3rd June 2009

Well we’re on the move again. The JOIDES Resolution has left site U1337 for U1338. There are about 220 nautical miles to go, so we should arrive on site in about 20 hours.

The Ocean is pretty quiet so the ship is not moving around too much. Although it is quite strange moving at all, having spent so long on site. I exchanged chairs in the logging office the other day from one that is grounded to one with wheels (as I was working at two desks), which is proving to be quite fun now we are back in transit.

So since my last blog things have been really busy around here. Alberto and I have been working on all the wireline logging data from U1337A and linking it in with all the images and measurements of the core. Plus we drilled and cored three other holes at site U1337 (B, C and D), so we have a really good record from there. Oodles of data!

Now although the ship works 24 hours a day, after our 12-hour shifts there is some time to relax. We’re really lucky on this vessel as it is pretty well equipt. We have a gym, a cinema room, a science lounge and an Internet café that we can use off-shift. On a fair weather day it is really nice to sit out on the top deck or ‘Steel Beach’ as we call it, where there are a few reclining chairs. It’s a really nice place to read or just sit and chat. A couple of days ago some colleagues decided to be a bit more adventurous and go and fly a kite off the aft of the ship on the helicopter pad. Sadly the wind wasn’t really strong enough that day, but it was still a lot of fun (see pic of Jim and Ed).

From the Logging Office I can hear lots of things going on in the adjacent Core Lab. Right now I can hear the core saw which is used to cut through some of the core sections filled with harder sediments. (I think Dan has shown a picture of the cutting room in one of his previous blogs. ? ). Plus right outside the door here, Etienne, one of the IODP Marine Instrumentation Specialist is busy fixing something important!!!

Well I better get back to work! Bye for now.