Our 3 day mini-cruise across the main active strand of the North Anatolia fault was a success despite an equipment failure that caused us to stop acquiring data about 16 hours early. We used the Turkish university research ship Piri Reis. The science party was Turkish students, post-docs, a professor, plus a French geophysicist, a French electronic engineer, and two from USA including me.

We had a Turkish Coast Guard escort boat to try and keep ships from running over our streamer which extended as much as 1.5 km behind the ship. For crossing the North Anatolia fault, where we had to cross the shipping lanes, the streamer was brought in part way, to about 600 m. Towards the end of data collection it was getting hairy, with the captain talking to 8 other ship captains at the same time. At one point earlier, when other ship captains were not giving way, the captain said we were towing and electric seismic streamer...which is sort of true, but the impression that was given was that coming close was a hazard to their ship (which it was not)...this has the intended effect..

Got to go be a tourist...more coming.
Chris