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We sailed into Davis anchorage and had the pick down by 0800. We then transferred the passengers and cargo using the station IRBs (Inflatable Rubber Boats). A very quick and smooth operation by all players.
We then left Davis and headed into Prydz bay to drop two ARGO buoys. The ARGO buoys are part of an international collaboration which CSIRO plays a lead role in. The ACE CRC (Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre) The BOM (Bureau of Meteorology) and the Australian Navy also take part in the research. The Argo buoys drift in the oceans currents and every 10 days they slowly sink to 2000m below the surface, recording depth, temperature and salinity as they ascend. Once on the surface they transmit the date and their position to a satellite before repeating the cycle, which they do 100-200 times over 2-3 years. This data is vital not only for climate science but for forecasting as well. The data is available to all in near real time.
After the ARGO buoys we will head to the whale mooring to our east as the sea state should be good, before heading to Mawson to check out the ice in front of the station.
We will retard clock one hour tonight.
Cheers
Andy and Amy
FTM
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.