PS98 Weekly Report No. 4 | 2 - 8 May 2016
Training in Sediment Acoustics
[09. May 2016]
On Tuesday, May 3rd, a group of 20 Masters and PhD students and 5 instructors boarded the R/V Polarstern in Las Palmas. Some of those who have already been on board from Punta Arenas for more than three weeks, took the occasion to make a short shore leave.
The following contribution is from M. Lindeman and F. Schmid:
The newbies on board came for the Sediment Acoustics training, organized by the AWI hosted POLMAR graduate school. A diverse group in both origin and research focus; they come from 10 different countries (Argentina, China, Egypt, Germany, Iran, Nepal, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, USA) and approach the topic of echo sounding from many perspectives. The students study at the University of Bremen, AWI, and the Institute of Marine Research in Bergen, with topics including geology, geophysics, marine biology, sea-ice physics, and oceanography. The first afternoon in the port was spent getting acquainted with one another, the scientists who have been on board since Punta Arenas, and the ship (including the all-important safety briefing), and Polarstern set sail that evening for the final leg of the transit to Bremerhaven.
Beginning with lectures from the experienced instructors, the students have been deepening their understanding of the theory and application of echo sounding, though for some it has been an opportunity to build on existing knowledge while for others it is a crash course in a totally new topic. Since Wednesday afternoon, they have been operating the instruments in teams of two, in four-hour shifts at all hours of the day and night. During the daytime shifts, the instructors visit regularly to offer enlightening tips about how best to operate the systems, begin to interpret the data, and troubleshoot the inevitable problems that come up. Preliminary cleaning and processing of the data has also begun, and both fellow students and instructors have shared inspiring examples of past research projects incorporating echo sounding methods.
The students are being trained in the operation of two instruments: the Parasound echo sounder and the Hydrosweep multi-beam bathymetry profiler. The Hydrosweep measures bathymetry over a 2km swath of the seafloor, while the Parasound measures directly below the ship but is also capable of penetrating into the underlying sediment. Both of these systems can be more strategically employed for research purposes to identify changes in sediment structure and bathymetric features (for example, iceberg plow marks that provide clues about past glaciations).
Until today, this leg of the voyage has featured clear sky and calm seas. On Friday, the crew and scientists gathered for a barbecue on the work deck, prepared by the always-excellent kitchen crew. Many whales and dolphins have been spotted from the helipad and the bridge, the king crab lab has been toured, and students have given presentations on their own research.
As chief scientist I would like to use the occasion of the last weekly report to thank everyone who contributed to this enjoyable and scientifically successful research cruise. Special thanks go to Captain Schwarze and the whole crew who were always cooperative and helpful. This cruise is now soon coming to an end: Entering the port of Bremerhaven is scheduled for the evening of 11 May.
Best wishes from the Bay of Biscay (46°N, 8°W)
Bernhard Pospichal
8 May 2016
Contact
Chief scientist
Bernhard Pospichal
bernhard.pospichal@uni-leipzig.de
Scientific coordination
Rainer Knust
+49(471)4831-1709
Rainer Knust
Assistant
Sanne Bochert
+49(471)4831-1859
Sanne Bochert