Six-Day Log

Storegga Slide Coring Cruise

Written by Michele Hatton
Educator & Florida State undergraduate geology student

Tuesday, August 31, 2004 – At Sea

My 12-hour work shift begins at 4 AM. I started with good intentions this morning, but unremitting seasickness had me down for the count by 7 AM. Nevertheless, being up pre-dawn to work outside on a cold, windy deck with a handful of geologists, all of whom were furtively catching glimpses of the blazing orange sunrise, is for me a dream come true. I am here, in a remote corner of the globe, helping make science. We are making our little contribution to a growing scientific theory. I feel so incredibly privileged!

We learned by doing this morning. The first step was to label and deploy our first giant gravity core, GGC-1. The core, which is four inches in diameter and up to 20 feet long, is fitted with a 900-pound weight stand on one end, which helps drive the pipe down through the water and into ocean sediment. On the other end is a core cutter, behind which sits a core catcher. The cutter slices through the mud on impact; and the catcher then seals up the end as the winch tugs it back up to the ship. Our chore is to gently guide the core overboard, let it do its work, wait as the winch operator pulls it back up, and then gently guide it back on board. Once the core is up, it is washed, unfastened, and carried to a stand for chopping into one-meter sections.

After the core is on board, we each have a task to complete. Cutting the core. Capping the core. Hauling the core. Wiping the core, which we do with a handful of the thousands of paper towels we lugged on board. The tasks are exchangeable. We pitch in when and where we are needed. Or we stand ready for a task to be assigned. This is usually done in a military-like style with a core technician barking an order at us in a loud, efficient voice. And like the military, when the order is given, we obey, without delay. I stood ready much of the time. But I am beginning to sense that this is an important role, one not to be minimized.

We launched and recovered three gravity cores this morning. The first jumbo piston core, JPC-4 was taken after lunch. The JPC is a relatively new technology. It can be driven 80 feet down into the sediment, and thus 80 feet into the history of geologic time. A 5,000-pound weight-stand is used to power this much longer pipe through the mud. As it approaches the ocean floor, it triggers to a free-fall, then glides unhindered through the sediment.

Later

It is evening and I’m hanging around the lab. As usual, a crowd of folks are gathered around the computer monitors. Our last jumbo piston core for the day, JPC-5, has just been deployed. The science experts and core technicians study the monitor to determine just how far down it has descended into the water. There is no mini-camera attached to it as I had formerly thought. The water depth is measured with the sonic technology on board, and monitors relay the distance the wire cable has spooled. The chief scientists here know, within 20 meters, where exactly in this endless ocean they will sink each core. I’m astounded! But now, they are all glued to the computer monitors, assessing the progress of this last deployment. So far, things are going well.

No need to wash. In another eight hours, we will start again. I’ve stopped worrying about clean clothes, clean fingernails, my hairdryer. And two hundred dollars worth of seasickness medicine hasn’t helped. Regardless, I am elated (most of the time) to be here.