Day 6 AEROSE-V

Well, the days have effectively merged into nameless segments of time today. More than a few of our team are not sure which day it is or how long we have been at sea. After a few years of sailing, I count the days but do not do as well with the day’s identity. This was a productive day. I had to push the students a little harder today. As time moves on, and especially, with the time changes, the first signs of fatigue begin to manifest themselves. My colleagues and I call it the sleepwalking phase. Typically, the physical body has adjusted to being at sea, the nausea and uneasiness has mostly subsided and given way to listlessness. The best cure is to work through it, exercise, and find a routine. Unfortunately, this is more difficult than it sounds. The time changes and fixed eating times are challenging to most people – especially students – who are used to eating or sleeping on more random schedules. Our monitoring schedules (we collect samples, measure solar radiation, and usually launch weather balloons) are rigorous. Every hour there are suites of measurements taken manually, which are parsed out amongst the students. The schedules rotate to avoid time conflicts and to prevent overwhelming any individual student. The sleepwalkers tend to stay up later and later, get up later and later, miss mealtimes, miss measurement times, and stay perpetually tired. The most obvious sign is “maritime alertness deficit”or MADness. The signs of MADness include failure to remember the routine tasks – “What? Was I supposed to launch a balloon today?”, lethargic responses to requests – “Charles can you give me that wrench next to your hand?” “Blanking staring into the space just over your left ear… “Huh? And picking up a hammer”, excessive procrastination, pacing the ship, confusion, and babbling (some students will literally move from person to person for most of the day engaging in conversation at the expense of their duties).

One week is probably too early to expect that the first-time students will have fallen into the routine. Consequently, we senior scientists have to keep gently reminding them and trying to keep pace ourselves. The “house-of-pain” is my metronome. Running or cycling a couple of miles whenever I feel myself becoming listless keeps me alert. The other (more obvious remedy) is the power nap. That is a great thing about working on the ship. You are only a few minutes away from your rack and can go and take a 60-90 minute nap and return to your station refreshed.

Today we had extended showers as we passed into a front (one of several) imbedded in a tropical wave. This wave has insulated us from the current dust storm to our north, creating a barrier to north-south transport of air. We probably have one or two more fronts to pass over the next few days. We have experienced partly sunny skies and clear nights. Last night and tonight, I spent a little time on the fantail and portside railing to stargaze. The night skies near the equator and away from the light pollution of the city are fantastic. The planets and constellations almost beg you to take notice and I personally find the sheer magnitude of the stars you can see breathtaking as an east coast city-dweller.

Tomorrow will be the first day of data-reporting from the students at the group meeting. Everyone should have collected and analyzed some data from the past two days or more. This is a significant waypoint for us. Although the measurements are background, establishing the templates and protocols are critical for the remainder of the cruise. Understanding the importance of assuring the quality of the data, of recording and reporting all observations, of assessing instrument performance, and anticipating problems and opportunities is an important step for any measurement professional. Once again, it is early but I hope that we see the signs of the budding field scientist. A couple of the students are already asking the questions whose answers will help them truly understand what they are doing. This is exciting for me. Too often students are worried about asking dumb questions. What is most important is to ask the right question.

The ping-pong table was set up last night. This is an essential for the longer cruises. It breaks the monotony of the main lab. It serves as light exercise and provides an outlet for friendly competition. Sometimes, it can become addictive but we’ll stay vigilant.