Notes from the Field: Student Rachel Edwards Writes from the R/V Falcor     By Rachel Edwards            Tamu Massif is located within the Shatsky rise near Japan. Image courtesy of Schmidt Ocean Institute http://www.schmidtocean.org/story/show/4551 As we near the end of our journey to Tamu Massif, the expedition to explore the “World’s Largest Single Volcano,” I thought I’d share the learning opportunities I’ve had aboard the R/V Falkor.  At home, I have a quote on my desk that reads “Bite off more than you can chew, then chew it.” This epitomizes my experience as a Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) student opportunity recipient.  Before boarding the Falkor, my knowledge and understanding of geophysics, volcanoes, and how a scientific vessel worked was very limited, but the SOI program offered me the chance to gain knowledge through a hands-on field experience of a lifetime.  The first couple of days took some adjusting as I figured out a routine and my purpose on the R/V Falkor. Ship life is very different from my on-shore life, but the good thing about being on a ship is that making friends is easy since we live, work, eat and have fun together. My schedule is now set and consists of two shifts as a watchstander from 3-6 AM and 3-6 PM where I and my partner am stationed in the control room, keeping a log of specific information in case something goes wrong or the equipment stops working during the surveys. I am also able to see the data streaming in live as we map Tamu Massif and gather information on magnetic anomalies.  Eating, homework, naps/sleep, plus some down time with the science team and the crew when time allows is also part of my routine. After almost four weeks of surveying Tamu Massif, including detours and course changes to avoid bad weather, I’ve learned much sea life. Additionally, learning how technology and equipment on the Falkor function in order to collect good data has been a huge experience. A highlight of this trip for me has been learning how to use the tools needed to address the most fascinating questions in oceanography - in this case the big question is how did Tamu Massif form? Proposed cruise survey plan. Image courtesy of Schmidt Ocean Institute http://www.schmidtocean.org/story/show/4551 As part of the program, students are expected to learn and understand the research being conducted. I am naturally inquisitive, so I find it easy to ask lots of questions to the crew and the science team. The Falkor’s Lead Marine Technician, Leighton Rolley, has been a great mentor in helping me see and participate in different parts of ship life from ship maintenance to learning how to use the science equipment on board such as the Expendable Bathythermograph (XBT) that measures salinity and temperature. These parameters affect the speed of sound through water which affects the bathymetric data readings. Leighton is also testing my computing skills, very necessary in this field, through “homework” assignments that include determining across-track and along-track widths and resolutions of the multi-beam echo sounder data in relation to factors such as water depth and ship speed. One of the best opportunities is being able to network with scientists and other university students on board. My knowledge of volcanos, geophysics, and data collection has increased dramatically since I’m able to learn directly from the experts in the field. The next best experience on this expedition is seeing so many different things. Besides the science, I saw bioluminescent jellyfish for the first time, flying fish, and some fantastic sunsets and sunrises in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. These make you realize just how enormous our world is and how small we are; there are so many more places to see, people to meet, and things to learn. This expedition has inspired me to continue exploring the world around me, especially the oceans. I highly encourage anyone even slightly interested to apply for the student opportunity. It is literally an experience of a lifetime, and it will push you beyond your comfort zone.  As Captain Bernd says, “Learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

Notes From the Field: Student Rachel Edwards Writes From a 5 Week Pacific Cruise Onboard the R/V Falkor                  I am the very fortunate recipient of Schmidt Ocean Institute’s (SOI) Student Opportunity aboard R/V Falkor. This particular cruise is exploring Shatsky Rise’s magnetic anomalies using a magnetometer and mapping the bathymetry using a multi-beam echo-sounder. Shatsky Rise is located about 1,000 miles east of Japan and is home to Tamu Massif, the world’s largest single volcano with an area comparable to that of New Mexico. Figure 1: On the R/V Falkor in Honolulu's Port 34. As the selected student, I am neither part of the crew or the scientific team, but I am able to participate in all facets of the expedition. I offer my perspective of the science being conducted as well as what life is like aboard the Falkor by contributing to SOI’s blogs. This experience has been a great opportunity to immerse myself in the world of geophysics and learn about topics I have never studied before. We have been at sea for about ten days, and I have accrued many educational and life experiences that I never would have acquired at home. Most notably, I had never seen the Pacific Ocean before nor had I been on a ship overnight. Both of those are firmly crossed off the bucket list seeing as how, at the end of this cruise, I will have spent five weeks in the middle of the Pacific! Daily life on the ship is fairly routine now that we have worked out most of the kinks. There are eight students on board, mostly from the University of Houston, where our Chief Scientist, Dr. Will Sager, teaches and conducts research. One of his former students, a professor of geophysics at Texas A&M University, also sent one of her PhD students to be part of the science team. Figure 2: The control room where all the magic happens. There are four, three hour, twice daily shifts in which two students stand watch. My shifts are from 3 to 6 AM and PM. Watch keepers sit in the control room (Fig. 2) and record speed, course over ground, latitude and longitude coordinates of the Falkor, water depth and magnetometer depth every half hour on the hour. I have been fortunate to tag along with the crew and ask them various questions about what they do on Falkor and how they do it. So far, I have toured the engine room, the bridge, and the deck. The engine room generates the power to move us through the water as well as offer electricity and air conditioning to the interior of the ship. Falkor was previously a fisheries protection vessel under the name Seefalke. When purchased by SOI in 2012, the interior was refitted to make her suitable as a research vessel. The engine was not refitted at that time which now keeps the engineers and fitters busy! Three engineers work round the clock with shifts of eight hours each. At present, one of the four generators on board is getting refit which takes up the time of a fourth engineer. They are aided by two fitters who have experience with welding and working on engines. If the engine room is the heart of the ship, the bridge is her brain. This is where the captain, chief officer, and navigational officer work. Located near the top, the bridge has a multitude of controls used to control the heading and speed of the ship. Windows are constructed to have a 180 degree angle, giving officers the best perspective to detect any potential hazards while at sea. Night vision is also preserved by complete darkness or by only using red lights throughout the nightshift. Deck hands work incredibly hard to keep Falkor in top shape. In the words of Captain Bernd Buchner, a “clean ship is a safe ship.” Any leak or signs of rust are dealt with and fixed immediately in order to maintain the integrity of the ship. I spent several day assisting the deck hands clean the ballast and freshwater tanks. Residue in these areas builds up on the tank floors and walls and has to be scrubbed off twice a year. My job comprised of holding the spotlight so they could see exactly where they needed to scrub. Figure 3: After they no longer needed the spotlight to scrub the freshwater tank, I watched from above (you can see my feet) as Lars and Henrik finished the job. Marine technicians are those that are in charge of keeping the scientific equipment on board running accurately. They also are in charge of deploying any science equipment that is necessary for a particular cruise such as Maggie the Magnetometer. It was the first time they had deployed that particular piece of equipment, so students just observed as Maggie was deployed. The Expendable Bathythermograph (XBT) is deployed daily, and I have been allowed to both observe and help deploy this equipment. An XBT is used to collect water temperature and a depth of up to 1,000m. Since the speed of sound varies as a function of temperature, the XBT’s temperature profile is inputted into the multi-beam data processor in order to make our sonar measurements more accurate. Figure 4: Talking to Leighton the Marine Tech while holding a deployed XBT. Figure 5: Lars and Paul help deploy Maggie the Magnetometer. Very unexpectedly and unrelated to my acceptance to this expedition is media journalist/outreach coordinator Suraida Nanez-James. She is a TAMUCC alumnus and was a previous researcher at Harte! Suraida was one of the first people I met on board and much to my surprise she was wearing a Corpus Christi t-shirt. She now works at the Texas State Aquarium as the Manager for Distance Learning and Outreach. She conducts outreach by way of live connections to schools around the United States, and I help her with some of them. This is a picture of us after crossing the International Date Line. Captain Bernd held a ceremony marking nearly all of the scientific crew and several of the ship’s crew into the Domain of the Golden Dragon. Suraida is wonderful to work with, and Harte should be proud to have been instrumental in the training of such a scientist! Figure 6: Suraida and me, the newest members of the Domain of the Golden Dragon This cruise has been a wonderful, once in a lifetime learning and personal experience. I’ve met people from around the world who I now call friends and future colleagues. A million thanks to Dr. Jim Gibeaut, my advisor, for giving me the time to take advantage of such a great opportunity and to Harte for sponsoring my travel. I am more grateful than I can express. Please also check out SOI’s website for updates and info into the science that is going on: http://www.schmidtocean.org/story/show/4551. Figure 7: The sunrises, sunsets, and stars viewable from sea are undoubtedly a highlight of this expedition and a great way to start and end my day.

Beach Surveying with Cunningham Middle School Students                  MS students Melinda Martinez and Michael Rittenhouse assisted Tiffany Caudle from the Bureau of Economic Geology, University of Texas at Austin on October 1, 2015 to engage Cunningham Middle School students in the study of their natural environment. Cunningham Middle School is one of many schools along the Texas coast participating in the Texas High School Monitoring Program sponsored by the Texas General Land Office (GLO). Michael Rittenhouse teaching students how to measure distance of longshore current (Photo credit: Melinda Martinez). Students work together to gain a better understanding of dune and beach dynamics on the Texas coast. They learned how to measure the beach-dune topography, map vegetation and shorelines, and observe coastal processes such as wind speed and direction, wave height and period, and longshore transport. Students make several trips throughout the year continuously monitoring specific areas along the barrier island to help contribute to a long-term study of shoreline change along the Texas Gulf coast. Tiffany Caudle teaching students how to measure the changes in topography using the equipment (Photo credit: Melinda Martinez). Students from Cunningham participated in a new beach survey on October 1st near Whitecap Blvd. on North Padre island. The new profile is the only one on North Padre island that traverses a sea wall and will provide the students a different perspective on how beach topography changes with sea walls. The study area is also closely monitored by the Texas GLO. Data collected from the student’s efforts is valuable for coastal communities and public awareness. New beach survey along the sea wall (Photo credit: Melinda Martinez).