\nStation search or just another way of treasure hunting<\/strong>
\n3:55 am
\nAfter the hustle and bustle of the day, the ship is now desolated. The cabin doors, wide open during daytime are closed. Behind them, the scientists sleep the deep sleep of hard workers. The voices, jokes and music that comes from the Hangar during daytime, has faded away. Only the rumble of the diesel engines reaches the bright-lit hydro acoustic lab. Every now and then interrupted by a clapping door, when the seaman on watch is turning his rounds.<\/p>\n
Despite the sleeping ship, four scientist are still (or already) on duty. Besides the\u00a0 geophysicist on watch, three scientists are staring at the monitor that displays the parasound data of the previous hours. After 6 hours of survey (with geophysical methods) it is now time to find the best place to sample sediments at 3000m water depth. Our aim is to collect cores from spots where the sediment is reaching its maximal thickness. We feel a bit like treasure hunters – on the hunt for the best mud.<\/p>\n
After data conversion and a short discussion, all in the three-persons team agree on the selected site. Again data are converted and cross-checked. Finally, the chief scientist gets the coordinates and starts the steep climb to the bridge.<\/p>\n
After crossing the brightly lit ship, it takes a moment to adjust to the dimmed light on the bridge. Here, in the calm, peaceful \u201cbrain of the ship\u201d (as the machinists call it), the officer on watch enters the coordinates into the ships navigation system, and we start to approach the station. On the way, we cross the already surveyed sediments. Just before arrival the sediment package is starting to thin. Nothing changes on the parasound monitor for seemingly endless five minutes, until the sediment packages start to thicken again and we finally reach the station. It is in such moments that the patience of the chief scientist is worth gold (or is it mud?).<\/p>\n
Now it is time for \u201cparking\u201d. While the experienced officer maneuvers the ship into a stable position, we still watch anxiously the parasound monitor, hoping that the signal from the seafloor is not changing during the last position changes. After final position is reached, work can start: \u201cDeck from brigde- we are on station\u201d is called down to the labs, working deck and hangar. What comes now is routine work after 2 weeks at sea. The plankton net team (woken half an hour in advance) starts with operation followed by the CTD with water samplers. Afterwards the MUC leaves the deck. After 2 hours of
\nexcited waiting, the latter ascends again and is brought on deck. Now, we have to ask us the question: \u201c Can we deploy a 20 m gravity core in this kind of sediment, or are we risking to bring up a banana (as bent cores are called)?\u201d The sediment looks good, and a 20 m core with 2.5 t of weight is leaving the deck to descend into the deep ocean. What follows is another hour of excited waiting until the winch program indicates that the gravity corer touched the seafloor. The winch monitoring looks good, no banana, and 75 t of rope tension point to a nicely filled core. 1 \u00bd hours later, a 16 m sediment core from the deep Labrador Sea lies in front of us on the deck. Now, the sediment and coring team are on duty and take care of our new treasure.<\/p>\n
It is already 2 pm \u2013 time for the cruise leader team to get some sleep, after this long and exciting night.<\/p>\n
Janne Repsch\u00e4ger
\nCAU Kiel<\/p>\n
![\"Die](\"http:\/\/www.oceanblogs.org\/msm45\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2015\/08\/Foto16_Fahrtleitung-begutachtet-sedimentkerne_Svenja-Lueders_900x600.jpg\")
<\/a>