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Today we mapped the edge of the remote Nukumanu Atoll, last known position of Amelia Earhart, adventurous air pioneer of her day. My parents named me after her, admiring her fortitude and even, perhaps, her stubbornness to persevere. I don’t know that I have anywhere near her drive or ability, but it is exciting to … Continued
We have arrived at the Ontong Java Plateau and to properly map the seafloor we needed to know more about the physical characteristics of the water above it. To do this, the science crew typically deploy a CTD rosette (array). CTD stands for conductivity, temperature, and depth. Since the electrical conductivity of water relates directly … Continued
Science is a process of discovery. There is so much about the world that we do not know; discoveries can be made just about anywhere. Some scientists never have to leave the comforts of their own laboratory as their study subjects may be locally distributed, or they can access information from satellites and other data … Continued
Sending a 225-kilogram (500-pound) instrumented lander to even the deepest portions of the ocean is easy. The challenge is getting it back safely, a feat that requires substantial and reliable buoyancy. To overcome the limitations of conventional deep-sea buoyancy solutions, Schmidt Ocean Institute’s collaborative lander project with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution depends on a … Continued
On August 19th and 20th, 2014 Schmidt Ocean Institute convened a focused group of international experts in ocean sciences, technologies, and scientific marine operations to discuss and identify critical opportunities for technologically advanced shipboard oceanography in the next three to five years. Participants were encouraged to address the driving needs of the oceanographic and marine … Continued
Picture an underwater elevator with the ground floor almost seven miles below the ocean surface. Last week, Schmidt Ocean Institute in collaboration with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) finished building one of two new deep ocean landers or “underwater elevators.” These landers are designed for deployment from the R/V Falkor. What is a lander? … Continued
Like all good things, the Loihi Seamount excursion has come to an end. Close to two weeks onboard the R/V Falkor, and our science crew is leaving with enough data to keep them busy for the next six months. All in all, we had seven AUV Sentry deployments to the two deep regions of Loihi … Continued
Most of the time when you tour a ship you see the main areas where the science gets done, the aft deck, wet lab, control room, but have you ever thought about what powers all these amazing technologies? I didn’t until recently, when I was graciously offered a tour of the engine room, also known … Continued
Another day (or night), another hydrocast. As I watch the wire disappear into the ocean, I recall K.O. Emery’s preface to his classic 1960 book The Sea Off Southern California,“An oceanographer’s view of the ocean”. Emery pointed out that the surface of the open ocean looks the same no matter where you are, unyielding the … Continued
By this point you should be intimately familiar with the star of our cruise, AUV Sentry. Sentryis primarily a survey tool, and like most Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV’s) Sentry’s main mission is to collect data about the ocean bottom. In addition to many other types of information, Sentry collects several types of sonar data, photographs, and … Continued
