#16 STUCK ON THE BOTTOM




R/V Knorr
July 14, 2001
9'54"N
45'28" W
21:45 ship time (GMT-2)

An update concerning the sedimentation trap at Dusty-2. Stuck. All this work, all this effort, years in the planning, and now we're parked 4800 m above this thing with no way to recover
it. The problem appears to be the release mechanism, a battery operated device w/ a radio sensor and emitter. We lower a transducer over the side of the ship and with a big suitcase device, enter the programmed code and it chirps it down into the water. We have been getting a response from each device upon notifying it, but it doesn't respond to the "release" code. Yesterday we had tested a spare release mech. at a few hundred meters, to confirm we were using the correct procedures, successfully. So this morning at 4am, we lowered the spare attached to the CTD, to 4600m, which took 2.5hrs. When we attempted to release it, it did not respond. When we raised it to 3000 m, it worked. So we know it is something to do with the depth, but not sure whether it is the mechanical trigger  that fails due to pressure, or is a communication problem due to some sub surface layer (salinity, temperature). These are the layers that submarines hide between, but it's rare for there to be anything like that at this depth.  The pressure is 4600 times that of our atmosphere at sea level. the temp is +1 or 2 degrees C, just above freezing. There is no light. It is a harsh and deathly environment.  And our little rig is stuck down there in the mud. So this afternoon, we began to trawl for it.



The crew built a large 4 pronged claw from welded pipe, app. 4' tall, and we lowered it on a 10,000 m cable. We played out ~6K m and then began steaming around in circles around its proposed location. We determined the location by ranging it with the communication suitcase I spoke of earlier, which pings it and calculated a distance based on time for the sound to travel, 1500m/sec in sea water. Did that three times and triangulated its location. Steamed for several hours (it took 2 hours to get that much cable out before we even started forward) and never found a thing.  We were all waiting expectantly to see a giant squid attached, but no, nothing exciting. Tomorrow, we're going to try depth charges, bomb the shit out of it and pick up the pieces.  Imagine being blindfolded and in a 1/4 mile empty field, and have to snag something 2.8 miles below you. Ya know when you fall waterskiing and the boat comes by dragging the tow rope, and how it goes in a circle around you? We thing that's what's happening with our claw.





Well, the fun things today were, while up in the bridge, the chief mate showed us how to get up to the crow's nest, about another two stories higher than the bridge. It's this tunnel in what looks like the smoke stack and a long metal ladder.
Mike and I said, "Can we go?" 
He said, "Sure, but I don't think you'ld want to cause it really dusty."
"Hah, are you kidding!"

Once up, we could see for approximately 24 miles to the horizon. It was definitely very cool!
Then he let us drive the boat! Obviously he cared little for the life and limbs of crew and passengers, but ironically, neither of us hit anything.   

One interesting fun fact that I learned through my experiments today is that our little organisms that we're studying, Tricodesmidium (or something like that) are photoinhibitied. I have samples in baths with 100%, 50, 25, 10 and 1% light levels. The ones in the 25% light level have the highest photosynthesis levels. Higher and lower light levels are reduced.  The lower light levels seems reasonable enough due to the lack of light.  But why the higher you ask?  Evidently, there is more than enough light available, so they have developed an ability to detect this and work less, expending less energy leaving more energy to build cells, grow bigger, etc. Amazing huh. Who woulda thunk. We are able to detect this because we are measuring the efficiency of the photosynthesis, not the total photosynthesis activity. 

Today's dinner was Grilled Lamb Chops, w/roasted potatoes and veggies or Blackened tuna w/ pasta, salad, Pear cobbler.  I think one of the reasons I'm so tired is that my body is expending so much energy digesting all the food I'm eating. If only I could learn from the Trico and gains some efficiencies.





















Fat and happy and stuck at 10'N, 45'W

More later
D 

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