Stefanie Kremser was part of the first trial voyage to the ice edge on the new Australian research vessel, the Marine National Facility RV Investigator. The voyage started on 29 January 2015 and finished 21 days later on 18 February 2015. The objectives of this trial voyage included: • Test Investigator’s ice-edge operational systems in low water and air temperatures • Safely undertake cold water and atmospheric operations including specific testings and checks of aerosol sampling mast, aerosol laboratory and air-chemistry laboratory. • Geophysical Survey and Mapping (GSM) • Underway data acquisition and seagoing instrumentation testing • Test performance of satellite TV and communications systems in high latitudes • Test the limits of flying radiosondes from a ship’s deck Stefanie, together with Robyn Schofield and Dougal Squire from the University of Melbourne were launching ten radiosondes and three polarsondes at several latitudes and in different weather conditions to measure temperature, wind, pressure and humidity up to about 25 km. The main goals were to test the limits of launching balloons from a ship and to specify the boundary conditions at different latitudes for modelling purposes. They launched balloons into fronts, through a polar low (962 hPa), into perfect weather conditions but also into 25 knot winds and 3 metre swells. They got to know the limits of launching balloons from a moving vessel, with lots of cranes and other sharp objects to avoid. |
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