sea ice, which if you'll remember is good for wildlife, is tough on
oceanographers. one of our main goals on this cruise is to take
thorough measurements in the ocean in and around Pine Island Bay,
tucked into a corner of the Amundsen Sea which is perennially blocked
by sea ice. ironically, the reason why we want to take measurements
in the region is because the melt rates under glaciers which
terminate in the Bay are orders of magnitude higher than anywhere
else in Antarctica. But that's caused by water at depth -- unrelated
to the surface ice condition.
we can learn about the circulation from outside the Bay, but it would
be ideal if we could do it all. in some years it's possible to break
through the ice to get into the open interior of the bay; cruises in
many years have been thwarted. this will be a topic of much
discussion and anxiety over the next few weeks -- i'll keep you
posted. anyway we will still be in and around the ice edge so i will
continue to relay wildlife encounters regardless of our success in
getting to all of our stations. my personal tally in 2 visits outside
yesterday, 4 orcas, a dozen or so crabeater seals, a few emperors.
in the meantime, we're working our way in, taking CTD's from the
continental shelf break, trying to follow the "warm" water in towards
shore, currently at 72.7 S, 121 W.
C
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