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The Mixing Up the Tropical Pacific cruise is focused on obtaining data that reveals small-scale mixing in the central equatorial Pacific. To do this, the team is creating a time series using relatively shallow (500m) CTD and LADCP casts. These instruments are deployed every three hours to capture temporal changes in temperature, salinity, and current magnitude/direction. … Continued
Check out the first video from one of our Student Opportunities participants, Jennifer Killinger. She takes a look at how Mixing Up The Tropical Pacific scientists on board Falkor are creating drag for the Vertical Microstructure Profiler (VMP) so it descends at a slower rate.
Dr. Kelvin Richards, the Principal Investigator on the Mixing Up The Tropical Pacific Cruise beams with excitement at the prospect of collecting new data. For him, this cruise is a significant step forward, or east, to obtain long awaited information. After working in the western equatorial Pacific for many years, Dr. Richards is curious to see … Continued
Similar in shape to a fire hydrant, the Lowered Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (LADCP) is fastened to the CTD (Conductivity, Temperature and Depth) Rosette, a white, jungle gym-like structure. Therefore, each ADCP drop also requires a CTD deployment. The ADCP itself is light and requires no special lifting equipment, but the CTD is quite heavy, … Continued
And just like that, three weeks has come to an end. As the science team starts to pack up their equipment and explore the data collected, they get their first taste of the water profiles for this region. It seems like just yesterday we were leaving Majuro, Marshall Islands, to begin an 11-day time-series at the equator, but the time has gone by in the blink of an eye.
Of the two specialized instruments aboard Falkor, the Vertical Microstructure Profiler (VMP) is the interesting looking one. Torpedo-shaped with probes jutting out of the tip, it’s almost as intriguing to learn about the internal-workings, as it is to gaze upon its glory. The VMP is rated to 500 meters (1650 ft), meaning that it can take … Continued
I have been onboard R/V Falkor for a week now, and have had the opportunity to intermingle with each of the departments, learning every possible aspect of the ship.Falkor’s crew is divided into four major departments: deck, engineering, interior, and science. Each group plays a very important role in the daily life of a research vessel. However, … Continued
Two focal pieces of equipment are being deployed from Falkor during the Mixing Up the Tropical Pacific cruise. One is the Vertical Microstructure Profiler (VMP), which measures microconductivity (tells you how salty the water is), temperature, and shear. The other is the Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP), which also generates data pertaining to shear. Shear … Continued
What does Van Gogh’s Starry Night painting, the whirlpool galaxy, and billowy cloud traces all have in common? The answer is visual representations of fluid motion, something which is very difficult to see in water. However, over the next few weeks the scientists on board Falkor will try to do this exact thing, understand small … Continued
Julianna and I have been sailing on Falkor for a few days now. The science team is all settled in as we make our way towards the first sampling location. The transit from Majuro will be approximately three days. As the scientist’s calibrate their instruments and prepare for arrival, the ship’s crew is all action … Continued
