http://www.usgs.gov/journals/arctic Daily journal logs from the USGS journey to the Article Circle. Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:46:05 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en On August 25, scientists aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Healy discovered an underwater mountain, known as a seamount, protruding from the Arctic's seafloor. The yet-to-be-named seamount is the first known to be discovered in the Arctic since 2003, when scientists discovered a seamount later named Healy. Underwater features are generally ... http://www.usgs.gov/journals/arctic/2009/09/new-discovery-an-underwater-mountain/ CDR William Sommer, U.S. Navy In the early hours of August 8, a U.S. Navy detachment aboard U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy launched a SeaGlider into the Chuckchi Sea. The SeaGlider is one model of a class of Unmanned Undersea Vehicles used to sense and report ocean characteristics, including optical properties ... http://www.usgs.gov/journals/arctic/2009/09/unmanned-vehicles-gliding-undersea/ Jennifer Henderson, CIRES/NOAA-NGDC I was quite excited about the opportunity to sail on the US Coast Guard Cutter Healy since I am a newly hired seismic data manager for NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) in Boulder, Colorado. In a job that entails archiving and distributing geophysical data to the public, ... http://www.usgs.gov/journals/arctic/2009/09/what-happens-to-the-data-archiving-and-distribution/ Jonathan Pazol, high school AP science teacher in the Chicago area, onboard through the ARMADA Teachers Program Every minute spent aboard the Healy during this expedition, we have been collecting data. The multibeam echosounder and the "Chirp" system run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Millions of data points ... http://www.usgs.gov/journals/arctic/2009/08/fledermaus-its-like-a-video-game-for-science/ Petty Officer Patrick Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard I am a photographer, videographer and journalist in the U.S. Coast Guard. During this mission, I am onboard Healy to document this historic voyage to map the ocean floor and define the outer reaches of our continental shelf. [caption id="attachment_470" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Frozen pools on ... http://www.usgs.gov/journals/arctic/2009/08/the-otherworldly-sights-and-sounds-of-the-arctic/ Andy Armstrong, NOAA Office of Coast Survey, Co-chief scientist about USCGC Healy Today we did some multibeam bathymetric mapping over areas of high seafloor relief on the Alpha-Mendeleev Ridge complex, 625 miles north of the Arctic coast of Alaska. We are still breaking through 9/10 ice (90% of the sea surface ... http://www.usgs.gov/journals/arctic/2009/08/surveying-unexplored-features/ Jonathan Pazol, high school AP science teacher in the Chicago area, onboard through the ARMADA Teachers Program [caption id="attachment_436" align="alignright" width="199" caption="Attaching the radiosonde - click for details"][/caption] We're still heading north at about 4.5 knots (nautical miles per hour), which, if you don't know ships, is very slowly. It is still ... http://www.usgs.gov/journals/arctic/2009/08/forecasting-arctic-weather/ Andy Armstrong, NOAA's Office of Coast Survey, Co-chief scientist aboard USCGC Healy [caption id="attachment_431" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Map of Journey - click image for details"][/caption] Today began on the same northwestward track as yesterday, with Healy multibeam echo sounding in the lead and CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent towing their multichannel seismic reflection gear ... http://www.usgs.gov/journals/arctic/2009/08/straightening-out-the-gear-and-heading-toward-more-interesting-seafloor/ Rachael Soraruf, NOAA's Office of Coast Survey For millennia, people have been navigating the seas and waterways for commerce and transportation. However, lack of knowledge of shoals and hazards on the seafloor resulted in the loss of human life, as well as damage to ships and cargo. To safely traverse waters, ... http://www.usgs.gov/journals/arctic/2009/08/how-to-map-the-seafloor-when-you-cant-see-bottom/ Andy Armstrong, NOAA's Office of Coast Survey, Co-chief scientist aboard USCGC Healy [caption id="attachment_417" align="alignright" width="242" caption="CTD instrument being lowered into icy waters - click image for details"][/caption] USCGC Healy continues to break ice for the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis S. St-Laurent, which is following astern of us. We are obtaining ... http://www.usgs.gov/journals/arctic/2009/08/an-icy-ctd-cast/