Oceanography 443/444 - Cruise Planning

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Oceanography 443/444, Fall 2005/Winter 2006
Design of Oceanographic Field Experiments

Cruise preparation

Our work this January off the Galapagos Islands will require a great deal of preparation, both in terms of cruise planning (below) and basic logistical support. In terms of the latter, the students need to assist with the following:

1. Preparation of necessary reagents and containers. This will be done in small groups of 4-5 during the first full week of class and will require a few hours of your time. Click here for the schedule discussed in class on 10/7.

2. Ship loading. The Thompson will be leaving Seattle in mid-October and will not return until after our cruise. Thus, we MUST load ALL necessary equipment, supplies, etc. on OCT. 15 (a Saturday). All students will be expected to provide a few hours of assistance during the loading process; if you have an unbreakable commitment preventing your participation, notify the faculty immediately.

3. Experience with experimental methods. Because most if not all analyses will have to be conducted shipboard, it will also be necessary for you to MASTER the analytical methods you intend to use PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. Once you have identified your basic project and approach, coordinate with your advisor to ensure that you have ample experience with the types of equipment and reagents that you will require. Effective troubleshooting requires more than superficial knowledge of what you're doing!

Cruise planning

Cruise planning will be conducted both in and out of class; specific instruction will be provided in November. For now, bear in mind that planning will entail not only coordination among yourselves, but also coordination with Ecuadorian scientists.

The following is useful information pertinent to cruise planning:

Chart Work

1 nm = 1852 m = 6076 ft
1 minute of latitude (not longitude!) = 1 nm
Use degrees and decimal minutes (NEVER use seconds) for Lat and Long positions.
A collection of charts, together with a plotting kit, is on the table outside Michelle's office.
Double-check all station positions, preferrably by using a graphing program (Excel, DeltaGraph, etc.); Thompson won't go to Urvina Bay.

Station Work

CTD, PC, GC lowered/retrieved at ~ 30 m/min.
Box cores lowered at ~ 30 m/min, retrieved at ~ 40 m/min.
Thompson's coring winch is prone to problems that can delay some station work. This is usually caused by trying to lower a light instrument too rapidly
Look at previous year’s cruise logs to see how much time it takes for certain kinds of station work.

R/V Thomas G. Thompson

Average cruising speed on one engine is about 9.5 kts.
For long transits two engines will give a speed of 12.5 kts.
Remember to allow for time to slow down and maneuver onto station.
Similarly, allow for speed-up time when leaving station.

Tides

This program gives tidal and some current data plus sunrise/sunset etc. ("Tides" is on both PCs in MSB102)
NOAA provides web-based tide predictions

Shipping Lanes, Ferry Lanes, Cable Routes, etc.

Avoid these if at all possible.
Stations in the shipping lanes or in the traffic separation zone may have to be abandoned on orders from Coast Guard VTS
No stations will be occupied in ferry lanes.
Absolutely no bottom sampling of any kind in cable areas.
The 'working' charts at your disposal have not all been brought up to date with respect to buoy and cable locations. Always check your final plans against charts, the ones on Barnes for instance, that are current.

Tides and Sunrise/Set

A table will be posted here at a later date summarizing the tides and SR/SS times days of our cruises

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[an error occurred while processing this directive] Introduction Goals, Logistics and Assignments Instructors Students Course Schedule Proposal Guidelines Research Vessels Related Links Measurements and Equipment Student message board E-Submit	Oceanography 443/444, Fall 2005/Winter 2006 Design of Oceanographic Field Experiments Cruise preparation Our work this January off the Galapagos Islands will require a great deal of preparation, both in terms of cruise planning (below) and basic logistical support. In terms of the latter, the students need to assist with the following: 1. Preparation of necessary reagents and containers. This will be done in small groups of 4-5 during the first full week of class and will require a few hours of your time. Click here for the schedule discussed in class on 10/7. 2. Ship loading. The Thompson will be leaving Seattle in mid-October and will not return until after our cruise. Thus, we MUST load ALL necessary equipment, supplies, etc. on OCT. 15 (a Saturday). All students will be expected to provide a few hours of assistance during the loading process; if you have an unbreakable commitment preventing your participation, notify the faculty immediately. 3. Experience with experimental methods. Because most if not all analyses will have to be conducted shipboard, it will also be necessary for you to MASTER the analytical methods you intend to use PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. Once you have identified your basic project and approach, coordinate with your advisor to ensure that you have ample experience with the types of equipment and reagents that you will require. Effective troubleshooting requires more than superficial knowledge of what you're doing! Cruise planning Cruise planning will be conducted both in and out of class; specific instruction will be provided in November. For now, bear in mind that planning will entail not only coordination among yourselves, but also coordination with Ecuadorian scientists. The following is useful information pertinent to cruise planning: Chart Work 1 nm = 1852 m = 6076 ft 1 minute of latitude (not longitude!) = 1 nm Use degrees and decimal minutes (NEVER use seconds) for Lat and Long positions. A collection of charts, together with a plotting kit, is on the table outside Michelle's office. Double-check all station positions, preferrably by using a graphing program (Excel, DeltaGraph, etc.); Thompson won't go to Urvina Bay. Station Work CTD, PC, GC lowered/retrieved at ~ 30 m/min. Box cores lowered at ~ 30 m/min, retrieved at ~ 40 m/min. Thompson's coring winch is prone to problems that can delay some station work. This is usually caused by trying to lower a light instrument too rapidly Look at previous year’s cruise logs to see how much time it takes for certain kinds of station work. R/V Thomas G. Thompson Average cruising speed on one engine is about 9.5 kts. For long transits two engines will give a speed of 12.5 kts. Remember to allow for time to slow down and maneuver onto station. Similarly, allow for speed-up time when leaving station. Tides This program gives tidal and some current data plus sunrise/sunset etc. ("Tides" is on both PCs in MSB102) NOAA provides web-based tide predictions Shipping Lanes, Ferry Lanes, Cable Routes, etc. Avoid these if at all possible. Stations in the shipping lanes or in the traffic separation zone may have to be abandoned on orders from Coast Guard VTS No stations will be occupied in ferry lanes. Absolutely no bottom sampling of any kind in cable areas. The 'working' charts at your disposal have not all been brought up to date with respect to buoy and cable locations. Always check your final plans against charts, the ones on Barnes for instance, that are current. Tides and Sunrise/Set A table will be posted here at a later date summarizing the tides and SR/SS times days of our cruises
Last modified: 10/07/2005 3:22 PM