Blog entry by Kaja Scheliga
The RV Meteor departed from Ponta Delgada, Azores, on July 30th embarking on the M212 expedition towards Flemish Cap and the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. The aim is to collect measurements that provide insights on key processes of meridional connectivity for the EPOC project. In addition, M212 includes work for the Collaborative Research Center TRR181 “Energy Transfers in Atmosphere and Ocean”.
Once on board, the science team unpacked equipment, secured instruments in the labs, and began settling into shipboard life. Experienced sea-goers shared best practices for lab setup, troubleshooting, and workflows. First time sea-goers got an immersive introduction to ship operations: learning safety protocols, adjusting to shift work, and familiarising themselves with the rhythms and rules of work and life at sea.
We had a smooth transit, accompanied by sightings of dolphins and pilot whales, and mesmerising shifts of ocean blues under changing skies. The science team and the ship’s crew got to know each other as the Meteor moved along towards our working area at 47°N.
While underway, we prepared and tested the instruments for measuring the variability of AMOC components. Some instruments are lowered and retrieved directly from the ship (CTD and LADCP), some are drifting or gliding at various depths (drifters, gliders and floats), whilst others are moored to the seafloor (PIES) collecting data over time.
We’ll take a deeper dive into the science of expedition M212 in our next blogs. Coming soon: CTD (Conductivity-Temperature-Depth) and LADCP (Lowered Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler) measurements across nearly 100 stations at 47°N.
Gliders are tested in a special pool on deck before deployment. Image K.Scheliga/EPOC