| Shrinking Cups 1
We put a single paper towel sheet in each cup to prevent the cups from getting inside eachother.
Then, we put the stuffed cups in a mesh bag and tie the bag to the rosette, out of the way of the instruments.
Actually Rob didn't like it that we tied it here on this first cup cast, because if one of the bag ends had come loose it might have prevented some of the bottles from closing.
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Lines are tied. Unstrapping the rosette from the cart.
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The rosette and the cups leave the deck. The hand signal that Keith is giving the winch operator means "bring it up slowly."
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Up, but not yet over the side of the ship. Notice that the A-frame is still leaning in toward the ship.
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Going down...
Notice that the A-frame has now started to move outboard (away from the ship).
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Going in...
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All the way...
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4276 meters to go
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Now all we have to do is wait...
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and wait...
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and wait ...
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and wait ....
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It is dark by the time they come back. Shenfu holds up the bag of shrunken cups.
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Next time, Rob put the mesh bag where he thinks it won't interfere with the instruments, even if it comes loose.
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In the middle - behind the bottles and CTD.
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This time the 2am to 2pm shift sends the rosette and cups down in the dark.
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The sun rises...
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We're over the Kermadec Trench. The rosette and the cups are in it.
The line on the graph is the tension on the winch wire going up as the rosette goes down.
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Trying to be the first one to catch sight of the rosette.
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Do you see it?
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Up she comes...
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The tag team grabs it with the hooks.
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Then, if nobody takes them from us, we toss our poles 'gently' back onto the deck. All the while telling ourselves not to panic. The rosette won't go anywhere until we are ready.
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The lines are on. The cups are coming up. Bridgeview, these are your cups coming out of the trench.
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Carolina brings the A-frame in.
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Rob puts a third hook on the frame to help bring it in and put it down exactly where we want it.
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Telling the winch operator to bring the rosette up...just a little bit.
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On the deck.
Notice Rob's fist. He is telling the winch operator to stop. The rosette is just where we want it,
How can you tell that the cups have just come back up and that they are not about to go down?
Well, for one, the bag is somewhat smaller. But I can't tell from here. Can you? The most obvious reasons are that we have the hooks on the rosette and the bottles are closed.
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Cutting the bag of cups off the frame being careful not to cut the wrong plastic tie. Don't laugh. We've wrong thing done it before.
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The cups have arrived. Can you recognize any of them?
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Once we have them out of the bag, we put them in a bucket of hot water.
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We take the now very soggy paper towel out.
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...And while they are still warm and wet, we attempt to mold them back into their origincal shape. For some of them, this is impossible, but most end up looking pretty much like smaller versions of their former selves.
Last updated: February 2, 2010 |
