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Back in Port posted by Ben on 05 Feb 2005 |
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The end of January coincided with the end of our second leg, and the beginning of a much deserved break in port. We arrived in Wellington mid-morning after a 20 hour steam back from Poverty Bay. It was a sight for sore eyes. I had spent some time in the capital city prior to the cruise but still had lots to see. One of the first places I went was Te Papa, the national museum. They have an amazing display on Maori culture, and an interesting earth science section based on the indigenous geology. |
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Arrival at First Core Site posted by Denise on 05 Feb 2005 |
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We steamed north from Wellington yesterday for approximately 24 hours at 11.5 knots, a total distance of 276 nautical miles (in case you did not know… nautical miles are a little longer than regular miles). As you can see on the map, the study area is on the northeast coast of the North Island of New Zealand; Wellington lies on the southern end of the North Island. |
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View from space of ocean floor around New Zealand.
The turquoise area is a narrow strip of shallow (<2000 m) ocean also known as the continental margin. |
Although viewed by most as remote, removed, and perilous, the oceans are home to a world of deep beauty and are a great source of food and other natural resources (e.g., oil). In addition, they are a fascinating place to recreate and explore. Exploration and examination of the oceans is critical to finding new resources and learning about Earth history (and possibly the future). Furthermore, the oceans, which cover over two-thirds of the planet’s surface, are a processing factory for materials draining from land. |
| Ocean study is needed to understand how activities and events on land are processed and recorded in the sea, and this is the primary focus of our research in New Zealand. This research is funded by the Source to Sink - MARGINS program of the National Science Foundation.
Why the Waipaoa River in New Zealand?
Unlike the eastern coast of the United States (e.g., North Carolina) which has a broad coastal plain, many coastlines around the world have rugged mountains immediately next to the sea and lack bodies of water (e.g. Pamlico Sound) between rivers and the ocean. The northeast coast of New Zealand, where the Waipaoa River enters the sea, is one example. In these settings, materials from land can be rapidly transported to the ocean, and as a result sediments and dissolved material may quickly accumulate on the ocean floor and affect ocean ecosystems after river flooding. Also, the Waipaoa River discharges an incredible amount of sediment for a river its size. This is because of high rainfall in the area and its easily eroded landscape, which is made of sedimentary rocks. In fact, the Waipaoa River is more than 10 times smaller than the Potomac River but discharges 100 times more sediment!
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Coordinating Institutions
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