briefing that they are not allowed to gather and record data until the ship leaves Mexican waters.

Travel Log: This morning, my husband Rob and John Kermond from NOAA came to watch the ship depart. Rob brought me an extra pair of shoes since mine were still stuck in the drawer. Then I realized the drawer had a special latch that had to be pushed in, and my shoes weren't locked in after all! Dork mistake #1.

There was a lot of activity around the ship as the crew and scientists rushed to tie everything down- from computers to bottles and flasks, to heavy equipment and cranes on deck. Everything on the ship must be securely locked or tied down or bolted to something prior to departure, since the movement of the ship could cause things to start flying.
Finally, the big departure at 10am. We sailed for an hour up to the fueling dock at Point Loma, where we docked for another 5 hours. It was evening before we were out at sea.

As soon as the ship left the protected harbor, I was very aware of the swaying, and knew I would need something to prevent me from getting seasick. Some people wore special wristbands that use acupuncture to suppress seasickness. Other people wore a patch behind their ear that releases medication into their bodies. I chose an over-the-counter medication called Meclizine. It works well, but puts me to sleep.
I started reading the "Voyage of the Beagle" which is Charles Darwin's journal of his 5-year voyage in the 1830s to the Galapagos Islands and all over the world. You may recall that Darwin developed the theories of evolution, natural selection, and survival of the fittest that we still believe today. Did you know that Darwin was seasick during the entire voyage??!! How miserable that must have been. During the 5-year journey, he was only on the ship for 18 months, and never more than 45 days at a time (I'll be on this ship for 31 days). He was 20 years old when he left Britain on the HMS Beagle, and 25 years old when he returned home, only a few years younger than me, and not too much older than my high school students. It's pretty inspiring to think of someone so young contributing so much to the scientific community. I'll fill you in on more Darwin stuff as I keep reading his journals.

Question of the day: One of today's photos shows a "marine layer" (see photo descriptions below). What causes the marine layer to sit over coastal land in San Diego?

Photo Descriptions: Today's photos focus on the beautiful scenery of San Diego harbor. You'll see pictures of a variety of ocean vessels, the picturesque Coronado bridge, and the "marine layer" off the coast. The marine layer is an area of the San Diego coast that is fogged in, even when the sky above the water and the sky further inland is perfectly clear and sunny.

Keep in touch,
Jennifer

Date: Thursday, September 6, 2001
Photos: Stateroom photos
Latitude: 30o 21.2 N
Longitude: 116o 01.7 W
Seas: Sea wave height: less than 1 foot
Swell wave height: 2-3 feet
Visibility: 10-12 miles
Cloud cover: 8/8 (100%)
Water Temp: 21.4oC

Science Log: Since we are not in international waters yet, the scientists are not permitted to collect or record data. Many of them are spending their time calibrating equipment or working on papers that they would be writing if they were in their offices at home.

Travel Log: I have had the chance to meet a number of scientists and crew members on the ship, and each one of them really amazes me. Everyone on this ship is either a "crew member" or part of the "scientific party." All the crew members report to Captain Dreves. They run the ship, repair and maintain the ship, and make sure we are happy and healthy. Besides the Captain, there are four additional uniformed NOAA Officers, and approximately 20 un-uniformed crew members. It takes 7 people to keep the engine in good shape, 3 people in the kitchen, 2 stewards, and the remainder are deck hands. The crew and officers are assigned to the ship for 2 year commissions, and during that time they spend 11 months out of the year on the ship, out at sea. It's so interesting to talk with them, and to realize how unique their lives are.

Everyone in the scientific party (including me) reports to the Chief Scientist, Chris Fairall. There are research groups here from:

• Environmental Technology Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado
• University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory
• Colorado State University Department of Atmospheric Science
• University of California at Santa Barbara
• Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
• and a few others that are working in partnership with each of the groups above.

Each of the research groups has their own equipment on the ship and their own research to focus on, but they have to work together to coordinate data collection efforts. And since they are sharing bunks with their coworkers (2 people per room) they have to be able to get along with each other in tight quarters, which may get challenging towards the end of the cruise. Can you imagine being stuck on a ship with your best friend for a month, with no way to escape? After a whole month you may need a break from each other.

The big excitement for the day was the fire drill and abandon ship drill. It's kind of scary to think we might need to do these things for real, although this is a top-notch ship with a top-notch crew, so I'm sure we'll be fine. The abandon ship whistle consists of 6 short horn blows, followed by one long horn. We can remember this by saying "get-your-butt-off-the-ship nnnnoooowwwwww!" Six short, one long. We all have to grab a long sleeve shirt, long pants, and a hat to protect us from sun exposure as we drift around in the ocean. We also have a life preserver and a "gumby suit" to protect us from the water chill until help arrives. The man overboard drill will be later in the cruise and consists of 3 long horn blows - "maaaan over booaarrd."

Question of the day: The scientists on board are not allowed to collect and record data until we are out of Mexican waters. How far off-shore is the boundary between Mexican waters and International waters?

Photo Descriptions: Today's photos show you an overview of my stateroom. They are pretty small, but efficiently laid out. Each stateroom has 2 bunks, lots of drawers, an area that can be converted into a desk, a sink, 2 life preservers and 2 gumby suits, and an inside door leading to a head. The most important thing in the stateroom is our bunk card, which tells each of us exactly where to go in case of fire, abandon ship signal, or man overboard signal.

Keep in touch,
Jennifer

Date: Friday, September 7, 2001
Photos: University of California at Santa Barbara Scientists and equipment
Latitude: 24o 3.063 N
Longitude: 112o 11.4 W
Temperature: 26.1oC
Seas: Sea wave height: 3-4 feet
Swell wave height: 4-6 feet
Visibility: 10 miles
Cloud cover: 3/8
Water Temp: 27.7oC

Science Log: Research has not yet started. The scientific crew was notified in a ship briefing that they are not allowed to gather and record data until the ship leaves Mexican waters.

Each day during this trip I will highlight one of the research groups on the ship and introduce you to the science they are doing. Today I met with the group from the University of California at Santa Barbara- Dr. Carter Ohlmann and Dave Menzies. These guys are studying the variations in ocean radiant heating, or in simpler terms, the amount of light in the ocean at different depths.

Imagine a nice clear swimming pool. The sun's heat energy can penetrate all the way to the bottom of the pool because the water is so clear. Whatever heat energy hits the pool will be dispersed throughout the water somewhat evenly. Makes sense, right?

Now imagine that the pool has a layer of scum and algae at the top. Face it, you just haven't done a very good job at cleaning the pool, and your allowance just isn't big enough to make the job worthwhile. Now, the sun's heat energy can't pass all the way to the bottom of the pool because the scum is blocking the light. The very top of the pool water is going to capture almost all of the sun's heat energy, and the bottom layers of water will be darker and colder.

The ocean has lots of "stuff" in it, right? Fish, whales, coral, seaweed… All plants, whether in the ocean or on land, contain a substance called "chlorophyll." Chlorophyll is the substance that makes plants green. If you can detect chlorophyll in the ocean, you are detecting plant material- mostly in the form of algae. If the water appears green, it has a lot of algae, if it appears mostly blue with a little green, it has a little algae. Dr. Ohlmann and Mr. Menzies have special piece of equipment, called an SPMR, that can measure the exact "color" of the ocean. The water and chlorophyll in the ocean absorb and reflect solar energy, or light, and these scientists want to know how much of the sun's heat energy is being absorbed and reflected at various depths in the ocean. In other words, how does the sun heat the ocean?

Aren't there satellites that can accomplish the same task as what is being done on the ship? Well, there is a NASA satellite in space called "SeaWiFS" (Sea viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor) that measures different wavelengths of light being reflected from the surface of the ocean, and it can determine how much blue and green is there. Remember, the more green that is present, the more algae that is present. But satellites are viewing the ocean from so far away, and they have to make lots of adjustments for the amount of light in the atmosphere. If it's cloudy or foggy, it can be impossible for the satellite to see the ocean. Since Dr. Ohlmann and Mr. Menzies are right here at sea level, they can measure the amount of green and blue in the water at the surface, and at various depths in the ocean. For comparison, they also measure the light near sea level, by installing sensors on a large tower on the bow of the ship.

Why does anyone care about all this? There are lots of scientists around the world who try to model different aspects of climate. The computer models make certain assumptions about how heat circulates between the ocean and the atmosphere. Since any large body of water can have a profound affect on the land nearby, it is important that the climate models be accurate. The data being collected and analyzed by Dr. Ohlmann and Mr. Menzies will improve the accuracy of air-sea heat exchange in climate computer models.

Travel Log: You may have noticed from the sea data above that the wave height is larger today than it was yesterday. A satellite image on the bridge shows hurricane Henrietta in the area, which accounts for the swell we feel. The ship is rocking quite a bit, making it difficult to walk around too much, but I seem to have acquired my "sea legs" and the rocking isn't making me sick. Hmmm, in a cartoon drawing, what would sea legs look like? Let me know if you have any ideas.

There's not a lot of entertainment on the ship. If the weather is nice you can go out on deck and watch the flying fish. A lot of people have books and computers to play with when their shift ends. The only form of organized entertainment are the movies shown each night in the lounge. Just make sure you bundle up, because the lounge, and most indoor areas of the ship, are freezing! The air conditioning inside the ship keeps the temperature very low so that the millions of dollars of electronics equipment on board is safe from heat damage.

Question of the day: What is the difference between sea wave height and swell wave height?

Photo Descriptions: Today's photos show Dr. Ohlmann and Mr. Menzies at work in the ship's lab. The rocket-looking device they are holding is the SPMR mentioned in the Science Log above. The tower at the bow of the ship contains sensors that will measure the wavelength of light in the atmosphere at sea level. The large apparatus with the long cylinders is a CTD, which measures the conductivity (salinity), temperature, and depth of water samples.

Keep in touch,
Jennifer

Date: Saturday, September 8, 2001
Photos: Colorado State University Researchers
Latitude: 19o 57.1N
Longitude: 108o 21.4W
Temperature: 30.0oC
Seas: Sea wave height: 2-3 feet
Swell wave height: 3-4 feet
Visibility: 10-12 miles
Cloud cover: 4/8
Water Temp: 29.4oC

Science Log: Today I met with the radar scientists from Colorado State University (Ft. Collins, Colorado). These guys are meteorologists who are studying the internal structure of storms over tropical oceans. As radar scientists, they rely primarily on radar systems for obtaining data. They are using pretty sophisticated equipment and software for their research, and have been spending the last several days just getting everything set up.

Although all four members of this group - Dr. Rob Cifelli, Dr. Walt Peterson, Mr. Bob Bowie and Dr. Dennis Boccippio - are very nice guys with a great sense of humor, from my perspective, they are somewhat the villains on the ship. These guys are hoping we will encounter storms- lots of them- the bigger, the better. Have any of you seen the movie "The Perfect Storm?"

Here's some background information that will help you understand the research this group is working on. Storms on land and storms on the ocean tend to be about the same size vertically, but the way they function internally is quite different. On land, storms can be generated over pretty short periods of time, and can run themselves out pretty quickly. A lot of people in the mid-west are familiar with the daily rain storms that hit during summer afternoons- suddenly coming out of nowhere, and then disappearing as fast as they arrived. This is because land is full of heat pockets. You could have rivers, farms, asphalt and concrete highways, homes, and forests, and they all heat and cool at different rates. The differences in the rate of heating cause pressure gradients, which can lead to volatile weather conditions.

The ocean does not contain heat pockets the way the land does, and therefore, the air above the ocean heats more slowly. Pressure gradients in the air above the ocean are not as steep, so when storms are generated over the ocean, they grow slowly over long periods of time, and can become quite large. Do you remember hearing in the news about hurricanes? The weathermen will track hurricanes for many days to see where it is moving and how large it is getting. This is an example of an ocean storm growing slowly to a very large size.

If we can understand how storms form and behave in a certain area, it will help us understand the climate in that area. If you want to learn about the climate of San Diego, California, for example, it's not very hard. You can visit the library and find all sorts of documents about the climate and typical weather conditions. There have been weather stations in San Diego for at least a hundred years, and there is plenty of data that has been collected. There aren't too many surprises.

But what do we really know about climate over the oceans? Not a whole lot. Storms heat the atmosphere and affect the climate. NASA and NASDA (the Japanese Space Agency) have a satellite called TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) provides data about storms from very far away, but we don't have oceans full of weather stations to show us exactly what's going on at the surface and in the troposphere. Plus, TRMM can only measure what it sees from the sky- the tops of storms. You have to be on the ocean to see the rest of the storm. And since the satellite passes over each location on earth only twice a day, the data can be up to 12 hours old. When's the last time you heard of a storm that hadn't changed in 12 hours?

How do the atmosphere and the ocean interact? How are storms in the tropics different from storms in the mid-latitude regions? What impact does the tropical ocean water have on the air above it? What impact does it have on storms that form over it? That's where this group from Colorado State University comes into the picture. The R/V Ronald H. Brown is equipped with a Doppler Radar system that uses microwaves to echo off of condensed water, ice crystals, and hail. It can create 3D profiles of storms within 150 km of the ship. A satellite can only see the top of the storm, but the radar system on the ship can see the internal structure of it. And if we happen to be in the middle of a big storm, the radar can see everything going on around us for the duration of the storm (not just once every 12 hours, like the TRMM satellite). Unfortunately, hurricane Henrietta was too far away to effectively measure with the radar. These guys will also be launching weather balloons from the ship to gather additional atmospheric data in the sky above us.

What can the world hope to learn from the research being done by this group? Well, if we have a better understanding of how storms are behaving in the tropics, we will have a better understanding of the factors affecting ocean climate. Since events such as El Niño originate in the tropical area of the Pacific Ocean, this research may help us better understand what causes seasonal climate changes and El Niño and provide better forecasting of such events.

Travel Log: The air temperature is getting much warmer each day, and you can definitely tell we're in the tropics. One of my students, Kalen, asked if I had seen any wildlife? Excellent question. I forgot to mention earlier that I saw a bunch of flying fish! They were really cool- almost looked like birds jumping out of the ocean, flying 10 or 20 feet, then diving back in. You could see them just about any time you looked for them during the last couple days. We also passed a huge school of at least a hundred porpoises, about a mile away. I'm hoping we'll see some more a little closer so I can get some pictures for you.
Have you ever heard of sailors seeing a green flash at sunset? Captain Dreves announced last night that the conditions were good to see it, so I ran out on deck. After staring at the horizon a couple minutes I saw what looked like neon green flashes of lightening, only for a second. I waited and waited and finally the sun dipped below the horizon, but I'm not sure if I saw it. I'm not sure if what I saw was THE green flash, or if my eyes were getting strained from staring at the sunset too long. I told Captain Dreves "well, I guess I have 3 and a half more weeks to see it again" and he said "I was at sea 30 years before I saw my first one." Oh, well.

Question of the day: What causes the green flash that sailors sometimes see at sunset?

Photo Descriptions: Today's photos show some of the equipment that the group from the Colorado State University are using for their research. Dr. Rob Cifelli and Dr. Walt Peterson are working on the computer to establish the radar settings they will be using to collect data. Bob Bowie is standing at the radar station that controls the Doppler Radar unit on the ship. Dr. Dennis Boccippio inflates a weather balloon, which you see aloft in a separate picture. Finally, all four members of the CSU team pause for a picture.

Keep in touch,
Jennifer

Read Week 2 Daily Logs

Note for educators: Although Jennifer and Jane's reseearch cruise ended, the EPIC research continues. Please use this web site, Jennifer and Jane's lesson plans, daily logs, the videos, and the photos to educate your students about climate, El Niño, and scientific research in general.

Consider this web site, as well as the TAO web site, a resource for teaching your students.

Many organizations and countries are involved in funding the EPIC Experiment. Primary U. S. funding is provided by The National Science Foundation and The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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