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Having collected another set of data from our familiar C2 site, we are now steaming to a location a bit south of the A1 mooring.

Out here in the Tasman Sea, chasing the internal tide involves a lot of detective work, piecing together clues from water velocity, temperature, and density to determine where exactly the tide beam is heading.

The timing could not have been more perfect for this expedition, which has given the science team a glimpse of mixing activity in the central equatorial Pacific during strong El Niño conditions.

Before the advent of modern oceanographic instrumentation, scientists possessed only rudimentary ways of exploring our oceans. Surface currents could be inferred from their effect on ship’s tracks, and from the net drift of floating objects released at one location and found much later at another, like a message in a bottle from another place. Tracking … Continued

For as long as ships have been sailing the oceans, there have been observations that helped builders choose the best materials. The Falkor is built with massive amounts of metal, which then sits in a sea of salty water that wants to eat it alive. All metals tend toward corrosion, but if two different metals are … Continued

It could be assumed that given the intensity of operations in this expedition, the thought of a five-day transit through calm waters would be warmly welcomed. The scientists would perhaps take advantage of the extra time by answering neglected emails, organizing their paperwork, or cleaning a few of their instruments; but mostly, many would expect them … Continued

There are those who argue that predictability is the greatest gift of progress, the biggest merit of civilization. Our ability to explain nature through science makes the world and the universe predictable and understandable. That enables us to have a more informed and productive relationship with our natural environment and its resources. This is at … Continued

Andreas Novotny thought he would find Hemiaulus here. He has not. “It is what it is, which is fine,” he says. “What we need to do is figure out why.”  Andreas is a PhD. student and his research focuses in the symbiotic relationship between a kind of plankton, a Diatom called Rhizosolenia, and a Nitrogen-fixing Cyanobacteria, … Continued

Unrelenting questions that press for a definitive, but elusive, answer are precisely the kind of questions that fuel Chief Scientist Joseph Montoya’s love for oceanography. He often goes to bed trying to solve the oceans’ latest riddle and wakes up the next morning knowing his mind was not idle. He might feel rested but is also … Continued

What comes to mind when you think of the ocean? Waves, vastness, blue, or the many things that it contains. You may picture dolphins or fish, if you really know your stuff you might even imagine microclines or currents. The scientific party onboard of R/V Falkor is a little different. When they look at the ocean, … Continued