Introduction
Diary
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	26 January
	25 January
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	20 January
Participants

 

R/V Meteor Cruise LOCO-2008
Sunday, 3 February 2008	Loading the containers that will be shipped to Texel from Dar es Salaam
Last day before we arrive in Dar es Salaam. Today we were busy with loading the containers, further analyzing the data, writing all kind of reports and cleaning the labs that were used. In the afternoon first results of this cruise were discussed. Theo Hillebrand showed the enormous improvement that has been obtained with the mooring design, as compared to the traditional design that was used till before the start of this programme in 2003. Due to all kind of reductions in the resistance (drag) of the moorings, the motion of these through the water column has been reduced enormously. This is the major reason for the high (>95%) data return that was obtained from the last mooring deployment.
Uwe Harlander and Erik van Sebille showed results from the measured currents and temperature-salinity observations at the moorings. Most surprising is that the total water transport through the Mozambique Channel has more than doubled during the last 1.5 years as compared to the previous 2-3 years of observations. The reason for this is unclear now, this needs further analysis. Anyhow, it shows the importance of long-term observations to obtain a reliable picture of the transport. Kees Veth showed results from the current profiles that were taken with the CTD frame during this cruise. Surface currents up to 1.5 m/s (which is stronger than in the Marsdiep tidal inlet during spring tides) were observed. Finally Ulrike Fallet and Erica de Koning discussed results from the geological and geochemical observations. A relation between the currents and the particles that were caught in the sediment traps is clearly recognizable. Moreover, it was shown that in the deeper parts of the channel, near the center, a well developed sedimentation area is present. This opens the possibility for the geologists to take long sediment cores to study the climate in the past.   The success of this cruise would not have been possible without the excellent facilities that were offered on the Meteor. Therefore, I like to thank captain Niels Jakobi and his crew for the excellent support that we obtained during this cruise.   The scientific team on board the Meteor   I hope that you have enjoyed reading this diary, it was a pleasure for me to inform you,   Beste Gruße von den Fahrtleiter, Herman Ridderinkhof Fahrtleiter FS Meteor M75-1b