Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 03/29/2011 - 18:03

Juan, I see you are pretty busy with all of our questions. I've enjoyed reading your journals, your writing is both scientific and from the heart. I'm Susan Steiner, from the PolarTREC Applied Physical Science Concepts class. I have a question about the samplers. In one journal I read that the expedition is trying to re-sample some areas that were sampled previously, I don't remember at the moment how long ago. I wonder how many of the sample points you are getting are replicates, and how close the samples are to previous sites. I was also wondering if there are GPS units on the rosette, or if the boat position is close enough to the sample points. Do you know if the sites will be sampled again in what time frame? You have done such a great job of posting maps and diagrams, is there one of all the proposed sample points? Thanks for your time.

Juan Botella

Hi Susan, Thanks for your questions. I do not remember in which date I posted the
map with the transects. I do not have one with every station, since they
are 30 km apart and would not show well on a map. We are doing a very long
transect along 67 S, which is a WOCE transect. Some other transects are
new, like the one along 150 W, I believe. The rosette does not have a GPS,
but the ship does. We try to do the same positions as before, but since we
have lost so many days to bad seas we are sampling now with a bit less
spatial resolution along the 67 S. Scientist on board do not think we are
loosing much. I have heard that there are talks on proposals to resample
some of the same lines in the world oceans soon. They think that 20 years
was too long. I do not know the details about this. I will send the
information when I ask Jim, who knows a lot about this topic.
I am glad you like my postings. It is good to know that they are being
read.
Thanks again,
Juan.