Class@Baikal-2015

17 July. Happy hydrates!

Today we decided to bring a visit to one of the first mud volcanoes discovered in Lake Baikal: Bolshoi (the Big One) is located at almost 1400 m water depth. An ice-cold wind is keeping us company and sheep are happily dancing up and down on the waves. On the ship, the cold and the shaking is less appreciated: woollen pullovers are unpacked and the first sea-sickness symptoms appear. A tasty breakfast and lunch helps to keep the moral stable, but the first coring stations turn out to be disappointing with few sediments and no thermal data.

The 15th of July. Geophysicists are leaving the Baikal but they promise to come back.

 
Here is the end of the first leg of the expedition. Before the sunrise RV «Vereshchagin» arrived to its home-harbour in the Listvyanka port. In some advance the geophysicists have dismounted their equipment, packed it carefully and prepared to be transported to Irkutsk and Moscow. Right after the breakfast a caravan of boxes and balloons stretched to truck, while geophysicists and electronicians were saying goodbye to the boat, to the crew and to the Baikal.

 

14th of July. At the end of each path there is a new one.

As always the day started with a tasty breakfast. 
During the breakfast the majority of the expedition team found out that works had started before the breakfast (some members of the team found out this after lunch. This is the specifics of works twenty-for-seven. A team should be divided into day and night shifts. When it’s your working shift the others get opportunity to have a rest…

13th of July. Never give me the coast, but do give me the sea...

The first leg of the expedition is approaching to its final. The geological and geophysical life onboard of the research vessel “G.U. Vereshagin” runs its scheduled steady rhythms. The word “expedition” in our minds now refers not only to the research process itself but to the warm company of people, who’re deeply in love with Science and Nature, amazed with the beauty of Baikal, who have met with each other here onboard and learned how to work together. We’ve learned how to understand each other, to do our work easily, with good mood; we’ve got new traditions and hobbies. Nobody would believe we’ve been here only for a few days. We’re very proud that we are “the expedition”. Only sea unites people in such a way. In such a way Baikal has united us. The day after tomorrow we’ll have to say “good bye” at the harbour and it’s definitely sad…

10th of July. The birthday of the captain.

«The first after God»!  It’s an immense effort and enormous responsibility to be the captain of nuclear submarine as well as to be the captain of a simple old vessel that is permeated with smell of fish and algae. The first after god for us in this expedition is the captain “G.U. Vereshagin” – Roman Bituskiy. Today he celebrates his 30th anniversary. The Class@Baikal team and the crew congratulates him and wish all the very best.

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