Science Ops off the R/V Neil Armstrong

To all you SSTORM-troopers...thanks for checking out our research. We left Charleston, SC on Wednesday morning and have been working around the clock. We are currently about 20 miles offshore of Cape Hatteras. We have been surveying the seafloor off the coast evaluating geomorphic variations. As this data is collected, we select interesting sites to collect sediment samples using a multi-core device (see photos). The samples will provide insights into the type of sediment depositing and the nature of transport and accumulation. We put together a multi-disciplinary team of scientist for the cruise...the characters (beyond Walsh and I) are:

Erin Field - a microbiologist and will be studying microbes in the water column and surface sediments
Sid Mitra - an organic geochemist evaluating the sources and fate of black carbon on the margin
Mike Muglia - a scientist and PhD student focused on Gulf Stream dynamics
Dave Sybert - focuses on outreach at the UNC CSI

There are also several graduate students (Ryan Gibbons, Ian Conery, Beau Benfield, Caroline Webb) and technicians (Keith Garmire, Trip Taylor) onboard helping get the research done. It is nice getting back out on the "big blue", especially on this brand new global-class research vessel. This cruise is part of a Science Verification process of the new ship. Our objective is to collect data to meet as many of our scientific objective as possible AND to help evaluate processes that are working well on the ship and those that may need some improvement. Although it is a very experienced captain and crew, it is a brand new ship, so just about everything is a "first" for this ship. We are trying to help work out the kinks as we collect our own data. Pretty exciting!

Steaming Out to Sea

This March 16-27, we have a research cruise to study the continental margin off SC and NC in collaboration with scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the USGS.  After loading vehicles at UNC CSI and then ECU, we caravaned to Charleston, SC to meet the R/V Neil Armstrong.  Mobilization onto the ship took a day, and we headed out to sea on March 16th.  The weather has been fair and seas have been calm to start our expedition.

Single Beam Survey off Rodanthe

Keith Garmire (a research technician in the Coastal Processes Program) and I are "mowing the lawn" behind Rodanthe, a small village on the Outer Banks. Mowing the lawn on the water...no I haven't lost my mind. We are measuring the bathymetry (changes in depth) in our study area around the DoT emergency ferry channel. This is done in a grid pattern to get the best data coverage, similar to a pattern you would use when mowing the lawn. This very accurate bathymetric map will be used to help us understand sediment disturbance and transport in this area of Hatteras Flats. That information is critical when evaluating how and where to deposit material removed from the channel in future dredging projects.

This is all part of an interdisciplinary project funded by NCDoT to provide the science necessary to better manage the future of this important waterway.

New CSI Observing Station

Our new observing station enjoys a sunset over the sound.  Here we are collecting standard meteorological data and hope to make estuary measurements (e.g., water levels) soon. Thanks to Keith Garmire for his hard work to make this happen.  Data can be seen on Weatherunderground.com.

Nice Day for Field Work