1 July 2008

This last weekly report of the cruise leg could be summarised in one sentence, namely the last one of the previous weekly report: Now we continue our way eastwards with CTD-stations and collect water for the biologists and chemists. This describes our unspectacular programme of last week, which was carried out in a likewise unspectacular fashion. Everybody on board is exceptionally grateful for this, as it means that no failures of scientific or vessel specific equipment occurred, that the weather was almost fair, and that we arrived at the end of the large hydrographic transect almost as planned – with only four hours delay. Already by now we can recognise from the hydrographic data that the modifications since last year are considerable and that winter convection worked in a manner quite different to what is normally expected. The balance between the inputs from the rims into the gyre, consisting of fresher polar waters and saltier Atlantic waters, is – apparently more persistently – changed in favour of the Atlantic component.

At the end of the cruise leg a short conclusion shall be drawn. Despite the early date in the year – in particular with respect to the fieldwork on Greenland – and the extraordinarily tight timetable all research objectives could be met. The geodetic work on land could be carried out completely, the physical oceanography work as well, the moorings were recovered without any losses and redeployed exactly as planned, the chemists and biologists were supplied with more than enough water samples, and their equipment worked faultless, as did that of the other work groups. Cruises like that are a delight.

Everyone on board is well, even though swell and wind harry us finally a bit, and we all send best wishes from our position just off Spitsbergen.

Gereon Budéus, Chief scientist ARK XXIII/1