Stephanie Wally

September 9, 2005March 18, 2021

Stephanie Wally, September 9, 2005

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Stephanie Wally
Onboard NOAA Ship Rainier
August 29 – September 10, 2005

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical Area: Eastern Prince William Sound, Alaska
Date: September 9, 2005

Weather Data from Bridge

Time: 0600
Cloud Cover: Partly Cloudy
Visibility: 10 nm (nautical miles)
Wind: 12 knots
Sea Wave Height: 0-1ft
Swell Wave Height: 0
Sea Water Temperature: 12.2°C
Sea Level Pressure: 1022.8 mb (millibars)
Temperature: 11.7°C

Science and Technology Log

Early this morning at 4:35 am, RAINIER and her crew got underway for Valdez. My twelve days aboard the ship have gone by quickly, and I am excited about all the experiences I will have to take back to my students. The photo below depicts one of my favorite parts of the hydrographic mission: taking launches out into the sound to survey the seafloor. During these workdays, the crewmembers took the time to train me on how the ELAC and RESON sonar work. I was able to actually participate in all of the ship’s data collection and operations. One of the most interesting software programs I had the opportunity to use was the HYPAC program that helps guide the coxswain of the boat. The technology and equipment are key elements in the current data collection and analysis surrounding hydrography.

During informal interviews with crewmembers, I learned a great deal about the logistics and planning of a two-week survey such as this one. Most of the crew resides in or around Seattle where the ship will remain during the winter. During this time, officers will write their reports on the survey, data will be processed in Seattle, then delivered to Silver Springs, MD where nautical charts will be updated. The Captain of RAINIER, Commander Guy Noll, gave me another insight into the purpose for this project. The data collected could be used in the future to better understand ecosystems, fish habitats and other aspects of the hydro “big picture.” NOAA collects and organizes the data for the maritime community, as well as for future scientific investigations.

I feel very fortunate that I was given this opportunity to take part in a leg of RAINIER’s journey. It is interesting to think that on Monday, I will be back to school with my students, while RAINIER and her crew will be getting underway for the next leg of the survey back to the Columbia Glacier, then on to Juneau. I’m sure their future missions will go smoothly, as did this one, considering the competence and dedication of the crew. With my plane leaving early tomorrow morning, I now have a little bit of time to go explore the town of Valdez, take some final pictures, and hang out with some of the new friends I made aboard RAINIER.

September 6, 2005March 18, 2021

Stephanie Wally, September 6, 2005

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Stephanie Wally
Onboard NOAA Ship Rainier
August 29 – September 10, 2005

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical Area: Eastern Prince William Sound, Alaska
Date: September 6, 2005

Ensign Stevenson collects multi-beam bathymetric data from the launch

Weather Data from Bridge

Time: 0800
Cloud Cover: Low Clouds, Stratocumulus
Visibility: 10 nm (nautical miles)
Wind Direction: 60°
Sea Wave Height: 0’
Swell Wave Height: 0’
Sea Water Temperature: 11.7°C
Sea Level Pressure: 1013.5 mb (millibars)
Temp: 11.1°C

Science and Technology Log

This morning, I barely had time to scarf down a delicious breakfast sandwich before heading out on one of the skiffs with Ensigns Gonsalves, Hauser, and Pounds. All of the officers have science/math/engineering degrees that provide them with the necessary background to complete NOAA’s hydrographic objectives. It was a crisp morning, with fresh snow on the Chugach mountaintops. Speeding out on the uncovered skiff can get very cold if you’re not dressed warmly. Goggles, hoods, gloves, and a thermos of coffee helped keep us warm. The two-hour morning mission consisted of monitoring horizontal and vertical control, and monitoring the tide station. Since Ensign Hauser is a tides officer aboard RAINIER, she is in charge of recording observations and making sure gauges are operating properly. With the data and observations recorded, water depth will be calculated. The horizontal and vertical control teams are responsible for establishing accurate latitude and longitude coordinates for soundings taken by RAINIER and the launches.

In the afternoon we got underway back toward Boulder Bay. During the transit, another visitor on the ship during this leg, Kyle Ward, and I reflected on the Exxon Valdez oil spill that occurred on March 24, 1989. Mr. Ward is a physical scientist who annually works aboard the RAINIER with hydro projects. We agreed that, considering the fact that the oil spill was the largest and most destructive to have happened in the U.S., Bligh Reef and the sound show barely a trace of this spill today. The spill, estimated to have killed 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles, 22 killer whales, and billions of fish eggs, drastically affected many species and the entire sound ecosystem. Fortunately, this habitat has been recovering during the past fifteen years. Today, oil is still present on some shores and remains trapped beneath rocks.

Answer to yesterday’s question of the day: The Alaskan Earthquake of 1964

September 5, 2005March 18, 2021

Stephanie Wally, September 5, 2005

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Stephanie Wally
Onboard NOAA Ship Rainier
August 29 – September 10, 2005

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical Area: Eastern Prince William Sound, Alaska
Date: September 5, 2005

Weather Data from Bridge

Time: 1800
Cloud Cover: Low Clouds
Visibility: 5 nm (nautical miles)
Wind: Light Airs
Sea Wave Height: 0’
Swell Wave Height: 0’
Sea Water Temperature: 12.2°C
Sea Level Pressure: 1006.5 mb (millibars)
Temperature: 12.8°C

Science and Technology Log

It’s always exciting to consult the Plan of the Day and find out you’re assigned to go out on a launch from 0800-1630! Here on the RAINIER, boats are deployed daily from the ship to collect seafloor data. The picture below shows how a cast is taken to measure the conductivity, temperature, and depth of the water column. The CTD sensor is lowered to the bottom for two minutes. Once it is recovered using an electronic winch, data is uploaded into the launch computers.

Today we had some minor problems due to moisture seeping in through the launch windows and affecting the computer hardware. Fortunately, we were not far from the ship, and the Electrician Technician, Gary Streeter, was able to fix the problem. With two hours left of our workday on the water, we headed back out to complete more lines. The multi-beam sonar we used collects a “footprint” of the seafloor. Each beam is composed of pings emitted from the sounder that records information below the launch as we transit over a specific imaginary line. Sets of lines are preplanned in advance for the crew of the launch to follow. The data collection process runs smoothly since everything is organized prior to going out on the water.

The emphasis on safety here aboard RAINIER is always apparent. We conduct weekly fire drills and abandon ship drills. My first day on the ship I was issued a Mustang Survival Suit that I donned during the abandon ship drill. Like earthquake and fire drills we conduct in school, these drills are taken seriously and people move quickly to their assigned stations.

After drills, everyone gets right back to work. I am continually impressed how the NOAA crew is able to stay on task throughout the entire leg of the project, without a single day off! Here, it is business as usual for the officers, deckhands, engineers, cooks, and surveyors. For me, I am continually distracted by the scenic beauty, bountiful wildlife, various hydrographic data projects being conducted, and the interesting conversation from others aboard RAINIER. While we don’t have entire days off, there are times in the day where you can go fishing, kayaking, or get together for a weekend beach party. Since the daylight lasts until approximately 9 p.m., there’s lots of time for outdoor recreation and relaxation after dinner.

Answer to previous day’s question: A glaciologist studies glaciers and their movement. Some glaciologists believe that the Columbia Glacier is making its first retreat in 3,000 years!

Question of the Day: What significant geological event took place in Alaska in 1964 that created changes in the crust, topography, and hydrography of the region?

September 3, 2005March 18, 2021

Stephanie Wally, September 3, 2005

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Stephanie Wally
Onboard NOAA Ship Rainier
August 29 – September 10, 2005

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical Area: Eastern Prince William Sound, Alaska
Date: September 3, 2005

Weather Data from Bridge

Science and Technology Log

This evening, after the regular workday and data gathering were complete, some of the crew visited the face of the Columbia Glacier. We headed there in a skiff, driven by Coxswain Carl Verplank. The Columbia Glacier is the Sound’s largest tidal glacier. In 1984 it began to recede, going through a process called “calving.” We were lucky enough to witness this process, as huge chunks of the glacier broke off and plummeted to the water. Fortunately, we were at a far enough distance away not to capsize from the swell. The iceberg pieces that break off do not make a soft “kerplunk” sound, but rather a loud, grinding noise that echoes around the face. As seen in the photo below, the massive glacier towers over our crew and skiff.

I have been onboard for nearly a week now, away from the city, immersed in nature. In contrast to city life in the San Francisco Bay area, wildlife is everywhere here in Prince William Sound. It’s not every day in San Francisco that I see the back of a humpback whale slowly moving through the water, or a Golden Eagle taking off from a nearby rock. In Alaska, these sights are common when one takes the time to observe. On the launch boats, it’s easy to spend time studying the shoreline through binoculars or just listening to the quiet calm of the surrounding water. The ice often makes a crackling noise while it is floating and breaking on the water, giving way to our “icebreaker” skiff.

Also of note in the below photo are the snowy peaks of the Chugach Range, which is one of the most precipitous coastal mountain ranges in the world. As the glacier retreats toward the mountain backdrop, harbor seals and sea otters find new feeding areas, and birds find new places to nest. In class, we will further investigate how the geological process affects ecosystem habitats. NOAA is on the forefront of this exploration since they are the ones collecting the data of the surrounding ocean floor and water depth.

Question of the Day: What is a glaciologist?

August 31, 2005March 18, 2021

Stephanie Wally, August 31, 2005

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Stephanie Wally
Onboard NOAA Ship Rainier
August 29 – September 10, 2005

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical Area: Eastern Prince William Sound, Alaska
Date: August 31, 2005

Weather Data from Bridge

Time: 1400
Cloud Cover: Low Clouds
Visibility: 10 nm (nautical miles)
Wind: 340°, 4 knots
Sea Wave Height: 0’
Swell Wave Height: 0’
Sea Water Temperature: 5.0°C
Sea Level Pressure: 1009.2 mb (millibars)
Temp: 11.7°C

Science and Technology Log

The crew of RAINIER has been upbeat since yesterday’s successful installation of a tide gauge on an island close to the face of the Columbia Glacier. Data from the temporary tide gauge will be collected to analyze changes in water level. It is important to know the water level since other portions of the ship’s current mission depend on surveying the bottom in shallow depths.

The officers, surveyors, divers, coxswains, and crew worked together to ensure all aspects of the gauge were installed and operating correctly. The weather proved to be the biggest challenge in the installation procedure. We had periods of heavy rain, stormy seas, and near-freezing temperatures. Thanks to our foul-weather gear, snack supply, alternating breaks, and sheer dedication of the team, we all returned safe and sound to RAINIER. We were welcomed by the CO, XO, and a warm meal from the galley crew.

Today we returned to the island in fairer weather to take bearings of the NOAA bench marks we laid in the rock. By triangulating the position of each disc, their location can be recorded for future surveying and exploration. Even though Global Positioning System (GPS) technology provides the station location, it is important to have a back up means of finding these bench marks in the future. Who will look after our tidal gauge and bench marks while we continue our transit toward Valdez? Hopefully the harbor seals, otters, and bald eagles!

Answer to yesterday’s question: 180° = South

August 30, 2005March 18, 2021

Stephanie Wally, August 30, 2005

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Stephanie Wally
Onboard NOAA Ship Rainier
August 29 – September 10, 2005

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical Area: Eastern Prince William Sound, Alaska
Date: August 30, 2005

Weather Data from Bridge

Science and Technology Log

Greetings from Prince William Sound, Alaska! My name is Stephanie Wally, and I teach 6^th grade math and science in Oakland, California. For the next two weeks, I will be aboard the NOAA ship RAINIER participating in a hydrographic survey of the Eastern Prince William Sound… charting the seafloor and installing tidal gauges where no man, woman, or vessel has gone before! The exciting adventure began Monday, August 29, when we departed from Seward, Alaska.

The crew, led by our Captain, Commander Noll, and Executive Officer, Commander Neander, helped me get acquainted with life aboard a scientific research vessel. Ensign Laurel Jennings picked me up from the train station and gave me my first tour of the ship. As a visitor on this vessel, I was quick to notice how each individual is constantly focused on their duties that contribute to the completion of the mission. The primary objective of this project is to gather hydrographic survey data that can be used to create accurate charts of south central Alaskan waters. We will be navigating through the waters near the Columbia Glacier, just outside Valdez. What makes this leg of the journey so interesting is that we are charting areas that have never been documented before. Some charts that the NOAA Officers and survey technicians are using were created in the early 1900’s! In the following log entries, I will further explain the ins and outs of hydrography, also known as “hydro” here on the ship. I am looking forward to sharing my experience during this expedition with my students, colleagues, friends, and family.

Question of the day: If 0° is considered NORTH, 90° is EAST, what direction is 180°?