Daily Logs
Week 2

Date: Sunday, September 9, 2001
Photos: Members of the team from the Applied Physics Laboratory at the University of Washington
Latitude: 16o 39.3 N
Longitude: 103o 17.0 W
Temperature: 31.3oC
Seas: Sea wave height: 1-2 feet
Swell wave height: 2-3 feet
Visibility: 10 miles
Cloud cover: 5/8
Water Temp: 29.7oC

Science Log: Today I met with Dr. Mike Gregg, a Physical Oceanographer from the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) at the University of Washington (UW). He is accompanied by 7 additional scientists, comprising the largest group on the ship. The team is composed of the following members:

• Dr. David Winkel - Physical Oceanographer
• Mr. Jack Miller - Electrical Engineer
• Mr. Earl Krause - Oceanography Technician
• Mr. John Mickett and Mr. Glenn Carter - Ph.D. graduate students
• Mr. Arthur Bartlett and Mr. Paul Aguilar - Engineers

All 8 members of the UW team are working together to gather data about the microstructure of the ocean. They want to understand turbulence in the ocean- in other words, they are interested in finding out how the ocean mixes.

"Coupled global models"- this is a term that is very important to understand the research being conducted on this cruise. It refers to the relationship between the oceans and the atmosphere over the entire planet. Computer models make assumptions about these relationships, which are used to predict short-term and long-term climate. These models exist today, but Dr. Gregg hopes to improve the accuracy of the numbers being input into these models, in order to improve climate-forecasting abilities. Better data input into the models will produce more accurate the climate forecasts.

There are very complex relationships between the oceans and the atmosphere. For example, as the wind blows over the ocean, it transfers energy to the water. You can see this energy in the form of waves. In addition, the moon has a tremendous impact on tides, and as tides rise and fall, energy transfers occur between the atmosphere and the ocean. You can see that energy is constantly being circulated between the oceans and the atmosphere. If you recall from your Physical Science classes in middle school, heat is a form of energy. What happens to the energy, or heat, from waves once the wave has broken and no longer exists? How does that heat energy travel through the ocean? How is the heat energy transfer different in the Eastern Pacific, where there is a warm pool of surface water, compared to the heat energy transfer in inland lakes, or in other parts of the world's oceans? This is what Dr. Gregg and his team of scientists are trying to find out.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) set up the framework for a program called CLIVAR (Climate Variability). Through CLIVAR, scientists from around the world are working together to improve climate forecasting models. This program reaches across international boundaries and includes dozens of countries that wish to improve the climate forecasting abilities using coupled global models. In the United States, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has agreed to participate in CLIVAR, and are funding Dr. Gregg's research as part of that program.

The key piece of equipment being used in this research is called a Modular Microstructure Profiler (MMP). The MMP will be dropped in a free-fall while loosely tethered to the ship behind the ship using Kevlar lines while it is slowed to approximately 2 knots. It will measure small-scale turbulence, on the scale of centimeters, in the upper 300 meters of the ocean. The Kevlar line will allow the device to remain far enough away from the ship to prevent the ship movements from interfering with the MMP's measurements. Dr. Gregg has 3 MMP's so that one is available to be deployed 24 hours a day while the other two are undergoing repairs and data processing. The eight members of this team will be working 12 hour shifts, around the clock deploying the MMPs and using the winch to bring them back on the ship.

Travel Log: You know, after 5 days on the ship, I am still amazed that I am here. When I was in junior high school, I actually thought of aiming for a career with NOAA. I've always loved the oceans, always loved boats, and always loved science. What better way to put it all together than to join the NOAA Corps. I'm not sure what happened, but NOAA faded from my list of career choices in high school. It's so incredible to finally have a NOAA experience, to participate in a research cruise, and to meet such unique people.

I have found that maintaining sanity on the ship requires keeping a schedule. Here's my schedule (since I'm sure the world is just dying to know!!): I spend the mornings with one of the research groups or one of the crew groups to find out what they are doing and how it will make the world a better place. I take pictures of them at work, and make lots and lots of notes. Walking around with my paper, pen and camera I feel like a reporter all the time, like some kind of Lois Lane on the high seas. Lunch is from 1130-1230, and is a nice chance to chat with people. After lunch, I visit the bridge and collect the data that you see at the top of my daily log- location, atmospheric and water data. Usually at that time the bridge is occupied by the two female officers on the ship. I'll introduce you to them some other day. Finally, I go to the computer to review the day's pictures, translate my scribbled notes and type up my daily log. I also read the email that arrived that morning (we send and receive email twice a day- 10am and 6pm) and respond to each one of them. Once I've sent off my logs and pictures to be posted on the web site, it's time for dinner. After dinner, I have 2 1/2 hours to write lesson plans, read, catch up on logs, or hang out on deck to watch the sunset. Every night at 8pm there is a movie in the lounge. No matter how bad it is, I can't help watching. For some reason, watching the movie always removes any hint of seasickness I might be feeling. After the movie, it's finally time for bed.

My favorite time of day is definitely when I get a chance to sit out on deck and watch the sunset while reading Charles Darwin's "Voyage of the Beagle." It is so amazingly beautiful and peaceful here, and while I don't think I'm ready to make a permanent move onto the ship, I sure wish I had a button at home that I could push to be instantly transported to this exact spot (with my husband, Rob, of course).

Question of the day: When Charles Darwin was asked to join the HMS Beagle on its voyage to South America, he was in school at Cambridge studying to enter what profession?

Photo Descriptions: Today's photos include a couple members of the team from the Applied Physics Laboratory at the University of Washington. Dr. Mike Gregg is shown in one picture standing next the Modular Microstructure Profiler (MMP), and in another picture, Mr. Paul Aguilar catches up on some highly-intellectual reading. Since I've written in my log about the ocean sunsets, I included a picture of one, but I'm sure you can imagine that the picture just doesn't do it justice. Of course, none of these logs and photos would be possible without a good onboard computer network, so you'll see a picture of Mr. Larry Loewen, our computer guy. And finally, a shot to remind you of what ship I am on- an ax painted with the ship's name "Ronald H. Brown."

Until tomorrow,
Jennifer

Date: Monday, September 10, 2001
Photos: Stormy Weather
Latitude: 13o 25.1 N
Longitude: 100o 58.4 W
Temperature: 26.1oC
Seas: Sea wave height: 6-8 feet
Swell wave height: --
Visibility: 0.5 - 1 mile
Cloud cover: 8/8
Water Temp: 29.6oC

Science Log: A lot of the scientists got very little work done today because the cloud cover was interfering with their instruments. The radar group from Colorado State University was in good spirits because they had a real opportunity to test their equipment during stormy conditions. They are still working out some of the bugs so that when we reach international water, they will be able to work efficiently.

Travel Log: This was the first day in a week that I felt somewhat seasick. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the makers of Meclizine for making a darn good product. We are in the middle of a storm, as you can see from the higher waves and lower visibility reported above. It certainly could be worse- I mean, the waves are only 8 feet, but it's still an adjustment for my body since the trip has been so nice up until now. I saw a satellite image of this part of the world and you can see a huge storm brewing. I encourage you to search the Internet for current weather images (try a Yahoo search of "NCAR RAP") and find our latitude and longitude on the map. It looks pretty impressive. It could easily develop into a tropical storm, but hopefully not until it has passed us a little. So what does it feel like to be in a storm? Well, the boat is rocking a LOT, and I've been losing my balance all day. I went outside to take some pictures, and was drenched in the few minutes I was there. The deck has about an inch of water sloshing around. And there's no view of the sunset on the deck after dinner tonight.

Question of the day: What are the two factors that are used when classifying a storm as a tropical depression, tropical storm, or hurricane?

Photo Descriptions: Todays photos include 5 shots relating to the storm we are in. You'll see several pictures of the bow of the ship and the low visibility. At all times, there is someone on the bridge on lookout for "objects" in the water (boats, buoys, etc.) During low visibility conditions this job is even more important, since the Captain would have very little time to react if something was spotted. Of course, there is always the radar system, but it doesn't catch everything. Finally, a picture of the Doppler radar dome, taken prior to the storm. This Doppler radar provides crucial data about the weather conditions around the ship.

Until tomorrow,
Jennifer

Date: Tuesday, September 11, 2001
Photos: Buoy repair and fishing
Latitude: 12o 06.3 N
Longitude: 95o 49.7 W
Temperature: 26.5 o C
Seas: Sea wave height: 2-3 feet
Swell wave height: 4-5 feet
Visibility: 10 miles
Cloud cover: 6/8
Water Temp: 29.7oC

Special note: The storm we hit yesterday is now classified and named "Hurricane Ivo"

Research Objective for the day: Install sensors on the buoy at 10N, 95W. Download data from the buoy into the ship's system for analysis.

Science Log: Today is the first day that official operations take place. We reached the first buoy at 10N, 95W around 4pm, and the zodiac sent several people out to it for maintenance. Divers installed sensors on the under-water portion. They also downloaded the data from the buoy for analysis.

There are lots of buoys in the ocean. Mr. John Stanley (who I will introduce you to later in the week) is in charge of the buoy work on this cruise. He's installing some, repairing some, and doing general maintenance.

One neat thing about the buoys is that the anchors that keep them in place develop their own ecosystem. All sorts of stuff grows on the anchor line, and stuff that eats the stuff on the line hangs out in the area. And the stuff that eats the stuff that grows on the line is also there. You get the picture. This means that whenever we reach buoys, people on the ship start reaching for their fishing gear. Although we didn't see any today, I've been told that there are often white-tip sharks in the area, and things can get pretty exciting (especially with a diver in the area). Today Pat, one of the crew, caught a pretty good-sized yellow-tail tuna. It was cool, until it started bleeding all over the deck. That's when I decided I should go look at something else.

Travel Log: This has been a quiet day. Most people on the ship are in some kind of shock after hearing of the terrorist activities on the east coast. I know I speak for everyone on board when I say that all of our thoughts are with the thousands and millions of people who have been affected by the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. I tried for hours to reach my family in the Washington, D.C. area, but I was never able to get a connection. Inmarsat-M phone calls must first connect with a satellite operator (challenge #1), and then connect with land (challenge #2). To those of you reading this who have family or friends on the ship, please remember that in an event like this, e-mail is a reliable way to communicate. Our computer guy, Larry, connects with the satellite twice a day - 10:00 am and 6:00 pm. We are now in Mountain Standard Time, one hour later than when we started, 6 hours off of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Today marks the one-week anniversary of when I arrived on the ship. In some ways, it feels like it went quickly, but at the same time, I feel like I've been here forever. One of my students, Melissa, asked if it was hard to be away from home. To be honest, I try not to think about it. I miss my husband, Rob, and we email regularly, but I try not to remind myself that I won't be home for another month. Certainly on a tragic day like this, all I can think about is how far away from home I am.

Question of the day: Why is cloud cover measured in 8ths (example 1/8, 7/8, etc)?

Photo Descriptions: Today's pictures include the following: the zodiac at the buoy, fishing off the stern of the boat, Pat's fish, a close-up of a buoy on the ship (will be installed later on the trip), and Captain Dreves keeping a close eye on the buoy operations.

Until tomorrow,
Jennifer

Date: Wednesday, September 12, 2001
Photos: The Lidar operated by NOAA Environmental Technology Laboratory (ETL)
Latitude: 9o 56.5 N
Longitude: 95o 2.5 W
Temperature: 31.2o C
Seas: Sea wave height: 2-3 feet
Swell wave height: 4-5 feet
Visibility: 10 miles
Cloud cover: 5/8
Water Temp: 29.3oC

Research Objective for the day: Begin taking measurements with the Lidar (ETL), the MMP (UW), weather balloons (CSU), and the SPMR (UCSB). Every group on the ship is in full swing, and will continue their operations for the next 18 days.

Science Log: Today I met with part of the group from NOAA's Environmental Technology Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado. There are three sets of instruments being used by this team, and today I will introduce you to the researchers associated with two of those groups- the lidar group and the kaband group.

Ms. Janet Intrieri, an Atmospheric Scientist, and Dr. Raul Alvarez, a Physicist, have been working long hours each day on the Mini MOPA Lidar. This is the most labor-intensive piece of equipment on the ship, requiring constant watch and intervention to keep it running properly. It is also probably the fanciest piece of equipment on the ship, using CO2 lasers and an intricate network of lenses and mirrors to measure wind velocity and water vapor in the atmosphere. The really cool thing about the lidar is that it can measure these things at various altitudes simultaneously, up to 6-8 kilometers in range. Without the lidar, scientists could measure a specific point in the atmosphere using planes, satellites, or weather balloons, but the lidar allows Ms. Intrieri and Dr. Alvarez to see everything in a horizontal column of the sky at the same time.

How does lidar work? Lidar (which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, similar to the term Radar as used for radio waves) is a remote sensing technique that allows measurements of atmospheric conditions using laser light. The typical lidar system emits a short pulse of laser light that travels through the atmosphere. As this pulse of light goes through the atmosphere, it can interact or scatter off of various components in that atmosphere. These components can include dust, clouds, water vapor, pollutants, and even the air molecules themselves. When the light scatters off of these things, a small part of that scattered light is going back toward the receiver part of the lidar which is usually composed of a telescope (to collect as much of this light as possible) and a detector that converts the light signals into electronic signals that can be input to a computer.

How the signals that are collected are processed depends on what atmospheric properties are being measured. For information on the total amount of light scattering due to dust and clouds, we can simply look at the strength of the return signal as a function of time (which is proportional to the distance that the pulse has traveled). To gather information about the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere, one technique is to transmit two laser pulses that are at different wavelengths. One of the wavelengths is selected so that it is not affected by the water vapor, while the other is selected so that it is partially absorbed by water vapor. (Each different chemical that we might try to measure has a different absorption of light that will determine which wavelengths and types of laser must be used.) Now, as the laser pulses go through the atmosphere and as the scattered light returns to the receiver, one of the signals is attenuated (reduced) more than the other because it is being absorbed by the water vapor. The amount of water vapor that must have been in the atmosphere to cause a particular amount of signal reduction can then be calculated.

Another thing that can be measured with lidar is the wind velocity. To do this, we rely on the Doppler Effect. This effect states that as the light scatters off of the particles in the atmosphere, the frequency of the light may be shifted if the particles are moving. If they are moving towards the lidar, the frequency will be shifted up while the frequency will be shifted down for particles moving away. Since the frequency of light is extremely high and the Doppler frequency shift is very small, we need to bring the signal (light) frequency down to a manageable level. We can do this by a process called mixing. In essence, the light signal is shone onto a detector along with a small sample of laser light that is at the same frequency as the original pulse that was sent into the atmosphere. When these two beams interfere with each other, the result is a signal on the detector that is the difference in the two light frequencies. At this point, this difference signal tells us the speed of the wind, but not the direction of the wind. A shift of a few megahertz (MHz)(depending on the laser wavelength) could be due to a wind either towards or away from the lidar at a meter per second (m/s). To resolve this uncertainty, the transmitted laser pulse is shifted by a fixed amount of 10 megahertz. Now, when the atmospheric light signal and the laser sample are mixed, the shift in frequency will be offset by the 10 MHz signal. (As an example, let's suppose that the Doppler shift due to the wind is 2 MHz. Then, the first example without a 10 MHz offset will give you simply a resultant 2 MHz signal for either a +1 m/s or -1 m/s wind, while the 10 MHz offset makes the resultant 12 MHz for a wind toward the lidar and 8 MHz for a wind away from the lidar.)

An additional piece of equipment being used by ETL is the Ka-band radar, operated by Ms. Michelle Ryan. Ms. Ryan uses Ka-band radar to study the clouds- water droplet size, condensation, and the changes between liquid, gas, and solid water. She also uses radiometers to study liquid water and vapor in a column from the ship to the sky. Her equipment complements the lidar by providing information about what's going on above the cloud base (the lidar focuses on everything between the ocean surface and the clouds).

Thank you very much to Dr. Alvarez for translating enormously complex physics into what you just read about how the lidar works. If you read it through a couple times, it really makes sense! And they say laser physics is complex.

Travel Log: People always wonder what the food is like on the ship. Well, there is lots of it, and it's better than what you would expect. In fact, I've heard some of the scientists challenging each other to see who can gain the most weight on the trip- just an excuse to try a little of everything on the buffet line, and dessert twice. There's always a salad bar, a couple meat entrees, a couple meatless entrees, and several vegetables. One night we even had crab legs and steak! We eat during designated meal times in the mess hall, and since there are more people on the ship than there are seats in the mess, they try to get you to "eat it and beat it." The most dangerous part of the mess is the freezer stocked with Haagen Daas ice cream, but I am challenging myself to avoid it until the last night on the ship. There are three stewards on the ship that do all the cooking and kitchen stuff. They're really nice and friendly.

Question of the day: How much money did the U.S. spend last year on scientific research? What percent of the total budget does it represent? (Please cite your source when you send your answer)

Photo Descriptions:Today's photos - Since today's science log focused on the Lidar operated by NOAA Environmental Technology Laboratory (ETL), that's what is highlighted in today's pictures. You'll see the ETL lab on the ship- a large container that travelled via tractor-trailor, plane, and barge to get onto the ship. There are two "vans" like this on the ship, which is where this group of ETL scientists spends most of their time. Inside the van, you'll see Ms. Intieri at the computer controls, Dr. Alvarez tweaking the lenses in the Lidar, and in another picture, Dr. Alvarez pouring liquid nitrogen into the Lidar to keep the optics cool. Finally, you'll see Ms. Ryan standing next to the kaband radar (looks like a large drum in the photo).

Until tomorrow,
Jennifer

Date: Thursday, September 13, 2001
Photos: Fire drill and the abandon ship drill
Latitude: 10o 1.2 N
Longitude: 94o 57.8 W
Temperature: 30.0o C
Seas: Sea wave height: 1-2 feet
Swell wave height: 4-5 feet
Visibility: 8-10 miles
Cloud cover: 4/8
Water Temp: 29.4oC

Science Log: Today I met with the remaining part of the NOAA ETL group- Dr. Chris Fairall, Dr. Frank Bradley, and Mr. Sergio Pezoa. Dr. Fairall is the Chief Scientist on the ship, so he is not only responsible for his equipment and research, but he coordinates all the other scientists on-board to make sure everyone is able to get the data they need. Sometimes this is difficult, since one group may need the ship to stand still for a couple hours to take stationary data, while another group may need the ship to be moving 1-2 knots into the wind. Dr. Fairall is responsible for the entire scientific party on the ship. Dr. Bradley is an Australian Physicist, and it's been interesting to hear that his family in Australia is responding to the recent terrorist activities in exactly the same manner as the families of the Americans on the ship. Mr. Pezoa is an Engineer, and helps keep the equipment functioning properly.

What kind of research is Dr. Fairall leading? Well, they are studying air-sea turbulent fluxes. Imagine heating two different materials- a metal bar, and a pot of water. The metal bar will heat through molecular processes- the molecules are excited and collide, producing heat, and transferring it down the bar. In the pot of water, however, convection occurs as the fluid is allowed to circulate in the pot. The hot water closest to the heat source rises, and the cooler water replaces it. The ocean heats like the pot of water- warm and cool water mix and circulate, and at the same time, the air is doing the same thing. How are the air and the water interacting with each other? All of the researchers on this ship are asking essentially the same question, but using different methods to answer it. Dr. Fairall is looking at the heat flux, water vapor flux, and carbon dioxide flux between the ocean and atmosphere.

There are two key pieces of equipment being used by these researchers. First, I'll talk about the sonic anemometer, which measures heat flux. It is a pretty simple looking instrument with 6 prongs that measures the motion of air along the x, y and z planes. Each prong can either send or receive a sound signal to the prong opposite it. The speed of sound changes depending on the medium in which it is flowing. So, when the air between the two prongs moves fast, the speed of sound is different from when the air is moving more slowly. By measuring the amount of time it takes the prong to bounce off its mate and return, you can determine the speed of sound. From the difference in time for opposing directions, you can determine the speed of the air (wind). You can determine the temperature of the air, since the speed of sound equals a constant times the square root of the temperature (kelvin).

The second piece of equipment used by this group is the "Carbon Dioxide, Water Gas Analyzer" (finally a simple name that really tells you what it does!). This analyzer has a light source, and a light sensor. The light is activated and sent through 3 individual filters. One filter allows only the wavelength of light that is absorbed by carbon dioxide to pass through. One filter allows only the wavelength of light that is absorbed by water vapor to pass. The third filter allows a wavelength that is not absorbed, and is used as a reference. The difference between the amount of light received by the sensor and the amount of light that originated from the light source tells you how much carbon dioxide and water vapor are in the air.

There are additional, more simple pieces of equipment that are measuring, for example, sea water temperature, rainfall, solar radiation and IR radiation from the sky. All of Dr. Fairall's equipment is mounted on the bow of the ship, and there are so many wires and cables that connect them with the computers in the lab. The data is all digitally and automatically recorded by the computer, using redundant systems. They have at least two of everything, so that if a computer or circuit or panel is damaged or inoperable, they can quickly swap it with a new one. This is a unique aspect of ship research- you can't just run out to Radio Shack when something breaks. You have to anticipate any and all problems, and be prepared accordingly. Most of the time, the members of this group are monitoring the data and equipment, backing up data multiple times to tapes and CDs, and making any necessary repairs. Just like with the other research groups I have introduced you to, Dr. Fairall's research will help climate modeling become more refined and accurate.

Travel Log: Today we had a fire drill and an abandon ship drill. The ship is required to do these drills weekly, and they are an effective reminder that we are at sea, essentially in the middle of nowhere. I first told you about these drills last Thursday - ah, ha, I see a pattern perhaps- next Thursday I'll be ready. It's a little un-nerving because the Captain gets on the intercom and gives the details on the location of the fire, and instructs everyone to muster at either the primary or alternate muster station. The scientific crew musters together, while many of the crew members have fire-fighting duties. The crew not only keeps the ship running and functioning, but they will put their lives on the line in case of emergency. I really have a lot of respect for them and all they do.

Question of the day: How many miles per hour are in one knot?

Photo Descriptions: Today's photos focus on the fire drill and the abandon ship drill that I told you about in my travel log. There are a couple shots of the firefighters at work. In another picture you see several people standing around with life preservers on. When we have an abandon ship drill, we have to grab our survival gear (life preserver, "gumby" suit, long pants, long-sleeved shirt, and a hat) and report to our muster station, where we wait for further instructions. I've also included a picture of the auto-inflating life rafts. There are 8 on the ship, but we only need 4 to accommodate everyone on the ship (in case one side of the ship falls over and the life rafts on that side cannot be accessed). Finally, there is a picture of Dr. Fairall (with Dr. Bradley in the background) holding the sonic anemometer.

Until tomorrow,
Jennifer

Date: Friday, September 14, 2001
Photos: Jennifer, Capt. Dreves, and the MMP
Latitude: 9o 55.6 N
Longitude: 95o 1.2 W
Temperature: 30.2o C
Seas: Sea wave height: 1-2 feet
Swell wave height: 3-4 feet
Visibility: 10 miles
Cloud cover: 5/8
Water Temp: 29.4oC

Science Log: There is one research study that involves the ship, but there are no scientists on the ship representing it. What I am referring to are the airplanes that take off from Huatulco, Mexico, fly to the ship's vicinity, and drop radiosondes from the sky. It's a really neat thing. There are two types of planes used for this purpose. The P-3s, operated by NOAA, were formerly Navy planes that have been converted into hurricane chasers, equipped with Doppler radar systems. The C-130s were also military planes that have been retrofitted for scientific use, and are operated by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).

The flights began yesterday, but today the C-130 flew close to the ship at a low altitude, so we were able to see it. Kind of neat to see some sign of human life beyond the confines of this ship! There will be approximately 10 flights over the next 16 days, and they will be flying in a grid pattern over our general vicinity. While the ship's scientists collect lots and lots of data at 10N, 95W, the planes will collect similar data, but over a larger area. The radiosondes that are dropped from the planes measure temperature, wind, and humidity every 20 meters as they fall from the sky. When they hit the ocean they measure water speed and current. They relay the data via radio signal before becoming debris on the ocean floor.
The Teacher at Sea for the next leg of this cruise, from the Galapagos Islands to Chile, is Mrs. Jane Temoshok. She'll be visiting Huatulco to fly in one of these planes and to tour the facility. Hopefully, she'll get some good pictures of the planes up close.

Travel Log: In the travel log I've been telling you about non-scientific stuff that is happening on the ship. The last several days, the main non-scientific activity has involved conversations about the recent terrorist activities in New York and Washington, D.C. Remember that we don't have television reception here, so most of our information has come from emails from family and friends, and the news articles that Larry (computer guy) downloads when he is uploading our email. We are all comparing notes to try to get as full a picture as possible about what happened, who did it, and how the U.S. will respond. We joined the country in a moment of silence at noon.

On the subject of sad things…. We've noticed a number of birds on the ship lately. These are not shore birds, that you might expect to see on a ship, but land birds. The sad part is that they somehow got blown here, or got off track, and they'll probably die here, since there is no fresh water or food for them.

Question of the day: There is a special name for people who cross the equator- what is it?

Photo Descriptions: The coolest picture you'll see today is the C-130 aircraft flying near the ship. While the aircraft will be in our general vicinity for the next several weeks, today provided a unique opportunity to see it at a low altitude. I'm also sending a picture of myself, so that you can connect a face with the author of all the daily logs you have been reading. There's a picture of John Mickett, from the University of Washington manning the winch that deploys the MMP, which is shown in another picture just before it is hoisted onto the deck. Finally, a picture of Captain Dreves on the bridge. My students were so curious about what he looks like, and I know they'll be disappointed that he doesn't have a peg leg, hook arm, or even a patch on his eye. The parrot that normally sits on his shoulder was sleeping, and we thought it best not to wake him for the photo.

Have a great weekend,
Jennifer

Date: Saturday, September 15, 2001
Photos: Dr. Amparo Martinez, Dr. Chris Fairall and Jennifer
Latitude: 9o 55.8 N
Longitude: 94o 59.2 W
Temperature: 29.9o C
Seas: Sea wave height: 1-2 feet
Swell wave height: 3-4 feet
Visibility: 10 miles
Cloud cover: 6/8
Water Temp: 29.9oC

Science Log: Today I met with our Marine Ecologist on the ship, Dr. Amparo Martinez, from Mexico City, Mexico. Dr. Martinez is studying the processes between the ocean and the atmosphere regarding the formation of aerosols. She is studying aerosols that are created by natural photochemical processes, and those created biogenically, by living organisms.

What is an aerosol? An aerosol is any airborne particle. Although we don't see it, we are surrounded by airborne particles all the time. If there were no aerosols, there would be no clouds, since water vapor requires nuclei, or aerosols, to cling to before it can condense. Aerosols scatter solar radiation and influence the radiative balance of the Earth. This is a major mechanisms linking the global biosphere and climate.

What happens to sunlight when it reaches the Earth's atmosphere? Well, some of it is reflected back into space by clouds. Some is scattered by aerosols in the atmosphere, and bounced in all directions. A relatively small percent of incoming solar radiation actually hits the Earth. If we can understand the nature of the aerosols in the atmosphere, their size and composition, we will have yet another piece of the "climate puzzle" and will be able to forecast climate more accurately.

How does Dr. Martinez study aerosols? She is actually looking at a chemical compound called DMS (dimethylsulfide), which contributes approximately 40% of the total sulfur burden of the atmosphere (aerosols). Plankton in the ocean are a major source of DMS, in addition to photochemical processes. Dr. Martinez studies DMS in the ocean, and in the air to obtain a vertical profile of aerosols from 15 meters above sea level, to 100 meters below.

In the ocean, she uses a CTD (measures conductivity, temperature and depth of water) to obtain water samples from various depths in the ocean, down to 100 meters. This is deeper than any scuba diver could ever go, so it's good that we have a CTD to do the job for us. She uses filters to separate the biological material in the water (i.e. plankton) from the water, and she measures the amount of DMS in both using a gas chromatograph (GC). This helps her determine how much DMS is coming from biological sources compared to chemical sources. In the air, Dr. Martinez has a sensor on the tower that is mounted on the bow of the ship. The sensor is able to measure different types of aerosols and sends the data to a computer in the lab.

You may have noticed that all of the scientists on the ship are conducting research that will help with climate modeling. Did you know that our models are unable to predict present-day climate? We can forecast weather to some degree, but climate is a mystery. How can we predict El Nino, seasonal variations in climate, or long-term variations in climate, when our models can't even show us what we are presently experiencing? We have a long way to go before fully understanding how the interactions between the oceans and the atmosphere affect climate on Earth. It is increasingly recognized that in order to understand climate, we need to understand all the pieces that contribute to the climate puzzle. Dr. Martinez is contributing to the biological and ecological pieces of the puzzle, while the other scientists on the ship are contributing to the chemical and physical pieces.

Travel Log: Today there was a pod of at least 20 pilot whales swimming with the ship. They were playing within 20 feet of the ship for over an hour! We've seen quite a bit of wildlife on this trip so far. There were two beautiful egrets on the tower yesterday, but they have since disappeared. Land is approximately 300 miles from here (a 24-hr journey by ship), but I guess the birds have attempted to fly home. I was not thrilled to hear that my roommate recently saw a large spider with thick legs and a bright orange body. And the stateroom next door said they saw a large spider with a somewhat transparent body. My husband, Rob, will probably laugh when he reads this because he knows I am very uncomfortable (ok, maybe "scared" is a better word) being around anything with more than 4 legs, or less than 2.

This started an interesting conversation over lunch, which you may want to continue in your classroom or at home. If this ship is transporting a few stowaway critters, which would not be unusual, what impact could that have on the ecology of the Galapagos Islands? What could the Ecuadorian government do to prevent the introduction of non-native species? I don't know how you would quarantine an entire ship, so what do you do? Look at Britain as an example of how foot-and-mouth disease has spread so quickly, killing so many animals. What precautions have they, and the rest of the world, taken to keep this disease from spreading further?

Question of the day: How many statute miles are in one nautical mile? (a statute mile is a regular road mile)

Photo Descriptions: Today's pictures include two of Dr. Amparo Martinez- in one picture she is making repairs to the gas chromatograph (GC) in the laboratory, and in the other, she is filtering water samples to separate the biological material from the water. The equipment she uses to collect air samples is mounted on the tower shown in one of the photographs. It's necessary to elevate the equipment so that the ship's emissions do not contaminate her samples. Dr. Chris Fairall, the Chief Scientist on the ship, is shown in one photo overseeing operations on the stern. Finally, there's another picture of me (Jennifer Richards)- this time I am standing in front of some buoy anchors. Later in the cruise we will be deploying a buoy, which is connected with several miles of cable to the anchor on the ocean floor.

Keep in touch,
Jennifer

Read Week 3 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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