Looking into the Geophysical WORLD (Undersea)
We will meet two people that work in the world of geophysics every day. (well, almost)
Meet Chris and Masako.
I "met" Masako first by email when she replied to an introduction note that I sent out after I was selected as the teacher for this expedition. Let me quote directly:
"Teaching is quite interesting because many aspects are different about science but also communicating with so-called-oh-so-wise-scientists. One thing I learned from teachers was....I should not forget that I used to be very excited about science. Considering whole outreach... or, recalling what led me here... is very important at this stage of my life, getting closer to be the real professional, to contribute my experience back to somebody".
Everyone shares in deck duties while out at sea. Here (Above) Masako is getting ready to move one of the seismic "fish" over to the deck area, then is shown monitoring the dredge operation with Ron. This is her fifth trip to sea for exploration and she is in charge of the geophysicists on one shift; Will Sager is in charge of the other shift. Both teams work 12 hour shifts every day at sea.
Chris has an especially interesting background that includes extensive coursework in geology, petrology and most especially in the subject he most enjoys, geophysics. His work includes some of the most intensive computer analysis of the team. This includes analyzing and integrating the data collected by all of the instrumentation on board. He has worked extensively at sea on scientific cruises and is "at home" in the shipboard environment.
(in the image below, Chris is working with the winch on a night operation. The image on the right shows one of the banks of computer monitors)
Both Chris and Masako work with Dr. Will Sager at Texas A&M. Later, you will meet other members of the geophysics team. On board the Revelle, this team creates the maps that you have seen here on the website. To create these maps the team takes information from satellite surveys of the area, then combines this with more detailed data from the seismic readings and from bathymetry surveys from this expedition, and from the ships that have surveyed this ridge in the past.
In the images above, you can see some analysis in progress on a computer on the left and a depth plot on paper to the right.
Data is collected in duplicate or triplicate to ensure that valuable information is retained. Much of the work is done using specialized computer tools that require years of experience to master. Geophysicists typically have studied several aspects within the broader field of geology.
Since I came on board, they have helped me to understand some of the specializations within this branch of science. Let me give just a quick overview of this branch of science. A geologist actually is a scientist that integrates the work of knowing where things are with what they are.
I know this sounds vague, but it is only because we need to explain the WHERE and the WHAT.
Geophysicists really work with the WHERE of our world.
They use precise instrumentation, and cross-analyze their results to try to see beyond or into the physical world. The result of their work is primarily specialized maps. Bathymetry, for example is a map that shows the amount of time that a signal takes to travel to a reflector, and be detected and returned. Some surfaces reflect all of the signal quickly while others absorb the signal. The work then is to produce a map of this which then actually shows how solid or soft the surface and the AREA UNDER the surface is. This is really amazing if you think about it; it sees inside sediments and rock and allows geophysicists to map the composition of areas with some accuracy. Beyond that, we have to drill core samples to find out more. Ahh, which is another reason for why we are here. This is a survey, and we are looking for likely places to go that next step of drilling to pull out actual samples deep within the earth.
Petrologists then study the WHAT of our world.
We will meet them on another page... For now, let's say that their main focus is on the rocks themselves, in detail, and mainly using chemical methods to understand the composition and age of rock samples.
So to put a bit more detail on the geology world, the geologist is usually the person in the field, packing along the maps produced by the geophysicists and with simple field chemistry sets to do a basic petrology assessment to identify rocks.
They sample and look at rock outcrops, to look at the ways that the earth formed and changed over time.
- Updated June 29, 2007
(alphabetical order by last name)
Sarah Baumgardner - Geosciences, MIT
Darryl Churchill - Engine Room Propulsion, RV Roger Revelle
Tom Desjardins - Captain, RV Roger Revelle
Meghan Donohue - Resident Marine Technician (aka restech)
Amy Eisin - Marine Geology and Geophysics, Texas A&M
Jay Erickson - Senior Cook, RV Roger Revelle
Joseph Ferris III - Second Mate, RV Roger Revelle
Dr. Fred Frey - Geochemistry Professor, MIT
Heather Galiher - 3rd Mate, RV Roger Revelle
Jackie Gauntlett - Geology and Oceanography, UCT
Howie Goldstein - Marine Mammal Biologist, Observer
James Edward Hayden, Sr. - Second Asisstant Engineer, RV Roger Revelle
Philip Hogan - Engine Room, Propulsion, RV Roger Revelle
Shari Hilding-Kronforst - Marine Geology & Geophysics, Texas A&M
Lara Kalnins - Geophysics, University of Oxford
George Kennedy - A/B Deck, RV Roger Revelle
Clemens Kessler - Seaman, RV Roger Revelle
Dr. Kolluru Sree Krishna - Marine Geophysics, Goa, India
Dr. Oleg Levchenko - Shirshov Inst. of Oceanology Professor, Moscow
Joe Martino - Seaman, RV Roger Revelle
Evelyn Mervine - Geochemistry Woods Hole / MIT
Laura Morse - Marine Biologist, Marine Mammal Observer
Brandi Murphy - Marine Geophysical Technician
Leslie Nemazi - Marine Geology & Geophysics, Texas A&M
Soumen Mallick - Isotope Geochemistry, Florida State University
Matthew Peer - Third Asisstant Engineer, RV Roger Revelle
Ines G. Nobre Silva - Isotope Geochemistry, University of British Columbia, Canada
Holly Owens - Geochronology, MIT
Scott Rasmussen - Geosciences, Brown University
Christopher Paul - Marine Geology & Geophysics, Texas A&M
Dr. Malcolm Pringle - Research Scientist / Geochronologist Professor, MIT
Dr. Dasari Gopala Rao - Marine Geophysics & Geology, India
Dr. Will Sager - Marine Geology & Geophysics Professor, Texas A&M
Dax Soule - Geophysicist, Geology, Texas A&M
Masako Tominaga - Marine Geophysics, Texas A&M
Richard Vullo - Chief Mate, RV Roer Revelle
Rory Wilson - Teacher at Sea, JOI Learning
James Wiltshire - Marine Geology, UCT
BACKGROUND
7/7 - Exploring the Heart of the RV Roger Revelle
6/29 - Looking into the Geophysical World (Undersea)
6/24 - Another Look at OUR WORLD
6/21 - First Look... Onboard the RV Roger Revelle
