Aims of the Macquarie Ridge Voyage
Aims of the Macquarie Ridge Voyage
This voyage is truly multi-disciplinary - bringing together physicists, geologists, and biologists.
The aims of the voyage are to travel along the Macquarie Ridge, and en route:
- Retrieve moorings that were put down in 2007. When scientists use the term moorings they are talking about pieces of equipment that can measure water currents and tides to give us a better idea about the oceanic environment.
- Undertake a hydrographic survey of the Macquarie Ridge. Hydrography is the study of waters, in this case ocean waters - and during the trip the scientists will explain more about what this work involves, and what it tells us.
- Collect sediment cores along the axis of the Macquarie Ridge and in the Emerald Basin. These cores will tell us about changes in sediments over time which the scientists will be able to relate to past changes in the ocean currents
- Investigate seamounts along the Macquarie Ridge and in the Emerald Basin. Seamounts (or undersea mountains) may be home to unique animal communities. On this trip the scientists will visit some seamounts never before seen.
- Deploy floats for Argo. Argo floats are free-floating data loggers – collecting temperature/salinity data for scientists around the world. There are more than 3000 floating in the world’s oceans.
