| Site Locations
Tavurvur Volcano (2)
Other Volcanoes
Sunrise
on the JR
Back on land in
Australia |
At Sea Report from the Bismarck Sea: We reached the end
January 4th, 2001
As I mentioned in my last report, we came into Rabaul to let one of the crewmembers off the ship. As we were coming into Rabaul we were able to see land upclose for the first time since we left Guam and what a sight it was. Tavurvur, the volcano that had been active for the last few months, put on a spectacular display as we were coming into the bay. Two different eruptions showered us with ash and not so pleasant odors, but we were also able to witness spectacular plumes rising up from several hundred to perhaps over 1,000 ft in the air. A relatively fresh flow coming down from Tavurvur to the water’s edge was also clear evidence of its recent volcanic activity.
The entrance to the bay in Rabaul is quite spectacular because in addition to Tavurvur, we able to see Volcan and several other cones in the near vicinity of the town. Volcan was also quite spectacular because in the early 1990’s an eruption blew the side of the cone almost obliterated the entire town of Rabual. Erosional features were clearly seen as drainage patterns were carving grooves along the cone’s steep slopes, although not too much vegetation was covering the imposing structure. There were a total of 4 or 5 cones in a relatively small area, which made it clear why this region is considered part of the Ring of Fire.
After we were done shooting several rolls of film and our business was completed, we were informed that the Papua New Guinea customs had denied permission to resume drilling operations in the area. This effectively ended our operations in the area and operations for our departure began. We were allowed to retrieve the transponders (instruments that are placed on the ocean floor help find the position of underwater features and aid in navigation) and after the final preparations were completed we began our trip back to civilization.
We took a course heading south and sailed west of Bougainville and into the Solomon Sea. This area was the site of many epic battles during World War II and I could only think of how different things were back then. We continued our general heading south and passed west of the Woodlark, Misma and Deboyne islands, through the Louisiade Archipielago (Calvados chain) west of Tagula Island and into the Coral Sea. Once we reached the Coral Sea, we were reminded that we were actually on a ship and the vessel started to move a bit more than before. It was nothing out of the ordinary but quite different than our experience in an enclosed body of water such as the Manus basin.
After several days we reached our final destination, Townsville, Australia, on January 3rd, 2001. It was a pleasant site and even better, we were able to walk a longer distance than 470 ft! We cleared customs and everybody took the opportunity to have a meal at a nice restaurant. We spent the next few days offloading the ship and met with the incoming crew. The crew and scientists attended a belated Christmas party. This was the chance for the loggers to get together in a totally different atmosphere and enjoy the festivities.
I stayed a few days in Townsville until my duties onboard the JOIDES Resolution were completed. I also had a chance to see some of the famous local fauna such as koalas, kangaroos, and crocodiles. Finally, I departed Australia for my long awaited trip back home. After several stops (Brisbane, Sydney, Los Angeles, and New York), approximately 25 hours, and 6 movies, I arrived into the JFK international airport. Another hour and I was back home with my wife.
This cruise was both challenging and extremely successful in that we were able to drill in an extremely difficult environment and we were also able to collect lots of important scientific data. The challenge ahead of us now is to process and interpret all this information so we can obtain a better understanding of how active hydrothermal systems work and perhaps even begin to grasp the concepts of how life may have originated in this planet.
Thank you to all of you for your participation and we hope that these reports give you a taste of what life at sea during ODP Leg 193 was all about.
Dr. Gerardo J. Iturrino (Gerry)
Logging Staff Scientist – ODP Leg 193 |
