Embarking on the Meteor cruise CYRTACI was a journey that we, a group of early-career researchers and students, looked forward to very much. This blogpost will give an insight into our pre-cruise expectations and our actual experiences. Our expectations were a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty, as we were looking forward to doing some science […]
Sailing with Flo: A Technician’s adventures on the METEOR
When it comes to roles at sea that bridge deck operations and the science team, every ship needs a Flo. Meet Florian Evers, the marine core technician in the geology division at Geomar Kiel. Originally a sport-boat technician, Flo took a leap a decade ago to apply for a position as a marine equipment technician […]
Let’s talk about the weather
Bright sunshine, intense thunderstorms, storms up to wind force 9 – the weather during the CYRTACI journey M195 is diverse and varied. Observant eyes even witnessed mirages and waterspouts, not to mention colorful rainbows, sunrises, and sunsets, especially captivating due to the mostly unobstructed sea horizon. Seafaring and weather are traditionally closely intertwined. The success […]
NAVIGATING A SEA OF OPPORTUNITY: A CAPTAIN’S JOURNEY
Ever pondered a career that takes you from the vastness of the sea to the stability of land? While the image of a ship’s captain may be the first that comes to mind, the maritime world is teeming with diverse possibilities and even a captain’s journey can be full of adventurous detours. Meet Rainer Hammacher, […]
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 […]
BEHIND THE SCENES: LIFE ABOARD R/V METEOR DURING M195 CYRTACI
In the last blogposts our team shared the goals of this expedition and some of our recent discoveries from the seafloor. But what does daily work and life on a research vessel like METEOR look like? Life on board is structured by deck operations and mealtimes – breakfast (7.15 am), coffee (10.00 am), lunch (11.15 […]
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 […]
M195: EMBARKING ON THE MUD ODYSSEY: UNCOVERING SECRETS IN THE DEPTHS OF THE AEGEAN AND IONIAN SEAS
On 11 November, 28 scientists and 34 crew members set off from the port of Piraeus, Greece on the German research vessel Meteor on an expedition to the eastern Mediterranean. Their destination are the mysterious depths of the Aegean and Ionian Seas, where the mud on the seabed provides information about our human history. The […]
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 […]