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Novemver 28th, 2009 – From the On-Board Scientist
by Dr. R. Michael Reynolds
SCIENCE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
We receive questions from time to time. These usually come to us through the science@AroundTheAmericas.org email and sometimes through my personal email, michael@rmrco.com. This report will answer a few of these questions. I’ll answer another batch in the near future. If you like these questions then send me others so we can begin a dialog.
WASHINGTON VIRTUAL ACADEMY
A group of about 30 K-8 students in a virtual school called Washington Virtual Academy (http://www.k12.com/wava/) are
| Main Photo (see above) This photo is taken in the evening facing southeast toward a bank of towering Cumulus clouds. Ocean Watch is headed in a SE direction and you can see from the wave rows the wind is coming from the east just to port (left) of our direction. This has been our problem. We cannot sail in these winds without tacking to the right into land or to the left, which would put us well out of our way, even heading north. The pink cloud color comes from the setting sun behind the camera. |
following the expedition. If you have internet access, check out the very impressive website their teacher created here: http://www.wavaoceanwatchers.com/index.html
The teachers, Nancy Mayer and Joy Roth, found out about the project during a local Seattle newscast (King 5) and they are very excited about the project.
Here are some questions from the students:
Q. Did you see signs of Cruise ships dumping sewage in the Gulf of Alaska?
No. We see many cruise ships, especially here in the Caribbean. They are especially apparent in the night with all their lights, but every cruise line I know of practices a policy of “nothing overboard.” And they mean it. No garbage goes over, no raw sewage, nothing.
Q. Do you guys alternate watch on the boat at night, or do you put the boat into auto drive, so you can sleep? How cold is it out there at sea?
Some of our readers might not know what “watches” are. A rule is that someone must be awake in the cockpit at all times. We are divided into two groups. Each watch group will be on duty to operate the boat while the others are free to sleep, eat, or just relax. Here are the hours of the day corresponding to shifts for being on watch. There are three day watch shifts (assuming a 24-hour clock): 06-10, 10-14, and 14-18; there are four night watch shifts: 18-21, 21-00, 00-03, 03-06. Each group takes turns being on watch. As I write this note it is 2:50 in the morning and my watch is almost over. I will only have three hours to sleep and then will have to be back up at 6 am. Believe me, when it is three AM and you have had only two hours of sleep and there is absolutely nothing to see, and the radar screen is black and the ocean is bare, staying awake is very difficult.
Now you asked about being cold. Well, I received this question when we were in the Arctic. It has taken time to answer these questions, and cold is not the issue for us now. Right now we are about three days from crossing the equator and the big issue is the heat. It is really HOT! Ocean Watch does not have air conditioning and we have to keep all the hatches closed because of the splash from waves. Therefore the temperature inside is usually 92o F. There is no circulation except for some tiny fans. Sleeping is impossible.
Q. What will the ripple effect be when the coral reefs are affected by the warmer temperatures?
In the past several years we have lost nearly 30% of the planet’s reefs for a variety of reasons, but increasing ocean temperatures is one of the main reasons. There is hope that by introducing temperature-tolerant species of zooxanthellae (recall zooxanthellae are plants that live mutually under the skin of the coral polyps and are crucial for coral health) we can help corals to survive on a warmer planet. If this approach does not succeed, there will be tremendous changes in the types and distributions of coral reefs. Unless steps are taken to slow down the warming of the global oceans, we can expect to see terrible losses.
Q. We would like to know what is the first thing you will do when you get to port?
It is funny, but the first thing we do is look for good Internet connections…such is life in the twenty-first century. If there is a good WiFi link at the dock then within minutes we will all be sitting up on the deck with our laptops open. Otherwise you will find us headed into town looking for Starbucks or any internet cafe. Bars, hotels, or museums come second.
UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO, ENGLISH
Dr. Eva de Lourdes Edwards is a professor of English at the University of Puerto Rico and a member of Sailors for the Sea. She teaches ocean awareness to her classes. While we were in San Juan she came with students for a tour of Ocean Watch. Interacting with such a smart and enthusiastic group of young people makes me hopeful for the future! After their visit they prepared a list of questions for us; you can read about Eva and her work at http://sailantilia.blogspot.com.
Q: In addition to watching the ocean, what other things do you do during the voyage that you may not put in the website? (Jenni)
Ocean Watch is a small boat (I have to remember to call this a boat, not a ship) and our crew is only six people. Therefore there are chores we all must share. I cook dinner or clean the dishes sometimes. I help keep the boat clean. I stand watch like everyone else.
Q: What do you think about the contamination problems in the ocean around the Americas? (Yineza and Kenny)
I am very concerned about how humans have treated the oceans as a dumping place for garbage, pollution, and human waste. However, it is easy to see when you are out here in the open ocean how we might think the ocean is infinite. It seems so vast. But of course it isn’t.
Q: In what moment did you decide to go around the Americas and why? (Janice, JosÈ Manuel and Kiara)
I work with the University of Washington and one of my colleagues suggested I come to a meeting with some people who had this crazy plan to voyage around North & South America in a sailboat. I went to the meeting and met the crew and I realized this was a chance of a lifetime for me. I have travelled a great deal as an oceanographer and I have sailed small boats for fun. But I have always wanted to do some blue water sailing offshore. This was my opportunity to sail and do something good for the Earth at the same time.
Q: What do you recommend to protect our ocean? (Janice, JosÈ Manuel and Kiara)
First educate yourself. Take courses, read magazines, and learn all you can. Don’t just learn about the problems and challenges that the oceans are facing, learn all about the wonders of the sea. Second, start doing little things to change your habits. For example, never, never throw plastic in the sea and don’t be afraid to tell others the same. Try to drive less, and think about ways you can conserve energy. All the little things add up. And third, become actively involved in helping to raise the awareness of others. Join an environmental group, write letters to politicians, and stay informed on local issues. Remember the old advice to think globally and act locally. As Gandhi said, “We must become the change we wish to see in the world.”
Here are two questions that can have the same answer.
Q: What have you seen that you consider amazing? (Frances)
Q: What is the most impressive thing that you have seen in this voyage?
We have seen many amazing things so far: whales, polar bears, huge icebergs, storm waves fifty feet high and glorious skies full of stars. But the thing I am enjoying the most is occurring right now in the equatorial ocean: the clouds. This is the place where weather happens. Huge towering cumulonimbus clouds rise to the top of the atmosphere then spread across the sky as anvils. These are a joy to watch. (See the main photo above.) Oh yes, the stars at night are limitless.
Q: What inspired you to make this cruise? (Yolady, Irishka, Zuleyka)
I have lived a good life. I have a terrific family and my job has taken me all over the world. As an oceanographer I have been concerned with the environment my whole career. But I have not had the opportunity to “give back”, at least to my satisfaction. Around the Americas fills this wish – I can meet people and show first hand how important it is to protect our natural world. And it’s fun too!
Q: What do you need to travel around the Americas? (Evalyannit and Indira)
I am not sure how to answer this question. First, you need people with vision; people who have the idea that with this trip we can capture people’s imagination and interest. Next, after the idea, you need money. This is not a cheap trip and so you need supporters to donate money, time, and gifts (such as equipment) to support the project, and you need a crew of dedicated sailors – people, and their families, who are willing to rearrange their priorities and activities for two years in order to do this project. And then, you need people like yourself who take an interest in what we are doing, and, very importantly, in what we have to say.
Q: What is interesting and entertaining about our oceans? (Cindy and Xiomara)
The ocean is a wonderland and the more we look into it the more we can learn about ourselves. For example, did you know that a dolphin is able to hear your heartbeat underwater?…Or that the eyes of an octopus are much more advanced than our human eyes?…Or that an Albatross will travel up to twenty thousand miles to bring some food home to the family? I recommend you take the time to read all about the oceans and the creatures that live there… you will be amazed! Read, read, read.
Q: How does it feel to discover different cultures? Do you like to learn from them? (Pamela)
One of the most exciting parts of this expedition is that we get the chance to meet and talk with people of all cultures along the way. We have met Native Americans on Vancouver Island, Inuit (Eskimo) people in Alaska and Canada, and now we are entering the Latin communities from Puerto Rico, South America, Central America and Mexico. We are all thrilled and excited to meet these people, to learn from them and to learn about their lives. Everywhere we go we hear a consistent story of concern for the changing ocean and the changing climate.
Q: What made you decide to work for the environment? (Ninotchka)
You never know where your life might take you. I was born in Dallas, Texas and never had too much to do with the ocean until I began graduate school. Actually, I decided to become an Oceanographer because I wanted to study Earth science (Geology, Geophysics, or Physical Oceanography). At that time, the field of Oceanography was undergoing tremendous changes and innovations; as I learned more about Oceanography I became increasingly aware of related environmental issues and their broad geographic, cultural, economic and physical impacts. It was natural to me to try to share that knowledge with others.
Q: What does your family think about what you are doing? (Lizette)
They miss me of course. And I miss them. I miss taking my granddaughter, Chloe, to swimming practice. I always walked our dog Lucy and that was a special time. Now my family has to take Lucy in the winter. So I think they will be happy to see me come back.
Q: What has caused you the most fear? (Marisely)
The first time I was hoisted to the top of the mast in a canvas chair I was a little nervous. I go up there to tend to the climate instruments. Now I am used to it. Also I miss my family and I fear something bad might happen and I am days away at sea. But I worry far too much.
Q: How can this expedition help nature instead of just being aware of its problems? (Juan Carlos)
One of our main supporting organizations is called “Sailors for the Sea.” The goal of this organization is to convince sailors to become protectors of the sea. The hope is that if we interest sailors in ocean health and marine stewardship, they will carry the idea from their own personal choices to friends, employees, and politicians. That is one way the message can go from idea to practice. But the truth is that being aware is only the first step in actually doing something. We want to stimulate people to begin to learn about the issues, and then help encourage them to take action to help reduce human impacts on the planet. Very soon we will post information on this web site about ocean challenges and actions we can take to make a positive difference. Please check back soon, and let us know if the information is helpful.
KRISTINA ECONOMOU
Kristina sent an email to science@aroundtheamericas.org. I sent her this reply. And believe me, this is a simple question with a tough and complicated answer.
Q: If the earth had no tilt, how would the sunlight’s rays hit the Arctic Circle, and what would the seasons be like?
Okay, here goes, I hope to answer a straightforward question with not too technical an answer. Planetary geometry is always tricky and it is very difficult to explain.
First, the Earth circles the sun in an orbit that is not exactly a circle – it is an ellipse. It takes one year for the Earth to make this elliptical round trip; sometimes we are closer to the sun, and other times we are further away. It can be helpful to think of the Earth’s orbit as a flat disk or a plane, with the Earth going around the edge of the disk.
At the same time that the Earth is traveling in its annual orbit, it is spinning around an axis of rotation defined by the line between the North and South poles, and this axis is tilted. This part can be hard to visualize: at some times of the year the North Pole (and the axis of rotation) is tilted towards the sun. When this occurs, it is summer in the northern hemisphere and there is no nighttime in the regions above the Arctic Circle. Half a year later, the tilt is oriented away from the sun and the South Pole experiences constant daylight.
Your question, however, asks how this situation would be if the Earth had no tilt. If this were the case, then the
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| A map from the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Numerical Meteorological and Oceanographic Center (FNMOC) showing the strong currents along the coast of northern Brazil. This map depicts estimates of surface currents. The surface currents are of interest to Ocean Watch because we have to make our way southward and around the “horn” of Brazil. How accurate is this map? We are not sure, but we are concerned about the estimates of both current direction and strength. FNMOC shows coastal currents of up to 5 meters per second (m/s), or 10 knots. That is a booming current! Of great importance to us, this map shows a directional switch in surface currents to southerly just at the equator. Right now we are at 6N, 53W and we are fighting a north current of about 3 kts. Cayenne is at 5N; from there we will have several more days of counter current until (we hope) we hit the Rio Express around the horn. |
axis through the north and south poles would be exactly perpendicular to the plane of the Earth’s orbit, and then there would be no difference in sunlight incident upon the polar regions except for one thing: because of the elliptical shape of the orbit, the distance from the sun to the Earth would still vary.
In general, the amount of time a given location on earth spends in daylight varies throughout the year and depends on latitude. At the equator, each day the sun can be seen just a tiny bit longer than twelve hours. As we go pole-ward from the equator, due to the tilted axis of rotation of the earth, the day length will change. For example, if we travel towards the South Pole now, in late November, the length of day would increase (as it is summer in the southern hemisphere). If we were to go towards the north, we would observe the opposite.
To get back to your question, if there were no tilt to the earth’s axis of rotation, then the Arctic and Antarctic Circles would not exist. The poles would be almost dark but the rim of the sun would always be visible for the following reason. The Sun is much larger than the Earth but it is very far away (93 million miles). Because of its size, though, a very tiny bit of the sun would be visible from both the north and the south poles. Therefore, without a tilted axis of rotation, the seasons would barely be noticeable. They would still occur, though, because the Earth would still be slightly closer or farther from the sun due to its elliptical path. Believe me Kristina, this is one tough question and with almost no references available, I have tried to give you my best answer under the circumstances.
Okay, that is the end of the questions this time. I really am looking for more and don’t be afraid to ask me whatever is on your mind. You might think your question is too simple, but remember – it isn’t! All questions are good ones.
Remember: all views, ideas, and comments here are ad hoc, off the cuff, minimally researched, and subject to revision at any moment.
- Dr. Michael Reynolds with photographs by David Thoreson
crew log submitted by Iridium OpenPort and Stratos
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