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Our second day at sea began around 0830 after an amazing breakfast from the cooks, where we came together as a group in an interactive activity about the possible causes and effects of change on a global scale. We got into groups and all shared our thoughts about what causes global change with the main emphasis being on the global change of ocean water level. It was very interesting to see the conversations and connections people made between different variables that could lead to global change that I personally didn’t even think about.
We were then free to enjoy the ship till 1130 where some STEMSEAS members enjoyed the nice 74° sunny weather out on the 03 deck picnic area. Then after lunch around 1300 we had the amazing opportunity to see and use an XBT (Expendable Bathythermographs) that is a lead bullet with a sensor that sends live data about the temperature of the water. We only had one, so we decided to play a card game where the highest value gets to deploy the XBT. Carlito Wideman pulled an Ace, the highest card, so he got to deploy it. Carlito deployed the XBT around 1330. The model we used (T-7 ) captured temperature data to a depth of about 700M. The scientists needed this data to calculate water density for the sound speed calculation that is used by the multibeam. The multi beam sends out sound into the ocean and uses the time and energy that it receives back along with the sound speed calculations to map the ocean bottom. I believe that it is very interesting how you can use sound to map the ocean floor.
Read the blogs made by Carlito Wideman and Jackson Tunheim for later day activities.
-Stay salty, Shane White
