from M195-CYRTACI Blog

WHAT IS A “SCHLAUCHKERN”?

The “schlauchkern” is a type of coring method that we have been using a lot on M195. In essence, it is a test core to get a view of the sediments to see if we want to collect the material. The process begins with geophysical imaging of the sediments below the meeting point of the […]

from M195-CYRTACI Blog

THE LAKE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA

Mud recovered from the seafloor preserves clues of past climates and environments. In special cases, the dance of the seasons has been locked into the sediments, and scientists can then reconstruct the seasonal cycles of past climates. This type of sedimentary layers is called varves, and the layers deposited year after year can be counted […]

from M195-CYRTACI Blog

CYRTACI Expedition (M195)

We run the blog in three languages. Please scroll down until you find the right language.  This is the official blog of the CYRTACI Expedition (M195) aboard RV METEOR in Aegean and Ionian waters from 10th November to 2nd December 2023. The port of departure and arrival is the port of Athens, Piraeus, Greece. We […]

Rudy the Rock

Hey, I’m Rudy… The Rock! I am willing to tell you about my first crazy contact with what is called “human” scientists (quite different to my usual rocky neighbors). The last million years, it was calm and silent since my eruption birth at Conical Seamount. We lived in a peaceful stony community at 1400m below […]

Building Bridges

How is one giant research vessel managed? Well, like any ship of this size, you will find the answer on what’s called the bridge. No worries, we are not trying to connect different ships between each other. That is just the main working station from which the ship is navigated. A little bit like the […]

from SO298 GEOTRACES Blog

On-deck incubation experiments

Phytoplankton or microalgae are the most common primary producers in the ocean, and they support other higher trophic animals, such as zooplankton, fish, and even whales! They are a large family with multiple species with all kinds of shapes and lifestyles. It is very important to study these tiny creatures to understand their physiological performance, […]

from SO298 GEOTRACES Blog

Inside the Van – a Trace Metal-Clean Oasis

Bioessential trace metals such as Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, V, Zn and Cr are an incredibly important part of marine biology, without which life in the ocean would not exist the way we know it. The aim of the GEOTRACES program is to understand the processes affecting the distribution of trace elements […]