ESSReS PhD students participate(d) on expeditions!
During the first year of their PhD studies, several ESSReS PhDs participated in expeditions to the Arctic and the Antarctic, on land based research platforms or on ship cruises. These participations are in most cases part of the field work related to the PhD projects, but also part of the educational programm within ESSReS.
Since field expeditions are international and highly interdisciplinary, the experiences are complex: learning of new methods, working under extreme conditions such as low temperature and heavy weather, close collabortion with many people on limited space etc. But also beyond the pure scientific new challanges, the social and intercultural experiences broaden the view and lead in many cases to long lasting friendships and networks.
Here, a few short reports from the last cruises between October 2009 and just ongoing expeditions are given. Extended reports can be found on our Expedition reports page.
Parasound training cruise on "RV Polarstern" (J. Krause-Nehring)
From October 16th to 25th, 2009, I participated in a two-week parasound training cruise on “RV” Polarstern”. The course included training in techniques for high resolution sub-bottom sediment acoustics, running the Polarstern parasound in watches, and learning about data storage, interpretation, and visualization. Besides being trained in operating the parasound system, this course was an interesting opportunity to learn more about research at sea and various different research methods and projects on board the ship.
On board of "RV Sonne" in the West Pacific (T. Ridder)
The campaign with research vessel "RV Sonne" started on 9th of October 2009 in Tomakomai, Japan with destination Auckland, New Zealand on 6th of December. Within the research project TransBrom the aim of the cruise was to measure and analyze the transport of trace gases from the ocean through the troposphere into the stratosphere. In Townsville, Australia, we had a 2-day stop-over, where a group of geologists entered the ship for the second leg.
The Southern Ocean’s role in Quaternary climate cycles (F. Kersten)
The expedition ANT-XXVI/2, which will bring RV Polarstern for the first time across the entire polar South Pacific to New Zealand, is dedicated to a comprehensive geoscientific program that includes marine geological sampling at ca. 40 sites and seismic surveys in seven areas. Franziska Kersten, 61 days on board of RV Polarstern until 27th January 2010 will provide her report when she is back at the AWI.
