Day 4 : Alaska 2024 GNSS-A Deployment - Heading into the storm

If you are wondering what these beautiful colors mean, you'll have to read the article until the end ! ;)

The shift for group 1 began as the CTD (Conductivity – Temperature – Depth) measurement initiated during the previous watch was concluding.

 

 

Example of the CTD acquired this morning

 

 Thanks to this data (and explanations provided by Dr Andy Newman), grad students were able to calculate the speed of wave propagation in water using various equations. This information is necessary to relocate the transponders that may have drifted several hundred meters due to ocean currents.

 

 

Joaquin calculating the velocity profiles

 

We are now in transit for at least 36 hours, heading towards the waters off Unimak Island. There, transponders will be deployed at three sites and the mesh. 

 

We learned that a storm will hit us in that area on Wednesday and Thursday. Waves are expected to reach heights of 10–12 feet ! 

 

Wave height forecast : pink and red areas indicate waves higher than 10 feet !

 

 

No worries, if the situation becomes too bad, we should dock in a port.

 

Wish us luck !