March 6, 2014 Throughout the duration of this cruise, we have experienced all kinds of sea ice, from newly forming frazil and pancake ice, to large slabs of thick, multi-year fast ice and old pack ice. Thick sea ice can force course changes and delays, and cause frustration as our forward progress is slowed to…
Monday, March 3, 2014 Today marks the beginning of another workweek and like any Monday, everyone on board is preparing for a busy week ahead. As can be expected, the weather forecast for the week is influencing our decisions. However, unlike a typical Monday at home, the weather will affect not only the morning commute…
February 28, 2014 Just as Fridays close out the workweek at home, this Friday brings to a close the fifth week of our cruise. In the past five weeks, we have been able to recover an incredible number of samples, filling coolers, crates, and racks with labeled bags, vials, and tubes. The massive number of…
Friday, February 21, 2014 As the week draws to a close, the Palmer has entered the Moscow University Ice Shelf region and the weather has taken a turn for the worse. Up until now, we have been incredibly fortunate in regard to the weather, as we have experienced calm waters accompanied by plenty of sunshine…
February 19, 2014 Over the last few weeks on this blog, the main focus has been on the sediment sampling and coring methods of the ship. While the sediment and associated analyses are an integral part of interpreting the history of the Sabrina Coast, it is only one piece of the story. Many oceanographic samples…
February 15, 2014 Apologies for the delay in updates, but we return with exciting news. The past few days have been a whirlwind of scientific exploration. Our captain steered the Palmer toward a small area of open water close to the Totten Glacier. With great weather, clear skies, and good visibility, we were able to…
February 9, 2014 Over the last two days we have been busy taking dredge samples from the Mertz Glacier region. Sites for bottom dredging were chosen based on the seismic data we collected earlier in the week that showed where rocks from specific time periods were exposed at the surface. Our goal was to bring…
Thursday, February 6, 2014 Tuesday: Today’s day shift awoke to a wonderful surprise; we’ve entered the ice! The transition was swift, and even our colleagues working the night shift last night were surprised by how fast the ice accumulated. For those of us working today’s day shift, it has been a beautiful sight. While stunning,…
February 3, 2014 Today is Monday. It is the first full day that the research crew has been standing an official watch. Our watches are set up into 12-hour shifts, with one shift starting at noon and lasting until midnight, and the other shift beginning at midnight and lasting until noon. This structure ensures that…
Saturday February 1, 2014 Today we are three days into our crossing of the Southern Ocean to reach Antarctica. The marine geology labs are out of commission because of the transit, in case of rough water. With all our materials stowed, we will not be taking core samples until we reach the Antarctic continental rise.…
Exploring Totten 