Resources

RRS James Clark Ross JR20090114 (JR224)

Cruise summary report

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)RRS James Clark Ross (74JC)
Cruise identifierJR20090114 (JR224)
Cruise period2009-01-14 — 2009-02-19
StatusCompleted
Port of departurePunta Arenas, Chile
Port of returnStanley, Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
PurposeResearch
ObjectivesJR224 was the first of three cruises funded as part of the 'Chemosynthetically-driven Ecosystems South of the Polar Front: Biogeography and Ecology' consortium programme (ChEsSo). The consortium comprises the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, the British Antarctic Survey, the Institute of Zoology, and the universities of Bristol and Newcastle. The main aim of this cruise was to constrain hydrothermal vent and cold seep locations in the East Scotia Sea, so that the second consortium cruise can go directly to them and carry out detailed investigations using the Isis remotely-operated vehicle. The cruise was very successful in constraining hydrothermal vent locations on both the East Scotia Ridge and the South Sandwich volcanic arc. A mound investigated in the South Sandwich forearc appears not to be a mud volcano, as previously thought, but evidence of methane seepage was found at a location on the South Georgia continental shelf. An additional significant discovery was a previously unknown, hydrothermally active, submerged caldera adjacent to a seamount that is part of the South Sandwich volcanic arc.
Chief scientistRobert D Larter (British Antarctic Survey)
ProjectChemosynthetically-driven Ecosystems South of the Polar Front: Biogeography and Ecology (ChEsSO)
Coordinating bodyNational Oceanography Centre, Southampton
Cruise reportRRS James Clark Ross JR20090114 (JR224) cruise report jr224.pdf (40 MB) 
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralSouth Atlantic Ocean
Southern Ocean
SpecificEast Scotia Sea, around southern part of South Sandwich Island Arc, southwestern part of South Georgia continental shelf and eastern margin of Shag Rocks microcontinental block.
Track chartsRRS James Clark Ross JR20090114 (JR224) cruise track — jr224trk.pdf (0.23 MB) 
Measurements 
Physical oceanography 
Surface measurements underway (T,S)Quantity: activity duration in days = 35
Description: BAS oceanlogger, temperature, conductivity
Water bottle stationsQuantity: number of stations = 45
Description: Niskin bottles on CTD, sampled for methane, trace metals, nutrients, Fe/Mn & PO4
CTD stationsQuantity: number of stations = 537
Description: Seabird CTD, C, T, O2, Tx, light scattering, fluorometer, PAR
Subsurface temperature and salinity measurementsQuantity: activity duration in days = 2
Description: BRIDGET towed platform, T, C, light scattering, Tx, O2
Current profiler (eg ADCP)Quantity: activity duration in days = 7
Description: RDI 75 kHz ADCP
Biology and fisheries 
Pelagic bacteria/micro-organismsQuantity: number of stations = 9
Description: Filtered samples from Niskin bottles, for DGGE and clone library analyses
Acoustic reflection on marine organisms.Quantity: activity duration in days = 26
Description: Kongsberg EK60, backscatter amplitudes at 38, 120 and 200 kHz
Meteorology 
Routine standard measurementsQuantity: activity duration in days = 35
Description: BAS oceanlogger, temperature, pressure, wind speed and direction
Geology and geophysics 
Core - soft bottomQuantity: number of stations = 2
Description: Box cores, for organic geochemistry and sedimentation rate
Bottom photographyQuantity: activity duration in hours = 96.5
Description: Seabed High Resolution IMaging Platform (SHRIMP), sea-floor video imagery
Single-beam echosoundingQuantity: activity duration in days = 33
Description: Kongsberg EA600, water depth and reflection amplitude
Multi-beam echosoundingQuantity: activity duration in days = 33
Description: Kongsberg EM120, water depth and backscatter amplitude
Magnetic measurementsQuantity: activity duration in days = 5
Description: SeaSpy proton precession magnetometer, total field
Magnetic measurementsQuantity: activity duration in days = 33
Description: BAS shipboard three-component magnetometer, x-y-z components of field
Other geological/geophysical measurementsQuantity: activity duration in days = 33
Description: TOPAS PS018 parametric sub-bottom profiler, reflection amplitude and travel time