Last journal entry from the Cruise Dec 24

[scotiapl...@gmail.com]

December 24, 2007
To: Tom Wagner, NSF Office of Polar Programs, Antarctic Earth Sciences
Re: Final LMG 07-17 Cruise report

Dear Tom,

This letter constitutes my final weekly report to you concerning the
research of cruise LMG 07-17 aboard the R/V Laurence M. Gould during
22 November - 22 December 2007. I served as the Co-Chief Scientist of
the cruise with Dr. Ross MacPhee, whose party was conducting
paleontological research in the vicinity of the northern Antarctic
Peninsula. By all accounts, the cruise was an exceptional success and
far exceeded my expectations and goals.

Following our visit to the Argentine Esperanza Base on 16 December, my
team patiently waited for the calming of 40+ knot winds so that we
could achieve our final targets around Hope Bay and at Cape Dubouzet
to the north. Around mid-morning on 17 December, the winds abated
sufficiently for safe Zodiac operations, allowing us to acquire
several new provenance samples from the metasedimentary Trinity
Peninsula Group as well as a much-needed granitoid thermochronometry
sample. Following a brief respite for lunch aboard the Gould, my party
returned to the Scar Hills area of Hope Bay, west of the penguin
colony (~300,000 breeding pairs!) in order to access the Mt. Flora
Formation on Mt. Flora via our permit to access ASPA 148. During a
spectacularly clear, warm, and beautiful afternoon, we acquired two
provenance sample suites from the Mt. Flora Formation before returning
to the Gould for our return passage north.

On the morning of 18 December, we had a brief stop at Cape Dubouzet,
where we collected additional Trinity Peninsula Group provenance
samples before stepping off the continent and into the Zodiacs for the
final time during research cruise LMG 07-17. We departed Antarctica
with heavy hearts, but with grateful appreciation for the unbelievable
opportunity. This cruise has made lasting emotional and professional
impacts upon the lives of all four of the young members of Team
Barbeau (average age = 25.3 years, perhaps an LMG record?), none of
whom had previous experience in Antarctica. I am confident that this
experience will prove to have yielded a lasting contribution to the
Antarctic Earth sciences community, if only in the form of four new,
enthusiastic, inspired and young scientists. However, given our
successful field campaign, we are very optimistic that our collected
samples will contribute significantly to the understanding of this
fascinating and important region. It was an honor to do so as part of
the International Polar Year.

Antarctica off the stern of the ship, we had an unexpected cake-walk
across Drake Passage and ironically, were only confronted with large
waves and winds upon nearing and entering the Straits of Magellan.
During the return voyage home we organized and packaged our samples,
which we loaded into tri-wall boxes in Punta Arenas on 22 December for
cargo shipment back to the states. Although I haven't yet calculated
the number of Zodiac trips we made (those more in the know seem to
think it was a record for a 30-day LMG cruise), we have compiled a
list of our collected samples: 62 buckets of provenance and
thermochronometry samples and 98 additional hand samples, for a total
mass exceeding 1000 lbs. A common joke in the Gould mess during meal
times was an estimation of the amount of isostatic rebound imparted
upon the continent as a result of our visit. Although the answer is
zero, and the evidence of our visit effectively invisible, the
sentiment is valid: we are returning to the states with a simply
astounding collection of rocks from the northern peninsula that FAR
exceeded our hopes at the start of the cruise.

While the hard working crew of the Gould is now conducting their Punta
Arenas port call for the upcoming LTER cruise, Team Barbeau is taking
a much needed break for the holidays. Willy Guenthner is en route to
the states, Dave Gombosi and Kendra Murray are spending Christmas in
Torres del Paine, and I'm here in Ushuaia, awaiting the arrival of the
two remaining American members of our 2007-08 field team, Amy Moragues
and Khandaker Zahid. With Eduardo Olivero of CADIC, we'll spend the
next five weeks collecting provenance and thermochronometry samples
from the northern half of the Scotia arc that we'll use with our
Antarctic samples to assess the timing of disconnection between West
Antarctica and southern South America and opening of Drake Passage.

In closing, I'll mention yet again the astonishing focus and
commitment of the Gould crew that enabled this exceptionally
successful cruise. NSF should be very happy with the collection of
able, generous and hard-working folks from Raytheon Polar Services and
Edison Choest Offshore that they have assembled aboard and associated
with the Laurence M. Gould. From an engine room so immaculately clean
one could eat from any surface therein, to galley food worthy of a
write-up in ZAGAT'S, to a unified, bow-to-stern goal of science first,
it is clear that the folks of the Gould take great pride in their
vessel, her capabilities and accomplishments. I know that I am
swelling with pride and thankfulness for this amazing opportunity to
have sailed aboard her with this amazing crew.

Until next year, best regards.

Dr. David L. Barbeau, Jr.
Principal Investigator, Plates & Gates Project G-432-E of the
International Polar Year
LMG 07-17 Co-Chief Scientist
University of South Carolina
dbar...@geol.sc.edu