November 16, 2009

South Pole!!!

I fell into some fortunate circumstances and got scheduled to go to South Pole for about a week. The Pole, as it is shorthandedly referred to/as, is about a 3-hour plane ride on the LC-130 aka Hercs. Here is some more pics of the Hercs:

The purpose of my trip was to get cross trained in taking drinking water and wastewater samples. This involved testing them and sending some back to Christchurch, NZ for laboratory analyses. We also visited some areas where solid wastes have been stored for the past few years to examine/plan for logisitics and removal. Another part of the trip was to get acquainted with the staff and the facilities, including understanding some of the science that is being conducted.

So the Pole is around 9,000 ft elevation, but because of certain atmospheric conditions it can physiologically be the equivalent between 9,ooo - 11,000 ft feet. Because we are basically going from sea level to these higher elevations, the medical staff highly suggest that people take altitude medicine. There is concern of altitude-related pulmonary and brain edema (there are more scientific names for these, that I'll look up later), which can ultimately result in death. Commonly people have some symptoms such as shortness of breath while at rest, headaches, and sleep apnia. I ended up taking the Diamox drug, that I believe increases your respiration rate so that you can attain more oxygen.

In the two weeks leading up to the trip I took, there had been a case of someone not taking one of the two available prescribed drugs and they had to be put in this pressurized bag that is kind of like a portable hyperbaric chamber - it is called a GAMOW bag. This person recovered, but had to go through a nasty experience and were sent back to McMurdo ASAP (shortening their Pole trip). The GAMOW bag is basically a large duffel bag that is airtight and that you can fit in with maybe a foot of space radially around you. The bag is kept at pressure and provided fresh oxygen by a manual pump (the same kind of pumps used to inflate air mattresses). This would not be a fun experience.

The Old Station

This is a picture of me in front of the Geodesic Dome- which was the signature of the last USAP South Pole base. It is somewhat the symbol of the South Pole Station. It is currently being decommissioned/deconstructed at this time. So I was lucky that I got to see this before it is comletely gone. Supposedly one of the problems with this dome was that is would constantly have to be dug out. I heard that the large tractors basically have to operate 24/7 to keep removing snow from around the structure. (This seemed definitely true, while I was there.

Inside of the Dome...I believe people used to sleep in Millvans under the Dome at one time.

The new South Pole Station...Elevated Station. At the time of my visit there was till construction going on, but the main part of the station was done...including berthing, galley, gym, science labs, computer labs, offices, etc. It is constructed for about 200 occupants. Although currently there are more people stationed at the Pole, but some are stationed in "Summer Camp" in Jamesway tents.



My impressions of the Pole...The new elevated station is real nice. I was very lucky and was housed in the station during my one week stay. I actually had my own room and had internet available in my room as well (quite a luxury vs. McMurdo with my 3 roommates and internet only available in the computer lab). It is pretty darn cold here, while I was in town it averaged negative 30 degrees C and with wind chill negative 50 degrees C. I can't imagine what the winter would be like. Although The Southern Lights would be awesome to see.

Heading down the stairs in a building located outside of the Station that will be deconstructed...(Skylab)

Random Frozen fish...

We were able at one point to walk through the ice tunnels. The ice tunnels were carved under the station and have pipes that carry drinking water and wastewater to and from the station. The tunnels are not at all supported by any infrastructure and are pretty far underground and travel a long ways from the station. The walls are somewhat bulging inwards, which is a little scary..but nonetheless very interesting.

The drinking water that is melted from the ice here is very old. Supposedly some of the best water around though.

This is a pic of the green house at the new station...I was able to help out at the greenhouse for an hour or so and harvest the remainder of the plants for consumption as well as clean up the hydroponic system to prepare it for the next planting. They had romaine, arugula, zuchinni, and chard going at the time. It was pretty cool to see Green plants that were still alive....

Picture of a fuel arch. Contains about forty-five 10,000 gallon tanks of diesel... Has an additive to prevent freezing.

Some Science

Science- the reason we are here - to support the research.

Ice Cube. Ice Cube is a project that examines Neutrinos. The building in the picture is the processing center for data that comes from a huge grid of maybe 60 or so modules that each go down a mile or a half into the ground and have sensors that detect light/neutrinos as they go through the ice. It works well here because of the clarity/cleanliness of the ice. The mile and a half is almost to bedrock...(That is some thick ass ice!)

10-m telescope. 10-m diameter dish with what I believe is supposedly less than a 10 micron error in construction. Used to examine big-bang theories. Looking at some kind of energy and light remanants from that event. Definitely something a little (more like a lot) over my head.

Opposite of me, out of the picture, is the BICEPS telescope that is examining related events. Supposedly is on the verge of the "smoking gun" confirming the big bang.

Other science that is being conducted here includes atmospheric research...there are sectors away from the station that have limited access and have certain provisions for entering. This includes a clean air sector, a dark sector, and a quiet sector. The Clean air sector has supposedly the cleanest air in the world.

Not science, but a picture of what is dubbed "SpoolHenge." Leftover spool from cables...

The South Pole

Obligatory "Hero" Shot. At geographic Pole....Bottom of the World.

Ceremonial Pole. Surrounded by Flags of Treaty Nations.

The Pole was pretty sweet for me to get to. I was really lucky and appreciate the chance to have gotten down there. Its interesting that it is so flat other than the human influence. There seems to be a lot less activities to do outside when compared to McMurdo, but there is a different aura here as well. The population is much smaller...250 vs 1000 and theres some sense of pride/bordering on standoffishness that some of the polies seem to have. Not necessarily bad, but there is definitely a different feelin when compared to the aura at McMurdo. Don't get me wrong, everyone there was nice that I ran into, but they almost seem to look at McMurdo residents and the station with disdain. I guess in some ways I understand the Pole is a lot harsher - Colder, Drier, Higher, and more isolated. Someone explained to me that the socially the Pole is better because there is way less people, but at McMurdo there is much more to do and see (on and off base), which I think I can agree to (so far).

November 6-7, 2009

(Picture from the A-star of Lake Hoare and Canada Glacier)

Camping in the Antarctica Dry Valleys

Scenic and beautiful - Frozen lakes situated along the bottom of the dry valleys with glaciers seemingly feeding and flowing into the lakes from the surrounding mountains.

On my second visit to the dry valleys my coworker (the other envt. tech) and I visited two field camps - Lake Bonney and Lake Hoare. We accessed the camps by the A-star helicopter again. The purpose of these visits was to do an environmental audit, but also to familiarize us (it's also her first time down here), with how a field camp is run, what to look for in our envt. audits, and to learn more about the dry valleys.

Here's a few highlights:

This is an ATV that the camp uses to drive around on the frozen Lake to transport equipment and to collect drinking water. It is not permitted to be driven on the dry lands due to the envt. damage it could cause. Notice the chains on the middle set of tires.

Renewable Energy!!! Here's a picture of solar panels that are used to supplement the energy needs for the camp.

This is a picture of another helicopter transporting a sling load over a glacier. (Seuss Glacier) This was taken while I was sitting in another A-star, hovering above and adjacent to the subject. I think they can haul up to 8000 pounds or something ridiculous in a sling load...(I'll have to check)

My coworker and I spent a night in the dry valleys at the Lake Hoare camp. The camp was occupied by the camp manager and the assistant camp manager. They run the camp and provide oversight, logistics, and just basically run the camp. This includes among other things- a majority of the cooking duties, organization, ordering supplies, and providing any needed support for the scientists conducting their research. At this camp the ideal max capacity is for 12 people. During our visit , it was just 4 of us total at the camp.

One of the tasks that we learned at camp was collecting drinking water. This was done by heading over to the glacier and collecting chunks of ice from sections of ice that have "calved" off the glacier. These were hauled back to camp in the bed of the ATV and in the sled attached to its end. Sometimes a large bar with a flathead tip is used to break/crack up large pieces into smaller pieces. The sizes ranged from football sized to the size of a milk crate. They are called “glacier berries.” Here is a sequence of pictures of my coworker demonstrating the technique...

Here's a good overview shot of the ATV with glacier berries in tow and the site of the "calving"

The glacier berries are taken back to camp and are melting in a stock pot (see pic below) and then filtered for drinking water. This ice is really old...how old? Older than Jesus...seriously. Because its so old, it is kind of a novelty for some people and they like to use it as ice in a cold drink. It's somewhat interesting because there are a lot of gas bubbles in the ice that fizzes and bubbles as it melts.

My first penguin sighting!!!

Here’s a picture of the Scott tent at Lake Hoare Camp that we slept in flanked by Canada Glacier. You can see a calving in the background.

Driving on the lake and walking on the lake, especially along the frozen moat, or outside edges (before it melts later in the summer) is encouraged because it reduces the footprint on the dry land... My coworker and I were able to take an awesome little hike around the area and walk along the Lake. One interesting part of the hike was while walking on the frozen lake surface, every few minutes or so you would here pops as the ice beneath you cracked. It wasn't going to break through or anything, but it was quite startling the first few times. Here's a pic of the lake ice. Notice all the bubbles frozen in it.

Here’s a few pics from our little hike.

Coworker Laura on the Lake as the sun drops behind Seuss Glacier.

Walking along the Glacier.

Ventifacts - rocks formed by the winds…Dry Valleys are characterized by the dryness, lakc of precipitation, and winds among other things.

These are stabil-icers that are worn on the outside of your boots to provide traction on the lake ice.

This is a picture of Lake Hoare with Canada glacier in the foreground and another lake to the right side of the picture, behind Canada glacier and another glacier sitting in the back left.

Me in front of Seuss Glacier to give a little bit of size perspective...And it's actually quite taller further back.

Me, surfing the Seuss Glacier...



Lake.



This area is very, very beautiful...

November 4, 2009

My new Ride

This week I finally finished the training for proper safety for riding in the helicopters and now am able to travel to some field camps that are a little further away. Today I took my first ride and it was awesome! Flyin in these things are pretty damn cool. There's two main types of helicopters we fly around in down here, the A-star and one they call the 212 (which is bigger - it can carry more cargo and passengers). The A-star fits maybe 6 people total, but probably only 4 comfortably (including the pilot). The A-star is pictured above.

Me in my helmet:

Today we flew to two different sites in the dry valleys. The dry valleys are actually on the mainland of Antarctica (not on an island - McMurdo Station is on Ross Island). The dry valleys have stricter environmental rules because they are protected areas and are classified as an Antarctically Specially Managed Area (ASMA).

A brief description of them is that the Dry Valleys "are the largest expanse of ice-free ground in Antarctica. They contain cold desert soils millions of years old, unusual biological communities, special geological features and minerals and spectacular scenery...The region encompasses a cold desert ecosystem, whose climate is not only cold and extremely arid, but also windy. The landscape of the Area contains glaciers, mountain ranges, ice-covered lakes, meltwater streams, arid patterened soils and permafrost, sand dunes, and interconnected watershed systems...thirty percent of the ground surface is largely free of snow and ice."

Our (meaning the envt. group that I am working with) purpose for visiting was to do an envt. evaluation of two field camps in the dry valleys. To make sure they have the proper secondary containment around fuels and waste, are dealing with solid and liquid wastes appropriately, to test the drinking water supply, to look at camp footprint, to document any issues regarding camp life, to follow-up with any past issues, etc. We visited Blood Falls and Lake Joyce camps.

Here's a picture of our ride flanked by mountain ranges and a frozen lake. The A-star landed next to the first camp, Blood Falls, that we visited. Near Lake Bonney and Taylor Glacier.

Here's the same setting, but from a different angle with the frozen lake, glacier, and mountain ranges in the background.

This is a picture near the next camp we visited. Taylor Glacier is in the background and the foreground is actually Lake Joyce, frozen over. Portions of the Lake melt at different rates as can be seen somewhat in the picture. The lake in the foreground is melting quicker, partially because there is soils and rocks that have blown onto that part of the ice. The white area in the background that abutts up to the glacier and is smoother is actually still the frozen lake. Actually I believe the lake never (rarely?) completely melts but is generally characterized as having a thin overall surface layer with a watery moat that forms on the outer edges later in the summer season.

This is the A-star landing at the Lake Joyce site.

Here's a panoramic video taken from Lake Joyce-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGJD9p8czRI

Some of the research that was being conducted at one of the camps (Blood Falls) involved cutting an ice tunnel into Taylor Glacier using chainsaws. This is a picture of my coworkers outside the ice tunnel:

This is a picture of the tunnel into the glacier:

This is the back end of the ice tunnel that opened up into a little room, where the researchers cut out chunks of ice to take back for research. I believe this group was looking at the living organisms in the ice. The brownish band in the wall is the soil and rocks.

Here's a pic from the heli flying above Taylor glacier, looking towards Lake Bonney.




These are cold shot glasses that the researchers made out of chunks of glacier ice.

This is a picture of some other modes of transport. The first one is of the Baslars. I think they were brought in mainly to try and get flights to the South Pole from McMurdo earlier in the season. The second picture are the LC-130s Hercs that are used later in the season, and I guess maybe they are harder to land logistically at the Pole until later in the season. Maybe because of plane weight and/or landing gear and ice conditions?

Here's a picture of "Home" or McMurdo Station...

November 2, 2009 - Discovery Hut and My First Seal

So after the last post of Halloween- here's a more serious post.
Some Antarctic History.


Went for a hike/tour of Discovery Hut, which is a ~15 minute walk from McMurdo. Discovery Hut was used by the early explorers of Antarctica (erected in 1901 by Robert Scott and the Discovery party) and many remnants of these expeditions still remain. See the date imprinted on the crate in the first picture above. Here's some pics.

Boxes of food stuffs:


This is a toilet... (FG and CH would be screwed!):






I bet they probably ate these at points:




This is the stove they had with a kettle of seal blubber chunks still in it - I believe they ate these as well as used them for heating/fuel:

My first seal! Kind of, but not really. Mummified. Was right outside of the Hut:

One interesting thing about the hut was that there was anthrax cultured from it. This was not considered a serious health threat, but warning was given and we weren't allowed to touch anything and must clean out boots when entering/exiting the hut.

October 31, 2009 - Halloween

So I am admittedly about a week or so behind in the posts...I have a plethora of excuses of why, but hopefully will do som catching up in the next few days.

Halloween - Fell on a Saturday nite, which was nice because Sunday is most people's one day off per week. Although either way I think they would have had a big party on Saturday nite. I had been given notice that Halloween is a big party down here. And it was. A lot of people came out some with very creative, some with very elaborate, and some with very simple costumes...

Here is mine-
Full Name: Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Ephraim's Daughter Longstocking
Short: Pippi Longstocking

There was a couple of really great group costumes. One group made little cars out of cardboard boxes that they wore over their shoulders and dressed up like Mario Kart (only thing missing was the Tupac)... Here's the X-men:

Here's MC Hammer complete with lines in his hair, Ghost (? something from cartoon network's Adult Swim), and a vampire. The first two I play volleyball with and the vampire is my coworker.

Here's a Banana (he's missing his peel) breakin' it down. His costume was actually really good, he fashioned some cardboard into a peel and wore it over his head. I need to learn his dance moves.

The party was a good time. There was a costume contest, dancing, socializing, and drinking.