After 29 days of 24 hour operations, we have finally reached the conclusion of our grand voyage at the Hikurangi subduction zone. We successfully completed all of the planned data acquisition: 170 OBEM receiver deployments and 128 recoveries, as well as 500 line-km of SUESI tows (which is 100 line-km more than we set out to collect). Only three instruments came back with no data. A marvelous achievement given the inherent difficulty of collecting data at the bottom of the ocean. One that was only possible thanks to the dedication and hard work of the science party, the marine EM lab at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the captain and crew of the R/V Revelle. I am struggling to digest the overwhelming range of emotions now that our journey has reached its end.
Onshore celebrations in Wellington await.
Stay tuned for more blog posts during the second, shorter (and more relaxed) voyage beginning February 21st, when we will set sail to recover the 42 OBEM receivers left behind to collect five+ weeks worth of MT data.