Friday 12 January 2007

Science on the JCR

During the 10 days it took to get from the Falklands to Rothera I assisted on the 'Drake Passage Science Cruise'. This mainly invlolved helping with the 'CTDs' (an oceonagraphic instrument which measures Conductivity (used to assess the saltiness / salinity of the water), Temperature and Depth) in conjunction with automated sample bottles which enabled water samples to be taken at various depths (see photo below). The CTD and water bottles were lowered to depths of up to 4000m in the Drake Passage! Much fun was also had attaching polystryene cups to the CTD frame and sending them down to the depths of the ocean where the immense pressure squeezes all the air out of them!



We celebrated Anne's (one of the Artists who get to come to Antarctica to be inspired - how cool is that?!) birthday in style with a cocktail party on the Monkey Island (the strange name for an outdoor platform near the top of the ship - I'm sure someone out there can enlighten me as to why it's called this). Matt, Jim and Jamie made excellent waiters, randomly named the 'serviettes' for the night. There was a great turnout despite the temperature.



2 comments:

Unknown said...

Thought you said there were not cute guys!!! Nat x

Hellie79 said...

I wish I could afford to go to Antarctica to be inspired!!

Nice medicinal use of gin there (I presume it's medicinal I mean as a responsible scientist I can't imagine you would be drinking....)