Friday, May 24, 2013

Poseidon sails from Vigo!

On 21st May, F.S. Poseidon sailed from Vigo, Spain on the first of three expedition legs to deploy 78 ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) provided by OBIC and GEOMAR.


Seventy-two OBS will be deployed in a grid of 18 x 4 instruments across the 3-D seismic survey box. Six OBS will be deployed on a profile extending farther west, to try to locate the boundary between continental and oceanic crust.

An OBS is deployed. Photo by Dean Wilson.
Gaye Bayrakci, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Southampton, sent this email update today:

"Yesterday (23/05/2013) the weather was ok. We tested 24 acoustic units first. Then, we deployed 9 OBSs along the regional profile. Before the finish of the day, we tested 24 more acoustic units. Food is good. Thursday is the seaman's day, so we had some cake at 5pm at the coffee break.

"Today (24/05/2013) the weather is darker but its normal for this period of the year in this area. We started at 06am (utm). We just finished the deployment of 8 OBSs on the southernmost profile and reach the eastern end of regional profile. We deployed a 9th OBS here and now we are heading westward along the regional profile."

The international team of scientists aboard the Poseidon includes two GEOMAR geophysicists, two University of Southampton geophysicists, and five OBIC personnel from University of Southampton and Durham University.

The internet connection on board the Poseidon is not good enough at the moment to post to this blog or send photos, so the above photo is from a separate OBS deployment in the Indian Ocean.

Stay tuned for more updates soon!

Marianne Karplus
24th May 2013