P06 leg 2 Week 3

by Kevin Speer and Lena Schulze
(Chief Scientist and co-Chief Scientist)

RVIB N. B. Palmer, NBP17-06/P06 Leg 2: Weekly Scientific Report 03
0900 local time 11 September 2017
32 30’ S 110 47’ W, winds 15-20 kn, Outside temperature 16 C
Stn 191

Good weather the past week has allowed us to make more rapid progress.
We are now across the crest of the East Pacific Rise, and it feels like we are
going downhill. Roughly half of Leg 2’s time has passed and work is
moving along at full speed – as it has to in order for us to complete the
section. Station spacing is tightening up a bit as we enter a new basin and the
influence of Southern Ocean water masses at depth flowing north above the
rise.

As we approached the crest on the eastern flank of the East Pacific Rise we
encountered the rough topography that all the other P06 lines found, and
were able to make good use of earlier underway bathymetry and etopo1 to
anticipate station locations. This was a good exercise for the CTD
watchstanders, who now had to consider depth, in case we needed to move
the station somewhat to avoid seamounts as much as was practical.

As I write this Irma is making her way up the west coast of Florida. The
recent natural disasters in Texas and presently in Florida are on the minds of
those onboard who have family and friends in harms way. Our thoughts are
with them and we all hope for safe passage and recovery back home.