NOAA Teacher at Sea Bill Lindquist Aboard NOAA Ship Rainier May 6-16, 2013
Mission: Hydrographic surveys between Ketchikan and Petersburg, Alaska Date: April 24, 2013
Pre-cruise Log
I am absolutely thrilled at this truly unique opportunity to join a team of scientists aboard NOAA’s research vessel Rainier conducting hydrographic surveys through the Teacher at Sea program.
I am a teacher and have been for the last 34 years. It is a great career. My students have changed over time from my own fifth grade classroom in rural Minnesota, to a science specialist at Crossroads Elementary in the urban core of Saint Paul, to teaching graduate pre-service students at Hamline University. The unifying weave in my teaching fabric has been the creation of learning environments supportive of a collaborative, student-centered, community of learners. Woven into that professional cloth are the fibers of guiding high school kids on canoe trips into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, escorting my elementary students to a residential environmental learning center (Audubon Center of the North Woods), contributing authentic scientific data through GLOBE, visiting community schools in Ghana, flying our sixth grade students’ investigation in a microgravity environment through NASA’s Reduced Gravity Flight program, softening the reluctance of pre-service students to see themselves as teachers of science – exciting them to engage their students in the kind of science learning that strikes at the core of what makes us human, and all the myriad interactions with hundreds of young people as we have shared together in the joy of learning.
Something that has eluded me during my career has been the kind of extended immersion into the doing of science that I expect from this program. I applied six years ago without success. Being gifted this time with this Teacher at Sea opportunity is a realization of a multiple long-held visions, including:
Immersion into the doing of science. I am excited to be able to share with my students the first hand experience of being in the scientist role in the practice of doing science in the field – in a more real and felt way than the doing of science we experience in an elementary science lab.
Being at sea. I feel at home in a canoe and grew up with a love of being on the water. Seems the Rainier is bigger than my 16.5’ Old Town Penobscot. Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes, but a far, far way from the vast expanse of the ocean. With the increasing need to understand the vital impact the oceans play in the global climate systems directly impacting the day-to-day life on the Minnesota prairie, I am excited to bring home first hand experience.
Exploring Alaska – the grandeur of the Ketchikan Gateway is spectacularly breathtaking. I have little desire for a tourist cruise – seeing Alaska (albeit a small part) through the eyes of a researcher is thrilling. Though our focus will be viewing the bottom of the ocean – I will be deliberate in taking the time to look up to capture the grandeur of the surrounding landscape. I once had a fascinating conversation with Dan Barry, NASA astronaut, as we prepared for our reduced gravity flight. He told of many astronauts so intently focused on their work during a space walk that, once home, were unable to describe the incredible view impeded only by the visor of their space helmet. In response, he scripted into his program specific commands to look out and “make a memory”. I have little doubt I will not need a reminder to look up from the sonar data collections screen to make memories while cruising through the Gateway. I have my camera ready and fully expect my pictures to run beyond 1000.
I look forward to sharing this grand adventure. Specifically, I hope to share the story with my current class at Hamline. The semester ends while I am at sea, so facilitation of learning will happen while I am on board. They have patiently lived the experience of my acceptance as an alternate while anxiously waiting word of a cruise, to the excitement of successfully being placed aboard the Rainier. I will be working with a former colleague at Crossroads Elementary in Saint Paul, MN to vicariously take her class on an exploration of the ocean bottom off the coast of Alaska. I also hope to share the journey with my grandson, Logan’s class at Westwood Elementary in Traverse City, MI.
In a short week and a bit (May 4) I fly out of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul airport to begin this grand adventure. I can’t wait.
So thankful for all the support of a loving familyHad a chance to fly our sixth graders’ experiment in a reduced gravity environmentIn love with the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
NOAA Teacher at Sea
Kaci Heins
Aboard NOAA Ship Rainier September 17 — October 7, 2011
Farewell Alaska
Mission: Hydrographic Survey Geographical Area: Alaskan Coastline, the Inside Passage Date: Friday, October 7, 2011
Weather Data from the Bridge
Clouds: Partly Cloudy 1/8
Visibility: 10+ Nautical Miles
Wind: 4 knots
Temperature
Dry Bulb: 8.5 degrees Celsius
Barometer: 1018.5 millibars
Latitude: 54.47 degrees North
Longitude: -132.32 degrees West
Science and Technology Log
One of the Main Engines
Every day we tend to take for granted the simple things in life such as having electricity to power to charge our cell phones, to be able to turn on the water whenever we need a drink, or to make sure the toilets flush in the restroom. When we are on a ship at sea for a long period of time, it is important that all of these systems that impact of our daily life are functioning properly. We cannot take an extension cord and run it from the port to wherever we are heading so that we have electricity. The Rainier, like any other ship, is like a floating city and is self-sufficient in its abilities to generate its own electricity, create and store its own fresh water, process its own sewage, and still get to where it needs to go.
There are two 12 cylinder two-cycle diesel engines that power the ship. Each engine is geared independently to individual propeller shafts. This means that the ship can actually be steered by adjusting the pitch or “bite” of the propellers. The average speed for the Rainier from these engines is about 12 knots. Power is generated on the ship through two 415 kilowatt, 450 volt, 3 phase, 60 cycle generators, which are driven by the diesel engines. The generated voltage is stepped down through transformers to supply the 120-volt power for lighting, appliances, and electronic equipment on the ship. The heat rejection from the diesel engines is also used for the evaporators which help produce the ships water.
Engine for the Generator
There are two water storage tanks that can hold up to 8390 gallons of water. This amount of water will only last us a couple of days because the ship uses about 2000 gallons of water a day. There are two flash type distilling plants that generate our potable water, which converts sea water into our fresh water for the ship. They are able to convert around 6000 gallons of fresh water a day for all of the needs of the ship. Hot water and steam for our needs are provided by two pressurized hot water boilers that use diesel fuel to heat the water up to around 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
Hot Water Boiler
All of these various systems and machinery are the lifeblood of the ship. They help provide the basic needs for the crew in order to survive for long periods of time at sea and for the ship to fulfill its mission. Without the engineers monitoring and maintaining the ships equipment we could not accomplish the tasks required of the ship . There is extensive amounts of hands-on experience and training that comes with this territory of keeping the ship alive. This training can come from collegiate academies, prior military service, trade schools, or wanting to come into an entry-level position to experience life at sea.
*Special thanks to Cliff Elsner for giving me an extensive tour of the engine room and helping me share this information about the heart of the ship.
Personal Log
Rainbow During a Survey
It’s funny how a person adapts to their environment over time. I was so excited to be going to Alaska to take part in this experience, but I had no idea what it would be like or how much I would learn. Noises that were beyond annoying at the beginning of the trip become a constant humming that the Rainier shares each day. The vibrations and gentle sway that would keep you up until the wee hours of the morning, start to rock you to sleep each night in preparation for the days work ahead. However, there are times when she may want to rock, but the Pacific Ocean wants you to roll. Then there isn’t much sleep to be had. The weather would like to break the Rainier, but she is a floating fortress of steel that continues on knowing there is a job to be done. It is a constant rhythm with this ship. The waves keep time and rarely does anyone miss a beat. The pulse and the life of the ship stay in complete sync. With everyone doing their part we come to the finale as we finish the last day of work and pull into port. There is a welcomed intermission between journeys as we head into Ketchikan, Alaska.
I did see a moose in Alaska!
I am so grateful for this experience to see Alaska, to see the wildlife, and to see what hydrographic surveying is all about. However, I never imagined I would meet so many wonderful people on this ship. Each person I came in contact with had wonderful characteristics, personalities, and skills to share. I admire what each person has to contribute from every department on the ship. If they were not here then the ship would not function to its fullest potential and complete its mission. I am thankful for each handshake, each ear to ear smile, the jokes played on each other and myself, the hearty laughter at dinner that keeps us all sane, the hugs of support, the high fives of accomplishment, but most importantly the many lessons that you have taught me that I will keep with me for a lifetime. I love this ship, I love this crew, and I loved this experience. Thank you to everyone that made this possible.
NOAA Teacher at Sea
Kaci Heins Aboard NOAA Ship Rainier September 17 — October 7, 2011
Heading Back to the Rainier After Shoreline Verification
Mission: Hydrographic Survey Geographical Area: Alaskan Coastline, the Inside Passage Date: Thursday, September 29, 2011
Weather Data from the Bridge
Clouds: Overcast/Drizzle/Rain
Visibility: 2 Nautical Miles
Wind: 15 knots
Temperature
Dry Bulb: 8.2 degrees Celsius
Barometer: 1001.1 millibars
Latitude: 55.42 degrees North
Longitude: -133.45 degrees West
Science and Technology
Waterfall on Shore
When we are out on a launch acquiring data there are so many beautiful shorelines to see. From far away they look inviting, but in reality there are usually numerous boat hazards lurking below or on the shoreline. I have written a lot about the hydrographic survey aspect of this mission and how it is important to ships so that they can navigate safely.
However, when we are out on a survey launch the first priority is safety of the crew, the boat, and the technology. This means that we normally do not go anywhere that is shallower than about eight meters. Consequently, this leaves areas near the shore that is not surveyed and leaves holes in the chart data. This is where shoreline verification comes in using single beam sonar. However, since the launch with the single beam is not operational at this time we have been using the multibeam instead. The Marine Chart Division (MCD) gives the Rainier specific items that need to be identified because they are considered Dangers to Navigation, or they need to be noted that they do not exist. The MCD compiles a priority list of features that come from numerous sources such as cruise ships, aircraft pilots, and other boats that have noted that there may be a danger to navigation in a certain area. Many of these charts have not been updated since they were created in the early 1900’s or never charted at all!
Before we leave the Sheet Manager and the Field Operations Officer (FOO) come up with a plan for what shoreline they want to verify for the day. A plan must be made because there is a small window to acquire the information needed to satisfy the requests of the Marine Chart Division. The shoreline verifications must be done at Mean Low or Low Water. This means that it has to be done when the average low tide of each day comes around, which has been in the early morning and afternoon for us.
Shoreline 4 Meter Curve
Using the launches we head up to what is called the four meter curve. This curve is the limit to where we can go during meal low or low water. If we get any shallower or move closer to the shore then we will put everyone and everything in danger on the boat. We bring with us a camera to document the features, a clinometer, which allows us to document headings and angles, a laser range finder, charts that they can draw and note features on, and their computer software. Once we get underway and arrive to our first rock that we have to document, the officers make sure they maintain good communication with the coxswain, or boat driver. We make sure we circle everything in a counterclockwise motion so that he can see everything off to his starboard, or right side as we move. We can see the rock become exposed as the waves move over it, but the tricky part is getting as close to it as possible without hitting it. This is so we can get a precise location as possible for the chart. Our coxswain was very experienced so we were able to get right next to it for photos, the heading, and to drop a target, or the location, in the software.
Notes Documenting Various Features
The rest of our shoreline verification was a lot less intense as we confirmed that there was a lot of kelp around the rocks, the shoreline, and specific rocks were in the correct place. LT Gonsalves, the Hydrographer-in-Charge (HIC), showed me how he draws some of the features on his chart and makes notes about whether the features are there or not. I took photos and noted the photo numbers for the chart, as well as the range and height of various features. Shoreline verification is very important for nautical charts so that ships and their passengers know exactly where dangers to navigation lie. It takes 120 days from the final sounding for all the data to get submitted to the Hydrographic Survey Division. From there the information gets looked over by numerous agencies until about 2 years later the updated chart is available. This is quite a long time to wait for changes in dangers to navigation. To be safe, the chart stays the same even if there is not a dangerous rock lurking around at mean low or low water. It is best to just avoid the area and err on the side of caution. There is still a lot of work to be done in Alaska that will take many, many years to complete. However, it is thanks to hydrographic ships like the Rainier and its crew that get the job done.
Personal Log
NASA SOHO Image of Solar Wind and the Magnetic Field
Tonight was very special because we could actually see an aurora, or the northern lights, in the night sky. An aurora is a natural light display in the arctic and antarctic, which is caused by the collision of charged particles in the upper atmosphere. Auroras start way back about 93 million miles (or 1 astronomical unit– AU) at the sun. When the sun is active, usually due to coronal mass ejections, it releases energetic particles into space with the very hot solar wind. These particles travel very quickly over those 93 million miles until they reach the Earth’s magnetic field. Most of these energetic particles are deflected around the Earth, but some get trapped in the magnetic field and are moved along towards the polar regions until they strike the atmosphere. We knew there were possibilities to see an aurora while we were anchored, but usually it has been cloudy at night so we couldn’t see the stars. However, on the 27th Officer Manda came through saying he had seen the lights. Low and behold there was a green glow in the sky behind some clouds and a couple of times some of the energized particles made bands across the sky. If there hadn’t been so many clouds I think it would have been even more spectacular, but I was so glad I did get to see them. Very quickly, more clouds moved in and it was just a green glow on the horizon. I also was able to see the milky way in all its glory and the brightest shooting star I have ever seen. These amazing photos of the aurora were taken by Ensign Manda and I am very grateful he was willing to share.
Aurora and Shooting Star Courtesy of Ensign MandaAurora in Alaska Courtesy of Ensign Manda
Click HERE for a link to a neat animation of how an aurora is formed.
NOAA Teacher at Sea
Kaci Heins Aboard NOAA Ship Rainier September 17 — October 7, 2011
Mrs. Heins Acquiring Data For The Hydrographic Survey
Mission: Hydrographic Survey Geographical Area: Alaskan Coastline, the Inside Passage Date: Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Weather Data from the Bridge
Clouds: Overcast
Visibility: 10 Nautical Miles
Wind: 10.40 knots
Temperature
Dry Bulb: 11.3 degrees Celsius
Barometer: 1000.1 millibars
Latitude: 55.28 degrees North
Longitude: -133.68 degrees West
Science and Technology
I have received many questions from students asking “What is hydrography?”. According to the International Hydrographic Organization,hydrography is “the branch of applied science which deals with the measurement and description of the physical features of the navigable portion of the earth’s surface [seas] and adjoining coastal areas, with special reference to their use for the purpose of navigation.” Lets break that word down to find the meanings of the prefixes and suffixes using dictionary.com.
hydro – means water,
graph – means to write or chart
graphy – means the science or process of recording
Another question I have received is what is a hydrographic survey? Most of the surveys that you may have heard of are used on land. For example, construction workers may survey a site before they start construction, or you may take a survey at school about what types of food you would like in the cafeteria. Any kind of survey is the acquiring of information that is used for various purposes. In the case of a hydrographic survey, the technicians acquire and chart information about the sea floor. I was fortunate enough to go out on a survey launch to see that a hydrographic survey is conducted using sonar to look through the water to see what the sea floor actually looks like.
Launch Boat
The boat that NOAA uses to conduct the surveys is called a launch. This means we use a large motorboat to get to where we need to go. It costs tens of thousands of dollars a day to operate the Rainier, her launches, and the technology. It is the technology that allows scientists to be able to “see” through the water to map what the ocean floor actually looks like. The first, and most important, piece of technology on the launch that enables us to “see” the sea floor is the sonar. Sonar(SOund NAvigation and Ranging) is the process of using sound waves to bounce off objects we cannot see and then acquiring the return sound to create an image. However, it does get a little more complicated than that. There are two different types of sonar that the NOAA National Ocean Service (NOS) goes into detail about.
1) Active Sonar – Transmits a pulse or acoustic sound into the water. If the sound pulse hits an object in its path, such as the sea floor, then the sound bounces off and returns an “echo” to the sonar receiver. By determining the round-trip travel time between the emission of the sound pulse and its reception, the transducer can determine the range (how far away) and orientation (location) of the object. The formula for this is
Distance = (two way travel time x speed of sound through water) / 2
2) Passive Sonar – Is a sonar system that does not emit its own signal, but listens to sound waves coming towards it.
Multibeam Sonar
Both the Rainier and the smaller launches have both active sonar called multibeam sonar. Multibeam sonar sends out numerous sound waves from directly beneath the ship on the boat’s hull that fans out its coverage over the seafloor. This coverage is called a “swath”. Before we leave the ship to head out on the launches we have a briefing to go over the weather, safety, and any other important information for the coxswains, scientists, or crew. We also get a plan for the day for what polygons, or areas we have to survey. On our way we turn on some of the expensive (and top secret!) technology called the Position and Attitude System (POS). This technology collects the vessels motion data (roll, pitch, and yaw), that later will be incorporated into the Caris software that produces the final chart. The multibeam transmits around 512
Polygon Coverage Area for the Day
beams each second. The frequency of the sound waves depends on the depths that we are working in. We worked in waters that were around 50 meters deep so we used the 400 kilohertz frequency. However, if we would have been working in deeper water we would have gone to 200 kilohertz. By lengthening the wavelength the beams can travel into deeper water with less error or scattering.
Before we start acquiring data we make sure to have good communication with the coxswain, or driver, of the boat. It is extremely important that there is good communication and that the coxswain can maintain their heading and speed throughout the polygon so that the data can be collected without too many errors.
Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth Cast
We want to make sure we only go about 6-8 knots so that the sonar echo has time to make it back up to the receiver and we can collect good data. The scientists also conduct a CTD cast before we start and every four hours while they collect data. CTD stands for Conductivity (or salinity), Temperature, and Depth (pressure). The data from the CTD can be used to calculate the speed of sound through water. All of these factors can cause errors in the survey data so scientists need to collect this information so that the finished product has fewer errors and depths can be corrected from the sonar. Other features that can cause errors in the data are bubbles, vegetation such as kelp, schools of fish, and the type of material that is on the sea floor. For example, if the sea floor consists of a softer material it won’t reflect the sonar beams back as well.
To collect the survey data we basically drive the launch back and forth over our assigned polygons with the multibeam sonar. This is sometimes called “mowing the lawn” or “painting the bottom”. When we get to one edge of the polygon we stop logging data, turn around, and make a new swath as close as we can to the previous one and continue collecting data. We cover around 50 nautical miles each day collecting data with the overall goal to collect the best data quality that we can during our acquisition.
As we head back to the Rainier all the computer data is downloaded from the day and is later transferred to the plot room. This is where survey technicians add all the other information and make corrections to the data such as tides, vessel motion (POS), GPS, sound velocity from the CTD, and other programs so that the data is as accurate as possible. Technicians still must go through and clean out “noise” which is scattering of some of the data. The finished survey chart is sent to the Pacific Hydrographic Branch for post processing and quality assurance.
What We Surveyed Today!
Personal Log
In my last blog I wrote about how math skills are very important not only as a strong skill needed on a NOAA ship, but also as a life-long skill. As I continue learning more about hydrography I have also found that computer skills are extremely valuable in this work environment. Most people have basic computer skills to check email and run office programs, but out here it takes a little more. There is quite a bit of training that the survey technicians and the NOAA Corps officers must go through to learn about all the different software that collects data and then using more software to combine them to make the finished hydro chart. Numerous hours of collecting data, combining data, cleaning data and finishing projects all have a significant amount of work done by or at a computer. Everyone from the captain to the junior officers must know how to use it and how to troubleshoot when things don’t work right. It is not as easy as picking up the phone and calling customer service. Minds among the ship must come together to solve problems when they arise.
Using the Computer to Collect Survey Data
While underway whether it is on the ship or on one of the launches the high seas are always around. At first they made me nervous because I was afraid I would get sick. However, it has turned out to be quite the opposite! Whenever the seas get rough I actually start to get sleepy as we sway back and forth! Usually, we are so busy that there isn’t time to take a nap so I’m learning to work through it. Going along those lines of being busy, there are usually no breaks during the weekends. In most people’s lives the weekend is time to take a break, hang out with family and friends, and sometimes do absolutely nothing at all. Out here on a working ship this is not the case. The NOAA ships have to meet certain deadlines and with some of their past major repairs, time has been ticking away with not much work being done. This means when Saturdays and Sundays roll around at the end of the week we keep on working like a regular day. I have the utmost respect for all of the crew, scientists, and officers that spend their time out here working for weeks straight. It is not an easy lifestyle, but they are committed to it and I admire them and their strength.
NOAA Teacher at Sea
Kaci Heins Aboard NOAA Ship Rainier September 17 — October 7, 2011
Mission: Hydrographic Survey Geographical Area: Alaskan Coastline, the Inside Passage Date: Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Mrs. Heins at the Helm
Weather Data From The Bridge
Clouds: Overcast
Visibility: 4 miles
Wind: 20 kts
Waves: 0-1 feet
Temperature
Dry Bulb: 11.7 degrees Celsius
Barometer: 1000.1 millibars
Latitude: 55 degrees North
Longitude: 133 degrees West
Science and Technology Log
Launch Lowered Into The Water
Today was the first day that the survey launches left the Rainier to install and recover benchmarks and a tidal gauge. The weather was not great and the crew had a lot of work to do so I was not able to go with them this time. A benchmark is a small brass disk with information inscribed on it that relates to the station it represents. The benchmark holds the height of the datum. The purpose of setting a tide gauge is to measure the water level. The water level information is used to reduce the bathymetric data acquired to the chart datum (mean lower-low water, MLLW). Finding benchmarks has become quite popular through the hobby of geocaching. This is where participants use latitude and longitude within Global Positioning Systems (GPS) as a way to hunt down “treasures” hidden by other participants. This also includes finding benchmarks.
I’ve been trying to head up to the bridge as much as I can to learn as much as I can during this Teacher at Sea experience. The first time I went up at night I had no idea about the environment that the officers work in on the bridge. At night the officers on the bridge actually work in complete darkness. All of the computer screens have dimmers or red filters so that the least amount of light affects their eyes in the darkness. The reason it is so dark is because the officers need to be able to see the lighted navigation buoys to stay on course and to spot the lights of other ships that are heading in our direction. There are also one or two deck personnel that are lookouts either on the flying bridge or bow to keep watch for ships, lights, and other objects that could potentially be a hazard to the Rainier. A flying bridge is usually an open area above an enclosed bridge where the ship’s officers have a good view of everything around the front and sides of the ship. We are traveling through the Inside Passage off the Southeastern coast of Alaska, which is extremely narrow in some places along the way. This means that it is very important that the officers know exactly where they are and what is around them.
Personal Log
Anchor's Away!
I have been able to do some other neat tasks on the ship while the majority of the crew were out on their launches. We finally were able to find a place to anchor at Ulloa Channel because we had a good “bite” with the anchor–it is protected somewhat from the weather we are dealing with, and it is close to our tide station. They also let me run out some chain for the anchor and I was able to practice using the crane on the ship. However, the best part so far has been being at the helm, or the steering gear of the ship. I will admit I was pretty nervous the first time I grabbed the wheel because it was at night so I couldn’t see hardly anything. Today, the officer of the deck (OOD) let me at the helm again because we were in open water. When I am at the helm I have to watch my gyro-heading, which shows me true North, and my magnetic compass, which is more of a back up if the electronic gyro-heading fails. If I have a heading of 150 then I have to make tiny adjustments or corrections to try and stay on or close to that number as possible. Even when I make the tiniest adjustment I can see how much the ship moves. I did start getting the hang of it and one officer even said he had never seen a visitor do so well!
One other item that I will mention in this blog is that the weather in Alaska during this time of year is overcast, rainy, and cold.
Beautiful Scenery Along the Inside Passage
However, going into this I had an idea of what to expect and I enjoy the fact that I get to see the non-glamorous side of this type of work. It does not matter if it is rainy, cold, what you are wearing, or what you look like because there is a job to do. It has been overcast every day, but the pine trees are amazing shades of green and the pictures do not do them justice. We have also had 15 foot waves and 115 knot wind (this is the same as a category 3 hurricane!). The wind didn’t bother me as much as the waves did. I thought it was fun for the first 30 minutes, but then I had to lie down for a while because I wasn’t feeling too well. I never threw up, but it did become uncomfortable. Now that we are anchored and have stopped moving I feel funny because my body has been used to moving around so much for the past three days. I sure hope I don’t get land sickness when I am done with this cruise!
Student Questions Answered: Here are student questions answered about feeding so many people on a boat over 3 weeks time.
Animals Seen
Puffins
Questions of the Day
We experienced 115 knot winds Monday night. What category hurricane would that be the equivalent to? Use the website if you need help.
