Day 4 - 14 October 2007

Anna - 16
Operation: Deep Climb participant

Well I woke up and finished the last few things that I needed to do to be ready to leave and then joined the rest of my team for breakfast. We loaded up and headed out for some of the exquisite Hawaiian coastline. Once we arrived we headed down to where there was a better view and the first part of the trip was filmed. None of it was scripted; the only thing that the camera guys asked of us was to stand a certain way so everyone would be in the shot. I knew that I should enjoy the ocean and waves while I could, because for the next few days all I would be seeing are rocks and trees.

Bebe, our Hawaiian guide, told us some Hawaiian folklore about a Hawaiian plant and Madame Pele, who apparently is a goddess that is in charge of Mauna Kea. After the stop at the water, we were taken to where we would start the climb. The eight of us kids were split into two teams. Collin was the leader of the team I was in; also with us were Mack and Savannah. Santannah was the leader of the other group and David, Andrew and Evan were with her. The hike had only been under way for a short time before my shoulders hurt and I craved a break. I kept this to myself for a few reasons, I didn’t want others in my group to know that I wanted a break because maybe they would want to stop, and I wanted to push through it. I also kept silent because once you give in and stop the first time, the easier it is to let yourself stop again. Lastly, if we took too many breaks we were never going to obtain our goal for today.

Many things were used to pass the time but mostly thoughts of Disney World and food helped keep our mind off of the negative sides of the hike. We mostly hiked through rain forest today. Our team started to fall too far behind Santannah’s team so we decided to slow our pace and compensate for our slower pace by taking less breaks. Collin was a great leader because he would set a goal for how long we would hike before we could take a break. Once we had been working like this for a little while, it didn’t take long before we passed the other team. In the last leg of the hike for today the scenery changed to more of a hilly, grassy farmland. The team I was in reached the camp first, which was at 5,100 feet (1,555 m) of elevation. We stayed in an old cabin, but don’t be confused, we are still “roughing it,” - there were not many luxuries like running water, electricity or heat. Tonight we ate outside and could see the stars, it was quite cold once the sun went down but at least we had hot meals, thank goodness for MREs (meals ready to eat). One day down three more to go.

Savannah - 14
Operation: Deep Climb participant

We woke up early the next morning and loaded the vans quickly. The vans would be taking us to the very base of Mauna Kea where our journey begins. We went from the shore of the bottom and we were off. At first we all had a good pace and it wasn’t so bad but then the sun started to beat down on us and the elevation was kicking in. This took a toll on the groups and we slowed down a lot. We weren’t getting far enough fast enough. The groups had a talk about pace and we changed it to a more doable pace. This helped our progress out a lot. We were able to reach the cabin before the sun set. Now the word cabin is too nice for where we stayed. The beds literally had a frame and an inch thick mattress. There was no electricity which meant no heat. We tried to stay warm as best as we could and rest for the next day.

Day 4 - 12 October 2007

Madison
SNI participant

The KMC (Kilauea Military Camp) is at an altitude of about 4,068 feet (1240 m). You can see the geothermal vents from the road. The caldera is eleven miles (17.7 km) around. The layers from successive lava flows are visible. We went to the sulfur banks then, and you could see the sulfur steam coming from the vents. The sulfuric crystals were green and had a very low melting point.

We then went to the Thurston lava tube, where the lava had flowed and the shell had hardened, the middle had remained liquid, and when there was no more lava, only the shell remained. Ropey lava is called pahoehoe, and the sharp, jagged lava is called a’a.

We went to Mauna Kea then and drove to the summit, stopping at intervals to do the GLOBE protocols. The top was very cold and incredibly dry, at most 3.9 degrees Celsius, but with the wind chill, probably much colder. The Keck, Subaru, and NASA observatories were there.

Connor
SNI participant

After many hours of driving we got to the top of Mauna Kea and got to talk to an astronomer working with one of the many telescopes at the top. After we asked the astronomer questions and watched the beginning of the sunset we drove back down to the visitors center where we watched a star show (Where a guy points at stars with this cool flashlight and explains to the watchers what constellation they are from or what type of star they are) Afterwards we went back to the KMC for some sleep.

This is the day that the paths of the two groups begins to diverge. While both groups fly to Hilo, the Operation: Deep Climb (ODC) group joins the Wildlife Productions crew and guide Doug Arnott to prepare for their climb of Mauna Kea. The ScubaNauts International (SNI) group begins exploration of the Big Island, with hikes around Volcano National Park and dives on the Kona side.

Day 3 - 13 October 2007

Anna - 16
Operation Deep Climb (ODC) participant

This morning we were told that the leak on the KOK hadn’t been fixed and so we would begin the climb on the following day. So today everyone would be flying to Hilo on the big Island.

That afternoon we made it to the airport for our 45 minute flight to the big Island. On the flight Mack and I could see an Island with a mountain that we thought wasn’t Mauna Kea. We had suspected it to be taller or to have snow, so Mack and I wished that this would be Mauna Kea mostly because it wasn’t as intimidating as I had pictured the world’s tallest mountain to be. Once the plane started to turn and descend we knew that our wish was coming true. We landed and were taken to Doug Arnott’s Lodge to finally meet the production crew. That night we had a short luau and Sergeant Gregory helped us on packing our bags. I was so appreciative to have Sergeant Gregory with us, because of his expertise and he was also very humble and considerate. Now I am getting ready for a good night’s sleep, this time tomorrow night, hopefully, I will be a third of the way done with the climb. I have gotten a new boost of confidence knowing that I am prepared (gear wise) and if something inhibits me from climbing the mountain it will be myself, because of my lack of confidence or just plain nerves.

Mack - 15
Operation Deep Climb participant

Our flight to Hilo was a short one, it was only forty-five minutes long. When we landed in Hilo we gathered out stuff and headed out to out hotel for the night. When we arrived at our hotel we learned they had a special luau planned for us. After the luau SSGT Gregory come to our rooms and helped us pack for the hike which was going to start the next day. After our packing lesson we all went to bed, for it was going to be a early morning.

Santannah - 14
Operation Deep Climb participant

We had a flight to Hilo to take to the big island where Mauna Kea is. Then we had a barbecue at Arnott’s lodge where we would be staying for the night. Tomorrow morning we would start the climb. This night was the hardest for me. I was so ready to start the climb already and yet was so afraid that something might happen. That night I had the most conflicted thoughts of my life.

This is the second installment of the SCUBAnauts blog. Go to the Web and check out the pictures of the fish that they saw (Search for “Hawaii state fish” instead of Humu… — it’s easier!).

Day 2 - 12 October 2007

Tutors Academic Institute Journals
4 students aged 12-15
SNI team participants

On our first day in Hawaii, we went to Hanauma Bay for a bit of snorkeling. Hanauma Bay is a Hawaii state park, and we watched a movie in order to learn the rules and etiquette of the park. We saw a great number of fish including the Parrot Fish; a Sea Turtle; the Hawaii state fish, the Humuhumunukunukuapua’a; the Bird Nose Wrasse; a Long Nose Butterfly fish; and a number of urchins. This was a very interesting and educational experience.

Our next adventure of the day had to do a bit with Hawaiian culture; we participated in a luau. The luau consisted of a number of traditional Hawaiian activities such as: lei making, spear throwing, pictures with birds, trips in a canoe, traditional Polynesian tattoos.

The food wasn’t half bad either. The traditional foods served were: Kailua pork, coconut custard, and macadamia nut encrusted mahi mahi. Along with our meal, we were entertained with traditional song and dance, which included fire throwing.

Savannah - 14
Operation: Deep Climb participant [ODC]

The next day we were to go to Hanauma bay. Our expedition was postponed because the boat had problems so we all got to snorkel. This was the best news you could expect to hear when you didn’t think you would get time to do anything like that because the ODC kids should have been gone by now. Before we could actually go in the bay we had to take a class that would teach us how to take care of the reef that was there. The bay was home to many species of fish and coral and they are trying their best to keep it as well as possible. The class lasted about 60 minutes and then we were off. Taylor was of course my buddy. We had fun and explored most of the reef. The reef was beautiful and the fish were amazing. After Hanauma bay it was time for lunch. We couldn’t really go anywhere so someone brought us wraps, gummies, and raisins. I thought the food was delicious, but I didn’t have too much time to enjoy it. In the middle of lunch we were told that a local Hawaiian news reporter wants to interview the ODC kids about the mission we would be completing. All the kids went with Jen and she took us to a park where the reporter met with us and asked us questions. They were excited about what were doing and just about as excited as us.

After the interview we all took showers and got on a bus that would take us to a Hawaiian luau. The luau was so much fun. They had games, and some of us got tattoos. We ate traditional Hawaiian food which was a different kind of experience. We even got pulled up to go on stage. I got to participate in a Hawaiian fish catching ceremony. After the luau I was so tired but I couldn’t go to sleep after having all that that fun. We were forced to go to sleep to get ready for the next day.

Anna - 16
Operation: Deep Climb participant

I really enjoyed the drive across the island of Oahu, mostly because a majority of the time you were able to see the majestic mountain range to one side and the enticing coastline on the other. On the way we passed Diamond Head Crater, which was formed from a volcano that had collapsed. We arrived at Hanauma Bay and spent some time recording clouds and taking a class about the history and some rules of snorkeling in the bay. I saw an octopus, which was really exciting because I have never see one while diving.

Tonight Captain Olson told us that there was a leak on the research vessel that the rest of the Operation Deep Climb team and I were to stay on, the Ka`imikai-o-Kanaloa or KOK, and there is a possibility of us climbing the mountain first. At first I thought of telling Captain Olson that I wasn’t going to be able to do it because I wasn’t mentally prepared and I also doubted my physical capabilities. After thinking about it for a few hours now I think, I might be able to, but I’m not sure. We came back to the BOQ [Bachelor Officer’s Quarters] to go to sleep. My roommate is Sarah, well it’s time for bed, I’ll write more tomorrow.

Recently, a group of scientists estimated that the increase in carbon dioxide release rate between 2000 and 2006 was greater than any of the scenarios envisioned by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in the late 1990s. This brings the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions to higher levels than even the worst-case scenario projected by the IPCC. Also the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing faster now than earlier.

The “release rate” is the sum total of carbon dioxide produced by people around the world. What determines the release rate?

• How much energy people use. This has gone up because the global economy has improved rapidly since 2000. Also, there are more people using this energy.
• How much of that energy is produced from carbon (hence releasing carbon dioxide). While in the past we have typically been getting more efficient in our carbon use per dollar spent, this is no longer happening, at least temporarily.

People use more energy in the industrialized part of the world than in developing countries. In the developed countries, people frequently drive their own cars and heat or cool their houses. They have enough money to buy televisions, computers, cars, and other items that require energy to make and operate. They often live in large homes that take more energy to heat and cool than small homes. In February, we wrote about how these activities are important enough to affect the climate of cities.

In developing countries, people walk more. They live in smaller homes, often heated or cooled by the wind. When they have to travel longer distances, they take buses or trains. It is not surprising that many of these people would like to lead more comfortable lives like those in the developed world.

The larger-than-expected increases in carbon dioxide production are related to rapidly-developing economies, especially in Asia. Economies in Europe and North America are also growing, but close to the rates expected by the IPCC. This means Asians are working hard to earn the many benefits people have in the developed countries. And, as a consequence, their carbon-dioxide emissions are increasing more than anyone expected.

The second part of the reason for the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide is that less is being taken up by the world’s oceans. Typically, the oceans take up about 60 per cent of the carbon dioxide produced, while the air gets the other 40 per cent. Now, the ocean’s share is getting smaller – meaning more carbon dioxide left in the atmosphere to trap heat.

Together, these two factors are leading to higher carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere at a faster rate than before.

How can this be helped? Nations and individuals around the world need to find other ways of producing the energy that fuels the earth’s economy. Natural gas burns cleaner and produces less carbon dioxide per unit energy produced. We can obtain energy from other sources, such as the wind, flowing rivers, or the sun. Taking these steps has extra benefits – they produce less air pollution than coal-burning. As individuals, we can be more efficient in our energy use, by walking and taking public transportation, air-drying our clothes, and keeping the temperature in our houses closer to the outside temperature. Can you think of other ways to save energy?

I would like to thank Dr. Scott Ollinger, Science PI of the GLOBE Carbon Project, for bringing this information to my attention. For more about the Carbon Project, click on “Carbon Cycle” under the “Projects” menu at www.globe.gov.