PALMER STATION SCIENCE SITREP August 1997 Prepared by Marc Pomeroy Winter Assistant Supervisor, Laboratory Operations This has been a busy month in Denver. The two vacant lab positions have been filled. Mr. Rob Edwards joins the Palmer team as the new Senior Assistant Laboratory Supervisor. He comes to us from Montana State University where he worked for the last four years with John Priscu's LTER group in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. Rob graduated with a B.S. from Cornell University and a M.S. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. In the Dry Valleys, Robs duties included planning operational support, taking samples, operating instruments, analyzing data, and keeping everyone working and happy. Mr. John Powell has been hired as the new Palmer Station Instrument Technician. John received his bachelor's of science degree in Biological Sciences from Southern Illinois University in 1989. Since then, he has worked at University of Wisconsin Hospital as an Associate Research Specialist and as a chemist in an independent analytical lab. His experience with HPLC's and liquid scintillation counters (LSC) will be a great addition to the support on station this season. At Palmer, springtime is here. Even the sea stars are feeling the changing of the seasons and some of the males have started to spawn. This is a very busy time getting the station ready for the arrival of the RV NATHANIEL B. PALMER on the 18th of September. The Winter crew is eagerly anticipating the new faces change of atmosphere and fresh food. Laboratory Services assisted the Science Technician this month on a DGPS survey of local islands. A general idea of weak spots for the GPS correctors was completed to aid arriving grantees in the proper use of the system and to identify limitations of the system. In addition to the work performed on station, a class was held for Palmer researchers at the USGS in the use of the new Palmer GPS Rover and data collection. Furthermore, with the purchase of the new rover, we have also purchased a second Seabird Seacat CTD and are in the process of upgrading our Alpkem nutrient analyzer. The CTD should arrive on station via the first NBP shuttle, and the nutrient analyzer upgrade will be available after December, 1997. S-085 GPS CONTINUOUS OPERATION REFERENCE STATION. J. Mullins, U.S. Geological Survey The system has been monitored by the station science technician. For the month of August, GPS data was collected continuously. Daily data was converted to a Rinex format, compressed, and FTPed to Reston, VA. The average daily data transfer to Reston was 2.2 MB. On 05 August, there was an extended power outage lasting more than an hour. During this outage, the system was powered by a portable generator. During the month, the Palmer Science Technician performed a survey of DGPS corrector reception to determine the range of the S-085 transmitter. Reception was tested throughout the permitted range of Zodiac operations and on Humble and Torgersen Islands. S-091 GLOBAL SEISMOGRAPH STATION AT PALMER STATION. R. Butler, Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) No personnel were on station. The system has been monitored by the station science technician. On 05 August, there were two planned power outages. The DP was powered down for the duration of each outage. The system recovered normally after each of the outages. On 07 August, the bell jars were evacuated and mass positions were recentered. S-106 STUDIES OF LIGHTNING-INDUCED ELECTRON PRECIPITATION OF THE IONOSPHERE. U. Inan, Stanford University No personnel were on station. The system has been monitored by the station science technician. On 05 August, there were two planned power outages. The UPS held for the shorter of the two outages, but a portable generator was brought on-line for the second outage, which lasted over an hour. On 12 August, the Ampex recorder blew a fuse. Between one and two hours of synoptic recordings were missed before the problem was corrected. S-204 MEASUREMENTS OF ATMOSPHERIC O2 IN RELATION TO THE GLOBAL CARBON CYCLE. Ralph Keeling, Scripps Institution of Oceanography No personnel were on station. Air samples are collected on a semi-weekly basis by the station physician. The samples are return shipped to Scripps for analysis of O2 and CO2 content. The goal of the program is to resolve seasonal and interannual variations in atmospheric O2 (detected through changes in O2/N2 ratio) which can aid in the determination of rates of marine biological productivity and ocean mixing and aid in the separation of the global sink for anthropogenic CO2 into terrestrial and oceanic components. The program involves air sampling at a network of sites in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Palmer Station is especially well situated to resolve signals due to carbon cycling in the Southern Ocean. S-254 CHLORINE-AND BROMINE-CONTAINING TRACE GASES IN ANTARCTICA. R.A. Rasmussen, Oregon Graduate Institute for Science and Technology No personnel were on station. Air samples are taken on a weekly basis by the station physician. The samples are returned to the Institute for analysis of a number of trace components, especially chlorine- and bromine-containing gases. These elements have been implicated in the chemical processes that contribute to the austral-spring depletion of the ozone layer over Antarctica. This work will contribute to a better understanding of the buildup of trace constituents, particularly those of high- latitude marine origin. S-257C COLLECTION OF ATMOSPHERIC AIR FOR THE NOAA\CMDL WORLDWIDE FLASK SAMPLING NETWORK. James T. Peterson, Environmental Research Laboratories, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration No personnel were on station. Air samples are taken on a weekly basis by the station physician. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory team continue long-term measurements of trace atmospheric constituents that influence climate. The Palmer Station air samples are returned to the NOAA laboratory for analysis of trace constituents, including carbon dioxide. These measurements are part of NOAA's effort to determine and assess the long-term buildup of global pollutants in the atmosphere. These data will be used to determine how the rate of change of these parameters affects climate, particularly by including them in climate model studies. S-275 UM/DOE-EML REMOTE ATMOSPHERIC MEASUREMENTS PROGRAM. C. Sanderson, Department of Energy, Environmental Measurements Laboratory No personnel were on station. The system has been operated by the station science technician. One sample filter was exposed for the duration of each week, and a weekly schedule of calibration, background, and sample counts was maintained. On 05 August, there were two planned power outages. The air pump was off for the duration of each outage. On 22 August, water was found on the sampling filter and filter housing. The filter was removed and allowed to air dry. The filter housing, filter bracket, and air intake hose were thoroughly dried before the system was put back into operation. T-312 TERASCAN SATELLITE IMAGING SYSTEM. R. Whritner, Scripps Institution of Oceanography No personnel were on station. The system has been operated by the station science technician. Throughout the month of August, the TeraScan system collected, archived, and processed DMSP and NOAA telemetry, maintaining a schedule of 15-17 passes per day. NOAA and DMSP telemetry were archived for S-032 when the LTER grid was clear. AWS transmissions were monitored from Bonaparte Point, Hugo Island, and RACER Rock. Additionally, ten high resolution DMSP and AVHRR infrared images of the Weddell Sea were produced and sent to Marine Operations in Denver to support the Dovetail cruise. T-513 UV MONITORING NETWORK. C. Booth, Biospherical Instruments, Inc. No personnel were on station. The system has been operated by the station science technician. Throughout the month, raw irradiance data were collected daily and transmitted to BSI, and preliminary irradiances and integrals were produced in support of Science. Scheduled absolute calibration scans were performed on 13 August and 29 August. On 05 August, the UV Monitor was powered by a portable generator for the duration of each of two scheduled power outages. **********************End of Report***************************** __________________________________________________________________ Marc Pomeroy - Antarctic Support Associates Winter Assistant Supervisor, Laboratory Operations Palmer Station, Antarctica pomeroma@palmer.usap.nsf.gov "Live not as though there were a thousand years ahead of you, Fate is at your elbow, make yourself good while life and power are still yours." -Marcus Aurelius __________________________________________________________________