(September) Join scientists as they set out on a series of expeditions in the seas surrounding Bermuda, searching for deep water caves. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/10thunderbay/welcome.html http://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/include/images/ocean_explorer_podcast_100.jpg http://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/10thunderbay/welcome.html ____________________________________________________________________________ In the shallow area, we surveyed nearly half of Thunder Bay and the ATLAS maps revealed unexpected features and human activities. These discoveries have renewed NOAA’s interest in the region within the bay. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/10thunderbay/logs/summary/summary.html ____________________________________________________________________________ In spite of a few rough weather days on the lake, we have all deemed this a successful mission. We surveyed 109 square miles and have 4 terabytes of data that scientists will continue to look through. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/10thunderbay/logs/aug27/aug27.html ____________________________________________________________________________ The great lakes are dotted with lighthouses, and the Thunder Bay area is no exception. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/10thunderbay/logs/aug23/aug23.html ____________________________________________________________________________ One of the most interesting things about this project is how we are using new technology to look for pieces of history. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/10thunderbay/logs/aug22/aug22.html ____________________________________________________________________________ One question that science teams often get asked is: what do you do when you are in the field? http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/10thunderbay/logs/aug20/aug20.html ____________________________________________________________________________ What happens to all of this data that we are collecting with the ATLAS AUV? http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/10thunderbay/logs/aug19/aug19.html ____________________________________________________________________________ With yesterday’s sea trial under our belt, the team felt confident heading out to deeper water further offshore. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/10thunderbay/logs/aug18/aug18.html ____________________________________________________________________________ After lunch, we had a short all-hands planning meeting and decided to conduct a short survey to test the vehicle and the launch/recovery procedures. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/10thunderbay/logs/aug17/aug17.html ____________________________________________________________________________ On the first day, the University of Texas at Austin (ARL:UT) team flew into Alpena Michigan from Austin Texas. After arriving late in the afternoon, they began to assemble the AUV in the work area provided by NOAA’s Thunder Bay Sanctuary. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/10thunderbay/logs/aug16/aug16.html ____________________________________________________________________________ The Great Lakes are a vast water highway. Over 10,000 years ago Native American canoes first glided upon the Inland Seas, traveling distances both great and small. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/10thunderbay/background/plan/plan.html ____________________________________________________________________________ Expedition Education Modules (EEM) are designed to reach out in new ways to teachers, students, and the general public, and share the excitement of daily at-sea discoveries and the science behind NOAA’s major ocean exploration initiatives with people around the world. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/10thunderbay/background/edu/edu.html ____________________________________________________________________________ Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is jointly managed by NOAA and the state of Michigan. The sanctuary’s mission is to preserve nationally significant shipwrecks and regional maritime landscape through resource protection, education, and research. The sanctuary also promotes appreciation and responsible use of Thunder Bay, the Great Lakes, and the oceans. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/10thunderbay/background/thunderbay/thunderbay.html ____________________________________________________________________________ Thunder Bay NMS currently manages 48 known shipwreck sites. All of these maritime heritage resources possess historical significance, particularly when considered as a collection, and each possesses an individual degree of unique archeological potential. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/10thunderbay/background/wrecks/wrecks.html ____________________________________________________________________________ For this project, we mounted a sonar on an independent underwater vehicle, which is launched from a ship. The vehicle is called an autonomous underwater vehicle or AUV, because once it is launched on a survey mission, it is self-reliant and follows the mission plan without instructions from us on the ship. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/10thunderbay/background/sonar/sonar.html ____________________________________________________________________________ An AUV launching is filled with excitement and anxiety. The excitement comes from the months or even years of working on the AUV, sonar, or data processing computer programs and seeing all of them work. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/10thunderbay/background/launching/launching.html ____________________________________________________________________________ Recovering an AUV can be as exciting and anxious as launching. Before the AUV surfaces, you do not know exactly where it will appear because underwater navigation is very difficult and the AUV is usually slightly lost. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/10thunderbay/background/recovering/recovering.html ____________________________________________________________________________ View photos and short bios of the explorers participating on the Thunder Bay 2010 Exploration. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/10thunderbay/background/explorers/explorers.html ____________________________________________________________________________ View photos and videos taken during the Thunder Bay 2010: Cutting Edge Technology and the Hunt for Lake Huron’s Lost Ships Expedition, including high-resolution photos, video, and slideshows. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/10thunderbay/logs/photolog/photolog.html ____________________________________________________________________________ Have a question for the team? Send us an email! Questions will be forwarded to the team at sea and their replies will be posted here. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/10thunderbay/logs/ask/ask.html ____________________________________________________________________________