Return-Path: palmer@atsvax.rsmas.miami.edu Return-Path: Received: from atsvax.rsmas.miami.edu by crseo.ucsb.edu (4.1/SMI-4.4-Crseo Special) id AA03114; Mon, 31 Jan 94 11:33:32 PST Date: Mon, 31 Jan 94 19:23:17 GMT From: palmer@atsvax.rsmas.miami.edu Message-Id: <940131192317.24a08c83@atsvax.rsmas.miami.edu> Subject: MSG%"KIYOTAKI.ASA@ASA.ORG",MSG%"SPRAYBKA.ASA@ASA.ORG", To: palmer_science@atsvax.rsmas.miami.edu, peterspe.asa@asa.org X-St-Vmsmail-To: MSG%"PALMER_SCIENCE",MSG%"PETERSPE.ASA@ASA.ORG", SEND PLM1922.JAN MSG%"PALMER_SCIENCE",MSG%"PETERSPE.ASA@ASA.ORG", MSG%"KIYOTAKI.ASA@ASA.ORG",MSG%"SPRAYBKA.ASA@ASA.ORG", R 311912Z JAN 94 MSG%"EVANSJO.ASA@ASA.ORG",MSG%"WOODKE.ASA@ASA.ORG", MSG%"OWENSK.ASA@ASA.ORG" SCIENCE SITREP - 94 R ddttttz FROM: GAIL ASHLEY P A L M E R S T A T I O N A N T A R C T I C A TELEMAIL::PALMER.STA PHONE/FAX: 011-874-150-3157 SPAN::PALMER@ATSVAX.SPAN TELEX: 5841503157 PNHG INTERNET::PALMER@ATSVAX.RSMAS.MIAMI.EDU !TO PAL SCIENCE,LABMANAGER,PALADMIN,MANAGER !TO ASA SHEPHERD !TO SPOLE NSFREP, MGR !TO MCM ASASAT, ASALABM, ASASUP, NSFMGR CC EMAIL::ANTARCTIC.OPS, NSF.DPP.OCEANOPS, P.PENHALE, T.DELACA, R.HANSON, E.HOFMANN, R.BOOTH, O.HOLM.HANSEN, G.MITCHELL, M.VERNET, M.HUNTLEY, R.WHRITNER, D.KARL, W.FRASER, B.SIDELL, W.DETRICH, M.KENNICUTT, K.DUNTON, W.STOCKTON, L.QUETIN, R.ROSS, Sea.Space, W.TRIVELPIECE, R.SMITH.UCSB, GMCC.BOULDER(pass to B.Mendonca), F.AZAM, R.RADTKE, S.WEILER, SPOLE, DUKE, NATPALMER, VLF@STAR.SPAN, ASAHQ, NSFMCM (includes all McMurdo addresses) KARENTZD@ALM.ADMIN.USFCA.EDU, CHAPPELL@UCRACC.SPAN, J.PROSPERO, TFOSTER@UCSCC.UCSC.EDU, DALLUGE@ATMOS.OGI.EDU, N.SWANBERG, ENELSON%MINES.BITNET@SDS.SPAN, R.BIDIGARE, SRCFNSF@CMV.DSIR.GOVT.NZ (includes all CHCH addresses). CC EMAIL::PETE PETERSON, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, PENINSULA OPS ANN PEOPLES, OPERATIONS MANAGER KIRK KIYOTA, ASST OPERATIONS MANAGER JOHN EVANS, SCIENCE MANAGER GLEN SMITH, SCIENCE LAB SUPERVISOR SKIP OWEN, MARINE OPS MANAGER KEVIN WOOD, PENIN MANAGER KATHI SPRAYBKA, MARINE OPS ADMIN BARB WOOD, PENIN OPS ADMIN Responding: Please insert in message, all CAPS, with the ! in column 1: PALMER STATION SCIENCE SITREP JANUARY 1994 S-013 LONG TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH ON THE ANTARCTIC MARINE ECOSYSTEM: AN ICE-DOMINATED ENVIRONMENT. William R. Fraser and Wayne Z. Trivelpiece, Seabird Component, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT. Personnel on Station: William Fraser, Donna Patterson, Tracy Mader, Eric Holm. Personnel on Polar Duke: Doug Wallace and Allan Williams Our research at Palmer Station, initiated in October, continued during the month of January with minimal loss of time due to weather. Pack ice in the area continued to have negligible effects on planned schedules, although an early census at Biscoe Point had to be changed due to sea ice. Studies on Adelie Penguin reproductive success at sites on Torgersen and Humble islands were completed by 25 January, coincident with creching and final determination of 21-day old chick weights. Thirty-four transmitters were deployed on 10 January in continuation of work related to Adelie foraging trip duration. That aspect of our research continues to date, and was complemented with the initiation of diet sampling on 11 January. Forty diet samples have been taken and processed in support of the LTER and AMLR programs. Half of these were the result of intensified sampling efforts (5 samples per day) related to the approach of the Polar Duke within the foraging range of Adelies as part of the annual January LTER cruise. Doug Wallace and Allan Williams, aboard the Polar Duke, were engaged in coincident prey sampling, and seabird censuses to determine biomass and distribution. Other work related to Adelies completed during January included Adelie chick counts to examine production on a per-colony basis and the estimation of 1:2 chick brood ratios. A thorough census of Biscoe Point Adelies was finally accomplished on 24 January. A previously unknown Gentoo Penguin colony was discovered on Biscoe Point. South Polar and Brown skua reproductive sites continue to be monitored on six islands at 3-5 day intervals to determine hatching dates, chick growth rates and diets; chicks and adults are being banded as time permits. Satellite studies related to Kelp Gulls, Cormorants, Giant Petrels and marine mammals are continuing with the objective of obtaining basic annual data on reproductive success, breeding chronology, population status and diet. Noteworthy is the fact that the number of Giant Petrels breeding in the area continues to increase (425 pairs this season), while Cormorants continue their post-Bahia Paraiso oil spill decline; sample plots are currently indicating a 40-70% loss of breeding pairs relative to pre-spill levels. Seven tour ships and one yacht visited Palmer Station during the month of January. As part of a recently funded effort to examine human impacts on certain wildlife populations, tourist visits were monitored on Torgersen Island to obtain preliminary data on tourist flow, and to compare aspects of Adelie reproductive biology and ecology with control sites not visited by tourists. This study is embedded within the ongoing AMLR and LTER programs, meaning identical research methods and the full suite of protocols have been implemented at tourist-visited sites to develop a comparative study. S-091 Seismic Observatory. United States Geological Survey. No personnel were on station. The system has been monitored by the station science technician. The EW component of the seismic station was returned to operational status by the receipt and installation of a new seismometer and feedback box. The station continued to be plagued by impulsive events of widely variable frequency and intensity. S-106 Stanford VLF. U. Inan, Stanford University. No personnel were on station. The system has been operated by the station science technician. Data were collected daily and prepared for retrograde. S-182 THE ROLE OF FRAZIL AND ANCHOR ICE IN SEDIMENTATION IN SUBPOLAR GLACIAL MARINE ENVIRONMENTS, ANTARCTICA Gail M. Ashley, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ Norman D. Smith, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL Personnel on Station: Gail Ashley, Norman Smith, Matthew Goss, Peter Smith The objectives of the study are to further understand sedimentation processes near the margins of subpolar tidewater glaciers. Data consist of: (1) video surveys of the ice terminus and the ice- proximal sea bottom with a ROV, (2) CTD profiles, water samples and sediment-trap catches to study processes and patterns of sediment dispersal and sedimentation, and (3) bottom cores and grabs to document the record of recent glacial marine sedimentation. The study tests the hypothesis that frazil ice and anchor ice form in glacial meltwater flowing into subpolar marine water and may produce deposits different from those formed in temperate and polar glacial environments. During January CTD's were collected daily (weather permitting) at 7 stations to monitor structure of the water column under a variety of tide, wind (direction and magnitude) and brash ice conditions. The ice front (>100m high) calves regularly. Very little meltwater was detected coming directly from the glacier. Frazil ice was not found. However, ephemeral, cold, high-turbidity zones appear frequently in the water column generally at depths of 20-30 m. Sediment concentration values in the "cold horizons" (determined from filtered water samples) are slightly higher (8-10 mg/l maximum) than surrounding water. Fluorimeter analyses to measure chlorophyll do not indicate high phytoplankton levels. These zones are most pronounced next to the ice, decrease in turbidity with distance and disappear completely within 1500 m from the ice margin. Efforts are continuing to determine their origin. The remote operated vehicle (ROV) powered by a generator was deployed from zodiacs and video recordings were made of the ice- proximal sea bottom and ice front. Abundant life (algae, sea stars, brittle stars, mysids, tube worms, and tunicates) were observed within a few meters of the ice front. Electronic problems affecting quality and performance of the ROV continue to plague operations. Sediment traps located at 2m and 30m above the sea bed at a site 180 m from the ice front and in 60 m deep water have collected significant sediment (mineral and organic matter, including krill? fecal pellets) during 2-4 day deployments. Eighty grab samples were collected to analyze for grain size distribution in the Harbor and 20 gravity cores taken in order to determine sedimentation rates by using lead-210 and carbon-14. An important source of sediment to Arthur Harbor appears to be the melting of ice bergs (calved glacial ice). Sediment concentration in the ice have been determined by melting and filtering the water. Melting experiments with brash ice (<15 kgs) in sea water with a temperature of approximately 0 degrees and salinity of 33 ppt reveal that the rate of melting varies considerably, with turbulence being a major factor. Ice bergs trapped in thick brash melt 5-10 times more slowly than isolated ice blocks subjected to currents or wave action. Ice berg decay rate will be used for sediment budget calculations for Arthur Harbor. S-210 AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF TROPOSPHERIC SULFUR CHEMISTRY IN ANTARCTICA. Harald Berresheim/Fred L. Eisele, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA/National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO. Personnel on Station: Harald Berresheim, Joel Huey, David Tanner, Anne Jefferson. The major objective of this project is to study the atmospheric chemistry of dimethylsulfide (DMS), the dominant sulfur gas emitted from the oceans by marine phytoplankton. The measurements will be used to model high latitude tropospheric photochemistry and to evaluate the potential coupling between the natural sulfur cycle and global climate change. Major equipment set up at Palmer Station to conduct this study include: gas chromatograph (GC), mass spectrometer (MS), high pressure liquid chromatograph (HPLC), nitric oxide (NO) chemiluminescence analyzer, aerosol filter sampler, aerosol particle counter, and monitors for ozone (O3) and carbon monoxide (CO). Most of the instruments were fully functional within about ten days after deployment at Palmer. DMS was measured on a continuous basis both in air and in seawater from Arthur Harbor. Concurrently, high time resolution measurements of the DMS oxidation products dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and dimethylsulfone (DMSO2) were made. Significant variations in the atmospheric mixing ratios of these compounds were observed as a function of wind direction, photochemical conditions, and amount of precipitation. Aerosol measurements appeared to show a correlation with cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) counts obtained by project S-212 which is conducted complementary to S-210. By the end of January, DMSOx measurements were terminated and the MS set-up was modified to begin measurements of the hydroxyl radical (OH), and gas phase sulfuric acid and methanesulfonic acid in February. S-212 CLOUD CONDENSATION NUCLEI: A LINK BETWEEN OCEANIC SULFUR AND CLIMATE AT PALMER STATION, ANTARCTICA. Vinod K. Saxena, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC. Personnel on Station: Vin Saxena (01/10/94-02/08/94) Tom DeFelice (02/10/94-03/07/94) The objectives of the study are to: (1) monitor the activity spectrum of cloud condensation nuclei and relate it to dimethylsulfide (DMS) concentrations in the marine environment of Palmer Station, (2) investigate the role of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) in the cloud-topped marine boundary layer (CTMBL) with regard to the extent of cloud coverage and precipitation efficiency of clouds, and (3) collect samples of precipitation and ice core from the Marr Piedmont Glacier, Anvers Island on days of opportunity. The DMS concentrations are to be simultaneously monitored by a complimentary project: S-210 (Georgia Institute of Technology). The PI (V.K. Saxena) arrived at the station on Jan. 10, 1994 and started collecting precipitation samples on Jan. 11. The Fukuta-Saxena CCN Spectrometer was installed in Clean Air Laboratory (Bldg. T5) and recorded the first CCN Spectrum on Jan. 14. The data collection has been in progress at a hectic pace simply because there have been unusually large number of days of opportunity. The cloud active aerosols (CAA) are being monitored around the clock using a combination of the following methods: (1) CCN Spectrometer, (2) 47 mm membrane filters, and (3) sequential and event-wise collection of precipitation samples. It is planned to collect a sample of the ice core from the Marr Glacier before the PI leaves the station. The PI will revisit the glacier site next year and collect another ice core sample in order to investigate the post-depositional changes in the ice core. His investigations are aimed to provide information on the atmosphere transfer functions and initiate an understanding of the ice core records in terms of the recent climate history by analyzing the ongoing depositional processes. As of this writing, the PI has already collected 32 precipitation samples and 11 membrane filters in addition to monitoring the CCN activity spectrum at regular intervals. One of the highlights of the results obtained so far is the confirmation of the occurrence of "Nucleation Bursts" phenomenon on Jan. 19 and 20, when the cloud bases were lowered to the ground at the station due to prevailing meteorological conditions. The evaporating clouds increased the CCN concentration active at 1% supersaturation by a factor of 4 and even larger. This rare phenomenon, although frequent in arctic and antarctic clouds, has eluded observers because it occurs in the presence of persistent solar radiation at the top of clouds and can be observed only when such clouds undergo rapid evaporation. These clouds are ingested with trace gases which could be of either natural or anthropogenic origin. Such environmental conditions enhance photochemical reactions in cloud droplets which help convert trace gases into fine submicron particles. Repeated condensation and evaporation cycles lead to the growth of these particles which render them active at cloud supersaturations. The PI first reported this phenomenon in 1971 in midwestern clouds over Missouri in 1971. It has been subsequently observed by others. The PI also reported the occurrence of this phenomenon in arctic stratus clouds in 1984 and 1993. However, during his investigations of clouds over McMurdo in 1979 and 1981, he was unable to observe it. Such observations have a significant impact upon the estimates of greenhouse warming due to doubling of carbon dioxide. The tests with the GCM CCM1 (General Circulation Model: Climate Community Model One) have shown that the impact of 2xCO2 can be counteracted by 4xCCN concentration. Such an increase in CCN concentration is capable of changing the global cloud-mediated albedo by 1.8%. The PI feels gratified by the documentation of the Nucleation Bursts phenomenon at Palmer Station. S-254 CHLORINE- AND BROMINE-CONTAINING TRACE GASES IN ANTARCTICA. R.A. Rasmussen, Oregon Graduate Institute for Science and Technology. There are no personnel 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 astral-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-257 SOUTH POLE MONITORING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE. James T. Peterson, Palmer Station, Environmental Research Laboratories, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. There are no personnel on station. Air samples are taken on a weekly basis by the station physician. The battery in the sampler was replaced this month, with improvement in flow and pressure. 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 Atmospheric Monitoring Program at Palmer Station. J. Prospero/T. Snowdon, University of Miami; C. Sanderson/N. Chui, EML/DOE N.Y. 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. T-312 TeraScan satellite imaging system. R. Whritner, Scripps Institute. No personnel were on Station. The system has been operated by the station science technician. DMSP and NOAA telemetry were collected, processed, and archived. The occasional truncation of DMSP telemetry during processing and archiving was observed and determined to be a side effect of the software installed in December. Care in satellite scheduling has proved to be an effective solution to this problem. Large scale weather images were produced in support of Science. T-313 UV Monitoring Experiment. C. Booth, Biospherical Instruments. No personnel were on Station. The system has been operated by the station science technician. Irradiance data were collected daily and transmitted to ATSVAX for BSI. An absolute calibration was performed on January 26 with the seasoned lamp. High voltage levels and the scan schedule were adjusted in response to the darkening sky conditions. Preliminary irradiance data and inferred ozone abundances were produced in support of Science. 31184755.325 PLM1922.JAN