ITP 82 Deployment operations
ITP82 deployment was conducted on the long-term 10 days station, northernmost station of Xue Long cruise. In preparation for afternoon operations all gear was lowered to the ice by ship’s crane in the morning using cargo nets. Help from bosun crew was highly appreciated. Ship was stationary in the solid ice, personnel and smaller items were moving on and off board by gangway. Deployment site was also chosen in advance about 300 m away from the ship at the ice camp “Beijing” – one of three camps set up at very large ice field. Ice thickness was 190 cm with no underlying layer beneath.
Weather again was nearly perfect, with mild temperature, no wind and intermittent sunshine. Most gear and personnel were delivered to the site by tractor carrying large sled, while assembled winch, weight and surface float were picked up from the ice and delivered by helicopter using long sling. Deployment team included two WHOI personnel, Dr. Qi Sheng Bo and graduate students Zheng Wen Li and Wang Xiao Yu from Ocean University of China and Dr. Alexander Bosin from Pacific Oceanology Institution, Vladivostok, Russia. Dr. Victoire Rerolle, LOCEAN/UPMC, Paris, France served as observer and photographer. Minor glitches and inefficiencies during ITP81 deployment were identified and discussed in advance of ITP82 deployment.
ITP82 deployment proceeded smoothly, teamwork was impressive and spirits high. All operations were completed in 2.5 hours, which left us ample time to construct adorable (not an opinion shared by everyone) snow man nearby to keep ITP82 company. All gear was brought back onboard in the evening by tractor/sled and ship crane.
Again, as after ITP81 deployment, Automatic Meteorology Station and Sea Ice Mass Balance buoy were left behind in the vicinity of ITP82 and snowman.
