TODAY'S WEATHER
Sunny
69°F
(20.8°C)
Latitude: 24deg 17’ 39” N
Longitude: 109deg 4’ 40” W
Wind Direction: *see comments below
Wind Speed: 2 Knots
Sea State: 1
Swell(s) Height: 0.3 Feet
Sea Temperature: 68°F (20°C)
Barometric Pressure: 1014.3 MB
Visibility: 6-8 Nautical Miles
COMMENTS
*The wind direction cannot be determined because there is so little. The correct
expression for wind direction is “Light Airs”
BREAKFAST
Sausages
Scrambled eggs
Linguica, jalapeno peppers, garlic and cheese frittata
Homefries
Whole wheat blueberry pancakes
Oatmeal
Bagels with cream cheese
Fresh fruit
LUNCH
Split pea and vegetable soup
Linguica kale soup
Cheese filled shells in marinara sauce
Piglets in blankets
Chichen wings on fire
Tator tots
Salad bar
Frozen Milky Way bars
DINNER
Cookout on deck!!
Baby back ribs
Barbeque chicken
Barbeque shrimp
Fresh salmon
Tossed salad
Potato salad
Rice salad
Cole slaw
Sweet corn relish
Bread pudding
Jello
Melissa Kendall finishes up the shipboard microbiological work
before packing up the microscope.
Lunar eclipse
Daily Update: Heading
Home
January
21, 2000
By Dr. Dan Fornari and Dr. Susan Humphris
We are heading towards Manzanillo,
our final destination on this cruise. The calm weather has been
helping us a lot. We have been traveling at about 14 knots, which
is very fast for RV Atlantis! At about 2000 hrs last night,
we were treated to a most spectacular view of a full eclipse of
the moon. The skies were crystal clear, and the moon, partially
obscured by the Earth's shadow, hung in the sky like a large, dark,
orange ball. We will all remember it as one of the most dramatic
moments of the cruise.
Last night, the scientists processed the final samples. This morning, everyone
started to pack up. The sulfide samples will stay on the ship until it reaches
San Diego, California, at the end of the next cruise.
Then they will then be shipped across the country to the Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution. The chemists and microbiologists will also leave some of their samples
and equipment on the ship until San Diego. However, they will also carry some
of their items on the plane. It is always an adventure going through customs
in various countries while hauling scientific equipment and samples!
Another important part of finishing a cruise is organizing and compiling all
of the data and lists of samples that everyone collected. The seafloor mapping
that we have been doing at night while Alvin’s batteries were recharging
has resulted in a new bathymetric map of the Guaymas Basin. We are compiling
all the data and photographs from the cruise onto CDs so that everyone can take
home a copy. Burning 24 CDs is pretty time-consuming, so everything that will
go on them must be ready by tomorrow morning so that we can start producing them.
This afternoon, we had our final science meeting, which was followed by the time-honored
tradition of a group picture. Since the weather was so gorgeous, we decided to
take the picture on the bow of the ship. Check out the slide show to see the
scientific party and the Alvin Group! While we were up there, we saw tuna
fish jumping. Several turtles floated by with birds sitting on their backs!
This evening, we had a special treat - a cookout on the “fantail” (the
stern of the ship). It was very festive - good food and music as we watched the
sun sink into the west. It was a time when scientists and the ship's crew could
relax and spend time together. Now, the Ping-Pong tournament is continuing. We
have to finish by tomorrow before we get to port and the scientists head back
to their labs and the snows of winter up north.
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