Participant Perspective - July 17, 2001

Interview with Nick Delich
Physical Science Technician - NOAA/PMEL

Jeff: What new kinds of instrumentation are you deploying during NeMO 2001?

Nick: This year we're putting out the NeMO buoy that will be linked acoustically to the remote access sampler (RAS), an instrument that takes water samples along the seafloor. Any time the scientists want to get a fluid sample they can send their message through email, via satellite, to the NeMO net buoy. It will further the real-time studies already started at Axial. This technology was spawned from the real-time tsunami warning system that's up and running.

Jeff: Are the scientists looking for an eruptive event before they trigger the RAS sampler?

Nick: Actually, it automatically takes samples at certain intervals. Even if the acoustic link doesn't work it will still sample. However, if an event did occur we could acoustically tell it to sample at a higher rate or go ahead and fill all 5 bottles instantaneously. That's the flexibility the scientists wanted in case of an eruptive event. Next year we'll come back out, retrieve it, and see how it did.

Jeff: Have you worked on the tsunami warning buoy system at all?

Nick: Yeah. PMEL developed the system. I've been involved from the start (planning) all the way to deployment. That makes it interesting. Right now
there are 4 tsunami warning buoys and a fifth is going out later this summer. They're all acoustically linked to a bottom pressure recorder that detects changes in pressure. You can actually see the data this system generates on the internet through the real-time tsunami web site linked through the NOAA home page. Most people think it's an early warning system. It's more of an anti-false alarm system. By the time you know something is coming it's too late. If other warning systems go off and they aren't sure if there's going to be a tsunami, they can always double check and see if the buoys say there's going to be one. If all the systems say yes, there's a very good chance that there will actually be a tsunami. It's just more data for the scientists at the Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii to assess. It's a very big deal to issue a warning because people evacuate and panic. You want to be safe, but then again, you don't want to cry wolf.

Jeff: What do you like best about working for PMEL?

Nick: I like the flexibility. Every job and every project is different. All of them are interesting in their own way and I get to have my hands in various stages. I also get to go out to sea. At times that can be monotonous and tiring and a lot of hard work and at other times it involves standing around waiting. Overall, its great and I still enjoy it. They keep you busy and it's always something new.