Information
Comments
We are completing the last line of stations along 150E. These stations are to the east – upstream – of the outflow from the Mertz Glacier polynya region. By sampling here, we can measure the properties of the dense water that is formed in the Ross Sea and then travels to the west along the edge of Antarctica. Combined with the work we did earlier in the voyage, this will allow us to work out the relative contribution of the Ross Sea and the Mertz Glacier region to the deep freshening we’ve observed. Overnight we finished the sampling for helium and tritium, which will be used to detect the presence of melted glacial ice. We also did the last large-volume pumping for the team using a genomics approach to discover what lives where and what they are up to (e.g. what proteins they are using). The day shift is finishing their last shift and we’ll be packed up and headed home by the end of the next night shift. The weather continues to be gentle, if grey.
REGARDS: Steve, Fred and Penny
Map
A map showing Australia and Antarctica. The map shows the journey of one voyage that has occured in the season, with each route highlighted in a distinct colour.