Scientists are busy preparing the onboard lab to analyze data and samples brought on board as we start deploying buoys, launching radiosondes (for atmospheric measurements), measuring ice, and taking water samples. We have 4-labs-in-1: hydrology, ecology, hydrochemistry, and ice. Here you can see a CTD “rosette” instrument being cast into the water (photo from Marie), which will measure Conductivity, Temperature and Depth at various points. We’ll do this multiple times over the course of the expedition, and they will go to depths of 3000 meters (!!!!). When they resurface, scientists will pour water samples from the grey tubes into numbered bottles, each bottle corresponding to the depth where it was taken. Here is where more teamwork comes in. Each lab, and each scientist, is studying different things using those same samples. Some are measuring the organic chemical content of the samples, so they are looking for carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous. Others are looking for dissolved oxygen (an indicator of life forms) in the water, and still others are looking for chlorophyll, because they are studying the growth of phytoplankton, a primary food source in the ocean. And there’s still water to take back to labs at home!
How deep is the artic ocean?
Shantrell, there are actually shallow parts of the Arctic, along the northern parts of Asia that are only 50meters deep. But then there are deep basins that go to about 4000meters (2.5 miles) deep!
What pupose does the boom cane serve ?
Hi Ernalyn, the boom crane is basically used to lift any heavy piece of equipment on the ship.