PALMER STATION SCIENCE SITREP September 2002 NEWS FROM THE LAB Cherie M. Wilson, Winter Assistant Supervisor, Laboratory Operations The big news for September is, of course, the completion of the Biolab remodel. If you have been following the evolution from dark, well-worn labs through dusty demolition and construction of a complex infrastructure to the bright, modern facility that now exists, (on the RPSC website) you will have been impressed by the complexity, quantity, and quality of the work that took place there. The new lab space is comfortable and pleasant to work in and includes many safety features and conveniences like extra outlets and fume exhaust systems. As the project neared completion, everyone pulled together to help out so the deadline could be met. Many of the personnel that worked on the reconstruction expressed to me the hope that the scientists would like their new labs. Although they will never get to see your faces as you tour the new facility, I hope that you will keep in mind the many hard-working hands that created a better place for you to do the important work of science. During the month of September, Palmer Station was visited by both the R/V LAURENCE M. GOULD (GLOBEC) and the R/V NATHANIEL B. PALMER (NBPIV) at the conclusion of the GLOBEC cruise. Chemicals, samples, equipment and good times were exchanged with Palmer Station, which hosted a cross-town pizza party for both vessels. A second visit from the R/V LAURENCE M. GOULD on September 28, 2002, brought the first members of the summer crew and specialists and representatives to perform inspections and create punch lists for the Biolab Remodel and the Earth Station. The movement of equipment and materials back into the laboratory in preparation for summer science has commenced. Many positive comments were heard as new arrivals on station toured the new facilities. Most people seemed to feel that the laboratory did not look like a remodel, but a completely new facility. The temperature this month ranged from 5.6 degrees above zero C to - 10.6 below and seemed somewhat mixed with both warm rainstorms and 23 inches of snow. The ice conditions have been very changeable, with Arthur Harbor becoming packed with brash ice and icebergs one day and clearing to open water the next. On Sunday, September 22, 2002, it was so clear that we put a boat in the water and circumnavigated Torgersen Island. A single penguin was spotted on the island. It appeared from tracks that the penguin had been walking all over the island, perhaps looking for some company. With the coming of spring, we have also witnessed returning wildlife. A group of about 30 Arctic Terns were spotted sitting on a large pancake of ice on the far side of Arthur Harbor. Many of the birds are flying in pairs and already beginning nesting and defending activities on Bonaparte. A small group of approximately twenty Adelie penguins has taken up residence on Bonaparte and two Wedell seals have given birth at the head of Hero Inlet on the ice. There have also been several other seal sightings, including at least two Leopard Seals. AO-106-P GLOBAL THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE RADIATION BELTS AND THE LOWER IONOSPHERE Umran Inan, Principal Investigator, Stanford University. The Science Technician operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. The Stanford equipment receives and records Very Low Frequency (VLF) radio waves in order to study natural ionospheric and magnetospheric phenomena, as well as to study the distribution of the lightning strikes that are a principle source of natural VLF signals. The new PC for the North-South narrowband system would show an error and restart acquisition about every three hours. Extensive testing found that the problem was with a vendor supplied software driver. A newer version of the driver was downloaded off the Web and installed. This fixed the problem. GO-052-P GPS CONTINUOUSLY OPERATING REFERENCE STATION Jerry Mullins, Principal Investigator, U.S. Geological Survey. The Science Technician operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. Throughout the month, 15 second epoch GPS transmissions were collected continually at station PALM. Each day, the previous day's data file was examined for completeness, compressed, and transmitted to the USGS in Reston, VA. GO-090-P GLOBAL SEISMOGRAPH NETWORK (GSN) SITE AT PALMER STATION Rhett Butler, Principal Investigator, Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS). The Science Technician operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. Station PMSA is one of more than 130 sites in the GSN, monitoring seismic waves produced by events worldwide. Data files are recorded to tape and also sent to the USGS in real time. The real time transmissions are now sent 24/7 thanks to the new SATCOM satellite communication system. A new firewall installed at Raytheon HQ temporarily interrupted data transfer from the seismic system to Albuquerque Seismic Lab. The problem was diagnosed and fixed. OO-204-O A STUDY OF ATMOSPHERIC OXYGEN VARIABILITY IN RELATION TO ANNUAL TO DECADAL VARIATIONS IN TERRESTRIAL AND MARINE ECOSYSTEMS Ralph Keeling, Principal Investigator, Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Air samples are collected on a semiweekly basis by the station physician. The goal of this project is to resolve seasonal and interannual variations in atmospheric O2 (detected through changes in O2/N2 ratio), which can aid in determining rates of marine biological productivity and ocean mixing. The results are also used to help determine the terrestrial and oceanic distribution of the global anthropogenic CO2 sink. The program involves air sampling at a network of sites in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Palmer Station is especially well situated for resolving signals of carbon cycling in the Southern Ocean. Samples taken from the station are sent to Scripps where the analysis of O2 and CO2 content takes place. OO-264-O COLLECTION OF ATMOSPHERIC AIR FOR THE NOAA\CMDL WORLDWIDE FLASK SAMPLING NETWORK David Hofmann, Principal Investigator, Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Air samples are collected on a weekly basis by the station physician. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory continues its long term measurements of carbon dioxide and other climate relevant atmospheric gases. The Palmer Station air samples are returned to the NOAA laboratory for analysis as part of NOAA's effort to determine and assess the long term buildup of global pollutants in the atmosphere. Data from this experiment will be used in modeling studies to determine how the rate of change of these parameters affects climate. OO-275-O DOE-EML REMOTE ATMOSPHERIC MEASUREMENTS PROGRAM (RAMP) Colin Sanderson, Principal Investigator, Department of Energy, Environmental Measurements Laboratory. The Science Technician operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. The RAMP system is part of a global network seeking to characterize the quantity and distribution of radionuclide particles occurring both naturally and artificially in the atmosphere. One sample filter was exposed for the duration of each week, and a weekly schedule of calibration, background, and sample counts was maintained. OO-283-P ANTARCTIC AUTOMATIC WEATHER STATIONS (AWS) Charles Stearns, Principal Investigator, University of Wisconsin. The Science Technician monitors data transmissions for the project. AWS transmissions from Bonaparte Point, Hugo Island, and RACER Rock were monitored using the TeraScan system. The Hugo Island AWS site is not currently transmitting. Personnel on the Laurence M. Gould stopped at the Racer Rock AWS site and with some radio assistance from the Palmer Station Science Technician were able to repair the station except for the anemometer. The anemometer is broken and Raytheon has no spare anemometer. Heavy corrosion on the equipment was documented with a digital camera. TO-312-O TERASCAN SATELLITE IMAGING SYSTEM Dan Lubin, Principal Investigator, Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The Science Technician operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. Throughout the month, the TeraScan system collected, archived, and processed DMSP and NOAA satellite telemetry, capturing approximately 25 passes per day. Infrared, visible and microwave images were provided to the Laurence M. Gould to support the GLOBEC IV science and navigational requirements. An 85GHz SSM/I "ice concentration" image was produced and transferred to UCSB for BP-032-P (Smith) on a weekly basis. A SeaSpace technician arrived and installed the TeraScan 3.2 upgrade and inspect all the hardware. Changes were then made to the post processing scripts to use the TeraScan Product Generation System (PGS). TO-513-O ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRORADIOMETER NETWORK Charles Booth, Principal Investigator, Biospherical Instruments, Inc. The Science Technician operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. The BSI UV monitor produces full sky irradiance spectra ranging from the atmospheric UV cutoff near 290nm up to 605nm, four times per hour, while the sun is above the horizon. TIDE GAGE Tony Amos, Point of Contact, The University of Texas Marine Science Institute. The Science Technician operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. Tide height and sea water temperature and salinity are monitored on a continual basis by a gage mounted at the Palmer Station pier. The conduit containing the tide gage signal cable was accidentally dug up during ice removal operations. It was then repaired. SYNOPTIC WEATHER OBSERVATIONS Each day, three synoptic weather observations were performed, coded, and sent to Rothera Station via HF radio. At the end of the month, a summary report was prepared and sent to interested parties.