By: Marisol Gonzalez Flores My name is Marisol Gonzalez Flores and I am a second year student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania working on a dual degree in Geology and Criminology with the hopes of one day pursuing a career in Environmental Law and Justice. I am currently on board the E/V Nautilus with a […]
NORSE 2023 Cruise
By: Olivia Adams My name is Olivia Adams and I am currently a fourth-year undergraduate at Pennsylvania State University studying Earth Science with a minor in Marine Science. I sailed Expedition 398P, JR Academy, aboard the JOIDES Resolution in February 2023. As part of the STEMSEAS network, I was able to apply to be a […]
Mystery at Sea
by James the Geologist In the swirling mists of a coastal town, where the Pacific’s whispers melded with the cries of gulls, a mystery was brewing—one that would entangle Mike Rowe, a seasoned detective with a sharp mind and a weary heart, and Plastique, a sultry enigma whose beauty was as intoxicating as it was […]
Location, location, location
Since boarding the R/V Thomas G. Thompson, I have been thinking a lot about location: When will we pass Cape Flattery? Will we avoid a low-pressure system? Will we avoid a second low-pressure system? Where is the edge of the California Current? When will we start seeing light from Hawaii on the horizon? At some […]
On expertise (or the lack thereof) and the Glacial geology of Discovery Park, Seattle
[Cross-posted at Mountain Beltway] Prior to embarking on the R/V Thompson for the inaugural STEMseas2YC oceanographic transit, a group of my fellow two-year-college STEM faculty and I set out on a geological field trip. Seattle is glaciated territory, and the majority of the ground is underlain by glacial sediments of one sort or another. There’s […]
Near-empty seas, near-empty air
[cross-posted at Mountain Beltway] I had one of my students ask me this morning about what was the most interesting thing I’ve learned on this expedition. This is my first time going to sea out in the open ocean, out into the High Seas. All my previous time aboard oceangoing vessels was in the coastal […]
Whimsical Dolphin Musings
Humans on Dolphins In the Pacific’s expanse so wide, Where dolphins danced with grace and pride, I watched them leap and heard their songs, Wondering if they knew where I belong. Did they, those dolphins, in the sea, Feel a connection, just like me? Did their hearts, like mine, hold true, Across the waves, in […]
Being a student again
By Sheldon Turner, Triton College One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about STEMSEAS so far is that I get to be in the shoes of a student again, learning things I never knew about oceanography as a discipline and as a career. While everyone on board is a lifelong learner, I think it is […]
What time is it?
by Tess Weathers, Chabot College The R/V Thompson has effectively become a time machine: we are moving back in time through two time zones as we travel from Seattle to Hawaii, plus we are experiencing the human-created phenomenon of Daylight Savings. At 2:00 am (02:00), on the morning of November 5th, many states in the […]
The seas are 8-10 ft.?!? Why did I come out to sea, again?
Ever since we crossed into the Pacific out of the San Juan Strait the stormy seas have continuously rocked, rolled, and tossed the R/V Thompson. Everyone on board has been supportive of those who have felt the effects of what seemingly feels like a bath toy handled by a toddler. I have been lucky to […]
