tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51440400560644876492024-02-18T18:37:32.613-08:00ALOHA Cabled ObservatoryAli, a summer intern at the University of Hawaii, shares her experience from the cruise that will install the ALOHA Cabled Observatory.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144040056064487649.post-60707438138272256662011-06-17T18:31:00.000-07:002011-06-17T18:31:30.957-07:00From Flour and Sugar and Eggs Comes Data<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Though the ACO cruise is over, the work on land is ongoing. I have taken a brief interlude from ACO to practice my Matlab plotting skills but will be returning to the ACO project in the coming weeks. With most of the instruments at the observatory supplying us with data, it is now time to supply the public with this data. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A part of that supply line, I will become.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I will continue writing about the Aloha Cabled Observatory, but now in a less transient way. I will be writing for the website which will share the history and marvels of the project with anyone interested in reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will be three branches of the ACO website intended to focus the content for three different readerships – scientists looking for data, teachers looking for classroom material and generally curious minds looking for educational tidbits from the bottom of the ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The section for curious minds will be my department; explaining to them how the temperature sensors, camera and all that cable got down there will be my prerogative. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’ll start with old material, from existing but unmaintained web pages, and develop a storyboard of possible page layouts – one page for each instrument, one page for the project’s history, one page explaining the oceanographic phenomena at Station Aloha.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will hopefully be video and still pictures involved from Jason and from the ACO eyeball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once these ideas are approved, I’ll develop them into an actual website using my hard earned but minimal skills in web design software – Dreamweaver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve never developed a webpage from flour and sugar and eggs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve only ever started from Tollhouse prepackaged dough. I will be depending on my triumphs of the past in battles against menu bars in Dreamweaver to get me through the battles to come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144040056064487649.post-87802522845189193682011-06-09T15:07:00.000-07:002011-06-09T15:11:30.937-07:00Come Down From the Jungle Gym, It's Time to Deploy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"> I will take the opportunity, now that I am not clogging the bandwidth of the ship’s Internet with my many kilobytes of photographs, to catch you up visually on the happenings of the KM from TAAM deployment, Act 1, to the final connection, the curtain’s closing.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgjwLuCuOiMs5dd995PpElC7KMKDzVQzMldL-XXm-pR-7BZ1K98uVstSxtMS-Vv5kFrASuhKWsw4rhtqk5KDLEughQJ-iKPsbV80TCbZkrch1rf-eDGHUFGlnVk_ZxrQjea1TJKbzn6A/s1600/DSC04587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgjwLuCuOiMs5dd995PpElC7KMKDzVQzMldL-XXm-pR-7BZ1K98uVstSxtMS-Vv5kFrASuhKWsw4rhtqk5KDLEughQJ-iKPsbV80TCbZkrch1rf-eDGHUFGlnVk_ZxrQjea1TJKbzn6A/s320/DSC04587.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">A stew of scientists and sailors boiling on the quarterdeck ponder the deployment of the TAAM mooring as they wait for the weather to improve. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2da24EfHQyTe5Jt6tBj7hDCxFqXyiUxX1zTALjOWFzPeZBkYMmv7bsXcoGcmW5RCtZgUbNwg_rD1zh1XE45bsQrS4t4aQlgrflhnLABWgrpt-BK1y_YFWJAVUpEmLsCaHwpPlrq3X6Hc/s1600/DSC04590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2da24EfHQyTe5Jt6tBj7hDCxFqXyiUxX1zTALjOWFzPeZBkYMmv7bsXcoGcmW5RCtZgUbNwg_rD1zh1XE45bsQrS4t4aQlgrflhnLABWgrpt-BK1y_YFWJAVUpEmLsCaHwpPlrq3X6Hc/s320/DSC04590.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">The weather does not improve. The huddle disperses, leaving the anchor to take a shower in solitude.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7baX5amuEcVT53lhLOJxvG7MkX5OApGXu_-HqjXHE-pFnqpcbOdtcJi9Ab3uMJMl6IED52TKsIiLVsEQPa3vuOkCbBsZ4Hb-FVGxPXiXNvsVmQfs5Tt9HL4L9QxydDX6PbWZzKofDoA/s1600/DSC04601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7baX5amuEcVT53lhLOJxvG7MkX5OApGXu_-HqjXHE-pFnqpcbOdtcJi9Ab3uMJMl6IED52TKsIiLVsEQPa3vuOkCbBsZ4Hb-FVGxPXiXNvsVmQfs5Tt9HL4L9QxydDX6PbWZzKofDoA/s320/DSC04601.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The next morning, as the sky is still waking up, we jump at the opportunity the mild weather provides and plop the anchor in the ocean.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqIkRCFoqYGq-erJ0WThTUxIByDMcEYDJ3ROrB1t5DJG8H6GqufY2xLfxOVOc2eSnCJGXkiDEcCqqASgieEMsKeikWsfk7-3jtkGOqz0gN9RcW2ppLxQ2EuKd8lMVvsN5WWVHtUCykak/s1600/DSC04612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqIkRCFoqYGq-erJ0WThTUxIByDMcEYDJ3ROrB1t5DJG8H6GqufY2xLfxOVOc2eSnCJGXkiDEcCqqASgieEMsKeikWsfk7-3jtkGOqz0gN9RcW2ppLxQ2EuKd8lMVvsN5WWVHtUCykak/s320/DSC04612.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">The anchor is lowered on the black jacketed wire rope from the winch. Bruce unspools the neon green communications cable parallel to the black wire but under no tension.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJUfHndjGryuOclrYjeI6O-UbnyDij3S2AXWeW-TSBP82e4o4HpT3_jN9AK02R-O_pGx_vng_gNNuCcHfczlViDwJkmqaOBG-pt2caXSOfJ3wbWtPZvuT9oXV3orNu8jiTyZTrcROiQ4/s1600/DSC04609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJUfHndjGryuOclrYjeI6O-UbnyDij3S2AXWeW-TSBP82e4o4HpT3_jN9AK02R-O_pGx_vng_gNNuCcHfczlViDwJkmqaOBG-pt2caXSOfJ3wbWtPZvuT9oXV3orNu8jiTyZTrcROiQ4/s320/DSC04609.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">At 10 to 50 m intervals, the winch is stopped so that Jefrey and Dave can attach instruments and cable spacers to the wire rope.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlFsgdrsu6fO6Npqh3UHCPAFtGbHc2CPXXAGlNSy3KQtSPAtDS-XrZ6GLh9bMPq_NAnmclssFVRuWYz3Dox5qxYle9loP1HaRSg4HsQvj6zX6Q0tGQat5wS_5_r_DXqADA_S5pVKeBXI/s1600/DSC04610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlFsgdrsu6fO6Npqh3UHCPAFtGbHc2CPXXAGlNSy3KQtSPAtDS-XrZ6GLh9bMPq_NAnmclssFVRuWYz3Dox5qxYle9loP1HaRSg4HsQvj6zX6Q0tGQat5wS_5_r_DXqADA_S5pVKeBXI/s320/DSC04610.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">On either side of the attached thermistor are cable spacers to keep the green and black from becoming tangled. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAKZv_abWhf1YawqiULdfPXFCTbYiuzI0C1QjdkmqW3tj3hX1kEtXB-HIU6LW6EtiFVTtLiwQrqLxoo6XxEicUQrqkNUerme74RtIea6vShuEKbmMZJfnqEA0rLbKYcyEhtedk5h4jQwI/s1600/DSC04645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAKZv_abWhf1YawqiULdfPXFCTbYiuzI0C1QjdkmqW3tj3hX1kEtXB-HIU6LW6EtiFVTtLiwQrqLxoo6XxEicUQrqkNUerme74RtIea6vShuEKbmMZJfnqEA0rLbKYcyEhtedk5h4jQwI/s320/DSC04645.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLdFUFVyTWx_WIajlRg417jO9n2-TzCG4uJHQAyfOUScPH5BX-CxeLhcs9SFCONr5HlwTUoAvR-i_gecLqKalFQywKTerR2kMEsiveKp-hi2489cYyX14op1srnySrS2JuWucCkRR2Vg/s1600/DSC04654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLdFUFVyTWx_WIajlRg417jO9n2-TzCG4uJHQAyfOUScPH5BX-CxeLhcs9SFCONr5HlwTUoAvR-i_gecLqKalFQywKTerR2kMEsiveKp-hi2489cYyX14op1srnySrS2JuWucCkRR2Vg/s320/DSC04654.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">After the ten thermistors and lone flourometer comes the acoustic modem, into which the end of the neon green cable was plugged. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFBtlPPvlBlQZslRofyfX_sEGH9zN48DTY3hn7CFEnyzFSU2hPn8BPgSnnuwuDcQplmLQX1hTZvz4T-ng4MFD_FZjUhtMxyFL81oxfppk-43_aKBRjMPXS05eeNcf54Q-_iqCjBnVP9dQ/s1600/DSC04663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFBtlPPvlBlQZslRofyfX_sEGH9zN48DTY3hn7CFEnyzFSU2hPn8BPgSnnuwuDcQplmLQX1hTZvz4T-ng4MFD_FZjUhtMxyFL81oxfppk-43_aKBRjMPXS05eeNcf54Q-_iqCjBnVP9dQ/s320/DSC04663.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">A length of chain separates the acoustic modem from five strings of glass balls that must be kept on a short leash or they roll around rowdily. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-jWjWXbtEjqr7Z8X7vOAgKCISI_BGYSNxs4MVO3ymBqRhylyJpxZVUFOeS0wZEfLMvWTkgu_wSxCWGR7-P6FflxKYpggS2zDwZGKPyknASJL27gSN1AhIoJBGjXgphkXjJ2bMneLfkU/s1600/DSC04664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-jWjWXbtEjqr7Z8X7vOAgKCISI_BGYSNxs4MVO3ymBqRhylyJpxZVUFOeS0wZEfLMvWTkgu_wSxCWGR7-P6FflxKYpggS2zDwZGKPyknASJL27gSN1AhIoJBGjXgphkXjJ2bMneLfkU/s320/DSC04664.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">A ball and chain on deck transforms to a graceful string of waving yellow party balloons in the air. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVGPxEy5HqcXXzUQ5DJJ_MlC266_MaNU-xUZnLO4isbenURiYCLqUemT8-0qzdT0pwbYRSuwzgBYsK7z3PGSuhLVVxshY9T1rRKsEZH-QdROSked71GyhOdT7NI7paJBKKjwQSi1HXPc/s1600/DSC04675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVGPxEy5HqcXXzUQ5DJJ_MlC266_MaNU-xUZnLO4isbenURiYCLqUemT8-0qzdT0pwbYRSuwzgBYsK7z3PGSuhLVVxshY9T1rRKsEZH-QdROSked71GyhOdT7NI7paJBKKjwQSi1HXPc/s320/DSC04675.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">The last string of balloons holds a different configuration to accommodate the strobe light and beacon that will be used to locate the mooring when it is recovered in the future. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWHuvGC-WgKANQ1vUOjbp_lsPVeQ8HQK_z1s_0sTwv2_01SZRU6AHA2DM9TM5xeClSy62jmLwpixXkPHRoX9Fktmmm8KJvycmJ8x4Nfos8ZssHHQ9N6zcCeKCFcTBkKmNe5sK_-WEpeY/s1600/DSC04682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWHuvGC-WgKANQ1vUOjbp_lsPVeQ8HQK_z1s_0sTwv2_01SZRU6AHA2DM9TM5xeClSy62jmLwpixXkPHRoX9Fktmmm8KJvycmJ8x4Nfos8ZssHHQ9N6zcCeKCFcTBkKmNe5sK_-WEpeY/s320/DSC04682.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">Lastly, the acoustic releases grab the top of the string of balloons only to drop the whole mooring within 100 m of the seafloor a few hours later. Don’t worry, we told them to do so. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6utypBlGDTxQuifT9UjzhG4_uWlrtYdAKj3h-s0nIQgamE3pB5Tis-Iwgy8PSJkVJfwTcJj4v8FDeiQXcXpD3I30yLmDR84xxEddoEarUCiPm1MmrMHFekgaGBWEOpeSIphbboWEcLY/s1600/DSC04689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6utypBlGDTxQuifT9UjzhG4_uWlrtYdAKj3h-s0nIQgamE3pB5Tis-Iwgy8PSJkVJfwTcJj4v8FDeiQXcXpD3I30yLmDR84xxEddoEarUCiPm1MmrMHFekgaGBWEOpeSIphbboWEcLY/s320/DSC04689.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">The observatory soaks in the sun’s rays after waiting in the staging bay for 2 weeks. Better soak it up now, for in an hour you’ll be down below the reach of the sun. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBa-tsS2LGbOeuID098bNU1PJ9pBmXST_6dExyWPu5whZEkyXAEY_fvTTT8yXCA7ty9_qB7TgY6mpizPYI_LthMpQHGK5JTa-tN7cuRKPAudy4FTqcBbixkymta_j7dEK_iuEAm9YYTCY/s1600/DSC04702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBa-tsS2LGbOeuID098bNU1PJ9pBmXST_6dExyWPu5whZEkyXAEY_fvTTT8yXCA7ty9_qB7TgY6mpizPYI_LthMpQHGK5JTa-tN7cuRKPAudy4FTqcBbixkymta_j7dEK_iuEAm9YYTCY/s320/DSC04702.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaRqB-AzLoBTgFs2dMXUkZlUDQ1tiIlIgNrQDPclDW0uNMFGWxj7L7TDL090XzRCuCMzeSzCmAWahF8JZF7vSe9O_wKewoeUn5zX3-BSDS542bV36PfXFghjj5b8Cbhq9dEYHzV2jHwYU/s1600/DSC04704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaRqB-AzLoBTgFs2dMXUkZlUDQ1tiIlIgNrQDPclDW0uNMFGWxj7L7TDL090XzRCuCMzeSzCmAWahF8JZF7vSe9O_wKewoeUn5zX3-BSDS542bV36PfXFghjj5b8Cbhq9dEYHzV2jHwYU/s320/DSC04704.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">The ship’s muscle plays tug of war with the winch to put sufficient tension on the wire now that the mooring is no longer attached.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZJe1e47yeXh-ESQjZId0MVAIQe02y2YkgQRJ77GoJD3KAWeJvBAzeh_0faZwHt8pfuy-hFKht8L9lBxmhcQTSxiVom0xNxx4iDlE-OZURXJyzJnBDNCqgYFZIjSLTDCao0bZqHJ-v4U/s1600/DSC04722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZJe1e47yeXh-ESQjZId0MVAIQe02y2YkgQRJ77GoJD3KAWeJvBAzeh_0faZwHt8pfuy-hFKht8L9lBxmhcQTSxiVom0xNxx4iDlE-OZURXJyzJnBDNCqgYFZIjSLTDCao0bZqHJ-v4U/s320/DSC04722.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hktU6A3xrbPc7ItD4wiH1tVVgLWAA6rxyTGK4Y60uwwvbpsQfnXj4OIY6F9fk5gWH38iZQl6HeR5KhhtLNB7iPrQQNXVvpnwB4lya37PQKmEOShLXfsBFq6rCz8iEGUuzdM9qYewnRI/s1600/DSC04724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hktU6A3xrbPc7ItD4wiH1tVVgLWAA6rxyTGK4Y60uwwvbpsQfnXj4OIY6F9fk5gWH38iZQl6HeR5KhhtLNB7iPrQQNXVvpnwB4lya37PQKmEOShLXfsBFq6rCz8iEGUuzdM9qYewnRI/s320/DSC04724.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">Matt and Bruce take their last opportunities to climb on the jungle gym.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJajMJG-j2i1LFBn1GQmDj8qbCY0_dE-HDLoP-2ixVHa3IjLeigHBN2uFbWlCvuXiCFI_vKdKtlx4VyfP6S5cxA1dHhuDIw3vdA7HodnF5RYkCZN0M4ZGYXO4ylY9eTvNQR7l1-JBg4U/s1600/DSC04732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJajMJG-j2i1LFBn1GQmDj8qbCY0_dE-HDLoP-2ixVHa3IjLeigHBN2uFbWlCvuXiCFI_vKdKtlx4VyfP6S5cxA1dHhuDIw3vdA7HodnF5RYkCZN0M4ZGYXO4ylY9eTvNQR7l1-JBg4U/s320/DSC04732.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">The observatory takes a leap.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzruLLhD90WtAorxDC04tDnGjHaCNCIpXKe5UocFD7I9xFw_0Ojw5_aCQ5xUKIbsFIiECFKTw_Q6xijQpr2KjUb84VpzoMtWFJppedMHl7dGrC8VDYjtQK83A3mL2v88rNpIKFJex-6Fc/s1600/DSC04740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzruLLhD90WtAorxDC04tDnGjHaCNCIpXKe5UocFD7I9xFw_0Ojw5_aCQ5xUKIbsFIiECFKTw_Q6xijQpr2KjUb84VpzoMtWFJppedMHl7dGrC8VDYjtQK83A3mL2v88rNpIKFJex-6Fc/s320/DSC04740.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">Medea prepares to follow. Matt now tries to climb under the jungle gym. While he’s there he attaches the observatory’s bridle to Medea. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZOyGUxZYWwiTKFWMOimFgwVr1ajwYEThoojCEzboOduCc6KkbYHDRoNrUNykOmtTqQS06aL2QCzebN5vqLRD5r_hWSBcPJSjgKrRfjgh0pLdKGrBgGdyQCiBziBllWFzQwTNOMjQaQg/s1600/DSC04755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZOyGUxZYWwiTKFWMOimFgwVr1ajwYEThoojCEzboOduCc6KkbYHDRoNrUNykOmtTqQS06aL2QCzebN5vqLRD5r_hWSBcPJSjgKrRfjgh0pLdKGrBgGdyQCiBziBllWFzQwTNOMjQaQg/s320/DSC04755.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">At the bottom of the ocean, Jason and the observatory meet and make connections. We spy on them in the control van.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOw53VnQbAmoAbcTBv10zomMHzbS1YEAJlUtGZfZmngUPaoP28oMrwoyrN5cXSabl2ApM8pEvsaHAVGkVJy7fJhApTdBp1ccBTU0fdknEheoozSWyFFqv3kgnC3E21-y7TqiFVQwjroTo/s1600/DSC04805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOw53VnQbAmoAbcTBv10zomMHzbS1YEAJlUtGZfZmngUPaoP28oMrwoyrN5cXSabl2ApM8pEvsaHAVGkVJy7fJhApTdBp1ccBTU0fdknEheoozSWyFFqv3kgnC3E21-y7TqiFVQwjroTo/s320/DSC04805.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">The next day, the J-box comes up for a visit.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-0w0b4CFwaaC4P3xoO88ky56eZhdkFHlwEKOP-gwGgVAfY_2CRycawdwELuM1b_jBPMHXzYiBRpJPEfnO84CHxh3wwXMLPKlfs8jk-F4Z-9zKkmXNUMLOwFeBkDdKEUbZG097P_5ryLc/s1600/DSC04829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-0w0b4CFwaaC4P3xoO88ky56eZhdkFHlwEKOP-gwGgVAfY_2CRycawdwELuM1b_jBPMHXzYiBRpJPEfnO84CHxh3wwXMLPKlfs8jk-F4Z-9zKkmXNUMLOwFeBkDdKEUbZG097P_5ryLc/s320/DSC04829.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">The J-box receives a brief spa treatment and some attention from Inspector Gadget.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Mjx1W0fs8uJSGOIy7zI8QuX3srh-wKXtpHPzIoINNPGzYlhVG8GB0rBEc4J7J3gyT0ELPNzEV73U1BodOrbQNdVVyuZC4aEzwjtntROHPIqDu1s63nL-AgRWA70EL8SrCHrkiNdV2AI/s1600/DSC04835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Mjx1W0fs8uJSGOIy7zI8QuX3srh-wKXtpHPzIoINNPGzYlhVG8GB0rBEc4J7J3gyT0ELPNzEV73U1BodOrbQNdVVyuZC4aEzwjtntROHPIqDu1s63nL-AgRWA70EL8SrCHrkiNdV2AI/s320/DSC04835.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">Fun with the Inspector’s gadgets.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJR-hzK-_VmIai3GwJCR9cLELbq5sCEDQyqMSAHBVNi6Hmh0Qft9k5E7va88S-fUoFu5xPnOwtcAS1Mprl7Q5jHrsObsd7iDWiLge4hNqLqWTXGGJ77uU_ksuHxJKBGj6mUWMiArWj8cs/s1600/DSC04886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJR-hzK-_VmIai3GwJCR9cLELbq5sCEDQyqMSAHBVNi6Hmh0Qft9k5E7va88S-fUoFu5xPnOwtcAS1Mprl7Q5jHrsObsd7iDWiLge4hNqLqWTXGGJ77uU_ksuHxJKBGj6mUWMiArWj8cs/s320/DSC04886.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">With the sun set and the moon risen over the A-frame, the J-box decides he’s overstayed his welcome and departs for the last time.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrq_ROYXLw8kQ8zac8OlcYnTYdqw85lp56fjEOb1IGFSB_J2pVlSgawy_bPNQaa9TTcA0c89nlW9HQwFEdLYLk5O0MTBhST_UCjvkWxNoebkwyIyan4BTEnDhRkzpAckwg3tHloDq33I/s1600/DSC04896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrq_ROYXLw8kQ8zac8OlcYnTYdqw85lp56fjEOb1IGFSB_J2pVlSgawy_bPNQaa9TTcA0c89nlW9HQwFEdLYLk5O0MTBhST_UCjvkWxNoebkwyIyan4BTEnDhRkzpAckwg3tHloDq33I/s320/DSC04896.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">Matt, again, tries to climb under the jungle gym but Vic finds him and makes him come out. It’s time to deploy, Matt.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBm3Wz4a-EikTJ7_rYO8mO5ECBc7OvxIN4xCwRMOcyKNxSq-2susLRB1X-0hHlZU0jbWBfv8f8UDhve_cnxnNBgzdcYhYT4pLcyV2WZxo7Y5KZ4ZnFpxljSsKaczxMWvMefT5j01OwzU/s1600/DSC04907.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBm3Wz4a-EikTJ7_rYO8mO5ECBc7OvxIN4xCwRMOcyKNxSq-2susLRB1X-0hHlZU0jbWBfv8f8UDhve_cnxnNBgzdcYhYT4pLcyV2WZxo7Y5KZ4ZnFpxljSsKaczxMWvMefT5j01OwzU/s320/DSC04907.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">In the cockpit, we wait and see if all the equipment will play nice.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo2dXs28NFk7GMnJp6zFJITVHVbV03jL0oQmOvSVA5cWi-jRF-NN_DjR-du-iQuMjWDaKKQe983H1UF1OmEph4pcvX1WFHoLUTPg-LLU5BnRbs5h4iohLu0DKPxuH-RJcI-mXUrQKM83c/s1600/DSC04910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo2dXs28NFk7GMnJp6zFJITVHVbV03jL0oQmOvSVA5cWi-jRF-NN_DjR-du-iQuMjWDaKKQe983H1UF1OmEph4pcvX1WFHoLUTPg-LLU5BnRbs5h4iohLu0DKPxuH-RJcI-mXUrQKM83c/s320/DSC04910.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">Makaha calls the cockpit. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9OA4vHLo0Eeb4gjp2_bBq18_VYTt7XRLPX741dPJEujv67QIcHW6t3CW9xqwNGY0W_1AnCEq3A6xrKGZwOEJpX6rb5bxyXwQ3JFMsMX4gi4orgGHccgRkTnnjF6ZlpfqA_yAsy1sJcl0/s1600/DSC04909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9OA4vHLo0Eeb4gjp2_bBq18_VYTt7XRLPX741dPJEujv67QIcHW6t3CW9xqwNGY0W_1AnCEq3A6xrKGZwOEJpX6rb5bxyXwQ3JFMsMX4gi4orgGHccgRkTnnjF6ZlpfqA_yAsy1sJcl0/s320/DSC04909.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">When the phone is hung up, the cockpit sees the first smile break in weeks.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6cReqWdeNrSJLxlDn7iBBTbR3j5inNJRHuaB8ZvcfzAr7pmgRZ660quF3aeR09tv0730QMNNYiGwgxbPaiyOXnPQ5bAZqYEdBzUVZugmdAcbGnL2NHRUXy35g2zE6RDuDe4238EZUrlU/s1600/DSC04975.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6cReqWdeNrSJLxlDn7iBBTbR3j5inNJRHuaB8ZvcfzAr7pmgRZ660quF3aeR09tv0730QMNNYiGwgxbPaiyOXnPQ5bAZqYEdBzUVZugmdAcbGnL2NHRUXy35g2zE6RDuDe4238EZUrlU/s320/DSC04975.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">Jason hops back on deck from his last swim at Station Aloha in the foreseeable future.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeS_7UoKIRvfI-2J0Das6Yvi5MVQ-6-BBsXBVLqyhAsk1_Y4_3slmoJUk3cgPkScVIcUD8MCBt0j5sY_Kg_QoXLdWbdhdHiNrWUwJOiMN62PO7bK4WnMOXYV5diH8G40saG9pqEwzp7E/s1600/DSC04989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeS_7UoKIRvfI-2J0Das6Yvi5MVQ-6-BBsXBVLqyhAsk1_Y4_3slmoJUk3cgPkScVIcUD8MCBt0j5sY_Kg_QoXLdWbdhdHiNrWUwJOiMN62PO7bK4WnMOXYV5diH8G40saG9pqEwzp7E/s320/DSC04989.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">We take a group photo framed under the A-frame. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64x3AOABauhMgX9maaN_wDA0XuzcSX5v_hDoh5zKTI1F4B42PMHZeAA1BhLK3_G-LXHbsAJR7KeatFibNxi3Z_t7X5LzoXVtBrF_SMBflpaxYVTMNseZOPT72Pf6E3IeiQbUNzxRZrbY/s1600/DSC04992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64x3AOABauhMgX9maaN_wDA0XuzcSX5v_hDoh5zKTI1F4B42PMHZeAA1BhLK3_G-LXHbsAJR7KeatFibNxi3Z_t7X5LzoXVtBrF_SMBflpaxYVTMNseZOPT72Pf6E3IeiQbUNzxRZrbY/s320/DSC04992.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">But the captain is tardy, so we take another. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35p-QdF0pQTg7c6swfHtFTLPaCdBrATwq2FzHystKQeHjcz1xxvu38Lt-mOym0oge24XYSTpiZvPjxaiY3hiTBI3syshvWtCPM05udaWW_HNBe5nYBhWrg26QAbkZ2jEpciuf7qYFwCc/s1600/DSC04901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35p-QdF0pQTg7c6swfHtFTLPaCdBrATwq2FzHystKQeHjcz1xxvu38Lt-mOym0oge24XYSTpiZvPjxaiY3hiTBI3syshvWtCPM05udaWW_HNBe5nYBhWrg26QAbkZ2jEpciuf7qYFwCc/s320/DSC04901.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">The KM heads home – its job complete – but the observatory, the AMM, the camera, the J-box and the TAAM remain – their job just beginning. </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144040056064487649.post-59169684856472150042011-06-08T16:36:00.000-07:002011-06-08T16:36:40.809-07:00Baskets Hanging From the Beaks of Cranes<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">At 0700 I woke to shipping containers and cranes passing by the window. After breakfast, the ship was tied up to the pier at Snug Harbor. Equipment had been eagerly waiting in the staging bay since the night before to be unloaded. Within fifteen minutes of the ship’s halt, cranes were swinging back and forth.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I donned my hard hat and skipped down the gangway to land – land that is firm and does not tilt in unexpected ways. I was so wrapped up in my hardhat activities that I didn’t notice the atrophy of my sea legs into regular old land legs. I spend the morning on the dock with Jefrey, on the back of the flatbed truck waiting for metal baskets of equipment to come swinging off the stern to land. </div><div class="MsoNormal">The boxes were full of the computers that had covered a whole wall of the lab, left over zip ties that didn’t get the chance to secure anything, rolls of electrical tape, whip cream canisters of compressed air for cleaning electronics, pens, pencils and plenty of scrap paper for early watch doodling, wrenches, screwdrivers, titanium hardware, the drill for making loud noises and tightening screws with enthusiasm, iridium cables coaxed into coils and Velcro-ed tightly to eliminate escape, the cameras for daily documentation, the deceivingly light boxes which once held instruments that are now at on the seafloor, the lines to hold the boxes in place in the event of a particularly deep roll to starboard, the WHOTS instruments and battery packs all prepped for the cruise ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These things will all have to find a new home and a new life.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The flatbed truck had seemed twice as big as the benches under which we stored all of this equipment. Despite Jefrey’s spatial consolidation, the capacity of the flatbed rapidly decreased until there was barely enough room for me to sit on the edge to wait for the next load to come over. Just when it seemed like everything that could have possibly fit in the lab had been passed over, the crane’s neck lifted and at the end of its beak hung another basket full of goodies. Like Mary Poppins, Jefrey managed to rearrange things to make room for 3 more computers, ‘mini Makaha’ – two boxes filled with wires and cables meant to simulate those of Makaha, – a lamp, a rocking chair and a flying umbrella. The crane delivered one more basket, which even Mary Poppins would have refused, so its contents will wait at Snug for another day. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Towering over the forest green crane that brought us our baskets – even towering over the KM – was a yellow and black crane that dealt with the heavy machinery worth many M&M’s. Without trying to imply that Jason is overweight, he does require a bit more attention in hoisting. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To protect his backside from swinging into the ship or the doghouse or the flatbed, sailors stood by with tag lines directing his backside to safety. The control van, which is actually two separate vans connected together, was next. The vans were hoisted off one by one so as it swung you could see through the open side into the seats Deb and I used to occupy like a view into a dollhouse. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Later, Jefrey, Bruce and I took the truck back to the University where every box found its place on top of a bench or on top of one another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some people stayed on the ship to tidy and mop the areas we had inhabited over the last 18 days. We reconvened in the evening, at the generosity of Roger, at a restaurant on the water where Pufferfish lamps and strings of colored lights hung from the ceiling to celebrate land, sea and the last shots fired in the troubleshooting battle at the bottom of the ocean in favor of the good guys– and real time data from 5 km below the surface. </div><!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144040056064487649.post-72601494844720428022011-06-07T02:04:00.000-07:002011-06-07T02:04:22.383-07:00A Warning to the Whales: We Are Now Listening<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">And watching from the camera tripod. We now know the temperature of the water from which your blubber insulates you, and its dissolved oxygen concentration too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know how the currents will softly push you – in fact we know the whole profile of 100’s of meters of current starting at the bottom and working up. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a few years, we’ll know the temperature profile of the bottom 200 m too – and watch out because the thermistors are already sensing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As of about noon today, the Aloha Cabled Observatory is officially observing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So when you pass through here next winter and spring, consider yourselves warned that we will be eavesdropping on you in real time.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My 0400 watch started slowly. The first half an hour was spent finishing snapping photos of the all the parts in their respective places– the AMM, the TAAM, the eyeball, the J-box, the cable termination and the observatory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These photos will then be collaged together to make a mosaic of the equipment at the seafloor. The rest of the watch was filled with waiting – waiting for 0700 when the land dwellers could enter Makaha Cable Station and tell us if the final configuration of the J-box was worth the last couple yo-yo trips up and down. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overnight, the J-box had been set in place and connected to the cable termination and the observatory as planned.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">0800 came and there was still no news from Makaha.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A phone rang now and again but apparently nothing of importance to relay to the rest of the van.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Off watch, I waited in the lab watching Channel Jason unwavering from its zoom on the J-box connector configuration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Good but uncertain news began to trickle in. First Chris, passing through the lab, told me that they got a good signal. “What kind of a signal?” He couldn’t tell me for sure so I kept my hopes at bay. It could have been the same good power signal we’ve always had. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Next Roger came in telling me, “We have ears.” Thinking that one would need eyes, not ears, to receive an optical signal, I was confused. He clarified: ears meant hydrophones; the hydrophones were on and sending data to Makaha. “We’re listening right now.” The hydrophones are on the J-box, which means that the J-box’s signal is getting through. This is half the good news that we have been on edges of our seats staring longingly at Channel Jason in hopes of seeing. The second half of the good news is on the other side of the J-box: the observatory, the AMM and the camera. We would have to wait another couple of hours through testing to know that these components work as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By turning off Jason’s Times Square array of lights, we could see the LED light on the observatory shine on command from Makaha. The AMM, through which the camera communication is routed, was misbehaving so its connector had to be switched to the observatory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By 1400, an email containing the first pictures taken by Joseph on land through the eyeball had circulated around the ship. Though the low light produced a fairly low quality photo compared to what the camera is capable of, this black and white photograph was like an ultrasound – proof of what’s to come. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyuGsnxfEzxzdASHqZ77ZvzSLut_Z36D2qiY0TAu0aimcDfNRce-x1X68DZ2sEq7KNBneIEKmDlpZuVTAOlQutKPQXr04x30OY5yFKaCLDBNfHOF62B_RaHmpHPw3lc8nB1sXrykidbac/s1600/img_0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyuGsnxfEzxzdASHqZ77ZvzSLut_Z36D2qiY0TAu0aimcDfNRce-x1X68DZ2sEq7KNBneIEKmDlpZuVTAOlQutKPQXr04x30OY5yFKaCLDBNfHOF62B_RaHmpHPw3lc8nB1sXrykidbac/s320/img_0004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At 1600, my watch came around as it typically does – except this time would be the last. All the connections had been made; the observatory was already getting to know the ocean all on its own. What was left was another test of the camera – this time to take photos of Jason – and some steward-ly housekeeping. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jason lifted off and did a victory lap of the area being sure to show his good side to the camera. He picked up the ADP protective trashcans, which that pesky gravity tried to pull off the Jason’s basket several times before Jason, refusing to litter, pinned in down with his fist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His last task of retrieving the bridle proved as pesky as the trashcans but Scott worked some magic in the mud with both manipulator arms at once and secured it around the trashcans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Jason came back to the surface, I missed a half an hour of my last water column to grab an elegant last meal of stuffed lobster tail and rosemary marinated filet mignon followed by Baked Alaska. The delight in the galley was a perfect parallel to the delight buzzing around the ship at the success of the day. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When Jason arrived back on deck after dinner, all hands gathered for a group photograph under the A-frame. There is packing to be done and finalizing work. But above the hands coiling cables hopefully not be seen for quite some time, above the shoulders carry out boxes of tools to be unloaded from the ship tomorrow, turning from the necks that have been hunched over computer screens and wires for the last two weeks are faces whose grins are forcing aside the tired and perhaps peeved frowns from before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sat on the 0-2 deck as the twilight turned dark and we motored away from Station Aloha.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s odd to think that the contents of the quarterdeck are sitting in the dark, in the mud at the bottom of the ocean. It’s odd to think that those hunks of titanium, o-rings, battery packs, thin strands of glass and wire are clicking away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s odd to know that they are talking to other hunks of metal and wires at Makaha and Manoa. But all of this oddity sums to the miraculous reality of a location being observed without the observer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the ship’s company heads to their bunks one by one, and hopefully those on land follow suit, the observatory won’t notice the difference that night makes. It tirelessly will continue sensing and sending data to land for the next three to four years. </div><!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144040056064487649.post-29785781202741064872011-06-06T13:55:00.000-07:002011-06-06T13:57:32.674-07:00A Brief Visit From the J-Box<div class="MsoNormal">Sunday morning before my 0400 Jason watch, I took my hot cocoa up to the bridge to see the stars. Up there, I’d heard, you sit above the reach of the bright deck lights so nothing gets between you and the stars. It was true. Between the twinkling and many up there, you could even see a faint smudge of the Milky Way. In addition to the light from the stars came fleeting but thick strokes of lighting. A squall dead ahead was shouting grey and electric warnings. Luckily, we were static on station so though headed straight for it, we got no closer. Even 100 km away, you could see a faint orange glow off the starboard bow on the horizon originating from Oahu.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At 0400, I arrived in the van and was greeted for a second time by an unexpected display of water column. For a second time, while I was sleeping, Jason had been recovered and redeployed. This time it was to prepare Medea with the bridle to bring the J-box back to the surface. Overnight, Jason’s fiber optic bellybutton had been plugged into the cable termination to test the signal. The results from that test were somewhat encouraging – Makaha received a signal back but at a lower intensity than desired. With the time remaining on the cruise, the plan was to recover the J-box and reconfigure it one last time, changing the attenuation as well to decrease the signal loss. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This dive was slightly more challenging than others for the Jason pilots, engineers and navigators because Medea’s compass was misbehaving. This meant that Medea, who usually can be put on autopilot, must be watched and tended to constantly. The only way to determine bearing on Medea was to align itself with Jason’s heading from the cameras. The Jason team completed the task without hitch and the J-box was back up after lunch. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The J-box was put through the same spa treatment as a few nights before, except this time with more rapidity. Rinsed and toweled down, the titanium casing in which the fiber optic system resides was opened and its innards exposed. Cables and attenuators were examined through microscopes and gadgets measuring loss in dB. Inspector Gadget made an entrance wearing a newer and dorkier form of investigation – a headband with high magnification glasses that fold down. Once the right set of attenuators was selected and the correct pin reconfiguration was triple checked it was time to prepare the o-rings to seal the casing back up. As with other instruments of Jefrey’s, he took great care in wiping down the o-ring seats and the o-rings themselves with Kimwipes, then a little grease. As there is really only room for one head to be hunched over the open casing, we all stood around Jefrey as he meticulously inspected for hairs and dust – surely making his job easier. With happy o-rings, they closed the casing up and retrieved the vacuum pump. In order to make sure that all the humid air is evacuated from around the sensitive equipment, they suck out all the air and refill the chamber with helium, an inert gas, three times. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After dinner, the J-box was anxious to jump back in. We all said our last goodbyes and took our last pictures. True to our deployment style, the sun set in the background and the quarter moon had risen above the A-frame making for great documentation. With a little more than a day left, this would likely be the last dive of the cruise and hopefully the one in which the puzzle pieces lay flat to see the whole picture.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144040056064487649.post-22492168876952150732011-06-06T12:31:00.000-07:002011-06-06T12:31:10.322-07:00When Lord Kelvin Was Napping<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">I woke up to find more water column. I was under the impression that at 0400 I would awake to watch the connectors being plugged in and the puzzle pieces being put together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jason had descended the evening prior and would have had plenty of bottom time by then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently, though, as I was sleeping a puzzle pieces – a piece of twine – got sucked into one of Jason’s thrusters and he had to be brought up, patched up, and redeployed. I arrived on the scene just in time to soak in a couple hours of the water column as he descended and a little bit of “Jason on bottom.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The rest of the day was slow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The back deck is so lonely now that all the equipment is at the bottom of the ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were all having an exclusive get together down there to which only those who can withstand 5000 decibars of pressure are invited. Jason was the guest of honor, Medea came as a member of the press, and the rest of us got to watch the celebrities live on Channel Jason. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We watched cables being un-bungeed from the AMM and strung across the mud to the observatory. The same for the camera tripod and the TAAM mooring.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">While we sat and observed Jason go to work, the conversation drifted to physics in the ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roger pointed out to me the places in which Newtonian physics plays clear and important roles in the dynamics of the ocean and atmosphere. Though oceanography is fairly new to me, Newtonian mechanics make things clearer to me in all settings. You can see it in propagation of El Nino effects across the Pacific in the form of Kelvin waves. You can see it in white caps and waves forming at the ocean’s surface due to the wind’s drag– manifesting the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability – and how that affects the development of hurricanes. You can see it in the rotation of the earth resulting in the Coriolis Effect. I addition to learning about Roger’s work and how simple physics concepts fit into complicated questions like ‘how does the ocean affect the atmosphere?’ I learned that Lord Kelvin, as Roger put it, is ubiquitous. From the 0 K air-conditioned control van, to Kelvin waves to Kelvin-Helmhotz instability, Lord Kelvin pops up everywhere on this ship. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In the afternoon, when my personal physics lecture was over and Lord Kelvin was napping, I popped into the Jason van for my 1600 to 2000 Jason watch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I took over the event logger, Jason was returning to my lounge chair to begin unraveling the second neon green cable and stringing it out to the observatory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before we did so, we decided to scan the mooring up and down because opportunities to examine moorings while they’re in the water are few.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At about 5 m up, the cameras zoomed in on the inductive modem to find that the cable intended to connect it to the rest of the observatory had come unplugged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately this connector is not one that can be reconnected under water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means that the data from the thermistor array will not be available in real time to Makaha. Luckily, though, the instruments are already programmed to collect data autonomously, which can be collected in a few years when the mooring is recovered. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After watch, with no recliner from which to observe the stars, I ‘re-racked’ in preparation for 0400 to arrive again. </div><!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144040056064487649.post-34307188646292360742011-06-05T00:39:00.000-07:002011-06-05T00:39:43.000-07:00Perhaps a Game of Tug of War Is All the Cable Needs<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">I woke up in a remarkably still bunk. I came out to the staging bay to find it bustling with hard hats and life vests. Behind them was a noticeable dearth of white caps and sinusoidal forms. Overnight, the squall had apparently found somebody else to harass and left us to deploy the TAAM in relative stability. Everyone had leapt at the opportunity of calmness and I was already late though I arrived at the party ten minutes early. Someone had pressed play on the scene from yesterday and we were off. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My official title in this operation was “Instrument Stager.” This means that I helped Cammy prepare the instruments to hand to Jefrey and Dave, the assemblers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My box of instrument parts and I stood off to the starboard side of the A-frame trying to maintain the balance between close enough to hand something to Dave but far enough away to not trip Dave or get too close to heavy moving objects and wires under tension. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The first to go swimming was the anchor, followed shortly by the acoustic release and the inductive modem. These parts hung over the stern from the end of the jacketed wire rope, which was unspooling from the winch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simultaneously, a neon green communications cable that runs parallel to the black wire but carries no load was unspooling. Once the anchor hung ten meters below deck, the first yellow duct tape marker appeared on the black wire. This was the first of ten instrument markers that Dave, Jefrey, Nicholas and I attached to the wire two weeks earlier at snug harbor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the marker reached waist height, the winch was stopped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cammy handed Jefrey the thermistor and I handed Dave the clamps. Dave and Jefrey stood at the very edge of the back deck bolting the clamp to instrument thus sandwiching the jacketed wire rope. A cable spacer was then attached on either side of the instrument to keep the black and the neon green cables together but untangled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wire was then lowered another 10 m to the next instrument marker and the pattern continues through 30 m, 50 m, 100 m, all the way up to 200 m where the thermistor array ends. Then came the acoustic modem, followed shortly by 5 lengths of chain hosting three glass balls each. These fifteen glass balls in yellow casing are the source of buoyancy for the mooring as well as a thing of beauty hanging from the A-frame. Unwieldy on deck and quite heavy, once they are suspended in the air they waver and spin like plump yellow weather vanes against a blue sky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In order to attach them, the weight of the anchor had to be transferred to A-frame momentarily while the glass balls’ chain was shackled and hoisted up to carry the load.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cherry on top of the mooring was the second acoustic release that was to be triggered once the mooring was within 100 m of the seafloor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the cherry shackled in, the whole mooring was lowered through the water column over 4.7 km, giving us a brief repose in which to eat. The instruments indeed ended up center stage, so I feel my title earned.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At 1100, the anchor was approaching the bottom so it was time to prepare the deck box that transmits the acoustic signal to the releases. We waited for the green light after setting the hydrophones to the right frequency and uncoiling some particularly stubborn cables – at this point I am specially trained in taming cables so not even a knotted hydrophone cable can make me blink. The ship navigated the mooring to the correct position and the winch adjusted to the right depth then it was time to release. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lowering the hydrophones overboard, we sent a loud zing through the water hoping to feel the decreased tension on the wire in response to the release. The wire remained tense. A second and third zing went travelling down. An enthusiast fourth and fifth were tried and somewhere between the sixth and seventh the release finally got the picture and let go. The anchor went barreling down to the seafloor taking with it the thermistor array to the chagrin of the yellow balloons. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The wire, now with just the release on the end, took another couple hours to come back up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once it got within 100 m of the surface the tension on the wire was not sufficient to wrap back on the winch properly. The solution to this problem involved no fiber optic cables or batter packs, no modems or thermistors, no computer code in Matlab or Dreamweaver, but simple, Newtonian physics. Most of the muscle on the ship grabbed a pair of gloves and pulled as hard as they could on the wire as it pulled back. A string of ten people on the quarterdeck playing tug of war with the winch provided tension enough to spool on the wire. The ten people rotated through until almost everyone on the ship had rusty brown streaks on their hands. I maintain that I could not take part because I couldn’t find any gloves. Feel free to believe me. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Before the TAAM mooring deployment was even finished, the observatory deployment began. The observatory was wheeled out to center stage where it underwent some last minute lashings and documentation. All the handles that Jason was going to have to pull to release the bungees and remove the ADCPs’ hard hats were inspected by the Jason team. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just in time for pizza dinner, Jason, Medea and the observatory jumped in. They headed through the water column with the last piece of the puzzle in hand. Most of the puzzle is already laid out on the seafloor – the AMM, the camera, the J-box, and the TAAM mooring – and we’re all hoping that that one edge piece that’s always hiding under the corner of the rug decides to appear on the table top tomorrow. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144040056064487649.post-61317966476795372432011-06-04T17:22:00.000-07:002011-06-04T18:02:07.066-07:00Two Parts Worried Scientists, One Part Forced Idle Time, Bake All Afternoon on the Quarterdeck<div class="MsoNormal">During my morning Jason watch, I caught the last 30 minutes and 13<sup>th</sup> rock grab of the geology dive and the entirety of the water column. The dive site was close enough to Oahu that we could see a smattering of lights on the horizon so the water column was quite short – only 1500 m. Once Jason was on deck, and “Jason on deck” had been properly logged, it was ‘re-racking’ time – that’s Jason team talk for going back to bed. On the way back to my rack, I took a detour to the bow where the sea and the sky yawned in greeting to the sun.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Noon was the scheduled time for the TAAM deployment so we had to move Medea out of the way and swing the anchor back to center. Once there, Jefrey began assembling the string of chains, cables, shackles, and everything in between. Just above the anchor he attached the acoustic release that will be triggered to open when the mooring is recovered. Cammy and I stood by with zip ties in hand.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Though all the equipment was ready for deployment, the waves did not appear to be. The swell we experienced on Wednesday that sent us south for our geology intermission had not subsided by much. While deploying a mooring, the seas have to be particularly calm because the assemblers on the quarterdeck spend a lot of time on the edge handling equipment. In addition to human safety, the equipment’s safety must be considered. In order to attach the inductive modem above the release, the anchor must be lowered over the stern by a few meters and held there until the connections are made. When the seas are rough, this leaves the anchor vulnerable to dangling above the surface where it can swing more violently. This danger was the main reason for stalling the mooring deployment on the quarterdeck. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">All afternoon, everyone was hoping that the weather would improve and that the taunting grey squall would pass within an hour or so. Half the ship’s company huddled around the quarterdeck, hard hats and life vests at the ready. Several worried scientists and involuntary idle time is a recipe for nit picking. The huddle focused its attention around the anchor, pointing at this and poking that. Uncertainty about things that seemed to have been certain just yesterday sloshed around the huddle with the heave of the ship. Brows furrowed down over squinting eyes, idle hands rubbed chins, arms folded across life vests. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Though the squall never stopped taunting, the nit picking did come to a conclusion. To avoid the sticky situation of attaching the inductive modem with the anchor swinging, the huddle devised a plan. They attached the inductive modem while the anchor was still on deck in a way that left just enough clearance under the A-frame to lift the string of modem, release and anchor. We were set for the day ahead when the weather would hopefully be better behaved. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Worried scientists and idle time struck again later that evening when the anchor sat in the spotlight on the back deck. No one looks good under florescent lighting. The anchor’s tiny flaws were illuminated and busy hands tended to them. Namely, the bungee cords holding the neon green cable on the spools were overstretched and I employed my newfound knot skills to make new ones. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When worried scientist went to bed, I took my last chance to recline in the spool of the anchor. A few stars made it through the cloud cover. The ship hummed and jolted as the waves slapped its underbelly like a washing machine with a pair of sneakers on spin cycle inside. Within a few minutes the clouds drizzled down droplets, which, as a Seattleite, I’m programmed to find refreshing. Given a few more minutes, the clouds supplied something I could only find inconvenient. I let my recliner enjoy the Hawaiian blessing alone as I dried off and nodded off. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144040056064487649.post-58196253739968228932011-06-03T00:07:00.000-07:002011-06-03T00:07:10.671-07:00Who Needs a Hard Hat When You've Got a Crown?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Matt the birthday boy, also known as the ring leader of the Jason circus or the Jason Expedition Leader, deploys Jason while sporting his birthday headgear.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNH-yIDEkh8V_8zl1KfHK2ueIRMRz0Y-uRW0bYDFft0W3HRTw1EUdqvYQRvLW-pOv7cg0ojtcGRbFow5o2tPM7pPj5ba7KPz_pOMwy_9sp-_ly7BLsE3LB0dla30CKhi33ju0en6Zghq0/s1600/DSC04556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNH-yIDEkh8V_8zl1KfHK2ueIRMRz0Y-uRW0bYDFft0W3HRTw1EUdqvYQRvLW-pOv7cg0ojtcGRbFow5o2tPM7pPj5ba7KPz_pOMwy_9sp-_ly7BLsE3LB0dla30CKhi33ju0en6Zghq0/s320/DSC04556.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1XQebTewsechUIdwsQCDvojAExLb6IVO11RxjaaDz2I8GLwPADspznCpgMvxcRyb_7uWTkfPh9buEuP46oEKt4iYGUWedS9v7_xU3wUoWzhIyF3yKONzVoItCtwmF_ca2KGFoYvsS_VE/s1600/DSC04557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1XQebTewsechUIdwsQCDvojAExLb6IVO11RxjaaDz2I8GLwPADspznCpgMvxcRyb_7uWTkfPh9buEuP46oEKt4iYGUWedS9v7_xU3wUoWzhIyF3yKONzVoItCtwmF_ca2KGFoYvsS_VE/s320/DSC04557.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLWNVFVU5NlANEDE48FNL_gwFCZhO_crf2Ry_kGwMDb7ejbkK0_iNCvg6crqqyRJVU0WlhevJgIYx3ymgjYFhG2n0p7Evf9glfTMGGCFg7J5OXoUQwt9XNDqXHJPxg5QDocy4Uz1j-M6k/s1600/DSC04558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLWNVFVU5NlANEDE48FNL_gwFCZhO_crf2Ry_kGwMDb7ejbkK0_iNCvg6crqqyRJVU0WlhevJgIYx3ymgjYFhG2n0p7Evf9glfTMGGCFg7J5OXoUQwt9XNDqXHJPxg5QDocy4Uz1j-M6k/s320/DSC04558.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144040056064487649.post-28508764839311920782011-06-02T23:53:00.000-07:002011-06-03T12:21:28.256-07:00Swinging Anchors and Inspecting Gadgets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuHAT44lCPC2DZmIbx7EAI6JgvvoDzwp6TQBlOxsip3G0m4tT0MZL7KXELq3qoXZcuZCvP8Hq05ygr2Oi2m9n_Kq2Ou4cSSiwzWsOXcfy0-u_A3RJTU_J55NyimPa06Odafbt5pNYqa88/s1600/DSC04329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuHAT44lCPC2DZmIbx7EAI6JgvvoDzwp6TQBlOxsip3G0m4tT0MZL7KXELq3qoXZcuZCvP8Hq05ygr2Oi2m9n_Kq2Ou4cSSiwzWsOXcfy0-u_A3RJTU_J55NyimPa06Odafbt5pNYqa88/s320/DSC04329.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">With creative influence from our Backstreet Boys a cappella, Dave and I transformed these ordinary wing nuts securing battery packs in the ADCP’s into Bumblebee wing nuts with a few swipes from the sharpie. </div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRP06PHIO2p_0XlYz_lryxi4EAN3lKXcIkiZFa2UMTYdaBqEbsovmLc02Zztp1O5AeVA9fhMkx0q4l6PpdSBTDIhMlEV8XZ5HPLl5myJ_s2r-aNedmd9MHdxm4murDUHtTC7S6SqcsUmA/s1600/DSC04349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRP06PHIO2p_0XlYz_lryxi4EAN3lKXcIkiZFa2UMTYdaBqEbsovmLc02Zztp1O5AeVA9fhMkx0q4l6PpdSBTDIhMlEV8XZ5HPLl5myJ_s2r-aNedmd9MHdxm4murDUHtTC7S6SqcsUmA/s320/DSC04349.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">The dripping J-box in all its glory is given a royal welcome back to the quarter after a valiant attempt to connect to the cable termination. </div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1Gqtxz3cTkPvNNErI8REMK5bvpGz4GcA89Wdu6bGz9rYulrB-9UyyjtuEfC1QP9U7lSLaVMjgiz6IGexws5LApxGWVntgplkqxmBdH5vVvxXhjZ4MHhMdZken2xRYmj82BgWT4XIvm8/s1600/DSC04351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1Gqtxz3cTkPvNNErI8REMK5bvpGz4GcA89Wdu6bGz9rYulrB-9UyyjtuEfC1QP9U7lSLaVMjgiz6IGexws5LApxGWVntgplkqxmBdH5vVvxXhjZ4MHhMdZken2xRYmj82BgWT4XIvm8/s320/DSC04351.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Jason’s underwater coiling job remains intact after being dragged through 5 km of the water column.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlMKwBkm5VYIGynGtWCZfMbmvT0VeZMx1FOCVKUE4vXtUh_r0W3Cnxh1GPmA8sT9BePb-V5I_l4UG4TTIywK8OIJgNwStsDU8lvqjSCyWjpJ-YBSwBAKpVCC-RsriB1Xe3wHNfM6Ue6Q/s1600/DSC04359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlMKwBkm5VYIGynGtWCZfMbmvT0VeZMx1FOCVKUE4vXtUh_r0W3Cnxh1GPmA8sT9BePb-V5I_l4UG4TTIywK8OIJgNwStsDU8lvqjSCyWjpJ-YBSwBAKpVCC-RsriB1Xe3wHNfM6Ue6Q/s320/DSC04359.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Tired of supplying the glorious lighting for these photos, the sun sets.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJrU0C57d4TVxuOc5RCp4Eoc4QqupBz3nrwu7eKzaWbXKGOu5HBABPnWs5hXm_v3UM_icvymKjjgSOOBj8GZ06yi8AHRJRWHHWxCyJl22NwCZxY8hUT5k_h0oI3dZYyt8wefBxOicqSA/s1600/DSC04380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJrU0C57d4TVxuOc5RCp4Eoc4QqupBz3nrwu7eKzaWbXKGOu5HBABPnWs5hXm_v3UM_icvymKjjgSOOBj8GZ06yi8AHRJRWHHWxCyJl22NwCZxY8hUT5k_h0oI3dZYyt8wefBxOicqSA/s320/DSC04380.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">During its spa treatment, the titanium casing that protects the repeater and the fiber optic cable junction is carefully massaged open.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1anw4ehhV6hZ7S2COw2rpVJoAthUG0kPKK1BSb7UqTXAVQPvVeh6S0sAbiFka_XJPSEJcG3gj_BNMXBOJ8M_ZtXg5jjmwccntgGhzzRPUqPI2fn_V-kpYtevhPeIykoAHIFE6VW1HAPM/s1600/DSC04384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1anw4ehhV6hZ7S2COw2rpVJoAthUG0kPKK1BSb7UqTXAVQPvVeh6S0sAbiFka_XJPSEJcG3gj_BNMXBOJ8M_ZtXg5jjmwccntgGhzzRPUqPI2fn_V-kpYtevhPeIykoAHIFE6VW1HAPM/s320/DSC04384.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Everyone wanted a peek inside.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4WJspM8OlBal1_HRhhO2dqSJAgjr3TAzsGrPpnkt9Ij0rNkR7W3AsWJLPAOeWJukD_gH6qG8ZhOU5ULjLPrhN9b1L8jfy16uMtICO4COUMHH0SopWBPiN08BOh30WqXkvT1D9Rg04Bg/s1600/DSC04387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4WJspM8OlBal1_HRhhO2dqSJAgjr3TAzsGrPpnkt9Ij0rNkR7W3AsWJLPAOeWJukD_gH6qG8ZhOU5ULjLPrhN9b1L8jfy16uMtICO4COUMHH0SopWBPiN08BOh30WqXkvT1D9Rg04Bg/s320/DSC04387.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Inspector Gadget examines the surface of the cables through the microscope and determines that one of them could use a little attention.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Z-yb7rTWDSzPv9mje6sBPjP98njWy1K0JHKefE1poZ9rUakOjz7sOqIwwNZwymE7C0HbtfjvrRvcpTHADDDxLNWRhx6huPGAq9NIh23iZX_PHgWYHfuvYAx1O8-4yPy1sLdZ4584HoU/s1600/DSC04393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Z-yb7rTWDSzPv9mje6sBPjP98njWy1K0JHKefE1poZ9rUakOjz7sOqIwwNZwymE7C0HbtfjvrRvcpTHADDDxLNWRhx6huPGAq9NIh23iZX_PHgWYHfuvYAx1O8-4yPy1sLdZ4584HoU/s320/DSC04393.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Scott exfoliated the fiber’s surface by drawing figure eights on a piece of very fine sand paper.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBSLabMN-Wj_O7fB8YvIK0ruikpMClRCybvspGEfIlakmjYUJZsg9K9lMfN4b84HI1JwqoLqYiQemkTeGnr4Y030FhxcW3MsNuWlO6fUGkz66k-JQdYVkP4pzqsWYhLnYMD8Gs5UWsywA/s1600/DSC04402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBSLabMN-Wj_O7fB8YvIK0ruikpMClRCybvspGEfIlakmjYUJZsg9K9lMfN4b84HI1JwqoLqYiQemkTeGnr4Y030FhxcW3MsNuWlO6fUGkz66k-JQdYVkP4pzqsWYhLnYMD8Gs5UWsywA/s320/DSC04402.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Inspector Gadget finds that, after a little spa treatment, his gadgets are in order. </div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8NDxHD5S1XwYSoAuL9l5PVkAQ0hd3xNrTbc6Isx55JL4dRGPvmnmftB2PRzoV6NG6llOqp1DlydtUbdZz8SAfp4TO3wwOOwa2bbTuH0EEba4J_G_qrFGZN2elAf8xdnaXe0YxJyznDjM/s1600/DSC04404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8NDxHD5S1XwYSoAuL9l5PVkAQ0hd3xNrTbc6Isx55JL4dRGPvmnmftB2PRzoV6NG6llOqp1DlydtUbdZz8SAfp4TO3wwOOwa2bbTuH0EEba4J_G_qrFGZN2elAf8xdnaXe0YxJyznDjM/s320/DSC04404.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">The voltmeter is brought out to make sure that the power is, indeed, on.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZ-zGwWjhWCM-0XFJ6633zOQNivM2-XpoUv7pf6txfvfmvO4Yyj9QA6ig8oZH8X8F5_F8XII24LArm1hSpOh58yAYnplYorSiQvVSyec6-aZ_xYyYsVWrWPSQGhO53GxaAlF_gn8wNBE/s1600/DSC04408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZ-zGwWjhWCM-0XFJ6633zOQNivM2-XpoUv7pf6txfvfmvO4Yyj9QA6ig8oZH8X8F5_F8XII24LArm1hSpOh58yAYnplYorSiQvVSyec6-aZ_xYyYsVWrWPSQGhO53GxaAlF_gn8wNBE/s320/DSC04408.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Using red light and a dentist’s mirror, Inspector Gadget checks for the red light scattering from the fiber optic cables to make sure that the cables are transmitting light.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRoHWC1NUAns7sWxmhHcc5Olso6ewOn3TpyliezZciU6T3zBBQsBX9VuIjELpfEWsbuUiG77GjU5qqDFWQj8kcikrQQggLqoKxmjW9XKe_E_Ng9qejMwVDWQ4ygLeNZhgHlp6WxjIOCrg/s1600/DSC04465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRoHWC1NUAns7sWxmhHcc5Olso6ewOn3TpyliezZciU6T3zBBQsBX9VuIjELpfEWsbuUiG77GjU5qqDFWQj8kcikrQQggLqoKxmjW9XKe_E_Ng9qejMwVDWQ4ygLeNZhgHlp6WxjIOCrg/s320/DSC04465.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Festive colored fiberglass and lashings spruce up the anchor frame.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtIF5BZUlVGt05v8zY_E0tLOkAJNC_Fo9weCfnY4tynrQf5HkZW-01RvYIYt-qeN55tSPymBxHRSWD7y_cyqHz0Ml1xYi8OWGKwOA398T1st2oXh9K0KWbMJbUIEJA2DTJF-ImLd9724/s1600/DSC04474.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtIF5BZUlVGt05v8zY_E0tLOkAJNC_Fo9weCfnY4tynrQf5HkZW-01RvYIYt-qeN55tSPymBxHRSWD7y_cyqHz0Ml1xYi8OWGKwOA398T1st2oXh9K0KWbMJbUIEJA2DTJF-ImLd9724/s320/DSC04474.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">The Aloha Mars Mooring (AMM) Node gets prepped for its plunge.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKcxmF9f5HuM60b-tuhXgs_NDXc1_u_UuusTeY48wXyNBfOAaSeL3xGt2umlsMziHcY_vJYGoIPFBvwdTjVb93lMkltODAiXMqw_HDkvIzAQ_i46L6eW9CmA4mdTdzbDf_U733sDS8iI/s1600/DSC04490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKcxmF9f5HuM60b-tuhXgs_NDXc1_u_UuusTeY48wXyNBfOAaSeL3xGt2umlsMziHcY_vJYGoIPFBvwdTjVb93lMkltODAiXMqw_HDkvIzAQ_i46L6eW9CmA4mdTdzbDf_U733sDS8iI/s320/DSC04490.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">It’s hauled up --</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5klbrjaGRWTFAVrQLvIWXt1d7ec8ZcLxwZR3bysqbTNJBmkzr6x9_O2SLZYTmgLYyQoNGCvqb3-QTWsaRPdhfSm_U17LSn8yWIozGKsDQvfkmpnkmcGSGXaspaKLuLJrL2feT6wF1NJA/s1600/DSC04496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5klbrjaGRWTFAVrQLvIWXt1d7ec8ZcLxwZR3bysqbTNJBmkzr6x9_O2SLZYTmgLYyQoNGCvqb3-QTWsaRPdhfSm_U17LSn8yWIozGKsDQvfkmpnkmcGSGXaspaKLuLJrL2feT6wF1NJA/s320/DSC04496.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">-- and tossed away.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtKZQrzVTKie5Y8uL2SBO_nCSBTQhftxto7m1LPdhhuMiDucE8jeCWoMFNjaALqn3hsiWAbSIIVirMUZD4yRZwsFMOk2yDIPMWRqP7WEbSphyOdJWmU4riUa1FxfCkhWEQ1wANnpEPR_k/s1600/DSC04503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtKZQrzVTKie5Y8uL2SBO_nCSBTQhftxto7m1LPdhhuMiDucE8jeCWoMFNjaALqn3hsiWAbSIIVirMUZD4yRZwsFMOk2yDIPMWRqP7WEbSphyOdJWmU4riUa1FxfCkhWEQ1wANnpEPR_k/s320/DSC04503.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">The sun sets in Jason’s armpit.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQGV5EjJYbspPL9ajlwIoI84fz_MYAzGdwVQ4ou4XdfAYpO3bhLanTuplpatJ3LEC2CPGz0470iRmJZtDTUA74P1CTpgbCUb38sRVSlcbv0RBu_TG1pLEi0rwdQ0q9cfjjeqyhvNTpns/s1600/DSC04505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQGV5EjJYbspPL9ajlwIoI84fz_MYAzGdwVQ4ou4XdfAYpO3bhLanTuplpatJ3LEC2CPGz0470iRmJZtDTUA74P1CTpgbCUb38sRVSlcbv0RBu_TG1pLEi0rwdQ0q9cfjjeqyhvNTpns/s320/DSC04505.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Several people are required to tend tag lines to ensure that the anchor doesn’t dive into the sea as it is moved to the center of the quarterdeck.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixipgMtm7a4FvCvTOJxy3aiNdR1-MbhqZJeCrsQKxSQGT8fO7CgYM1Shktx3nKT_5cpYOCNUSXM1Xt9XmpMUEi5Pzyiw2qktDPHQYNtJ4-u5nvACCbFc3I97SN_G3LcqQLyaRYHKS2F88/s1600/DSC04508.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixipgMtm7a4FvCvTOJxy3aiNdR1-MbhqZJeCrsQKxSQGT8fO7CgYM1Shktx3nKT_5cpYOCNUSXM1Xt9XmpMUEi5Pzyiw2qktDPHQYNtJ4-u5nvACCbFc3I97SN_G3LcqQLyaRYHKS2F88/s320/DSC04508.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Dave and Vic restrain the green behemoth from barreling into back deck equipment.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJbMxYq0LlX1VE2XcswsIa8cldtca0yEewogh0MTDmBlJ2kb5vYPFUa7DMi31jprM2YSFhbBzJvP1OpeOJuoTjTovE7FO4X7pdA4h-OiHt85AqJufXXq41KwmlTCT_Rtfv_mOXHoBAtI/s1600/DSC04512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJbMxYq0LlX1VE2XcswsIa8cldtca0yEewogh0MTDmBlJ2kb5vYPFUa7DMi31jprM2YSFhbBzJvP1OpeOJuoTjTovE7FO4X7pdA4h-OiHt85AqJufXXq41KwmlTCT_Rtfv_mOXHoBAtI/s320/DSC04512.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Sedated and strapped down to the deck, the anchor awaits its morning deployment. My reclining real estate now has seaside status. </div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcenn1W5VcAuy1ehgyW0AG5u3ymKxbs3sHdzorHBgXhzCG_bbYwJANuDfZeDhd1iT0urHMAXTNaNqlOUfL1ATGUKkNjYiw9hbBWrndg47bWikcp8V8U1LcynZbc_jRL2pSny3dbmqyc9g/s1600/DSC04518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcenn1W5VcAuy1ehgyW0AG5u3ymKxbs3sHdzorHBgXhzCG_bbYwJANuDfZeDhd1iT0urHMAXTNaNqlOUfL1ATGUKkNjYiw9hbBWrndg47bWikcp8V8U1LcynZbc_jRL2pSny3dbmqyc9g/s320/DSC04518.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Morning breaks, and a rainbow with it, over the anchor. Unfortunately this morning brought 30-knot gusts and high swell so the anchor will have to wait another day.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMnfj7p8DeG6SBuD9t9RkMHzdONgy1B-hZaN-c6y51barDQelQKo_BZ67lKdpDcRyTfesofHtGq0LlCfkJ-ytlWtUgR1IzpHNmAtnpav0Att8S2jK62KtdZHVwHklXdu4-Gn0p_uWcMc/s1600/DSC04522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMnfj7p8DeG6SBuD9t9RkMHzdONgy1B-hZaN-c6y51barDQelQKo_BZ67lKdpDcRyTfesofHtGq0LlCfkJ-ytlWtUgR1IzpHNmAtnpav0Att8S2jK62KtdZHVwHklXdu4-Gn0p_uWcMc/s320/DSC04522.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Instead of deploying the TAAM mooring, we head to Ka’ena Ridge to fill in some paint strokes on the bathymetry survey. We pass by the point in 80 m of water –close enough to see the beach. From the bridge, Cammy gives me a binocular tour of the west side of Oahu and we watch the bow in hopes that some dolphins might catch our waves. While at the bridge, we also spend some time pushing buttons and asking questions about rudders, radar, Doppler and bow thrusters. I even steer the ship for a minute. I hold the wheel – such a small wheel for such a chubby ship – and obey rudder angle commands until we reach the survey line, where autopilot takes over for me. Could someone please fish out that bucket list I tossed overboard? I have something I’d like to cross off it.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQtXr9MQ7-7RkM9crteHYFsfxJ_4g1MxaayqU4MADlAndFo4Uy5D19hkgbGguLEwojhFm51DtA5OXIUQeE2vav7xe60M7KnooqVZCYBIulCqWteme3klzz_k6DzGSyZ4evZgThF3dtzJc/s1600/DSC04541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQtXr9MQ7-7RkM9crteHYFsfxJ_4g1MxaayqU4MADlAndFo4Uy5D19hkgbGguLEwojhFm51DtA5OXIUQeE2vav7xe60M7KnooqVZCYBIulCqWteme3klzz_k6DzGSyZ4evZgThF3dtzJc/s320/DSC04541.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">The conditions are much calmer south of the ridge and Jason is allowed to jump in for a swim. He dives to the bottom and collects rocks for the geologist. This dive was much closer to shore on a ridge that is believed to be an old section of Waianae. The geologists can use the rock samples from this dive to compare with those from Ka’ena Ridge to determine if Ka’ena is the same as Waianae or different. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144040056064487649.post-29296776903299839372011-06-01T19:19:00.000-07:002011-06-01T19:19:27.553-07:00The Spool of an Anchor is a Lovely Place to Recline<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">As predicted, 0400 came early than I’d hoped and I stumbled my way to the Jason van for another healthy dose of the water column.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Warm tea and a blanket were working against me so I fought to stay awake with doodling and periodic strolls to watch the development of the sunrise – from darkness with a few stars visible through the bright-as-day deck lights, to nautical twilight seeping up from the horizon, to civil twilight bright enough to see the waves, to the inching of the orange sun away from the sea, in no mood to rush the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At 0800 there was no use in fighting the drowsiness any longer and after breakfast I returned to bed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When I awoke I learned that the reconfiguration of the J-box was not successful in getting a stronger optical signal to Makaha. As with before, the power was coming through just fine. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From here, the thought is that the problem may lie in the configuration of the repeaters on the seafloor between Makaha and Station Aloha.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are over 200 possible configurations for that series of repeaters so the folks at the cable station are working their way through as many as they can. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In the afternoon, it was the anchor’s turn for a little affection. At the end of each of the neon green cables wrapped around the anchor are the same fragile connectors found throughout the equipment. They had been resting in holsters, but to protect them long term at the bottom of the ocean we installed the female end of the connector for a better seal. Lashing the fiberglass grid, on which the connector was mounted, to the anchor frame was my and John’s task. Similar to the macramé of my first day on the ship but with an improved knot-tying repertoire, I wrapped red twine this way and that until my hands were tired and stained with red dye.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That fiberglass grid has no chance of escape. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">While wrapped up in lashings on the quarterdeck, I hadn’t noticed the sudden absence of normal commotion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t until someone said to me, “So the meeting’s already over?” that I realized there had been a meeting. I made it to the conference room in time for the last 5 minutes of it but I was assured that the first 25 minutes were too boring to merit relaying. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After dinner, it was the AMM node’s time to plunge. I watched the operation while reclining inside the spool of the anchor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With some last minute adjustments – adding holsters for the USBL and Homer beacons that will be used to find the runaway node on the seafloor – the orange hulk was lowered into the water and released.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within ten minutes, the beacons told us it was plowing at over 100m/min towards the seafloor.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">With the bird perch out of the way, it was time to move the anchor to ready position for the Thermistor Array/Acoustic Modem (TAAM) mooring deployment scheduled for the next morning. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to convince the crane operator that it would be just fine if I stayed in the spool while he swung the anchor under the A-frame but he was not so sure. The rest of the back deck was decorated in preparation for the deployment including laying out the strings of glass balls and rearranging the furniture to leave more room for dancing, I mean deploying. </div><!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144040056064487649.post-90183528967453782882011-06-01T02:07:00.000-07:002011-06-01T11:30:02.872-07:00Fiber Optic Facials<div class="MsoNormal">Yesterday’s dive intended to send a test signal from Jason’s bellybutton to Makaha was cut short by a decision to remain on the safe side. Though the electronics from the umbilical cord were all wired through the connector in front of Jason, there was a worry that the connector itself was not suitably prepared to make the connection. The connectors used throughout the observatory, J-box and termination frame are designed to be able to connect electronics underwater by gates and an oil-filled chamber. If the connector was not properly filled with oil, then seawater may be able to weasel its way in. The incompatibility between water and electronic equipment could have damaged the cable termination – a problem which would be bigger than any we’ve yet to face. Proceeding with caution, it was decided not use the bellybutton just bring the J-box back up for another period of pampering. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As with tasks in the past, what sounded like a simple motion – J-box up – sprouted difficulties left and right. Firstly, Jason needed to coil up the cable that had extended from the J-box to the termination frame and place it securely on the J-box frame. We all watched from the lab television as Scott, Jason’s puppeteer on watch, coaxed the stiff orange cable into figure eights. It was like watching Jason try to line up her kindergartners after recess. Each loop was constantly avoiding Jason’s grip and once he did get control of them, he had to keep a hand on them an all times or they’d duck under his arms and escape. Once he had the kindergartners remarkably well behaved, Scott had to strap them in with bungees attached to the frame by carabineers. As you could imagine, the kindergartners wanted none of that. Difficulties ensued with carabineers clipping themselves where they’re not suppose to and handles breaking until the biggest battle of the watch: closing the shackle. Jason has no problem unscrewing a shackle with the extended handle. Perfectly lining the bolt up with the shackle’s holes is a different story that took about 20 minutes to tell. As with Jason’s successes grabbing rocks, his fans in the lab cheered when the winding bolt came out the other side. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">While Jason and the J-box were on their way up, there was work to be done in the staging bay to prepare for the AMM, or the orange bird perch, deployment late the next evening. The weights, which will assist the AMM in its free fall to almost 5000 m, were at risk of harming the oxygen sensors mounted above them when Jason removed their bungees. To give a safe distance between ultra sensitive sensors and insensate metal hulks, Cammy, Jefrey and I relocated the instruments a foot higher. After unscrewing and retightening of bolts, clipping and re-zipping of ties and a bit of pampering, the bird perch is ready to take the plunge. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Jason just missed dinner, arriving on deck at 0700 or so. Now it was the J-box’s turn for a bit of pampering. The treatment began with a freshwater bath – lemon and cucumber scented, of course, – followed by a towel pat down. Then one of the metal cylinders resting on the bottom of the frame was carefully unbolted and slid open to reveal the colorful cables and foreign shapes that make up the fiber optic communications junction. For a while, we all stood peering over Bruce’s shoulder as Bruce peered into the dark tunnel. Over the course of the night, this mysterious tunnel of wires became clearer to me but I will not be accepting questions at this time for my comprehension hangs by delicate strings. Any prolonged pondering many detach me entirely.<br />
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What needed to be done was check the quality of the fiber optic cables in the tunnel and then reconfigure the cables. For the first task, Scott looked at the end of the cable through a microscope shaped like a hiking flask. The first cable looked fine, he said. The second showed signs of minor damage, which they let me look at through the microscope. The fiber in the cable that communicates signal is no wider than a human hair so in the microscope I saw a thick exterior surrounding a tiny dark circle with streak marks across the screen -- scratches or residue to be removed. To continue the spa treatment was a fiber optic facial. Scott brought out a sheet of very fine sand paper and drew figure eights on it with the cable tip. He repeated this exfoliation with three other sheets until both he and Bruce seemed satisfied with the result. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">With the facial complete, the cables were reconnected to new pins. There are six pins in the tunnel from which to choose because the repeater on the J-box has the capability to send signals through six cables. The AT&T cable that extends from Station Aloha to Makaha has the capability to transmit on only four, narrowing down the pin choice in the tunnel by two. This leaves two cables – one to receive and one to transmit – and four pins forming twelve possible configurations of how to connect the cables. Two have already been tried by the first and second J-box installments. The pin configuration chosen this time is the same one that had been successful in the hydrophone installation in 2007. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At the same time that I was glued to Bruce’s shoulder watching him test the loss of attenuators and wipe the surface of cables, Grant and Roger were preparing Jason’s bellybutton for testing. They dissected the whole connector and laid out each part on the bench, looking for which pockets contained oil and which contained water. I was too sleepy to wait up for the tests once they closed back up the connector but I knew that I would find out soon – too soon as 0400 was approaching and my sleep window narrowing. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144040056064487649.post-62583833926593510712011-05-30T14:19:00.000-07:002011-06-24T16:52:20.224-07:00Cracking Open the Mysteries<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">When I stepped into the Jason control van at 0400 David informed me that I had just missed an albino octopus moseying across the screen. My hopes of the eight legged fellow returning were never realized. In the trail of the octopus were never-ending flat plains of the geologists’ least favorite rocks. Even void of dazzling biology and geology, the bottom of the ocean is still a rarely experienced scene so I was consumed by Channel Jason for 4 hours wrapped in my blanket like a crepe – which we had later that morning for breakfast.<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">After crepes, Roger explained to me the obstacles that this project has dashed in the past, which was more tiring than I had thought. The ACO project started over a decade ago with the first plans to set up this observatory using a copper telecommunications cable – the predecessor to the current fiber optics technology. The company that was going to donate this cable went bankrupt so could no longer give them the cable. It wasn’t until AT&T donated a fiber optic cable that the project regained momentum. The next obstacle appeared immediately when the programming prepared for communication with the observatory through a copper cable was not compatible with the code of AT&T’s cable. Someone cleverer than the cable tricked it into speaking ACO’s language and the project took another step forward. To prove that the cable system to Station Aloha worked, the project installed the predecessor to the observatory, the proof module. Mounted on the proof module was a hydrophone, which remained down there for over a year eavesdropping on whale songs and ships passing by. Roger let recordings of the whale sounds squeak and moo across the lab for a while. Because Jason wasn’t in the water, the pounding winch noises were absent and you could hear subtle clicks and whooshes from the sea. To replace the proof module came the first try at a installing an observatory with more instruments than just the one hydrophone. Faulty connectors prohibited this installation and bad weather cut the time for reinstallation of the hydrophone. The cable termination has been waiting patiently at Station Aloha since then for another try. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">The news from Makaha, where troubleshooting abounds, is that there is nothing wrong with the cable itself between the termination frame and the AT&T station. This is good news – we don’t have to send someone swimming done to the bottom of the ocean to regenerate a regenerator or patch a fish bite in the cable. It does, however, mean that the problem lies elsewhere. We’ve yet to figure out where that elsewhere is. Working at Makaha alongside people from the ACO group is the original engineer of the fiber optic cable who flew into Honolulu to assist in tracking down the rascal errors.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">Later in the day I pretended I was a geologist while the ones with degrees in Geology were describing their specimens. John said, “Let’s crack open those rinds,” and handed me a small metal object on a string. Thinking “crack open” meant something like The Mud Slinging Show of the previous day, I swung it around a couple of times trying to figure out how to I was going to exert force with this tiny weapon. “No, no, it’s a hand lens,” John said as he took it from me and opened it to reveal a magnifying glass. Crack open the scientific mysteries, he meant. They held rocks up close to their faces and crouched under the heating lamps with one eye squinting. “20% Olivine,” one says. “There are many vesicles in this one,” says another. If you can use these words in a scientifically accurate sentence, you are further than I. I know that vesicles are different than vessels and Olivine is shiny and green. My own observations – “This one looks like pâté,” – I kept to myself.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">Yesterday was the day intended to be Jason’s launch of the signal test to Makaha. Over the past day, Jason’s umbilical cord had been reconfigured to extend out in front of him with a connector the same as those used throughout the observatory and J-box. Jason could then plug his bellybutton into the cable termination, connecting the lab on the KM up to the control van, down the winch wire, in one side of Medea and out the other, passing right through Jason and 100 km of fiber optic cable to Makaha. A regenerator in the lab would then produce an optical signal that anxious observers on land could receive. Like the whale songs, this signal would prove that communication is possible between land and sea. If the signal is not received, this is not necessarily an indication of the impossibility of communication – it just means we need to try something else. In the event of light seen at the end of the cable or not, the J-box would be retrieved on this dive for reconfiguration and redeployment.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">Unfortunately, 0400 brought swell taller than four of my groggy selves standing on each other’s sleepy shoulders – conditions unsuitable for tossing Jason in, even with his remarkable swimming ability. When I woke for a second time at 0600, the swell was just as tall but now I could see it’s peaks and troughs fluctuate. The swell hung around for the rest of the day, as did the high 20-knot winds. Jason with his new protruding bellybutton rocked on the quarterdeck for the rest of the day.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">Without Jason, there was little ACO work to be done. Instead, we prepared equipment for the next cruise. Already experts at switching batteries and cleaning o-rings, David and I flew through prepping a couple ADCP’s and their auxiliary battery packs. Of course, we couldn't have done it with the help of the Backstreet Boys and a little a cappella. These instruments will be attached to the WHOTS mooring in July. Though we had little to do on the ship to further the observatory installation, the folks at Makaha continued to tinker with their end, finding small errors here and there to correct.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">At 0400 this morning, the swells were quiet and the wind cut in half. Jason jumped in as I rubbed my eyes and drank my tea at the event logging station. The events were few on my 4-hour shift – limited to “Jason in water” and “Jason on bottom” with 3 hours of travel through the water column between. The rest of the dive will bring more information – and fish. In order to view a bit more biology at the sediment covered flat bottom, Jason brought with him fish carcasses. John hopes to find scavengers flocking to the smell -- possibly getting video footage of some for the first time. By 0800, when I was relieved, there was already a thin spattering of white in front of Jason – amphipods looking for their meal. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144040056064487649.post-18689622100955716662011-05-28T17:53:00.000-07:002011-05-28T17:53:20.962-07:00The Robot Dances and the Mud Slings<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Toss the bucket list overboard; I’ve no need for it anymore. I’m fairly certain that nothing on that list could match manipulating Jason’s left arm. As of 0630 this morning that experience has been checked off the list. While passing over a particularly bland patch of seafloor on the geology survey Akel, the pilot, asked if anyone one would like to try their hand at running Jason’s hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A little shocked that this was even an option, I didn’t respond so Deb, a geologist who shares my watch, went first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anxiously, I waited at my DVD labeling station until it was my turn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Does anyone else want to try?” Yes. The controller for the arm is a mini replica of the arm itself that the pilot holds with two hands. One hand operates the shoulders and elbow, the other controls the wrists – that’s right, Jason has not one but two wrists – the claw, and the on/off switch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was harder than I had thought – possibly because of the two wrists but more likely because of the millions of M&M’s worth of titanium resting in my hand. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first I just swung the arm back and forth out in front of Jason, trying to stay away from anything I could break. I attempted to make him dance but the disco takes more coordination than I could muster and doing the robot meant, well, just being himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I tried the more daring move of picking something up from the basket. I went for the color palette, which Akel assured me was already broken so I couldn’t harm it further.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like a blind contour drawing, you have to trust that your hand is doing the right thing as you stare at three different camera angles trying to calculate the depth field. My first try: a swing and a miss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My second try: a success. I inched the palette out of basket and quickly put it back down. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having performed this task without breaking Jason’s arm, I decided to quit before I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stowed the arm in defensive position and handed it back over the guys who rip rocks out of the seafloor, stow them in labeled baskets, unscrew shackles and plug in connectors, grasp small loops of twine with expensive equipment dangling from them all while controlling the rest of the vehicle too. Maybe someday they’ll learn to disco. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">After my stint at the helm of Jason’s left arm, the seafloor became rocky again and the geologists became excited. From standing watch with them, I have come to understand why geologists are so picky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To me, all the lumpy mounds at the bottom of the ocean appear the same. Why not just pick one up every few hundred meters and call it a survey? Because picking up any old rock and analyzing it doesn’t guarantee that those rock characteristics originated in that location. Rocks can be relocated by current or come tumbling down the side of the ridge by gravity. So the geologists look for outcroppings on the ridge of rock solidly connected to the topography. Of course, this makes it harder for Jason to collect these unwilling rock samples but it guarantees for the geologists the original location of the rock. We picked up several rocks and almost got a spiny pair of crabs as the ridge became shallower. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dive ended at 0730 and Jason and Medea arrived on deck shortly after. With several pounds of rocks to unload from Jason’s baskets, the geologists employed my assistance again, and again rewarded me for my efforts. This time I received two pieces of sponge from the side of Ka’ena Ridge. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In the rock lab, once the rocks were all laid out and drying under heat lamps, the rock team began their processing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This started with measuring and describing the samples, then came “The Slinging Mud Show” in which Doug sawed the rocks in half to reveal their insides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Water and rock particles abounded so he wore an apron. During the many years that these rocks have spent at the bottom of the ocean, manganese has built up on their exterior making each rock look like the same coarse black blob in different shapes and sizes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In reality, each rock is slightly, or in some cases wildly, different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Like truffles,” Doug says, slicing them in half shows you the true flavor of the rock. In most cases you can see a difference in color immediately from the black manganese to the green or brown or grey insides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What the geologists hope to find on the inside of the rock are glass chards because they offer a quick form of analysis. Analyzing the samples that they collect on this cruise in full will last them a couple years.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Over lunch, John was explaining to me his hypothesis for Ka’ena Ridge’s formation and the purpose for his research on this cruise. Ka’ena Ridge juts off of the northwest point of Oahu about 1000 m under the sea at its peak. Many have considered it to be a distal extension of the Waianae volcano on Oahu but John says that there are reasons to believe otherwise – to believe that it was a volcano all of its own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the research conducted on this cruise John and his team hope to find evidence pointing one way or the other. When I asked him if it was too early to tell, he said it would take a lot more age and composition analysis of the rocks to determine whether they’re related to Waianae or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the geology dives will continue while things are straightened out for ACO at Makaha.</div><!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144040056064487649.post-23949223760562964242011-05-28T00:33:00.000-07:002011-05-28T16:25:48.894-07:00The Paparazzi Returns<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">As we are taking a brief intermission today and tomorrow from diving for ACO, I will take the opportunity to update the photo documentary:</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mDvtMlV8UYv_jufSOQe8Fvk5mWLas9dL4BWeRo8cAUdW5bSPdqOSG945m_bNg9r29gt8uUt4mkkERZZkXl3LwejeF8pv-cP6YUrwsR9ctdDs-eEHgsJ034H-NqMh1tCWpYfBDeWw8h0/s1600/DSC04024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mDvtMlV8UYv_jufSOQe8Fvk5mWLas9dL4BWeRo8cAUdW5bSPdqOSG945m_bNg9r29gt8uUt4mkkERZZkXl3LwejeF8pv-cP6YUrwsR9ctdDs-eEHgsJ034H-NqMh1tCWpYfBDeWw8h0/s320/DSC04024.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">The crane doubling as a carnival ride. Step right up for your chance to switch blocks on the A-frame. Must be taller than Jason to ride.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy6H0obt-l7_nNxSMmstKEQfanEZXEfCCabROyzOqz0EJTPG_lW-owEdrFSfgMwvJ1_CSHqV4Z8KnPQtjMArGlY-1JParmcs3l4QdPmzPqr_BIxCysLlJ9VI8pwoKq_Ff2u4j7sXBihPg/s1600/DSC04030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy6H0obt-l7_nNxSMmstKEQfanEZXEfCCabROyzOqz0EJTPG_lW-owEdrFSfgMwvJ1_CSHqV4Z8KnPQtjMArGlY-1JParmcs3l4QdPmzPqr_BIxCysLlJ9VI8pwoKq_Ff2u4j7sXBihPg/s320/DSC04030.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">Jason, doing some sun salutations. There’s no better time than sunset to have your electronics worked on and your oil changed.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8fYZ8RVMcwyrdfBrKAo1NolJXqSFhtvhGhMx0WGg9nXa3gt5mRD6rO5vwy-3E6BlKDLrPp3wBr3MIm2oEJW8TI8-THeX0ZPumOteArUAxMf8o5-P1iSHUU-FUdEremzqHcPkZeVUu1J8/s1600/DSC04034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8fYZ8RVMcwyrdfBrKAo1NolJXqSFhtvhGhMx0WGg9nXa3gt5mRD6rO5vwy-3E6BlKDLrPp3wBr3MIm2oEJW8TI8-THeX0ZPumOteArUAxMf8o5-P1iSHUU-FUdEremzqHcPkZeVUu1J8/s320/DSC04034.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">The neon green cable with its banana yellow accents sprucing up the quarterdeck’s grey and forest green.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCM0APxM3xrQJxCmmrIA8Gq0AW927xh7pz1ZUM5KbGJLwl_iRGNCousWBK9huY98DURdAvD0tmBenTEWnwD8TCaUXybcHZX33KhmY_qtn8UNaMv2Iag3R8Xgvkh_t1vb_or_7xrPVGMp8/s1600/DSC04038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCM0APxM3xrQJxCmmrIA8Gq0AW927xh7pz1ZUM5KbGJLwl_iRGNCousWBK9huY98DURdAvD0tmBenTEWnwD8TCaUXybcHZX33KhmY_qtn8UNaMv2Iag3R8Xgvkh_t1vb_or_7xrPVGMp8/s320/DSC04038.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">Pondering the upcoming deployment of the camera and the J-box. Medea will have to budge from the center of attention and the center of the A-frame to allow room for the newcomers. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmfvZBUeYRvIJnDeu9JKGqS7WVeqFrtvVpOltFsB9PAURaQBV0QJhAEFpTHJL3L2GwgnRnvonk2BizxhqLgdSFn9GB3J6i5vhD8c6Kp3OC0PtrFxFKRO-rBz_RHR-rzxH_uRJAoJtHez8/s1600/DSC04047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmfvZBUeYRvIJnDeu9JKGqS7WVeqFrtvVpOltFsB9PAURaQBV0QJhAEFpTHJL3L2GwgnRnvonk2BizxhqLgdSFn9GB3J6i5vhD8c6Kp3OC0PtrFxFKRO-rBz_RHR-rzxH_uRJAoJtHez8/s320/DSC04047.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">The giant eyeball steps up to the plate. After John finishes attaching weights to its feet, it will be ready to free-fall the seafloor.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh65xm3rADemG4CcEAy8PblQ3e0Gwe7ArWCGMyYfnrdodq8F9qgZRUgE4YeaKV5Eix4leFZiCrsRbsH_AIBeTU22zXN7jvdOWbMSLlmYCRf5HGD6AACqg8vde-5izP7_r-seJq2-NlivCw/s1600/DSC04055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh65xm3rADemG4CcEAy8PblQ3e0Gwe7ArWCGMyYfnrdodq8F9qgZRUgE4YeaKV5Eix4leFZiCrsRbsH_AIBeTU22zXN7jvdOWbMSLlmYCRf5HGD6AACqg8vde-5izP7_r-seJq2-NlivCw/s320/DSC04055.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">The eyeball takes in one last, long scan of the horizon. It has to last him 3 or 4 years until the observatory is recovered.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDBHsdXQmsw57w5SxIfeBbAYxVT_6Tnol_Hq1TD_k0N-SSo6WwKgz5yNhVHgD-z1hjqfL5XlGyvCWIm0iQ1NjS6j2xEn2HWEBH705HvoBPYT38avROWVva96wmK-2IylF8qBMedb0qZE/s1600/DSC04060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDBHsdXQmsw57w5SxIfeBbAYxVT_6Tnol_Hq1TD_k0N-SSo6WwKgz5yNhVHgD-z1hjqfL5XlGyvCWIm0iQ1NjS6j2xEn2HWEBH705HvoBPYT38avROWVva96wmK-2IylF8qBMedb0qZE/s320/DSC04060.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">Inside the eyeball, the camera can pan 360˚ to see all the shrimp and fish passersby.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhG8obnKAUz-ClkNw3eVh6elHMo7UpMId25M_YoVo7bZ5GTacUt7H_oOn70FJsfDdzUaLuXdzKlF-KWbOmIZA6ZfII53cIHQ-gNJbN-4Lqfj_suDFZK5gEkA1QDEI_phl3qCelQIWkIiQ/s1600/DSC04080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhG8obnKAUz-ClkNw3eVh6elHMo7UpMId25M_YoVo7bZ5GTacUt7H_oOn70FJsfDdzUaLuXdzKlF-KWbOmIZA6ZfII53cIHQ-gNJbN-4Lqfj_suDFZK5gEkA1QDEI_phl3qCelQIWkIiQ/s320/DSC04080.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">And off the eyeball goes.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-CMXuW27CeQSjauhqcgMxkSp1iLTzmYvzn16d9NO_F-Y4bTxNhGheT2xuEX9f9vgw4W6M1ZnjqIr90gpLpwwCSEF6JVKYHj_Sfg62OH1oL-rsYy3LdVZGsJpd8VFsefh01vNrWNG6DQ/s1600/DSC04098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-CMXuW27CeQSjauhqcgMxkSp1iLTzmYvzn16d9NO_F-Y4bTxNhGheT2xuEX9f9vgw4W6M1ZnjqIr90gpLpwwCSEF6JVKYHj_Sfg62OH1oL-rsYy3LdVZGsJpd8VFsefh01vNrWNG6DQ/s320/DSC04098.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">The J-box then steps up to the plate. The quarterdeck is indeed a party at this point.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxYMdl7Asewr29JSsYfov-kCIeEziuIg3-c101A7WqiCgjhmLPiK-RXSSKWblphVPAf5EPC7Z8iqhTUwTH2VsSpKTw_LgjHYzjLZ_1ZLbevKpgZFgCTBzx4Sd2TXmKNWkoeiGBy80jgY/s1600/DSC04090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxYMdl7Asewr29JSsYfov-kCIeEziuIg3-c101A7WqiCgjhmLPiK-RXSSKWblphVPAf5EPC7Z8iqhTUwTH2VsSpKTw_LgjHYzjLZ_1ZLbevKpgZFgCTBzx4Sd2TXmKNWkoeiGBy80jgY/s320/DSC04090.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">The shackle by which the J-box hangs from Medea is specially made with a large handle for Jason to grasp and unscrew. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpwAZIpAYc3DK8hssqtO2ECy8mn-Or4m9ELFbx0IuSlwOmoAWM6tkvMvvpIQnDcYOIPIHQ7Mxsnsa6AeJZOCfaq4uepuhwB4AFTZFzZGHaa3iUs8wJHIKUNW3y_MBWRirCcms3yjmQg0/s1600/DSC04117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpwAZIpAYc3DK8hssqtO2ECy8mn-Or4m9ELFbx0IuSlwOmoAWM6tkvMvvpIQnDcYOIPIHQ7Mxsnsa6AeJZOCfaq4uepuhwB4AFTZFzZGHaa3iUs8wJHIKUNW3y_MBWRirCcms3yjmQg0/s320/DSC04117.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">The eyeball says ‘Come on in, the water’s fine’ so the J-box follows suit. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSgBC8caHVtDJ7vpc0ZI-aVTXdhxzgMXuSvpO6et-eNkGGorXNOvalbY2HEPa7m-sXO10GLArnrxSckHeKOedcffuin7yOXyENx8QJAnhOWxGVTqsKqL1PSgbrRfQrEF8V0MD4AKu1j_E/s1600/DSC04121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSgBC8caHVtDJ7vpc0ZI-aVTXdhxzgMXuSvpO6et-eNkGGorXNOvalbY2HEPa7m-sXO10GLArnrxSckHeKOedcffuin7yOXyENx8QJAnhOWxGVTqsKqL1PSgbrRfQrEF8V0MD4AKu1j_E/s320/DSC04121.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">Once the J-box is lowered a safe distance from the ship’s hull, a bridle is attached to the line and the J-box’s load is transferred to Medea and down the party goes to the bottom of the sea.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Y2WBANqrVZ4QDjgoFYG72JkBQO5eRBYm9FCkmh7fUAIxWhBu3RP4aKgruN8WL-U2G58lkqyJm8NKbr728gsgSviYPWsV9sgPsMJ-JDJ98YioIodrGvbYq0NgIFliz7CP5JKTgKxWJQU/s1600/DSC04163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Y2WBANqrVZ4QDjgoFYG72JkBQO5eRBYm9FCkmh7fUAIxWhBu3RP4aKgruN8WL-U2G58lkqyJm8NKbr728gsgSviYPWsV9sgPsMJ-JDJ98YioIodrGvbYq0NgIFliz7CP5JKTgKxWJQU/s320/DSC04163.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">The next night, when the J-box was brought back on deck, long poles were used to grab tag lines onto Medea while she swings through the A-frame to the quarterdeck.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4crElYKf31U2ibCppS41zr_kwPH5kwEMLUj1HIZLPj8yosdYqQTS-w5PIrWJ3ImSx_wAQQb0iffDZzHuptqBEu-f4gReZvJXconQUpaS0KQi2og6bSLK9Qkek5LgQSYjuwZG7rEWVjBA/s1600/DSC04167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4crElYKf31U2ibCppS41zr_kwPH5kwEMLUj1HIZLPj8yosdYqQTS-w5PIrWJ3ImSx_wAQQb0iffDZzHuptqBEu-f4gReZvJXconQUpaS0KQi2og6bSLK9Qkek5LgQSYjuwZG7rEWVjBA/s320/DSC04167.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">After a long day at the bottom of the ocean, the J-box is back to rest among familiar friends in the staging bay. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQO8T2iYD57EBEyAwsPAEP5e8eyeWdHDT_outGFvkpxIWGu27uG21J22toYKWLB7gdOQnTZ3h4j1NZdMOK-xvqjseYNjhHadxxKEVmdpuYuQV6a4LcbWu3F0hjhySYyMi0ZKVLmFqi6c/s1600/DSC04177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQO8T2iYD57EBEyAwsPAEP5e8eyeWdHDT_outGFvkpxIWGu27uG21J22toYKWLB7gdOQnTZ3h4j1NZdMOK-xvqjseYNjhHadxxKEVmdpuYuQV6a4LcbWu3F0hjhySYyMi0ZKVLmFqi6c/s320/DSC04177.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">While he is resting, many will not as they work away on his cables and connectors.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNua19UJrHlTtt4wiIu7oJvvRL1XR8elFDhsfGifw5Sd3AwDW8JOej-5d4v7xq4ObADOlHSYf2GWW2kVZfMq6Ro6udPMZu-ooR50YhOY_QzJB6zMKWzQz3_oY09-3DddJbqnoXG30_cM/s1600/DSC04127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNua19UJrHlTtt4wiIu7oJvvRL1XR8elFDhsfGifw5Sd3AwDW8JOej-5d4v7xq4ObADOlHSYf2GWW2kVZfMq6Ro6udPMZu-ooR50YhOY_QzJB6zMKWzQz3_oY09-3DddJbqnoXG30_cM/s320/DSC04127.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">The after-party on the quarterdeck conferencing on the re-deployment of the J-box.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkUGYtHjocY_pesw9yVfBTpNfnDttKjQfGajA0YeWck7Vw9eSQDlhjW5pjJV8IZb9Js7_ZhoMb4DsA5UusywGo_UTPOioqP2CBIEqZFbXT-KxhCYKsNFh6tqF7w5rq6Mf9YVXgSIwZkc/s1600/DSC04184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkUGYtHjocY_pesw9yVfBTpNfnDttKjQfGajA0YeWck7Vw9eSQDlhjW5pjJV8IZb9Js7_ZhoMb4DsA5UusywGo_UTPOioqP2CBIEqZFbXT-KxhCYKsNFh6tqF7w5rq6Mf9YVXgSIwZkc/s320/DSC04184.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">Once the plan is solidified, Jason and the J-box jump right in.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7XLaQhLUNMq-QboLpEHHWZhIA2NFh7r98Z0qjfowYmyngtomUK2Ki-Lbn4_ivQKWOF6AyIDLkX5faOjzyJeOGJnwboihHqyOL0iKwDtUI1xYvTRJDPKyI2o-PW_5cz_4wP0FjAvPuD70/s1600/DSC04152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7XLaQhLUNMq-QboLpEHHWZhIA2NFh7r98Z0qjfowYmyngtomUK2Ki-Lbn4_ivQKWOF6AyIDLkX5faOjzyJeOGJnwboihHqyOL0iKwDtUI1xYvTRJDPKyI2o-PW_5cz_4wP0FjAvPuD70/s320/DSC04152.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh364Ti0wseoXNQXQBVGuR_PWq9y_OJQcoujAHRco-284bD7Fg1n91sCZIAb2OR-sgyZgtx66m4-kXRYd4wg3cHYte4kqbnDGn-bMsiECOOQYfKlpTK-wRfuqVoqT7Z0uQbqojGn2dBT88/s1600/DSC04223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh364Ti0wseoXNQXQBVGuR_PWq9y_OJQcoujAHRco-284bD7Fg1n91sCZIAb2OR-sgyZgtx66m4-kXRYd4wg3cHYte4kqbnDGn-bMsiECOOQYfKlpTK-wRfuqVoqT7Z0uQbqojGn2dBT88/s320/DSC04223.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">The cockpit. Though the sun is up on the quarterdeck, the only light that reaches the control van travels down through the water column and back up through Jason’s cameras. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBAGF-94ev8qKAL9zZzeoZmIVAwDbmO5Bg98kAfDCHXT7baOW-3Ht02jwx3afRm-JRvkxCBhP-iisyQ6G9SycMUysegXjec9RncV1uvjtHlRO_-QUvryQMCIBoO2ZLegDcjrE_NVJlbmQ/s1600/DSC04231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBAGF-94ev8qKAL9zZzeoZmIVAwDbmO5Bg98kAfDCHXT7baOW-3Ht02jwx3afRm-JRvkxCBhP-iisyQ6G9SycMUysegXjec9RncV1uvjtHlRO_-QUvryQMCIBoO2ZLegDcjrE_NVJlbmQ/s320/DSC04231.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">Dave, logging events. A vigilant watch stander, he never lets an event fall through the grasp of documentation, including “Standing by” and “Discussing the possibility of…”</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWZB6xodi_6zzNLmPw13lCmwQ69vl65XmpPV4siiC4yCeRBsNKNl5GL0sZPTgTB7ktjNq6GMDKi83e1xr1PqXIvec-i9NFJwI1pNCCU94Wq06cD0Y9sgN8g0aAvA_P_KUbL8lLnGkQ4I/s1600/DSC04129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWZB6xodi_6zzNLmPw13lCmwQ69vl65XmpPV4siiC4yCeRBsNKNl5GL0sZPTgTB7ktjNq6GMDKi83e1xr1PqXIvec-i9NFJwI1pNCCU94Wq06cD0Y9sgN8g0aAvA_P_KUbL8lLnGkQ4I/s320/DSC04129.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"> As always, the equipment anxiously awaiting deployment requires attention here and there. Cammy and Dave acquiesce. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zu2ln0WkLOQIVCcmmduAW4Vt8TTPBYuGRKcyUXoZDGqbwq-AkPR7euoSnpjqPSkGCYGiYRs86h12VZp0r6xsntVAlzY4m5yZK3Z7dIaNve74U1pbDLVQkqe7baG_7IXqoKWopLUX_AI/s1600/DSC04292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zu2ln0WkLOQIVCcmmduAW4Vt8TTPBYuGRKcyUXoZDGqbwq-AkPR7euoSnpjqPSkGCYGiYRs86h12VZp0r6xsntVAlzY4m5yZK3Z7dIaNve74U1pbDLVQkqe7baG_7IXqoKWopLUX_AI/s320/DSC04292.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">Though not diving for ACO, Jason doesn’t get a break as he is now diving for the geologists. I spent my 0400 to 0800 watch imagining what Jason might do in his free time. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">Photo credit to Cammy, the paparazzi responsible for many of these pictures.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144040056064487649.post-76229353931690872322011-05-26T17:41:00.000-07:002011-05-28T14:17:18.780-07:00How About Papayas and Sunsets?<div class="MsoNormal">For the judge’s record, I managed to stay awake long enough to see the end of the bathymetry survey this morning. Luckily the survey ended an hour and a half into my watch. Within the first hour, Trevor, my professor of knots, supervised my completion of a monkey’s fist. After a half an hour of watching the swath of bathymetric paint appear on the screen at the rate of one inch per century, my eyes were scheming. I was relieved of my duty just in time.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Overnight, many brains on the ACO team got little sleep while working away on the J-box to reduce attenuation. By the time I returned to sleep at 0600, the J-box was ready to go back down to the bottom of the deep blue for a second try. When I awoke for breakfast – you can’t pass up breakfast on the KM or the spread of mangoes, raspberries, strawberries, and papaya may feel lonely – Jason and Medea were ready to go swimming as well. At about 0800, the whole crew made a splash: Jason, Medea and the J-box. I played paparazzi on the Jason crew during deployment until Dave caught me grabbing a candid of him and my cover was compromised. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">While in the lab I heard over the PA system a message telling the ship’s company to disregard the following horn blasts because they are directed at a nearby fishing vessel. Apparently the fishermen were not responding to communication, running on autopilot and heading straight towards us. I came out to the quarterdeck in time to see the ship motoring away after coming within 100 m of us. Though the fishermen would have to travel the length of a football field to reach us, with Jason in the water the KM can’t move faster than a half a knot to get out of the way. Given the whole ocean, one would think this ship might be able to find fish elsewhere. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">With more attention to spend on the observatory, I helped Jefrey and Cammy put bungee cords around the loose cable. These bungee cords need to be secure enough to not let the cables escape on the descent yet easily removable by Jason once on the seafloor. In the afternoon Cammy and I did the same for the cables wrapped around each side of the anchor. Out under the sun for an hour or two, we needed some inspiration to continue cutting bungees and fashioning handles for Jason to pull. James provided that inspiration when he hooked up the speakers to Alpha Charlie Delta Charlie, in acronym form: ACDC. Though the CD only provided 3 working tracks on repeat, it was enough to get us through the task.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At 1600, like clockwork, I marched up to the cockpit and took my seat behind the event logger for a period of waiting. Just before I had arrived, Jason had inserted the connector back into the J-box and the cockpit was silent waiting for the verdict from Makaha. Makaha called back twenty minutes later with the same half good, half bad news: the power is on but the optical signal is not. Papers shuffled around desks, thoughts and questions volleyed across the blue-lit, crowded shipping container. Sentences started with “It’s gotta be…”, “Well, but then…”, “How about…” The satellite phone began to have poor reception so the decision makers moved to the bridge. Yet the volleyball game continued in the van well into dinner passing suggestions back and forth, such as having Jason send an optical signal to Makaha and see how far it goes. The solution that was arrived at after dinner was to test the cable thoroughly from the Makaha side and eliminate the issues that arise from solid ground. In the meantime we will be heading to Ka’ena Ridge to do some early search for some rocks. Jason‘s rock collection was looking a little lackluster last time I checked. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After dinner, I snuck out of the van “to use the head” just in time for the sunset. The sky was calm and the swell was not. Where the two met, a yellow blinding ball gave way to shades of breakfast fruit: grapefruit slices and papaya halves then eventually came blueberry blackness. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144040056064487649.post-60883627980821124602011-05-25T15:13:00.000-07:002011-05-25T15:13:13.911-07:00Innocent Until Proven Drooling<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><!--StartFragment--> </div><div class="MsoNormal">Since Jason wasn’t in the water at 0400 for my watch, I spent it in the computer lab making sure that the bathymetry survey of the surrounding areas of Station Aloha continued as planned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This meant occasionally glancing at the screen on which the colorful bathymetric data was being painted in wide strokes. This activity was accompanied by curling up in a blanket, this time more like a dumpling than a burrito, in a chair that swung me around with the roll of the ship. If the control van was freezing yesterday then the computer lab was 0 Kelvin this morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trevor, an ocean technician on watch with the same assignment, tried to keep me occupied for a while teaching me knots. By 0600, we reached the point of making up knots and he was attempting the interwoven monkey’s fist. Though I was intrigued to find out how it ended, my eyes were apparently not. They found other ways of passing the next hour, namely remaining closed. Apparently I had several visitors during that hour, all of which decided against waking me up in favor of mocking me later for my dumpling position in which only my face was visible. There is no photographic evidence, thank goodness, nor drool remaining on the keyboard so I will plead innocent if prosecuted for relinquishing my watch responsibilities. My eyes were conspiring against me, anyways. The bathymetry survey painted its picture without hitch, you’ll be happy to know. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The observatory, the anchor and the AMM all require a little bit of attention everyday to remain content equipment. This morning’s attention was focused on trimming. It has apparently been a while since their last hair cut so Cammy and I took the clippers to them and trimmed the ends of the zip ties. The anchor was also feeling a bit monotone with the green cable wrapped around it, so Cammy and I added banana yellow chafe gear to the delicate ends of the cable for a cheery accent.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After reconnecting to the cable termination that was tried yesterday didn’t succeed, the thought for today is that there is a problem with attenuation in the Junction box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This would mean that there is a loss of signal through the cables and connections. I am told that could be recovered relatively simply through some edits to the system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plan, then, is to have Jason recover the J-box and bring it to the KM where it will be worked on overnight and sent back down in the morning. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I stood my watch for Jason from 1600 to 2100 when this operation occurred.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first, Jason removed the Homer and USBL beacons from the camera tripod. As the camera is now located near enough to the rest of the observatory to be found again, there is no need for these locators. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next job for Jason was to disconnect the J-box from the cable termination and bring the J-box up to the ship. Though this sounds like a series of simple pushes and pulls with the manipulation arm, everything underwater becomes more complicated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jason’s arms are so powerful, and the connectors so fragile and crucial that it takes almost 20 minutes to remove one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jason must also be careful not to sit on a cable – for he is no dainty fellow – yet position himself as close as possible to the J-box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to these technical obstacles, the seafloor was particularly void of current so when Jason sat down, a cloud of silt surrounded him, which didn’t settle for another 10 or 15 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After disconnection, Jason needed to attach the J-box to the shackle hanging from the end of Medea in order to be lifted up. Remember two days ago when it took 20 minutes to move the J-box suspended from Medea 10 m to the left?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This watch we waited over an hour to position the ship, thus Medea, thus the shackle directly above the J-box. At 2000, when I was supposed to go off watch, the shackle appeared just meters away from position so I waited another hour to see the final operation and ascent of Jason, Medea and the J-box. My watch was filled with much waiting, for the silt to settle and for shackle to hover closer, punctuated by tense moments of operation. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144040056064487649.post-75484797396618573902011-05-24T18:20:00.000-07:002011-05-28T14:16:23.556-07:00A Party By Invitation Only<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Yesterday I woke up early in anticipation for my first Jason watch in the control van from 0400 to 0800. Unfortunately they did not need my excitement and me because Jason didn’t go into the water until 0800 so I went back to bed. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After Jason went in, the morning was filled with an assortment of tasks and tidbits. I helped John bring the giant eyeball, the camera mounted on its tripod, down from the 0-2 deck to the staging bay where is could be tested and prepared to be deployed later that evening. I went to a meeting about how exactly Jason, Medea, the junction box and the camera pyramid were all going to be deployed that night. Were it not for the pages of cartoon diagrams showing exactly what extremely expensive mass hung from which line or wire, I would still be trying to figure out step one: put Jason in the water. I helped Jefrey and Cammy mount the grates holding the instruments that Roger had been testing in the lab back onto the AMM. They didn’t want to go, but after a bit of nudging and wiggling, we were able to wedge these in. It’s incredible that everyday someone onboard seems to arrive at a problem that, if not solved, could close the curtains on this show. However, the moment these problems arise the brains start ticking and the fingers start twiddling with zip ties and nuts and bolts until the problem is a thing of the past. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At 1600 I had my first Jason watch, during which they actually did require my presence. Jason was recovered at 1730 so I only remained in the cockpit, the control van as some may call it, for a short while. During that time, Mary, one of the geologists, trained me in the ways of labeling DVD recordings of the three main cameras on Jason. It is surprisingly demanding work as you must keep the abbreviations, which are varying combinations of the letters A, B, C, P and W, straight in your head. The real problem is that they all rhyme, so mental repetition is of no use, and they all look the same in the dark. James, the Jason data processer, trained me in the ways of logging events into the computer, which they call the ‘virtual van’ – as if I didn’t already feel like I’m in a dream world in the dark den of big blue screens and robotic arms.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After my watch I went to sleep though I wanted to stay up for the deployment party to which almost all of the back deck equipment had been invited. Jason was going to be there, and of course his date Meada; the camera tripod would have to come and leave early; and the life – and by that I mean power – of the party, the J-box, would make a guest appearance at midnight. Though I do love parties – and any chance to wear my hard hat – I had my first full length Jason watch at 0400 the next morning and knew I needed to put my hard hat’s contents to rest. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">0400 came sooner than I’d expected and the cockpit was freezing. Electronics apparently don’t appreciate the tropical climate as much as most, so the cockpit conditioned out every last drop of warm, humid air. Wrapped up like a burrito in an extra blanket from the staircase, I mean linen closet, I watched as Jason approach the seafloor along with the J-box. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My responsibilities were to take pictures with Jason’s cameras if a Kodak moment arose, and to log all events. Herein lies the challenge of logging: what constitutes and event? The obvious ones are laid out for you in a form – Jason on bottom, Jason install homer beacon. But what if Jason leaves the bottom to move 10 m to the left? What if a foot long red shrimp whizzes by? I find foot long shrimp quite eventful and moving to the left quite dull, but those who rely on this log might think otherwise. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As Jason hovered off the muddy floor near the cable termination, he found the imprint of the observatory that this group had attempted to install three years ago. The navigator spent about an hour inching the ship 10 m this way and that trying to pull Medea, and consequently the J-box, to hover over that imprint. It takes about 15 minutes to move the J-box 10 m because the ship can only move at a tenth of a knot while towing Medea. Then that 10 m at the surface has to be translated down almost 5 km of cable to Medea and the J-box. At 0800, the J-box was almost in place and it was time for the burrito to unwrap and grab breakfast. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">By the time I woke up from my post-breakfast nap, there were many items to check off the to do list in the lab. Jason had positioned the J-box in the imprint of the last observatory and had connected it to the termination cable. Power flowed through the connection as expected however the optical signal from Station Aloha did not reach Makaha, the cable station on Oahu, with the amplitude expected. As with the other problems that arrive at the party uninvited, this one was met with a flurry of brain cells clicking and fingers fiddling. A number of solutions were proposed, developed and mulled over for the rest of the day. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Jason spent most of the day down there, not coming back up until the end of my next watch at 2000. He inspected the termination in more detail than the survey dive of the day before, looking at PMI grips and the connectors again. He tried disconnecting and reconnecting the cables in hopes that the insufficient signal was a result of a faulty first connection. This was not the solution to our problem so the brains continue to buzz. Jason did however have success in locating and repositioning the camera tripod, which had been tossed out of the party and let free fall to the bottom of the ocean the night before. John and the rest of us were quite relieved to find it safe and reunited with the J-box after a long journey down. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">While not on watch in the afternoon I assisted Jefrey and Cammy in switching the batteries and reprogramming the instruments for the thermistor array that will float above the observatory. As with everything on this ship except the zip ties, the thermistors are expensive and sensitive so when I’m holding one for Jefrey, I’m gripping it with the full force of my excitement – but not too tightly because the inductors are ceramic and say “Fragile!” We cleaned the o-rings, which seal the instrument and play bouncer to any water molecules who may want to join the party. Then we removed the old batteries and put fresh ones in to give the instruments the longest possible life underwater—hopefully up to 4 years. Thermistor ID01 decided that everyone wasn’t quite thinking hard enough yet, so spontaneously stopped working. We disconnected and reconnected it. We removed the new batteries and replaced them with the old. We tested Thermistor ID02. Just as we were about to resort to the every popular banging one’s head against the table on which thousands of dollars of equipment lay, Thermistor ID01 decided to function. Again, with the proper amount of storming in our brains, the show will still go on. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144040056064487649.post-83861067366914127472011-05-23T22:51:00.000-07:002011-05-28T14:19:42.568-07:00Jason's Photoshoot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnYSeVRDyiGzIAUROJomBsktYeSBaPU13vDxqXQ40oselRcIHzQrKR_f7r-RsrjUn-GFDtINNdF5RwXbPBZzYZ1SVVB-SaCY5Fpw9iI9SflUTLO7qBS_nhhSBHkCy3LR0f0RJ0XqsbXQ/s1600/DSC03967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnYSeVRDyiGzIAUROJomBsktYeSBaPU13vDxqXQ40oselRcIHzQrKR_f7r-RsrjUn-GFDtINNdF5RwXbPBZzYZ1SVVB-SaCY5Fpw9iI9SflUTLO7qBS_nhhSBHkCy3LR0f0RJ0XqsbXQ/s320/DSC03967.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">Jason’s backside.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91G-dNLsJzjD8b2fKb2BGaS4igydnyD0OW9pzQLZi4SVsjV1yOgfbEfn0xStlV2YKKWLLSl3tMzYIdlFdW21i6CeuDWqzROn8h_pe273UkbBvze5trRbaNya2GD-3FZDCeb1t5At6ZM4/s1600/DSC03965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91G-dNLsJzjD8b2fKb2BGaS4igydnyD0OW9pzQLZi4SVsjV1yOgfbEfn0xStlV2YKKWLLSl3tMzYIdlFdW21i6CeuDWqzROn8h_pe273UkbBvze5trRbaNya2GD-3FZDCeb1t5At6ZM4/s320/DSC03965.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">Medea and Jason relaxing on the quarter deck.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizCA5-BHJjuW-L9XvEQxtEuB1SPPE7anOagjg1v1JTEIQf_EqtUgcrB5QLzUv0cgfewlTeV_hupWXbbBVuxN_fXcjg76RG8m14lxnOMAqjORdgYjAZyEOEEQWbNQHJDrx_wJPGoEhL-g/s1600/DSC03978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizCA5-BHJjuW-L9XvEQxtEuB1SPPE7anOagjg1v1JTEIQf_EqtUgcrB5QLzUv0cgfewlTeV_hupWXbbBVuxN_fXcjg76RG8m14lxnOMAqjORdgYjAZyEOEEQWbNQHJDrx_wJPGoEhL-g/s320/DSC03978.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">Jason’s tag team watching the A-frame lower Medea in the water as Jason floats about (the aqua and yellow blob visible just under the A-frame.)</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0FRENoCfyA8bohQ9y4ZHhKqH_hz3dHUTG1bgcmhmSNdnzz3yH1AqtCwDbLJETI53ZTzKsa26TYt_0RhxzhbDAUM7E1OJo-qjmbCwezrw6yJ1o1Uh61LOln56lV8JobDkPatfMb-XCZY/s1600/DSC03988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0FRENoCfyA8bohQ9y4ZHhKqH_hz3dHUTG1bgcmhmSNdnzz3yH1AqtCwDbLJETI53ZTzKsa26TYt_0RhxzhbDAUM7E1OJo-qjmbCwezrw6yJ1o1Uh61LOln56lV8JobDkPatfMb-XCZY/s320/DSC03988.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">Live feed in the lab from Jason, exploring Ka’ena Ridge. The white fingers shooting up from the rocks are sponges. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjFFCcD-HocTQDwn9Nr5FFFkD6HjWIangS2pc2iuL93Xe_AUg4tlccrQYaqJM6x9K5Gke2Cx4n-ckNnENh5HcQIWTtu8AsP4en-DBVomooxerPD17mtiGncjoqiS8aTXocb-p1nLO68c/s1600/DSC03989.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjFFCcD-HocTQDwn9Nr5FFFkD6HjWIangS2pc2iuL93Xe_AUg4tlccrQYaqJM6x9K5Gke2Cx4n-ckNnENh5HcQIWTtu8AsP4en-DBVomooxerPD17mtiGncjoqiS8aTXocb-p1nLO68c/s1600/DSC03989.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">Jason found a rock he likes. The battle will be to pry it from its fellow rocks.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBwy2mQbkTMD1tHdTBj_WzUER_I2sHhvYmZM-hH_X6XhRBhiOIdHUUHq6TdUrdvE5kPzUt517oOf_1spO2Nx9HBn01GqFmDDtOiSMGIJ8U31JuvYBLNjnaucZljhhSjfHX1gOCmh2fUMs/s1600/DSC03992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBwy2mQbkTMD1tHdTBj_WzUER_I2sHhvYmZM-hH_X6XhRBhiOIdHUUHq6TdUrdvE5kPzUt517oOf_1spO2Nx9HBn01GqFmDDtOiSMGIJ8U31JuvYBLNjnaucZljhhSjfHX1gOCmh2fUMs/s320/DSC03992.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">Jason wins the battle and his fans cheer wildly.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfMGgDbxPY3TqOzlTvAOs8DFHYG0ljgBiwyno3qrfm1INNW9gTWWCW9hxofU6FHvkiYE_E984_v_fBnksKuDXK9qE-tEsqdBdtD5pdK6OKFT-LiWn3eEkEBHK443yUe8JsvPewNL0HX4/s1600/DSC04013.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfMGgDbxPY3TqOzlTvAOs8DFHYG0ljgBiwyno3qrfm1INNW9gTWWCW9hxofU6FHvkiYE_E984_v_fBnksKuDXK9qE-tEsqdBdtD5pdK6OKFT-LiWn3eEkEBHK443yUe8JsvPewNL0HX4/s1600/DSC04013.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">The recovery of Jason and Medea at 2100 for a night’s rest. The tag team is handling the yellow umbilical cord that connects Medea to Jason.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7BBhsLC1cIb9QGkUS6cYdDUMYEzVuvVjo4CyZtNPZCVJhqK97Qo3T6OHIV_2eNhb_Xuej9TXteJh4aYdwpb5dXkO910AgOnArqkbNp3disAMOA0yc2UTFQ_xU5x-GocfWY_OnyiQkFE/s1600/DSC04015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7BBhsLC1cIb9QGkUS6cYdDUMYEzVuvVjo4CyZtNPZCVJhqK97Qo3T6OHIV_2eNhb_Xuej9TXteJh4aYdwpb5dXkO910AgOnArqkbNp3disAMOA0yc2UTFQ_xU5x-GocfWY_OnyiQkFE/s320/DSC04015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">Jason, splashing about at 2100. The reluctant child who doesn’t want to get out of the pool yet.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_-STxtAe9g4-0-ucgg-XF0vsf0v_OaKIvLUXy3wd4pu1iH_ZL3hlLFV4hCXzYNmipggs45tyvlrVvUEiXfh2ehBnAY1snAQ7ER0segy0Qxd5BK8JSNoKz1tLJTEnst__58G5-yPnnKY/s1600/DSC04017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_-STxtAe9g4-0-ucgg-XF0vsf0v_OaKIvLUXy3wd4pu1iH_ZL3hlLFV4hCXzYNmipggs45tyvlrVvUEiXfh2ehBnAY1snAQ7ER0segy0Qxd5BK8JSNoKz1tLJTEnst__58G5-yPnnKY/s320/DSC04017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">Presents from Jason: a chip off a rock sample from the bottom of the ocean and an echinoderm larva – a baby sea urchin.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq-8iw0kDW4-HlUWRzHxBUS_3s68cEpdpK8qeAjhXxfPlaJGLdIkoL0fOksH0X1e0zJQHhEqWPrWm2k3_TQoyhgsJV9EthE6L6hJt439kw4wjE1iGwjs-69LGFQPIxKqhzlYXW6Rehgmk/s1600/DSC03959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq-8iw0kDW4-HlUWRzHxBUS_3s68cEpdpK8qeAjhXxfPlaJGLdIkoL0fOksH0X1e0zJQHhEqWPrWm2k3_TQoyhgsJV9EthE6L6hJt439kw4wjE1iGwjs-69LGFQPIxKqhzlYXW6Rehgmk/s320/DSC03959.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The orange bird perch, called the Aloha Mars Mooring (AMM) node by some, and the observatory and the junction box wait patiently for deployment in the staging bay.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYeOk0lKTXKaIW71KFsxS8X5NETGb4Jss2y_Ri9auGjZNqZpRiGBDmWLZ8BviQ7X53YCi3BKSbqw7s0wnlqIe7kkCGTHkPf8yzWQVharYP703y8sj83EN6iCRfGA5PlGi2VJO-yMQOfNc/s1600/DSC03956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYeOk0lKTXKaIW71KFsxS8X5NETGb4Jss2y_Ri9auGjZNqZpRiGBDmWLZ8BviQ7X53YCi3BKSbqw7s0wnlqIe7kkCGTHkPf8yzWQVharYP703y8sj83EN6iCRfGA5PlGi2VJO-yMQOfNc/s320/DSC03956.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">Instruments in the lab being tested before they are mounted to the bird perch. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQvPv64WeEVKT4VDuMJG506gNRm8wh_OYY4JqwMsiPHxzlrDkKidypXS-5Ar2xxOsmI2vkVeXE7ubJmQsHO99vor96Mq_fqLVPty3KWCnVvFQyeyj94RSA1t4n_EzORJsZoiB_0p9OsLI/s1600/DSC03993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQvPv64WeEVKT4VDuMJG506gNRm8wh_OYY4JqwMsiPHxzlrDkKidypXS-5Ar2xxOsmI2vkVeXE7ubJmQsHO99vor96Mq_fqLVPty3KWCnVvFQyeyj94RSA1t4n_EzORJsZoiB_0p9OsLI/s320/DSC03993.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">The ADP’s hard hats, fashioned by Jefrey Couture.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAvjEJ9iH5GYMHQQ4og0plVnhOhVbbDqlPo2yXg9e0X4zf3O4QnI72sQYFVl-6oQU_crjqZyOaCx11FcvXsh1a180CofnJM4AELpYBiBllOt-Mb27TnhW5Q_u5Uu2L7PwFDhJ-5_N5fQQ/s1600/DSC03985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAvjEJ9iH5GYMHQQ4og0plVnhOhVbbDqlPo2yXg9e0X4zf3O4QnI72sQYFVl-6oQU_crjqZyOaCx11FcvXsh1a180CofnJM4AELpYBiBllOt-Mb27TnhW5Q_u5Uu2L7PwFDhJ-5_N5fQQ/s320/DSC03985.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Sunset on the big blue.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144040056064487649.post-50239156925161683102011-05-22T18:50:00.000-07:002011-05-28T15:38:41.457-07:00A Present from Jason: A Baby Echinoderm<div class="MsoNormal">Just after breakfast, Jason and Medea were lowered for the first time over the stern of the KM for an engineering test and rock-collecting dive. The operation to lower both bodies into the water without colliding with each other and the ship is one of ballerina precision on the part of the tag team on the quarterdeck, the Jason crane, the A-frame and the ship. Every swell made me nervous that Jason would be pushed right under the hull as Medea, attached to Jason by an electrical umbilical cord, was being lowered towards him. Everyone performed their pirouettes gracefully and Jason and Medea were soon on their descent to Ka’ena Ridge. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In the morning, Roger explained to all of us in the lab a phenomenon which HOT cruises have observed at Station Aloha involving unexpected changes in temperature and current at the bottom of the ocean, which they call cold events. Water coming from the South Pacific traveling north passes around the east side of the Big Island and follows the contour of the Hawaiian Islands to Oahu. Before this water mass reaches Station Aloha, it fills two depressions in the sea floor called the Maui and Kauai Deep. The cold events occur when enough cold water has built up in the Maui Deep to spill over the sill to the northwest into the Kauai Deep. As a result of this bathymetry, one can periodically see cold water and increased current at the bottom of the ocean at Station Aloha, which is exactly what the cabled observatory intends to observe. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Later in the morning and most of the afternoon, I helped Dave to make a second protective cover for the ADP. Jefrey designed this cover, an upside-down trash can, to remain attached to the platform while the observatory is descending but be able to be released by Jason once the observatory is in place. To enable this, he strung two bungee cords through the trashcan with loops at the ends that a metal bar held together under the platform. With this setup, Jason can tug on the loop at the end of the metal bar to release the bungees, then pull off the trashcan by the handle at the top. All the plastic parts will either remain on the observatory or be carried up by Jason. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When not making small edits to the observatory, I spent a lot of time in the lab watching the live feed of Jason’s HD pilot camera on the big screen television. I found it as engaging as some people do televised sports games, staring at the manipulation arm as it searches for the geologists’ favorite rocks. It took several attempts to grab a rather stubborn specimen and the whole room cheered as Jason dislodged it and placed it into his basket. Along the survey line over Ka’ena Ridge, Jason skims over the largely rocky bottom happening upon sponges, whip corals, mysteriously mobile white fluffs and the occasional scuttling red shrimp or crab. As Dave described it, it is like watching the Discovery Channel except unedited and live.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At about 2100, Jason was done collecting rocks and swam back to the KM to rest for the night. Similar to the process by which Jason and Medea were lowered over the stern this morning, they were brought up one by one and Jason’s baskets were unloaded of their rocks. Donning gloves, I helped the geologists place their samples in their labeled positions in the lab. As a reward, they let me kept the tiny white echinoderm caught in the basket of sample number twelve. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">M&M tally: half a bag of peanut ones. I was doing so well, about to reach for an apple, when Justin opened up a bag of peanut M&M’s to share with the table. Later Dave, who I thought was on my side, tricked me into eating the last two M&M’s in his bag. Tomorrow is a purely apples day.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144040056064487649.post-64099596360903471572011-05-21T12:52:00.001-07:002011-05-28T15:55:44.623-07:00Last Day on Land, First Day at Sea<div class="MsoNormal">As the junction box and the observatory are lowered to the bottom of the ocean, all of their parts will want to vibrate and come loose as water passes around them. For this reason, my day began by helping Kimball secure everything on these two platforms with red twine. In wrapping the twine methodically around the cables, my attention was half to tightness and security, half to aesthetic appeal. As Kimball put it, I was tying macramé bracelets around them. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Later, Kimball and I did some acrobatics in the staging area trying to string the Iridium cables for the satellite phones from the O2 deck – the upper level – down to the computer setup in the lab. The hooks on which we were supposed to hang these cables were a couple feet above the reach of my fingertips which required a bit of jumping like a kindergartner, a bit of swinging precariously from pipes and handles, and a bit of help from those taller than I who took pity. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For most of the day I continued doing various tasks mostly involving moving objects from one location to the other with John, the oceanographer who designed the glass sphere contraption in which the video camera is to be installed at the observatory, and others. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">By the end of the afternoon, there was just one more neon green cable to be untwisted and wound around the anchor. Though Jefrey, Dave, Nicholas and I employed the same method from the previous afternoon, this run was not as smooth as the last. However after a bit of creative problem solving, the wire spooling went swimmingly. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Then next day, I got to the ship by 0700 without any bus adventures this time as Roger gave me a ride. I found my stateroom, which has a window overlooking the port quarterdeck where Jason sits still with his innards exposed. Muscle memory has already served me well in finding the galley and the conference room without trying to descend the stairs through a linen closet. This familiarity however has tricked me already into almost opening the stateroom in which I slept last, which is just across the hall from my new one. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The gangway went up at 0740 and we left just after 0800 after waiting for a last minute supply to be brought to the ship. Passing by rows of containers being lifted off and on ships, the bustle of the city was left behind for a new kind of bustle – that of a working ship. Oahu quickly became a pimple on the horizon as we headed for Ka’ena Ridge.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> A couple of meetings took place – one to review safety and schedule for the ship and the next to review in more detail the objectives of all parties – the Jason group, the ACO group and the geologists researching Ka’ena Ridge. Fire and abandon ship drills followed. I managed to narrowly avoid donning the dreaded enormous orange survival suit again. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After a delicious fish taco lunch and the inevitable small handful of M&M’s, Cammy, Dave, Jefrey and I took apart one of the ADP’s, the instruments that measure current profiles, to inspect it and clean the o-rings that seal it tight. Once all clean, we filled the cavity of the ADP with helium gas. The real fun began when we filled our own cavities with the helium and giggled like Oompa-Loompas. Trevor stunned us all by stopping by for a cameo singing an impromptu Tom Lehrer song in a voice that should have belonged to a 4-year-old girl. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At 1600, the engineers and scientists involved in the operation of Jason briefed us about safety during Jason deployments. They explained the functions of the various lights, cameras and manipulating arms. There are nearly have a dozen cameras on Jason which look down at the shelf on which the rocks will be stored, at his right and left arms, out in front of him, and one which looks aft of the ROV, called the butt cam. With two large video cameras housed in globe like covers centered in the front, I can’t help but see a face in Jason. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We then shuffled up to the control room where we were briefed on the operation of Jason. It is housed in what they call here a van, but to my someone not familiar with the lingo (myself, before my first HOT cruise) it is a shipping container remodeled on the inside to house work and storage space. The van looks like it should be located deep under a mountain in Switzerland with full time guards and a high tech security system. In reality, the crew of Jason share very little in common with intimidating guards but the systems <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">are</i> very high tech. Half a dozen screens cover one whole length of the van, and three large lounging chairs face them – one for the pilot, one for the navigator and one for the engineer. The pilot sits in the middle with control panels in front of him used to control the movements of Jason’s arms, cameras and other parts. I went through this training with others because I will have the opportunity to sit in the van while Jason is underwater and help them record video and events. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The first bit of action off the side of the ship happened at sunset when the transducer was lowered to test its ability to communicate with the transponder – a system that enables Jason to locate itself underwater. While engineers from Jason’s crew explained to me the difference between a transducer and a transponder, the sun set and the stars flashed along the horizon with varying brightness. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144040056064487649.post-59035150578503114302011-05-19T12:54:00.000-07:002011-05-22T22:08:54.802-07:00Neon Green Rotini<div class="MsoNormal">The day started on the roof of the Marine Sciences Building with Jeffrey, Nicholas, Craig and 200 meters of permed neon green cable. Our intention was to lay the coil of cable out and let the spins unravel themselves in the air off the side of the building. We began by feeding the cable off the roof to Jeffrey below where he strung it out along the grass and around trees. It is here that the cable changed what had been a concise plan into a three-hour wrestling match. The cable decided against unraveling itself and instead asked us to do it. Using the technique Nicholas taught me, I cranked my arms around as if pedaling a bicycle with my hands to propagate the twists in the cable to the end. After the three of us forced as many twists as possible to the end, we heaved the cable back up the side of the building to flake it out on the roof. At this point it looked less like rotini and more like spaghetti so we felt nearer to the end. In order to wind it on the spool, the cable had to be sent back down the building to be heaved up once more for tension. Though I got myself tangled in a bit of spaghetti on the way back up, the spool was tight and uniformly spun by noon.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In the afternoon down at the ship we were presented with the same challenge at half the magnitude. A 100 m neon green cable needed to be untwisted and coiled around the anchor of the mooring. Faced with an unfriendly cement surface on which to lay out the somewhat delicate cable and an unwillingness to wrestle for another three hours, Dave and Nicholas got creative. They devised a plan in which we rolled out the cable along the surface of the water holding each water-sensitive end above the water and slowly pulled it back around the anchor’s spool. The twists in the cable willing sent themselves to the end this time without the friction resistance caused by contact with the ground. Jeffrey, holding the end of the cable, easily let the turns off the end and the whole operation took under and hour. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At the end of the day, I worked for a while with one of the engineers, Kimball, to secure parts of the observatory with twine and wrap protective plastic around connecting cables. Kimball explained to me some of the ways in which the observatory is built to accommodate installation by Jason. The shackles, for instance, are hard to unscrew for a ROV so they have extensions with handles that Jason’s digits can grasp. The instruments that for the last couple of days have just been weights in boxes needing to be moved from flatbed to basket to ship storage are now starting to arrange themselves in my head as parts of a bigger whole – the observatory. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144040056064487649.post-57785489509308610892011-05-18T13:33:00.000-07:002011-05-18T13:33:43.047-07:00Cruise Prep!Everyone chuckled a bit when I said that I was excited to go down to the harbor because the items to be prepared are very heavy, as I soon found out, and things are much dirtier than when tapping away at my computer. New things are always exciting, however, and no one could convince me otherwise.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">I started by wheeling around bicycles with flat tires trying to find a way to inflate them. Then I graduated to helping move around glass balls contained in two firm yellow plastic bowls that strikingly resemble yellow hard hats. With moving these you must be as careful as if decorating the Christmas tree with glass ornaments because no one wants chards of glass everywhere but as firm as if hoisting the weight of the whole tree onto the top of the car. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In the afternoon the spool of 200 m of cable, which will be lowered to the bottom of the ocean with eleven temperature sensors attached to it, and I had a fine time rolling around the pier. In order to measure out the positions at which the instruments will be attached to the cable, I was supposed to get the cable as straight as possible. A bit like herding an oversized, uncooperative farm animal back to the barn, the spool needs constant nudging and alteration of course in order to unravel in a straight line. As dirty as a farm animal too, the spool somehow covered my legs in black and brown smudges. Had I only perfected my log rolling skills, this process would have been much easier. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The next day I got to participate in the dirty work again, starting with loading the flatbed truck with several instruments and boxes of supplies. A forklift loaded the heavier items such as the ‘parking station,’ which is used for ‘parking’ wires as they are waiting to be connected to the observatory but which looks more like Snoopy’s doghouse. The forklift also swung the node, a large orange cylinder that Jeffrey described as a bird perch, Woodstock’s perhaps, onto the flatbed. This seems like a perfectly acceptable answer and the only thing that makes me skeptical is the logo stamped on the side of it is that of the Applied Physics Laboratory, not Petsmart. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When we arrived in the flatbed at the harbor, I was handed a hard hat, which always means good things. It means I get to load with the rest of them and watch the happenings on the quarterdeck, which is hosting a flurry of activity currently. Jason, the remotely operated vehicle (ROV), who will descend with the cable to install the instruments, has his innards exposed to have his wires tickled by engineers. Swinging overhead at the end of the crane are platforms, weights, and other equipment being loaded. I am slowly meeting all the scientists, engineers and crew involved in this project by bumping into them with boxes I’m carrying or asking them to hold the door for me. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When not loading boxes, I spent a lot of time with Nicholas in the stuffy beige tent trying to figure out how to attach two glass balls together and string a chain across them. After an hour of wrestling the hard hats together with no success, Jeffrey arrived to tell us that we needed to use the retrofitted hard hat covers shaped to fit together. Easy as pie from there. At least we got plenty of exercise lifting various glass balls. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">To make this day even better, we filled the flat tires on the bicycles we were wheeling around yesterday with air enabling us to zoom around the parking lot in with alacrity and style. Need me to grab something from the warehouse, bring it to the tent, skip over from the tent to the blue van, wait no, the PO van, then meet you over to the KM and head back to the tent? No problem.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At the end of the day, I was handed my second power tool for the day to unscrew the boxes in which some of the instruments are stored. I helped Jeffrey set up these instruments on the observatory and in a tub of water in order to test them tomorrow. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144040056064487649.post-75532647036434437592011-05-13T14:49:00.000-07:002011-05-13T14:49:25.019-07:00Meeting Adjourned!Our research group just adjourned from our final preparation meeting before we depart on the R/V <i>Kilo Moana</i> to install the ALOHA Cabled Observatory (ACO); one week from today. We have accomplished many amazing tasks to get this far, but the largest piece to this engineering marvel lies ahead.<br />
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One month from now, we will be transmitting oceanographic data directly from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean to the University of Hawaii and then on to the world to see what happens on the ocean floor in real time. The excitement of such a feat is tempered by all the work that will need to be completed within the next few weeks to place the observatory 15,000 feet below the sea surface within (relatively) just a few feet from the fiber optic cable that awaits it.<br />
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I'm excited for the challenges that lie ahead, and I'm excited about sharing everything that happens on this blog.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0