COOK ISLANDS 2026
25 May
Field Guide
  1. 01
    14:22 Atiu tide gauge programmingThree tide gauges programmed at 30 s intervals: one land reference and two water deployments planned, including harbour and possibly beach.

    Raw transcript

    Programming three tied gauges at 30 second intervals, one to stay on land, two to go in the water. Maybe one of the harbor and one, hopefully today.

Near the beach.

    Whisper fixes

    Programming three tied gauges at 30 second intervals, one to stay on land, two to go in the water. Maybe one of the harbor and one, hopefully today. Near the beach.

    No word-level changes detected.

    Transcript: raw_field/google_recorder/015_20260525_1422_may_25_at_2-22_pm_ffcfd60b.txt

  2. 02
    14:25 Atiu Villas land tide gaugeOne tide gauge set high inside house/villa number five.

    Raw transcript

    One tide gauge set inside house number five up high.

    Whisper fixes

    One tide gauge set inside house number five up high.

    No word-level changes detected.

    Transcript: raw_field/google_recorder/014_20260525_1425_may_25_at_2-25_pm_c680932d.txt

    14:25 Olympus TG-5
  3. 03
    15:14 First reef bench after arrivalFirst reef bench after arrival: Beach reef bench about 1-1.5 m above lagoon, possible early Holocene highstand.

    Raw transcript

    Taking a tour with Roger right after we got in?

Um, took us down to a beach where we walked through.

Um.

A fully sort of intact.

Coral reef.

That.

Sits above a sort of tabular bench that maybe the early Holocene.

High stands, maybe a meter meter and a half above the Lagoon. Interesting, the Lagoon is.

Uh, potentially.

Flooded entirely by wave action, so the water level is not actually representative of means sea level.

Something we want to think about with our tie gauges.

    Whisper fixes

    Taking a tour with Roger right after we got in? Um, took us down to a beach where we walked through. Um. A fully sort of intact. Coral reef. That. Sits above a sort of tabular bench that maybe the early Holocene. High stands, maybe a meter meter and a half above the Lagoon. Interesting, the Lagoon is. Uh, potentially. Flooded entirely by wave action, so the water level is not actually representative of means sea level. Something we want to think about with our tie gauges.

    No word-level changes detected.

    Transcript: raw_field/google_recorder/013_20260525_1514_may_25_at_3-14_pm_cacc3fe8.txt

    15:13 Olympus TG-5
    15:13 Olympus TG-5
  4. 04
    15:43 South Point intact reef benchRoad-end South Point reef has high coral diversity in growth position; lower bench is about 0.5 m above lagoon. Origin remains unclear.

    Raw transcript

    The South Point.

Um, we parked at the end of a little road that came off the main road with Roger.

And just walking around. It's another sort of beautiful, intact Reef.

So much choral diversity. Everywhere you look is a coral likely and growth position.

But within a few meters.

Five species, easily identifiable.

Again, like the other location. There is a lower bench.

Kind of half a meter above the Lagoon.

Maybe the?

Corals in that lower bench look a bit more like brecha, but from standing far away and sort of looking at them.

Uh, they're sort of things that look like possum Opera. These sort of branching?

Towards corals that are growing in a distribution.

Every two meters or so away from each other. Similar how we see we saw in Hawaii in the Lagoon itself, so I don't know if this is.

Different sea level high staff is an early Holocene, or is it all part of the same Macataya?

Likely less interglacial sequence.

Uh, there's no obvious internal stratigraphy of the reef and sort of just quick glance.

And the top is just as diverse as the bottom.

    Whisper fixes

    The South Point. Um, we parked at the end of a little road that came off the main road with Roger. And just walking around. It's another sort of beautiful, intact Reef. So much choral diversity. Everywhere you look is a coral likely and growth position. But within a few meters. Five species, easily identifiable. Again, like the other location. There is a lower bench. Kind of half a meter above the Lagoon. Maybe the? Corals in that lower bench look a bit more like Removed: brecha, Added: breccia, but from standing far away and sort of looking at them. Uh, they're sort of things that look like possum Opera. These sort of branching? Towards corals that are growing in a distribution. Every two meters or so away from each other. Similar how we see we saw in Hawaii in the Lagoon itself, so I don't know if this is. Different sea level high staff is an early Holocene, or is it all part of the same Macataya? Likely less interglacial sequence. Uh, there's no obvious internal stratigraphy of the reef and sort of just quick glance. And the top is just as diverse as the bottom.

    Added words Removed words

    Transcript: raw_field/google_recorder/012_20260525_1543_may_25_at_3-43_pm_99817c0b.txt

  5. 05
    15:45 South Point small-coralite dating targetSmooth-weathering small-coralite coral stands out from the outcrop and may be a useful dating target.

    Raw transcript

    To add to that last note in a few places. Now, I've seen this Coral, an incredibly small coralites. So, it's weather is looking very smooth. It kind of stands out with respect to the rest of the outcrop.

Um.

It reminds me.

Of Palmata.

The way Palmetto looks in outcrop.

I'm curious if that will be a good Target for dating.

    Whisper fixes

    To add to that last note in a few places. Now, I've seen this Coral, an incredibly small Removed: coralites. Added: corallites. So, it's weather is looking very smooth. It kind of stands out with respect to the rest of the outcrop. Um. It reminds me. Of Palmata. The way Palmetto looks in outcrop. I'm curious if that will be a good Target for dating.

    Added words Removed words

    Transcript: raw_field/google_recorder/011_20260525_1545_may_25_at_3-45_pm_c45ce728.txt

  6. 06
    15:47 South Point branching coral photoUpward-branching coral protrudes from makatea vegetation; possible upward change in limestone/coral texture without clear rubble/species break.

    Raw transcript

    Just snapped a photo of one of these upward branching.

I'm calling pasta law for a type corals.

Like sticking up out of the vegetation at the top of the makateo. It really seems like.

As far as I can see upwards, there's a change in like the kind of.

Uh, Coral are the kind of limestone that we're looking at. No obvious change in species or.

Into Rubble.

    Whisper fixes

    Just snapped a photo of one of these upward branching. I'm calling pasta law for a type corals. Like sticking up out of the vegetation at the top of the Removed: makateo. Added: makatea. It really seems like. As far as I can see upwards, there's a change in like the kind of. Uh, Coral are the kind of limestone that we're looking at. No obvious change in species or. Into Rubble.

    Added words Removed words

    Transcript: raw_field/google_recorder/010_20260525_1547_may_25_at_3-47_pm_7ce4afac.txt

    15:47 Olympus TG-5
  7. 07
    15:49 South Point polished lower surfaceLower surface is smoothed/polished and locally braided, likely by seasonal sand movement.

    Raw transcript

    The lower surface is sort of polished.

It's kind of a braided and smoothed in places.

And I sort of suspect it's just from sand seasonally. It was storms sort of moving in and out.

Roger had mentioned that there are times of the year.

Where sand builds up down here in times of the year.

Where it gets.

Pulled back out to see.

    Whisper fixes

    The lower surface is sort of polished. It's kind of a braided and smoothed in places. And I sort of suspect it's just from sand seasonally. It was storms sort of moving in and out. Roger had mentioned that there are times of the year. Where sand builds up down here in times of the year. Where it gets. Pulled back out to see.

    No word-level changes detected.

    Transcript: raw_field/google_recorder/009_20260525_1549_may_25_at_3-49_pm_df3a88f3.txt

    15:50 Olympus TG-5
  8. 08
    16:13 Leeward pocket beach clastsPocket beach with tabular beachrock slabs thrown into the modern beach and mixed with older reef boulders.

    Raw transcript

    Move to the leeward side.

And stopped at a small pocket Beach.

Uh, the same sort of reef structure above, but really good examples of tabular class Beach Rock.

Thrown up on top of each other.

Thrown up into a modern beach.

Mixed with classes of Boulders from.

The older wreath.

    Whisper fixes

    Move to the leeward side. And stopped at a small pocket Beach. Uh, the same sort of reef structure above, but really good examples of tabular class Beach Rock. Thrown up on top of each other. Thrown up into a modern beach. Mixed with classes of Boulders from. The older wreath.

    No word-level changes detected.

    Transcript: raw_field/google_recorder/008_20260525_1613_may_25_at_4-13_pm_625224db.txt

    16:12 Olympus TG-5
    16:13 Olympus TG-5
  9. 09
    17:01 Harbour tide gauge locationGauge on rock with white float in sand patch at right side of harbour facing ocean; re-measure concrete offset on return visits.

    Raw transcript

    Tide gauge attached to a rock at the harbor.

The Rock has a small white float.

Um, it's in the middle of a sand patch on the right side of the harbor as you're coming down the road facing the ocean.

Uh, we plan to.

Measure the height of the concrete and the offset with the top of the water and use that with a tide gauge measurement to get mean tide level, we'll re-measure the concrete anytime we pass through here over the next five days.

    Whisper fixes

    Tide gauge attached to a rock at the harbor. The Rock has a small white float. Um, it's in the middle of a sand patch on the right side of the harbor as you're coming down the road facing the ocean. Uh, we plan to. Measure the height of the concrete and the offset with the top of the water and use that with a tide gauge measurement to get mean tide level, we'll re-measure the concrete anytime we pass through here over the next five days.

    No word-level changes detected.

    Transcript: raw_field/google_recorder/007_20260525_1701_may_25_at_5-01_pm_6f13cf54.txt

    17:00 Olympus TG-5
  10. 10
    17:12 Tide-gauge measurement plan revisedAvoid water-height timing uncertainty; measure gauge position directly up to the concrete/GPS point.

    Raw transcript

    Previous plan for measuring the tide gauge to the water height to the concrete height doesn't really work because the water height moves, and we don't have the exact.

Timing the 30-second interval of the tide gauge, so we don't want to introduce that extra uncertainty. So, Roger's going to get in the water. We're actually going to measure the position of the tide gauge up to the top of the concrete, where we'll measure our GPS point. Okay, so?

    Whisper fixes

    Previous plan for measuring the tide gauge to the water height to the concrete height doesn't really work because the water height moves, and we don't have the exact. Timing the 30-second interval of the tide gauge, so we don't want to introduce that extra uncertainty. So, Roger's going to get in the water. We're actually going to measure the position of the tide gauge up to the top of the concrete, where we'll measure our GPS point. Okay, so?

    No word-level changes detected.

    Transcript: raw_field/google_recorder/006_20260525_1712_may_25_at_5-12_pm_1d0df2a8.txt

  11. 11
    17:14 Weighted-string tide-gauge checkFollow-up method: lower weighted string from wall to gauge, mark at concrete, and compare length against in-water measurement.

    Raw transcript

    Plan for when we come back might be to attach a weight on a string and lower the weight down from the wall until it hits the tide gauge, and then we'll pull in the string marking where it was at the concrete, and then we'll actually just measure the length of the string and see how that compares to Roger's measurement in the water.

    Whisper fixes

    Plan for when we come back might be to attach a weight on a string and lower the weight down from the wall until it hits the tide gauge, and then we'll pull in the string marking where it was at the concrete, and then we'll actually just measure the length of the string and see how that compares to Roger's measurement in the water.

    No word-level changes detected.

    Transcript: raw_field/google_recorder/005_20260525_1714_may_25_at_5-14_pm_83d99966.txt

  12. 12
    17:23 Harbour tide gauge to concrete measurementRoger measured from tide gauge to concrete/wall: 3.32 m and 3.315 m repeat measurements sighting with a 2 m ruler plus 1.32/1.315 m.

    Raw transcript

    Roger got in the water and we measured directly from the tide gauge to the base of the concrete. It's a harbor.

Um, the first time we did it.

We got three meters and 32 centimeters the second time we did it. We got three meters and 31 and a half centimeters.

Uh, it was two meter full ruler sighted to the wall with Roger in the water.

And then measure down from the top. With Roger putting his finger on this side, it's spots. It was 68 and 68 and a half.

Um, that was the additional measurement onto the two meters. The ruler wasn't inverse, so this is where the 132 or 131 and a half comes from.

    Whisper fixes

    Roger got in the water and we measured directly from the tide gauge to the base of the concrete. It's a harbor. Um, the first time we did it. We got three meters and 32 centimeters the second time we did it. We got three meters and 31 and a half centimeters. Uh, it was two meter full ruler sighted to the wall with Roger in the water. And then measure down from the top. With Roger putting his finger on this side, it's spots. It was 68 and 68 and a half. Um, that was the additional measurement onto the two meters. The ruler wasn't inverse, so this is where the 132 or 131 and a half comes from.

    No word-level changes detected.

    Transcript: raw_field/google_recorder/004_20260525_1723_may_25_at_5-23_pm_85df7ac9.txt

    17:25 Olympus TG-5
  13. 13
    17:29 Tide-gauge datum and antenna offset noteGPS setup uses zero pole offset; compare control points only after accounting for antenna height. Tie heights back to tide-gauge water level.

    Raw transcript

    Right now, the tie gauge, I mean, sorry. The satellite is set with zero pole offset the GPS. We're going to keep that the entire time.

Ultimately, everything will get referenced back to the water level from the tide gauges.

Um.

Where this may be an issue is if we have the?

Gps, measuring someone else's control point. We need to remember that we did not put the offset of the antenna.

Into the measurement before we compare. So, if we're suddenly two meters?

Too high, then it's just the offset.

    Whisper fixes

    Right now, the tie gauge, I mean, sorry. The satellite is set with zero pole offset the GPS. We're going to keep that the entire time. Ultimately, everything will get referenced back to the water level from the tide gauges. Um. Where this may be an issue is if we have the? Gps, measuring someone else's control point. We need to remember that we did not put the offset of the antenna. Into the measurement before we compare. So, if we're suddenly two meters? Too high, then it's just the offset.

    No word-level changes detected.

    Transcript: raw_field/google_recorder/002_20260525_1729_may_25_at_5-29_pm_f9754a77.txt

  14. 14
    17:30 GPS pole-offset consistency checkKeep GPS pole offset at zero for the trip; if heights jump, check whether an offset was programmed in the phone/GPS.

    Raw transcript

    It's really important. We don't change that over the trip, so if suddenly everything seems too high or too low, we need to.

See if someone programmed an offset in their phone.

    Whisper fixes

    It's really important. We don't change that over the trip, so if suddenly everything seems too high or too low, we need to. See if someone programmed an offset in their phone.

    No word-level changes detected.

    Transcript: raw_field/google_recorder/001_20260525_1730_may_25_at_5-30_pm_e48f4190.txt

Local tide gauge 14:22

+0.000 m
Atiu Tide-Gauge Datum