Tag: North Pacific

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JoAnne Kronberg, July 19, 2005

NOAA Teacher at Sea
JoAnne Kronberg
Onboard NOAA Ship Rainier
July 12 – 22, 2005

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical Area: North Pacific
Date: July 19, 2005

Weather Data
Waves: 8ft during the day diminishing to 6 ft in the evening
Winds:  NW 25-39 knots

Science and Technology Log

We arrived at Mitrofania Island at about 5:00 am and anchored in Cushing Bay.  Our mission today was to do a Tide Station Installment.  The National Water Level Observation Network operates 175 continuous observatory stations in the U.S. coastal zone and the Great Lakes. All are equipped with satellite radios.  Of course, a Tide Station would only be placed in the coastal areas that are affected by tides.  Water Level Stations operate in the Great Lakes.

We had to replace the Tide Station in Cushing Bay.  The sensor that is installed is called a Bubbler Orifice. It is anchoring to the bottom of the bay and is powered by a long tube that is filled with Nitrogen gas.  Two divers went down to anchor the Bubbler and attach the tube. Meanwhile, other people in another launch were setting up a Tide Staff.  A Tide Staff is just a long stick that is marked with levels like a yardstick.  The Tide Staff has to be set up to correspond with the Bench Marks that have been already determined.  The Bench Marks may be located at different sea levels.  Both the Bubbler Orifice and the Tide Staff have to be at the same sea level to be accurate.

After the Bubbler Orifice is established and the Tide Staff is set up, we started taking the readings from these two sources. Readings were taken every 6 minutes for a period of one hour. If the readings after an hour are not the same, then the Bubbler Orifice has to be adjusted.

The data collected by the Bubbler Orifice is transmitted to the Data Collection Platform.  In turn, this information is transmitted to no less than four satellites and to the National Geodetic Survey.

The work today has taken most of the day.  We will stay anchored in Cushing Bay tonight. Early tomorrow morning, Wednesday, we will start cruising toward Chiniak Bay.

It was a very educational day and the weather was fantastic.  Thank you for this opportunity.

JoAnne Kronberg Teacher-at-Sea

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Tamil Maldonado, July 18, 2005

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Tamil Maldonado
Onboard NOAA Ship Fairweather
July 18 – 28, 2005

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical Area: North Pacific
Date: July 18, 2005

Personal Log

Today we did not get out of port. We were supposed to sail this morning, but there were a few problems we needed to take care of.  First, the scientists’ equipments did not come to the ship on time.  Second there was a problem with the fuel pier.

I read the Standing Orders and saw a video about FAIRWEATHER Ship.  Both helped me to understand some rules, daily duties, safety information, and hierarchy of people and their positions in the ship.  For example, the highest position in the ship is called Commanding Officer (CO),  then we have the Executive Officer (XO), Officer of the Deck (OOD) and Officer In Charge (OIC).

I also learned some concepts that are well used in the ship.  Some of these concepts are brow, galley, bridge, fantail, etc.

I got to know people in the ship and scientists that were part of ECO- FOCI research.  ECO-FOCI stands for Ecosystem and Fisheries- Oceanography Coordinated Investigation.  It is the first time these scientists are on FAIRWEATHER ship since the boat it is mostly used for Hydrographic work.

After the scientists got their equipment (sent from Seattle), they installed machinery, nets, and computers.  It took a long time to do this.

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Tamil Maldonado, July 17, 2005

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Tamil Maldonado
Onboard NOAA Ship Fairweather
July 18 – 28, 2005

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical Area: North Pacific
Date: July 17, 2005

Personal Log

I was supposed to fly on July 15 at 9:40 a.m. by United Airlines, going from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Chicago, then from Chicago to Anchorage, Alaska; and finally from Anchorage to Kodiak. All the same day.

Well… this is what really happened. I woke up at 5:00 a.m., traveled from Humacao to San Juan, got in there at 7:30 a.m., and United Airlines attendant told me the flight got cancelled. They changed my airline to American Airlines departing at 1:30 p.m., therefore I was not going to get to Kodiak that same day.

I checked my bags with American Airlines… sending them to Anchorage.  My flight with American got delayed for two and a half hours; therefore I missed my flight from Chicago to Anchorage. I had to stay in Chicago one night with no bags, leaving to Anchorage the next day in the afternoon.

July 16 at noon I was back in O’Hare Airport in Chicago.  My flight was again delayed for an hour. I got to Anchorage with no place to stay.  My flight to Kodiak was going to be for the next day, July 17, in the afternoon. It was 2:30 a.m. in the morning and I still couldn’t find a place to stay. Every hotel was packed, no place to go. Finally somebody cancelled their hotel reservation and I stayed at the Johnson Howard Hotel.

During this time I kept calling Elizabeth McMahon, the XO Lieutenant E.J. Van den Ameele, the hotel at Kodiak called the Buskin River Inn, and my family to let everybody know about my locations.

I got to Kodiak on July 17, 2005 at approximately 5:00 p.m.  I e-mailed the XO and found a taxi to drive me to NOAA’s boat.  I came into the boat, they gave me some paperwork and forms (emergency information and NOAA Ship FAIRWEATHER visitor orientation packet). I got to know few people on the boat: Abigail, Daniel, and Mark.  Abigail showed me around the ship including my cabin room, the galley (kitchen), the different decks (floors), the lounge, computer labs, the bridge, etc.

I went to downtown Kodiak and got back to the hotel.

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JoAnne Kronberg, July 16, 2005

NOAA Teacher at Sea
JoAnne Kronberg
Onboard NOAA Ship Rainier
July 12 – 22, 2005

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical Area: North Pacific, Gulf of Alaska
Date: July 16, 2005

Weather Data
Winds:  Southwest at 20 knots
Waves: 7 feet
By tonight, the winds should become totally west at 20 knots the wave height should drop to 6 feet.

Science and Technology Log

We have finally gotten across the Gulf of Alaska and tomorrow will begin some real work again. We entered the Shelikoff Strait and will proceed toward the vicinity of the Semidi Islands.  Our goal is to reach Mitrofania Island by Tuesday morning.

The Plotting Room on the NOAA ship RAINIER

Today I spent my day in the Plotting Room with one of the navigators named Brent.  He showed me how they use the information we accumulated on July 13 while on Launch #5 in Barrows Bay. On that day we were surveying two different sections by the multi-line sensors. As the beams were sent out, they recorded whatever was in the water and on the bottom to the computer on the launch.  This information was also transmitted to the proper program on a computer on the RAINIER.  Now the technologists, interns, scientists and engineers analyze the information as it appears on the computer screens.  Daily, already programmed into the computer, are the variations that will change such as the tides, currents and temperatures. In this way, the information is as accurate as possible. By observing the screens, the scientists, plotters and hydrographers can chart the depths, obstacles,(such as crab pots or rocks), temperatures and currents.  All of this information is plotted on paper charts for all navigators and ship captains, whether their ships are owned by the United States, commercial enterprises or private sailors.

The men and women who do this work have varied backgrounds and education.  Some are mechanical engineers, geography scientists, geologist, interns and college students who are learning hydrography.

That’s it from the RAINIER JoAnne Kronberg Teacher-at-Sea

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JoAnne Kronberg, July 15, 2005

NOAA Teacher at Sea
JoAnne Kronberg
Onboard NOAA Ship Rainier
July 12 – 22, 2005

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical Area: North Pacific
Date: July 15, 2005

Weather Data
Latitude:  55N
Longitude: 144W
Winds:  55 knots
Sea Wave Height: 7-8 feet
Wave Swells are from the Southwest
Cloud cover: Totally overcast with occasional showers (no storms)

Science and Technology Log

The Officers, Intern officers, Survey crew and Engineering Staff are working all day producing the charts from the technological information we compiled from the work we did on the launches on Tuesday and Wednesday. It is very careful and detail-oriented type of work. They often work together to “bounce” ideas off of each other.

Today, I took the NOAA Security Awareness Course.  It was very long. It took me over an hour to complete it, but I learned a great deal.  At the end of the course, I took the test and got all of the answers correct.  I must have been paying attention!  Now I know how to make my own computer at home more secure and what to look for.

That’s it for today.

JoAnne Kronberg Teacher-at-Sea