There is a sweet, sticky seafood smell in the crisp Arctic air that makes me happy. It turns my neurons on every morning, when I bend over the port railing of the Amundsen on my way to the laboratory. This smell emanates from the sea surface and is called DMS, shorthand for dimethyl sulfide. I admit that sometimes, in the intimacy of the laboratory, I open a tiny bottle of pure DMS and smell it to find immediate comfort. And as you will see, I am not the only one.
Tag Archives: CCGS Amundsen
Gliders: Gliding close to and under the ice! (Part 2)
Since we deployed our two gliders, “Qala1” and “Qala2”, we are learning a lot “on the job”, i.e. we are building a strong experience by making minor beginner’s mistakes. We need to deal with a lot of files, and just a small tiny comma forgotten here or there is ending up in a mission’s abort! But the glider’s software is also very well written and is rather foolproof. Coupled with strong hotline from glider’s provider (Teledyne Webb Research) and our friends at LOCEAN, Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) and their glider group, we feel more and more confident with our flights.
Continue reading Gliders: Gliding close to and under the ice! (Part 2)
