PALMER STATION SCIENCE MONTHLY REPORT April 2004 James McClintock, Station Science Leader NEWS FROM THE LABORATORY James McClintock, Station Science Leader The arrival of the R/V Gould at Palmer Station on April 3 brought three additional members of B-022-P to Palmer Station where they joined the balance of their research team already at the station. The departure of the full compliment of members of B-016-L/P, B-013-L/P and B-045-L/P aboard the R/V Gould on April 8 heralded the end of the LTER season here at Palmer Station. In addition, one of the three PIs of B-022-P (Amsler) departed on the same cruise. Shortening daylight and a few days of high winds put some constraints on boat operations; yet the marine chemical ecology members of B-022-P and station personnel assisting the birders (B-013-P) were able to effectively work their targeted field operations for the month around these limitations. The air temperature reached a maximum of +7.3”C and a minimum of Š6.1”C. Winds reached 51 knots, and averaged six knots over the month. Fifteen days with snowfall produced 47 cm of snow, bringing the total for the year to 65 cm. The annual census of Giant Petrel Chicks directed by the birders (B-013- P) continued with the able assistance of station personnel Barb Watson, Sonja Wolter and Dan Weisblatt. Several trips per week were made to visit the nesting sites on Humble Island and station personnel reported that towards the end of the month many of the chicks were observed to be fledging. On April 22 the entire station joined in recognizing and celebrating "Earth Day". Divers from B-022-P made several dives off the dock to recover debris from the sea floor including an assortment of pipes, rods, bottles, cans, a hammer, and a large tire. Station personnel helped hoist the debris in dive bags on to the dock. The highlight was a photograph of the station residents standing behind the pile of debris. This photograph was forwarded to representatives of the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs. Both Dr. Karl Erb (Director) and Dr. Polly Penhale (Biology and Medicine Program Director) expressed their enthusiastic gratitude and support to members of the entire station for supporting this event. Social events at Palmer Station included cross town pizza upon the arrival of the Gould, the continuation of regular Wednesday night science lectures, and the kick off of Saturday night continental darts. Moreover, a two-day fishing contest was held to assist members of B-022-P with the collection of live fish to be used for behavioral feeding assays. The following projects conducted research at Palmer Station during April: B-022-P: THE CHEMICAL ECOLOGY OF SHALLOW-WATER MARINE MACROALGAE AND INVERTEBRATES ON THE ANTARCTIC PENINSULA Charles Amsler and James McClintock, Principal Investigators, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Bill Baker, Principal Investigator, University of South Florida Personnel of station: Bill Baker, James McClintock, Maggie Amsler, Anne Fairhead, Dan Martin, Kevin Peters, Hla Win Three additional team members (Bill Baker, James McClintock, Dan Martin) arrived at Palmer Station on LMG04-03 the morning of April 3, 2004. One of the team members, Chuck Amsler, departed aboard the return leg of LMG04-03 on April 8 after coordinating research efforts with the new team members. During April our group completed 39 dives. These included several maintenance dives per week in early April on ongoing substrate experiments in Kristie Cove that are examining the effects of increased ultraviolet radiation on algal metabolites that may exhibit defensive roles against both ultraviolet radiation and herbivores. On both April 12 and April 14, one dive was made to retrieve the experimental plants held on these substrates and the plants were returned to the laboratory for subsequent gravimetric and chemical analysis. All of the concrete substrates were subsequently retrieved from Kristie Cove on April 20 to be retrograded to Punta Arenas. The balance of the dives during the month of April, with the exception of Earth Day (see below), targeted the collection of specific macroalgae and invertebrates for defensive chemistry analysis. On April 22, as part of a station wide "Earth Day" event, two dives were made by members of B-022 to collect debris from the sea floor off the dock in front of Palmer Station. Divers retrieved old bottles, pieces of metal rods, a hammer, cans, and a large tire. Station personnel assisted in hoisting the debris out of the water. A group photograph of Palmer Station residents surrounding the debris culminated the event. Ongoing laboratory activities included secondary metabolite purification and or/quantification using colorimetric, HPLC, and GC techniques. In addition, numerous sea star "taste tester" feeding bioassays were conducted. Finally, an ongoing laboratory based experiment examining the potential for the induction of chemical defenses in macroalgae under different herbivore treatments was completed on April 26. We are most thankful for the professional support of numerous RPSC staff. Rick Lichtenhan, Sonja Wolter, Barb Watson and Gary Jirschelle deserve special gratitude for facilitating our field and laboratory operations. G-052-P GPS CONTINUOUSLY OPERATING REFERENCE STATION. Jerry Mullins, Principal Investigator, U.S. Geological Survey The Research Associate operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. Throughout the month, 15-second GPS epoch data was collected continually at station PALM, compressed, and transmitted to the USGS in Reston, VA. High inbound use of PalmerÕs satellite internet link caused occasional difficulties in timely delivery of the daily data files to Reston, apparently due to the extreme delay in the inbound acknowledgements required by even outbound ftp. In some cases where the delays seemed likely to be extensive, the files were emailed to a computer in the US and then ftpÕd from there. Discussions are under way to increase the priority of ftp packets to allow data transfers of these small files to occur even under conditions of heavy network usage. Realtime dGPS techniques were used to survey the vertical position of the glacier, to adjust the VLF antenna configuration, to determine a location of the UV monitor, and to aid in tracking the recession of the glacier face north of Arthur Harbor. G-090-P GLOBAL SEISMOGRAPH NETWORK (GSN) SITE AT PALMER STATION. Rhett Butler, Principal Investigator, Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) The Research Associate 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 real-time to the U.S. Geological Survey. The only two tape flushes this month both failed on the first tape drive attempted, /MT1, and the data records were automatically saved to the second drive, /MT0. The errors occurred after much of the flush had been performed, and the error messages were different in the two cases, so the jury is out on whether this is a tape drive problem or a case of coincidentally bad tapes. The USGS is sending new drives in case the problems continue or a prophylactic solution is chosen. O-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. O-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 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. Air samples are collected on a weekly basis by the station physician. O-275-O DOE-EML REMOTE ATMOSPHERIC MEASUREMENTS PROGRAM (RAMP). Colin Sanderson, Principal Investigator, Department of Energy, Environmental Measurements Laboratory 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. The Research Associate operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. O-283-P ANTARCTIC AUTOMATIC WEATHER STATIONS (AWS). Charles Stearns, Principal Investigator, University of Wisconsin The Research Associate monitors data transmissions for the project. AWS transmissions from Bonaparte Point, Hugo Island, and Racer Rock were monitored using the TeraScan system, with only Bonaparte Point currently operational. AWS data received was also forwarded to UCSB for B-032-P (Smith). A-306-P GLOBAL THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE RADIATION BELTS AND THE LOWER IONOSPHERE. Umran Inan, Principal Investigator, Stanford University The Research Associate 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. Broadband synoptic data was recorded on a schedule of 3 out of every 15 minutes each day, and broadband continuous data was recorded for 6 hours/day. Narrowband continuous data was collected for 12 hours each day. Significant additional work was done on the glacier cable run and antenna this month. A new post was planted in the backyard just across the terminus from the glacier, to lift the cables from the water and mud at the terminus. The messenger cable was tightened over the extent of its run on the glacier, and it was also adjusted to provide needed slack for the signal cable near the mid-glacier junction box. Finally, the antenna was adjusted to a more proper configuration by lengthening the bases of the loops, thus decreasing the droop, and by lowering the east insulator while raising the west insulator, thus leveling the antennaÕs base with respect to geocentric coordinates, rather than the sloping glaciocentric system. The broadband computers continued to exhibit occasional glitches including sporadic lock-ups, missed synoptics, vanishing acquisition programs, etc. Fortunately all but the missed synoptics happened very rarely and were easily "fixed" by rebooting. Early in the month the missed synoptics were occurring frequently (taking as many as 25% of all observations in a day and up to 50% during certain intervals), and were determined to be tied to the same sluggish ftp problem discussed above in the G-052-P section. After consultation with the grantees, the processing and transfer sequence following the acquisition of each synoptic was disabled, and no recordings have been missed since. A multifrequency calibration of the VLF system response was performed. Special broadband VLF recordings were made in support of a number of targeted campaigns this month. Data files coinciding with passes of the CAWSES, TIPER, and QuakeSat satellites were all recorded. T-312-O TERASCAN SATELLITE IMAGING SYSTEM. Dan Lubin, Principal Investigator, Scripps Institution of Oceanography The Research Associate operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. Throughout the month, the TeraScan system collected, archived, and processed DMSP, NOAA and Orbview (SeaWiFS) satellite telemetry, capturing approximately 25-30 passes per day. Weekly 85GHz SSM/I ice concentration images were produced and transferred to UCSB for B-032-P (Smith). Extensive sea ice imagery support, often two images a day, was provided to the R/V LAURENCE M. GOULD, O-124-L (Visbeck) and G-096-L (Domack). The final Orbview-2 pass of the season was captured on 16 April; the next one will come in mid to late August, and will herald the return of the sun toward the southern hemisphere. A modified list of previously identified and archived "clear" SeaWiFS passes was provided to a grantee with B-016-P (Vernet). T-513-O ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRORADIOMETER NETWORK Charles Booth, Principal Investigator, Biospherical Instruments, Inc The Research Associate operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. A BSI SUV-100 UV spectroradiometer 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. A BSI GUV-511 filter radiometer, which has 4 channels in the UV and 1 channel in the visible for measuring Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR), is located next to the SUV-100. Data from the GUV-511 instrument is made available on a daily basis on the projectÕs website www.biospherical.com/nsf/ . Scheduled absolute calibrations were performed on 09 and 23 April. The position of the SUV-100 collector, determined using real-time dGPS and including a reference to mean sea level, was provided to the grantees. TIDE GAGE Tony Amos, Point of Contact, The University of Texas Marine Science Institute The Research Associate operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. Tide height, seawater temperature, and salinity are monitored on a continual basis by a gage mounted at the Palmer Station pier. METEOROLOGY The Research Associate acts as chief weather observer, and compiles and distributes meteorological data. At the end of the month a summary report is prepared and sent to interested parties. Weather data collected using the automated electronic system is archived locally and forwarded semimonthly to the University of Wisconsin for their forecasting models and data records. Synoptic reports are automatically generated every 6 hours by the Palmer Meteorological Observing System (PalMOS) and emailed to the NOAA for entry into the Global Telecommunications System (GTS). Current weather observations for all Antarctic stations, including Palmer, are available on the web at: http://www.wunderground.com/global/AA.html. Early in the month, the "present weather" sensor failed, reporting an error condition indicating a bad sensor head assembly, and repairs are not likely to be possible on-site. The reporting of "weather" information such as rain, snow, fog, etc., was disabled in the synoptic report generator. The internal clock on the PalMOS ZENO datalogger, which had drifted to two minutes and 13 seconds fast, was reset. For a still unknown reason, making this adjustment stopped the datalogger dead in its tracks, and power had to be disconnected and reconnected at the electronics enclosure to restore operation. Proper readings from the PalMOS temperature and relative humidity sensor were verified with a calibrated handheld probe. A significant number of old charts in Intercept were deleted; minimizing chart windows does not cause the charts to go away, only to be very well hidden, so months or years worth of chart windows were active in the background.