On the way to our final destination in South Africa we have reached much milder climatic conditions. We have definitely left the cold of the Antarctic behind us. Staying outside would normally be be nice and comfortable at these latitudes in the Indian Ocean, but another low pressure has arrived. Along with it has come very stormy winds and rough seas, making venturing out onto the decks of the Polarstern impossible.

Stuck inside, our geologists have made another interesting discovery in the lab with their parasound equipment. In one of their nightly data checks, the scientists discovered evidence of a previously unknown Seamount. until now, this oceanic mountain range has not been found by any satellite and it is not marked on any map. It was with great excitement that this discovery was relayed back to the Alfred Wegener Institute. Now the only task left for the researchers is to name the seamount and then to make sure the data is prepared for its inclusion on world maps.

Text: Lars Focke, Fachhochschule Kiel student
Submitted April 2, 2007