Situation Report 1. NBP 97-3. 14 April, 1997.
0705Z. 76.2S, 178.2W,  nearing Station ORCA

NB Palmer cruise 97-3 departed Lyttelton, NZ 0709Z, 04 April following
a four day delay to complete required rudder maintenance. This is
Process Cruise 3 of the US JGOFS AESOPS process study. The objectives
of this cruise are to document late autumn/early winter chemical and
biological fields and related biogeochemical rate processes in the
southern Ross Sea.

We made a relatively easy eight-day passage of the Southern Ocean along
longitude 173-175 E, with several groups carrying out underway
observations at half-degree or closer spacing. The shipboard RT_DAS
made 1-minute-avg observations of sea surface temperature, salinity and
fluorescence plus bathymetry and meteorology en route. Mary-Lynn
Dickson (URI) sampled sea surface as well as atmospheric oxygen
concentrations.  JGOFS Team Hydro members Ron Patrick, Jim Schmitt
(both SIO) and Howard Rutherford (USF) made discrete oxygen and
salinity analyses to complement the underway data.  Ed Peltzer (WHOI)
and Thomas Kirchlechner (U. Otago, NZ) collected surface samples of
dissolved organic carbon (DOC), finding a slow decrease from 66 to 44
uMC as we moved toward the Circle. The U Miami group (Mary Roche, Davey
Purkerson, Jamie Goen, Chris Edwards) analyzed all four inorganic
carbon system properties (DIC, pCO2, TALK and pH), demonstrating
gradual rises in DIC (2050 - 2170 umolC/kg), pCO2 (330 - 400 uatm) and
TALK from 44 to 64S. In addition, the Miami group, and Hydro team
members Dennis "Nep" Guffy (TAMU) and Calvin Mordy (UW), made underway
nutrient analyses (NO2, NO3, PO4, SiO4, NH4), revealing a spectacular
expression of the Antarctic Polar Front as dissolved silica rose from 5
to 60 uM between 61 and 64S. Sara Stillman and Beth Jordan (U Bama)
collected nitrate and particle samples for Mark Altabet's
(UMass/Dartmouth) measurements of nitrogen-15 natural abundance. Kristi
Hanson (UH) collected samples for stable carbon isotope analyses of
phytoplankton pigments. Underway work ceased when the TSG system was
turned off, compromised by snow in the intake line, around 72S. Walter
Nordhausen and Xue Feng Zhong (SIO) have been collecting ADCP data on
current velocity and backscatter intensity (zooplankton biomass). We'll
be repeating all these observations along the AESOPS transect at
longitude 170 W on the way home next month.

We crossed the Antarctic Circle on 10 April in light snow and rolling
seas after carrying out a successful test station at about 67S, as CTD
techs Billyjack Sweet and Boonedoc Mark Cook (NC State) resurrected the
CTD after a 6 week layoff.  A test station had to be canceled the day
before in high seas. One surprise wave filled the Baltic Room door
during a deep CTD cast, submerging Jon Alberts and Mindy Kayl and
splashing water onto the balcony. Most of us awoke early on April 11 to
welcome King Neptune to the vessel to initiate the first-time crossers,
and were greeted with a vista of loose pancake ice stretching to the
horizon. We crossed the ice edge in 68-27S about 150 miles further
north than indicated on an ice image, and farther north than we
anticipated for early April. Since then we have been in >90% ice cover,
with consolidated, snow-covered ice up to 50-70 cm thick. Temperatures
have dropped steadily since we entered the ice, and are presently
around -25C.  Winter is nearly here.

Our first station was conducted on 11-12 April at Station Sei, 74S,
176E.  In just over 12 hours we carried out nearly a full suite of
JGOFS Core measurements. It was a beautiful 8 hour day at Sei under
clear skies with dozens of small icebergs scattered around the icepack.
The water is exceptionally clear, with the 1% light depth averaging
about 90 m, suggesting we are well past the bloom seen on process-2.
But there is a clear 6 uM NO3 deficit in surface layer, and 1-2 uM NH4,
clear mementi morii of the summer bloom.

One early positive note is the deck incubator system, version 1.3,
overhauled by Barney Kane, Jay Ardai and Bill Cochlan's prod team. The
system is purring in -25 temps, watched over by a full 24-person
incubator watch. We had no shortage of volunteers to fill out the
watch, helping us to avoid the incubator hell of Process-1 (so far).
Another very encouraging sign was the fine performance of the
Trace-metal clean rosette system, skillfully supervised by Corey
Peterson and Rhonda Kelly.  The TMR worked nearly flawlessly at -25C,
providing good samples and some beautiful high resolution PAR profiles.
On the negative side, one Thorium pump was lost when heavy ice closed
in suddenly around the wire at 0345 hrs. Skillful maneuvering by NBP
Mates Vladimir Repin and Robert Verret, and hard work by Jon and Mindy
saved the other five pumps. Dave Hirschberg (SUNY-SB) and Ellen Roosen
(WHOI) reported that the surviving pumps all collected good large
samples.

We are now underway toward our first long station and in situ array
deployment at Station ORCA, 76.5S, 178W. We are being well supported by
Cap'n Joe and his officers and crew, and by a crack team of ASA techs.
The science party, including several first time sailors, and 17 new
Penguins, weathered the crossing in style and look ahead to a
productive and enjoyable cruise. More next week.

Hugh Ducklow
Chief Scientist, NBP 97-3