PALMER STATION SCIENCE SITREP OCTOBER 2000 Langdon Quetin Station Science Leader NEWS FROM THE LAB Rob Edwards Lab Supervisor October marked the beginning of the summer science season at Palmer Station. Field team members from BP-016-O arrived near the beginning of the month, with the rest of the Palmer Long Term Ecological Research field teams on site two weeks later. As reported below, groups were able to get out into the field quite quickly this year. The most significant changes to Station over the winter occurred in the GWR building. The entire second floor was gutted and remodeled, resulting in new bedrooms, laundry facilities, bar/lounge, and gym. Station capacity increased by two beds, sound isolation was vastly improved, more windows brightened up the rooms, and the bathrooms set a new standard all around. In addition, medical was moved to new and expanded facilities on the first floor of GWR, allowing a considerable improvement in the storage and workspace for laboratory instruments in BioLab. The beginning of spring was not particularly auspicious weather-wise. We didn't get to see the sun much, with no clear days and only three days partly cloudy. Precipitation fell on 27 days, mostly as snow, though one day it was rainy. Annual precipitation totals remain low, and the maximum snow accumulation at the measuring stake was 59 cm. The average temperature was slightly below freezing at -1.8C, varying between a maximum of 5.9C and a minimum of -10.1C. The most significant weather event was not in the data, but rather in our synoptic observation protocols. At the end of the month we terminated the 0600UT observation (which occurs in the middle of the night locally), thus switching to three synoptic observations per day, rather than four. The daily averages for temperature and pressure will still be calculated as before, using recorded data from the 0600 time period, rather than directly observed measurements. As a reminder, much larger changes for recording weather at Palmer are afoot. We've previously mentioned that the NSF has approved and RPS has begun the procurement of an automated observing system which will eventually replace the current synoptic observations. The exact timeline for installation is still being worked out, and final implementation will require a round-the-clock satellite Internet connection. Ultimately we expect to see a new era in weather data accuracy and accessibility. The sea ice cover in Arthur Harbor fluctuated greatly. The middle of the month was mostly open water, with a concomitant decrease in water clarity indicating a strong algal bloom. The ice packed in again later in the month, damping out both the algae and any local boating activity. The wildlife was clearly ready for the change of season, as we could see the Adelies massing out on Torgersen Island, and Giant Petrels, Terns, and Blue-eyed Shags flying about the local area. The Weddell seals up in Hero Inlet had at least three pups this year, and there were occasional Leopard seal sightings during open water. The following projects conducted research at Palmer Station; BP-013-O LONG-TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH ON THE ANTARCTIC MARINE ECOSYSTEM: AN ICE DOMINATED ENVIRONMENT: SEABIRD COMPONENT. William R. Fraser, Polar Oceans Research Group, Sheridan, MT. Personnel on Station: Matt Irinaga, Chris Denker, Heidi Geisz. The three members of our group departed Punta Arenas on October 17 and enjoyed an easy crossing of the Drake Passage. We participated in the Copa Cabana put in on 21 October and arrived to Palmer late in the afternoon of October 22. Upon arrival we found open water in Arthur Harbor and adjacent areas. The pack ice was approximately 2 km west of Litchfield Island but all of our study sites were ice-free. The following day after receiving orientation, we moved onto the station. Project personnel proceeded to unpack stored supplies and moved into Lab I and the Bird Hut. We prepared for our fieldwork by working on notebooks and orienting the new personnel to the project. We were also able to receive the Boating I and II course that day. This facilitated our ability to take full advantage of the open water conditions and begin fieldwork immediately. The expanded exercises in the Boating II course was well received. Jeff Bechtel (Boating Coordinator) did an outstanding job. Lab I and the Bird Hut were well prepared and stocked with virtually all of our requested items, including computers, lab, and field supplies. We were able to conduct preliminary indicator counts on Torgersen and Humble Islands on October 24 and Cormorant, Christine, and Litchfield Islands on October 25. In addition to those counts we also conducted indicator counts of Blue-eyed Shags on Cormorant Island and marine mammals throughout the study area. Although the majority of the Adelie penguins present were paired, none were on eggs yet. On October 26 we began to conduct snow transects on Torgersen Island but were unable to finish due to incoming brash ice. Since that time we were restricted to the station, as conditions did not warrant boating operations. In the lab we analyzed Limpet shells, cormorant boli and South Polar Skua feces; samples collected from the previous season. To date (November 1) the ice is still in the harbor making boating operations impossible. Thus, since arriving on station we have experienced three days conducive to boating and 5 days of non-boating conditions. We would like to thank all the station personnel for their help in getting us started. Special thanks to: Rob Edwards, Biolab Manager, Howie Tobin, Instrument Tech, Lora Folger, Info Systems, and Jeff Bechtel, Boating Coordinator. BP-016-O LONG TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH ON THE ANTARCTIC PENINSULA, AN ICE DOMINATED ECOSYSTEM: PHYTOPLANKTON ECOLOGY COMPONENT. Maria Vernet, Scripps Institution of Oceanography Personnel on station: Wendy Kozlowski (Scripps Institution of Oceanography) and Silvia Rodriguez (Antarctic Institute of Argentina) Personnel arrived on station October 8 th and were greeted by the welcome site of open water in the Arthur Harbor vicinity. Unpacking, laboratory setup and boating training began immediately, and the group was able to complete their first water column sampling on October 13th, at Station E, with surface sampling that same day at Station B. Four more complete core sampling days were done on the 16th, 19th, 23rd and 26th, and water was collected for additional experiments on six additional days. Brash moved into the Palmer area on the 27th, preventing further water column sampling. Surface samples were taken from the end of Bonaparte Point on the 30th to continue the sample set. The phytoplankton component of the core sample set as designated by the Palmer Long Term Ecological Research scientists continues to include filtration for particulate carbon and nitrogen, pigment analysis using high performance liquid chromatography, sample preservation for dissolved inorganic nutrients, sample preservation for several types of microscopic analysis, and estimation of primary production by measurement of 14C uptake using an on-deck incubator to simulate in situ conditions. Additional samples are being collected for mycrosporin-like amino acid measurements, as well as some production estimates with exposure to natural UV radiation. A preliminary look at the production in the Palmer inshore area showed a five-fold increase over the course of the month, with highest levels being at station B on the 23rd. Non quantitative microscopic examination of net tow samples (5u mesh) show the presence of diatoms (several species of Thalassiosira., Corethron sp., Chatoceros sp., Rhizosolenia sp., Nitzschia sp., Coscinidiscus sp., Eucampia sp) with cryptomonads appearing later in the month as well. BP-028-O LONG TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH ON THE ANTARCTIC PENINSULA, AN ICE DOMINATED ECOSYSTEM: PREY COMPONENT. Robin Ross and Langdon Quetin, Marine Science Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara Personnel on station: Langdon Quetin, Dan Martin and Stephanie Oakes (Marine Science Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara) Our field team arrived on station the afternoon of October 22 (Sunday). All cargo arrived as scheduled and unpacking and lab set up have gone smoothly thanks to great help from station personnel. We managed to complete the boating orientation course quickly before ice returned to terminate boating from October 27 to November 4. Rubber Duke II (trawling/acoustic zodiac) is nearly ready to launch, and we will complete preparations in the next few days. Two out of three divers had colds the first week after arriving which delayed diving, but we have now completed 4 dives in the area of the Palmer Dock. Diving has gone well, but few krill have been seen. We have completed measurements of the Instantaneous Growth Rate experiments from last season and may try sending the spreadsheet to UCSB next week. All vials and boats (7 ml and 20 ml scintillation vials and CHN boats) have been weighed for both the Palmer Season and the LTER January cruise. BP-032-O LONG TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH ON THE ANTARCTIC PENINSULA, AN ICE DOMINATED ECOSYSTEM: Optics, Remote Sensing, Sea Ice. Raymond C. Smith, ICESS, University of California at Santa Barbara, CA Personnel on station: Kirk Ireson Our team made a presence starting October 22nd with the arrival of Kirk Ireson. Time has been spent setting up both work space and the shared (with BP-016-O) sampling zodiac platform "Bruiser". After ice finally broke out on Nov 4th Bruiser was tested with a core sampling regiment at Station B. The core sampling includes the following casts; a Profiling Reflectance Radiometer (PRR), Niskin bottles (at the following light level depths 100%, 50%, 25%, 10%, 5%, & 1%), a CTD/fluorometer/transmissometer, and a vertical ring net. The water collected will be analysed back in the lab by BP-032-O for chlorophyll content. While the ice prevented zodiac work, a few surface chlorophyll samples were collected from shore. Panoramic ice pictures have been taken every day from the T5 building. All equipment so far is in working order. GO-052-P GPS CONTINUOUS OPERATION REFERENCE STATION. J. Mullins, U.S. Geological Survey The station science technician has monitored the system. During the month, GPS transmissions were collected continuously, converted daily to a RInEx format, compressed, and transmitted to the US Geological Survey in Reston, VA. GO-090-P GLOBAL SEISMOGRAPH STATION AT PALMER STATION. R. Butler, Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) The station science technician has monitored the system. Global seismic events were recorded throughout the month. The LaserJet 4+ installed last month to print helicorder emulations is periodically unable to print short period charts due to a memory overload. Cycling power to the printer allows it to continue with subsequent plots. AO-106-P STUDIES OF LIGHTNING-INDUCED ELECTRON PRECIPITATION OF THE IONOSPHERE. U. Inan, Stanford University The station science technician has monitored the system. The Stanford receiver records very low frequency (VLF) radio waves for studying ionospheric and magnetospheric natural phenomena. Throughout the month, there were many periods of enhanced activity on the narrowband systems, though these tended to be more infrequent toward the end of the month. Most days showed interesting events, and on those days special plots were prepared and sent to the grantees. A spare GPS unit was received, configured internally to match the outputs of the operating unit, and successfully tested. The broadband computer halted acquisition unexpectedly twice in rapid succession in the middle of the month; after the second failure the computer was rebooted, and it has not failed again. OO-204-O MEASUREMENTS OF ATMOSPHERIC O2 IN RELATION TO THE GLOBAL CARBON CYCLE. Ralph Keeling, Scripps Institution of Oceanography 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. OO-254-O CHLORINE-AND BROMINE-CONTAINING TRACE GASES IN ANTARCTICA. R.A. Rasmussen, Oregon Graduate Institute for Science and Technology 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. OO-264-O COLLECTION OF ATMOSPHERIC AIR FOR THE NOAA\CMDL WORLDWIDE FLASK SAMPLING NETWORK. James T. Peterson, Environmental Research Laboratories, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 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. This data will be used to determine how the rate of change of these parameters affects climate, particularly by including them in climate model studies. OO-275-O DOE-EML REMOTE ATMOSPHERIC MEASUREMENTS PROGRAM. C. Sanderson, Department of Energy, Environmental Measurements Laboratory The station science technician has operated the system. One sample filter was exposed for the duration of each week, and a weekly schedule of calibration, background, and sample counts was maintained. The RAMP system is part of a global network seeking to characterize the quantity and distribution of radionuclide Particles, which occur both naturally and artificially in the atmosphere. The gasket in one of the older style filter cartridges was replaced because the filters were adhering to the original gasketing material. OO-283-P ANTARCTIC AUTOMATED WEATHER STATIONS. Charles Stearns, University of Wisconsin The station science technician has monitored the local sites. Automated Weather Station (AWS) transmissions were monitored from Bonaparte Point, Hugo Island, and RACER Rock using the TeraScan system. The Bonaparte Point unit continued to send an invalid wind speed, presumably due to a CPU failure. The Hugo Island unit continued not to broadcast, with the exception of a very brief period (three hits on one satellite pass) on 29 October. Reception of broadcasts from the RACER Rock unit has been erratic since 06/07 October. TO-312-O TERASCAN SATELLITE IMAGING SYSTEM. R. Whritner, Scripps Institution of Oceanography The station science technician has operated the system. Throughout the month, the TeraScan system collected, archived, and processed DMSP, NOAA, and encrypted SeaWiFS satellite pass telemetry, maintaining a schedule of 20-25 passes per day. NOAA, DMSP, and encrypted SeaWiFS telemetry were archived for BP-032-O when the LTER grid was clear of clouds. 85 GHz SSM/I ice concentration images were produced and sent to BP-032-O on a weekly basis. Numerous images, infrared, visible, and microwave-derived "ice concentration", were produced and sent to the R/V LAURENCE M. GOULD throughout the month to assist in cruise planning. TeraScan was configured to allow for the capture of telemetry from two additional satellites, f-15 and noaa-16, and telemetry was captured successfully from each. DCS data has not yet been successfully retrieved from the noaa-16 telemetry, and SeaSpace is investigating this issue. Processing of the SS channels from f-15 was originally unsuccessful, but after an email exchange with SeaSpace, two minor changes were made to configuration files to allow processing to proceed. TO-513-O UV MONITORING NETWORK. C. Booth, Biospherical Instruments, Inc. The station science technician has operated the system. Throughout the month, raw irradiance data scans were collected daily and transmitted to BSI, and preliminary irradiances and spectral integrals were produced in support of Science. Absolute calibration scans were performed as scheduled, including the quarterly triple absolute calibration.