21 June, 2000

21 June 2000

The Coring Crew And What They Do

During the past two days we have been doing coring - collecting a cylindrical sample from the sediments deposited on the ocean floor. The coring crew that came on board at our last stop in Nuuk includes Jim Broda of Wood’s Hole Oceanographic Institute, and Pete Kalk and Chris Moser of Oregon State University. Today’s journal focuses on these individuals and their backgrounds as well as what they have been doing on board.

Jim Broda’s story will actually have to wait a few days. He’s so tied up with the coring he only really has time to core, eat and sleep. He designed the coring system that is on USCGC Healy and is here to make sure it is working properly. Whether he is supervising the coring operations directly, or observing the MSTs and other Healy crew conduct coring operations, Jim is on top of everything that is going on during this test phase.

Pete Kalk is a Senior Research Assistant in the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences (COAS) at OSU in Corvallis, Oregon. Pete started out in forestry with a degree from Michigan Tech University and after a two-year stint in the U.S. Army; he headed to graduate school in forestry at OSU. When money ran out for classes, he took a job in oceanography at the school, and has worked there ever since. He soon went from biological oceanography with Dr. Bill Pearcy to marine geology where he has worked since 1971. His job as a coring technician has taken him on 23 different research vessels, and taken him to 26 countries including Costa Rica, where he was working last month. Pete had to go through a major climate change as he made his first trip to the arctic. He has Antarctic experience though, so knows what to expect in these icy conditions.

Chris Moser is also a Senior Research Assistant at Oregon State. After earning a Masters from OSU, Chris took a job as a research technician with COAS. Chris has worked with coring, dredging, and moorings. While working on JGOFS (Joint Global Ocean Flux Study), he was working with moorings similar to what we were testing on the previous leg of this cruise. He does not teach in the classroom at OSU, but he has taught scientific sampling techniques and data analysis to many graduate students on an individual basis. On this leg, he is helping teach the HEALY’s crew how to properly use this coring system. Both he and Pete have been highly complimentary about the ship’s personnel regarding their helpfulness and willingness to learn as they work.

The work these three men do provide cores of sediment that are analyzed in a variety of ways by researchers around the world. The data generated by this research can provide some interesting information about our planet’s past. That topic will be discussed in tomorrow’s journal. For a very complete, step-by-step description of the actual coring process; from assembly, to recovery, to extrusion of the sediment core itself, see Todd’s journals for June 21st and 22nd.

Note: Happy Solstice - If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s the longest day of the year - doesn’t mean much up here though, the sun hasn’t set here for over a month, and still won’t set for yet another month!

4. Todd and El remove the first section of core. (Photo by Lisa)

Pete Kalk checks the coring assembly put together by the Healy's crew.

I use the strap wrench to hold the liner in place while Chris cuts a 5' section. (Photo by Lisa)

2. Chris Moser removes the core catcher from the bottom of the core. (Photo by Todd)

5. Todd tapes the end cap on - Take this one to storage. (Photo by Dr. L. Lawver)

Jim Broda instructs the Healy's crew in coring operations.

1. Jim Broda and El McFadden hook up the extruder to push the core and liner out of the barrel .(Photo by Todd)

Chris Moser watches carefully over the Healy crew as they work on the second core.