Situation Report, NB Palmer Cruise 96-4A;    October 16, 1996


     The R.V. NB Palmer continued on a course into the
Ross Sea this past week.  After encountering the large
storm in the open waters near the Antarctic
Convergence, we spent time securing the vans on the
fantail for the rest of our passage, and checking the
contents of the mooring gear van for breakage (there
was none).  Temporary repairs were initiated to the
trace metal  clean van and by the end of the week it
was operational.  Repairs were made to the electrical
components of the Moss Landing trace metal winch as
well, and a test of the winch and soaking of all go-flo
bottles was completed.  

     Substantial efforts to stabilize the newly
designed incubator system were made by ASA personnel
and the involved scientists.  The system is a closed
system, with a large seawater reservoir from which
seawater is pumped through the various incubators. 
This seawater system has its temperature regulated by a
heating unit, which adds heat to the seawater, thereby
preventing freezing of the incubators.  A number of
difficulties have been discovered with the system, and
minor alterations have been made to improve its
efficiency.  It now maintains unfrozen incubators
despite air temperatures dropping to -15 degrees C with
winds greater than 25 knots. Without this system all
incubators quickly freeze and become operable, so it is
of great importance to the measurement of rates during
the early spring period.  We expect to continue to
monitor its performance as we enter the polynya.

     We were on a course to complete our first station
at the site of the northerly sediment trap mooring (to
be deployed next cruise).  However, upon reaching ca.
70 degrees S latitude, the ice became extremely thick
and compacted, and passage through it was very slow. 
As we crossed 72S passage became even more difficult,
and at 72 degrees 43 min S, the effort to reach the
proposal sediment trap site was abandoned. 
Unfortunately, ice pressure on the ship and near zero
visibility have caused us to cease movement towards the
polynya, and at this time we are waiting for a change
in the weather to allow for progress to the south.

     The traditional Antarctic Circle crossing ceremony
was held during this week, and the newly initiated and
experienced hands remain anxious to begin sampling at
76 deg 30 min S lat, where we plan to occupy two major
sediment trap stations (at 178 deg W and 168 E long)
and numerous other stations along the transect.  

Submitted:     Walker Smith, Chief Scientist