DATE DOCUMENTS SENT
12/1/95 Check-off list
5/1/96 Pre-cruise letter w/forms
5/14/96 Chief Scientist letter
6/4/96 Post-cruise letter w/forms
2/28; revised 4/29 Foreign clearance package
Date: Fri, 31 May 96 09:29:33 PDT
From: lonsdale@kims.UCSD.EDU (Peter Lonsdale)
To: capt@mpl.ucsd.edu
Subject: Re;Various
Cc: knox@sio.ucsd.edu, shipsked@ucsd.edu
Thanks for info.
My original question to shipsked, in response to their request for a planned
track MELVILLE Valpo to Punta Arenas, was whether we could enter from the
southwest via Cockburn Channel, rather than diverting north to the western
entrance of the Straits of Magellan (several AGORs have used Cockburn Ch.).
Your note does not address this --- maybe you never received the question.
The chart showing 3m and 4m soundings at our proposed dredging target S of
Tutuila is the 02/1990 edition of U.S. DMA #83026; the 1982 edition has only
24m and 29m soundings (corresponding to the British charts, and scientific
soundings that I've compiled). I am unable to take these from the library,
and I can't get to next week's pre-cruise (which coincides with a class I'm
teaching); I have given a xerox of the chart to shipsked and to student Kim
Williams who will represent me at the pre-cruise.
Yours, Peter Lonsdale.
***************************************
Date: Thu, 30 May 96 16:55:50 PDT
X-Sender: capt@murex
Mime-Version: 1.0
To: pfl@mpl.ucsd.edu, shipsked@ucsd.edu
From: Thomas Althouse
Subject: Various
Cc: capt@mpl.ucsd.edu, knox@sio.ucsd.edu, larry@mpl.ucsd.edu
1. Agent in Punta Arenas reports no problems with entry/departure via
western channel. Pilots are compulsory and several ships arrive via this
route each week.
2. Puerto Williams has only 4.57 meters along pier according to LLOYDS
Ports of the World. THis is not sufficent for safe mooring of MELVILLE.
3. Ushuaia is probably workable as long as we give them 6 days notice so
they can heat the fuel.
4. Agent in Pago Pago reports no local knowledge of 3 meter shoal in
dredging area of last Boomerang Leg. Captain Arsenault reports that U.S.
chart aboard MELVILLE shows sufficient water for work proposed without
restriction but will discuss while in Pago Pago and exercise normal caution
in work area. Please provide chart that shows 3 meters for review at 5 June.
Tom
*****************************************************
From: beve@mpl.UCSD.EDU (Beverly Kennedy)
Subject: Dredge target south of Tutuila
To: capt@mpl.UCSD.EDU, shipsked@ucsd.edu
Date: Mon, 13 May 1996 16:12:19 -0700 (PDT)
Cc: pfl@mpl.UCSD.EDU (Peter Lonsdale), beve@mpl.UCSD.EDU (Beverly Kennedy)
Mime-Version: 1.0
Captain,
Some geological colleagues have been awarded 16 hours of UC shiptime to be tacked on to my
Melville transit from Pago Pago to San Diego (June 10-29). The task for which the time
will be used is surveying and (especially) rock dredge sampling on the side-slopes and
summit of a shallow seamount south of Tutuila --- the summit of this apparently unnamed
feature, at 14 deg 51 min S, 170 deg 38 min W, is about 36 n.m. almost due south of the
Pago Pago harbor entrance.
This is a VERY shallow seamount, in fact it is a coral atoll drowned by recent sea-level
rise. The summit region, from which 2 or 3 dredge hauls are desired, is a 2 X 4.5 mile
area with soundings (from scientific crossings, including recent full speed crossing by
THOMAS WASHINGTON and JOIDES RESOLUTION) of 26 - 35m. British Admiralty charts show
similar minimum soundings, but the U.S. charts have a few 3m and 4m reported depths.
Somewhat surprisingly, I found no reference to this feature in the Sailing Directions
that I scanned.
My guess is that the minimum depth is probably in the (safe) 25-30m range, but it is not
geologically inconceivable that somewhere on this rather large bank there might be spires
of coral growth (niggerheads) that do rise close to the depth of Melville's Seabeam
array.
I would appreciate it if (a) the captain (Arsenault?) were alerted, so that the dredging
plan does not come as an unwelcome surprise; (b) someone could do a more thorough search
of navigation charts and Sailing Directions to see if more info on possible hazards is
available. Possibly American Samoan contacts (i.e., the agent) would have more local
knowledge; I should think fishermen might know lots about this bank
and (c) you and the captain could forewarn me of any likely constraints on operating in
this region (eg. slow speeds, daytime-only operations). We would not deploy mag and 3.5
streamers until after we have left this site. It would be most convenient to do the
shallow dredging immediately after the brief transit from Pago Pago ie. during the
evening and night of June 10, but the shallow-water work could be postponed until dawn
on the 11th.
Peter Lonsdale
pfl@mpl.ucsd.edu
Plan A-
With Cook Island work: Lonsdale to Aitutaki off am 19th (Wednesday)
Worcester leaves from Aitutaki to Pioneer Seamount to San Diego
Lonsdale leaves students on board probably 4-5 to conduct Sea Beam
Worcester will pay for Sea Beam in transit mode... students can look
at data on board the ship.
Clearances needed Cook Island, Kiribati.. No Mexican clearance needed
possible money available:
NSF 15
UC 2
ATOC 5
Cook Is. 6
distances:
Pago to Aitutaki: 2.4 days @ 11.5 kts (687 nm)
Aitutaki to Christmas: 4.60 days @ 11.5kts (1271 nm)
Christmas to Pioneer (2850 nm) to San Diego (398 nm): 11.77 days @ 11.5kts
Plan B -
Without Cook Island money, Lonsdale will request one extra
UC day. He has travel for students. Everyone gets on in Pago,
Lonsdale has then (assuming extra UC day) a 3 day diversion
from Great Circle from Christmas to Pioneer Seamount. Lonsdale
will pay for Sea Beam on three day (transit mode- approx.. $264), Worcester on the remaining days. Worcester plans to do XBT's every 40 kilometers, and CTD every 500 kilometers to bottom. Needs some one who can terminate the wire for CTDs.
Clearances needed Cook Island, Kiribati.. No Mexican clearance needed.
possible money available:
NSF 15
UC 3
ATOC 5
distances:
Pago to Christmas: 4.68 days @ 11.5kts (1294nm)
Christmas to Pioneer (2850 nm) to San Diego (398nm): 11.77 days @ 11.5kts
Plan C-
My view of this plan stems from the slight suggestion by Worcester that ATOC has not totally committed to this transit, and would like to give us their final decision when Lonsdale hears from Cook Island. If ATOC falls through, and Cook Island fall through, then I see the plan as follows:
Clearances needed Cook Island, Kiribati and Mexican.
possible money available
NSF 15
UC 3
distances:
Pago to San Diego: 15.08 days @ 11.5 kts (4164 nm)
We can leave the issue of which option will happen to about mid-April