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Second Day posted by Ben on 09 Jan 2005 |
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For right now, watches are split up into four six-hour shifts with 3-4 people at a time. I am on the 6am-12pm shift working under Lincoln Pratson from Duke University. It is the perfect opportunity for me to ask questions about the equipment and survey process since it is his towfish (or “fish”) we are using... |
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First Day Aboard Ship posted by Ben on 08 Jan 2005 |
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The first day aboard the ship was busy for sure, but it helped smooth out the transition. We spent the day loading, stacking, storing, and strapping all of the equipment and tools down to the deck and shelves in the event that the seas get rough. We packed away at least ten palettes of food by passing each box down a chain of more than 15 people. The amount of work forced us to work together and really helped to break the ice... |
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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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