Location: Lake Hoare, Antarctica
Weather: Overcast, 32F

Catharacta Antarctica

Yesterday while I was doing a test core I noticed movement in the air. In Antarctica only two things can be seen flying: a NSF helicopter or Catharacta antarctica, the Antarctcia Skua. The Skua is a bird, something like a seagull with a mean streak. As I said, I was screwing down my core barrel and I noticed a two Skua CAP (combat air patrol) circling above me. Now these birds might be dumb but they know one thing: a person in a red jacket equals food. Lucky for me, they did form up in attack formation, they just investigated me and went towards camp.

Well, I am moving into phase two of sampling: ice cores. I am starting Monday to extract eight ice cores from Lake Hoare, and then move over to Lake Fryxell to repeat the process. I will analyze these cores in McMurdo, and then ship them back to the US for more advanced analysis.

Thanksgiving was great. The only way you couldn't tell it wasn't a thanksgiving meal at home was the fact we had a few people that had never encountered the holiday before and Detroit wasn't playing on the TV.

Picture: A group picture at Thanksgiving, and Thanksgiving pies.

Location: Lake Hoare, Antarctcia
Weather: Sunny, 25F (this is at the coldest temperature point of the day)

Thanksgiving Day and Wacky, Wacky, Antarctica

When you didn't think things could get any stranger the lake ice has "done pulled a fast one on me." I go back to McMurdo Station to make some modifications and repairs to my system to have a great second half of the sampling season with my machine, and when I returned the ice has changes its characteristics dramatically. Well, Okay, in field work adjustment is a necessary evil, but this change has rendered my gizmo useless. I won't go into the drudgeries of ice physics, but to sum it up, "it just don't work no more." So, change is on the horizon.

I am going to possibly change the direction of sampling, which would involve taking the ice to McMurdo for analysis. Does that mean I have to leave the valley and take up residence there, unfortunately, probably yes.

Today is Thanksgiving. We are planning a very traditional, home cooked meal for 30. Yes, we are the talk of the valley. The pilgrims (beakers at the neighboring lakes and valleys) will be hiking or flying in for our feast. Lucky for me, my tent is only 1000 feet away so maneuvering with a Tryptophan (C11H12N2O2) seduced body will not be to tough. Happy T-Givings everyone!

Picture: A Lighter at the Lake.

Location: Lake Hoare, Antarctcia
Weather: 19F, Partly Cloudy

I returned from McMurdo Station today and had a really incredible flight back out to the Dry Valleys. I had a front seat in the helicopter, with clear(ish) skies, and a pilot that gave one heck of a tour. My pilot pointed out most of the major landmarks, as well as, some good views of the icebergs that dot McMurdo Sound. I saw the end of the ice sheet, the only water I have seen since I was in Chirstchurch, NZ, and a few seals lounging out on the ice.

Picture: Lake Hoare Camp from my helo trip today

Location: McMurdo Station, Antarctica
Weather: 21F, Snow

OSU -vs- Michigan

Yeah, it's a big thing. I have heard from friends in Columbus all week how the campus was a buzz with anticipation, but could that possibly be the case 15,000 miles away? I arrived into McMurdo Station Thursday night for some repairs to the equipment and a couple of days off to recharge. Before I had been here 12 hours I had heard "The Game" mentioned 3 or 4 times on TV. So yes, the game is important here in Antarctica too.

Today, Sunday morning, at 9:30AM members of The Ohio State University contingent met in a specific lounge to watch the game. All told there were five of us from OSU, a few Michigan haters, and 6 or 7 Kiwi's that had never seen an American football game before. It was an exciting and interesting crowd.

42-39 Ohio State, congratulations. I will be home when they go for the NCAA National Championship in January. I must say it is cool to be going to a school that has a athletic program that is good, but the following still mystifies me, but in a good way.

Photo: The evenings weather forecast.

Location: Lake Hoare, Antarctica
Weather: Sunny, 12F

The language

As with any, somewhat, closed society a language of its own will develop. The following is a list of "speak" in the US Antarctic region. This list is not complete but should give you the idea.

UPDATED

Big Red - the large, very warm, very red, USAP parka that is issued
Little Red - the issued USAP, not so warm but still very red, windbreaker (only wore this twice, I'm still in 4 layers on top, including Big Red)
Cuddling Kitties - Nalgene bottles filled with boiling hot water before bed.

Town - McMurdo Station
Carps - Carpenters
Freshies - Fresh food (a rarity)
Fueley - A person who fuels things
Beaker - A scientist
ECW Gear - Extreme cold weather clothing
Bunny Boots - US Army cold weather boots that are issued to beakers
Rocket Toilet - A propane fired toilet
On the ice - in Antarctica
Off the ice - going to New Zealand
Hurdy Gurdy - A thing to transfer fuel to Jerry cans
Happy Camper - Snow survival school (the coldest night of my life)
Night Sun - When the sun finally is above the valley peaks and gives your tent (and you) sun at night
U Barrel - The 55 gallon drum in which you relieve yourself in
P Bottle - A Pee Bottle
ASPA - Antarctic Special Protection Area
ASPA - Anti Scrabble Play Area
Hotsee - A device to melt holes in the ice
Glacier Berries - Ice chunks that come off the glacier that we use as our only source of water at camp
House Mouse - The person who makes sure the chores are done in the hut at the end of the night


There's more. I'll add them as I remember them.

Pictures: Both are of the Asgard Range above Fryxell camp

Location: Lake Fryxell, Antarctica
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 14F

Lake Fryxell

I have been at Lake Fryxell since Monday doing measurements and such, I plan to head back to Lake Hoare on Saturday to a large crowd...the summer season is in full effect. I just realized that I am currently listening to My Antarctica by Duran Duran, coincidence? Anyway, Lake Fryxell camp is much more remote than Lake Hoare camp, however, I am enjoying the peace and cozy life here. There are five people here, all scientist, 3 from Montana State University, me, and my assistant.

Yesterday, I sampled the helicopter crash site that is the foundation of my grant. For a year I have looked upon this crash site with a scientific eye, thinking about the fuel that escaped into the environment, and it being used as a tracer. Then it hit me. As I have gotten to know the pilots here, I realized there is a personal side to all of this. Two people were seriously injured during the crash and the scientist and support personnel in the valley that day were suddently thrown into a very serious situation. I have had the chance to talk to a few people that were here that day, and to hear that story it makes the scientific aspect of it almost worthless. I would like to say to the all of the people that assisted that day in 2003 that I am impressed with your abilities and professionalism that saved the life of two people. Cheers.

Pictures: Lake Fryxell from the helicopter ride over here. The Fryxell Camp.

Location: Lake Hoare, Taylor Valley, Antarctica
Weather: Sunny, 5F

The Ice

Some of you know what I am working on, some of you don't. This blog's main intention is to discuss the personal side of working in Antarctica, but I thought I might re-cap what it is that I am doing here.

I measure permeability (a substances ability to transmit any fluid through itself). Specifically, I study the permeability of ice. Most specifically, I study the permeability of lake ice in the Taylor Valley. I have been at it for over a week, and the data points out one common point: yes, the ice is frozen. For you inspiring hydrogeologist, the permeability is around 10E-13, which is pretty impermeable for ice, but pretty permeable as things go (it's around the range of sandstone). However, the ice is dominated by what is called secondary permeability, which are things like fractures in the ice, bubbles, sediment layers, and such. This increases the permeability to almost zero in a lot of places (meaning it is completely permeable). If you are really interested check out the current research section of my website (www.geology.ohio-state.edu/~carroll.295).

Well that's tonight's fireside chat. It's my birthday tomorrow, and a party is planned. Dinner tomorrow night is surf and turf, and shower day is Sunday! I will be flying over to Lake Fryxell on Monday for a week. I'll update from there.

I would also like to tell a couple of specific friends that I am thinking about you in your times of need (AS, JF, TB, and LM). I might be at the bottom of the world, but you all are still very close to me.

Pictures: Moat ice at Lake Fryxell, and Kirkuk Hills. Ciao.

Location: El bottom of Eartho
Weather: Cold, really cold.


Two posts today!

THE NSF

I simply would like to thank the National Science Foundation for supporting my grant to work in Antarctica. I believe their pursuit is noble.

Picture: The NSF helicopter (1 of 6) landing in our camp. That is the only way of transportation here in the Dry Valleys.

Location: Lake Hoare, Taylor Valley, Antarctica
Weather: 5F

THE ROCKET TOILET

The rocket toilet is the "preferred" way of depositing solid human waste here at camp. You ask, "why is it called the Rocket Toilet?", well, it uses propane to turn human waste into ash so it is easily removed from the Dry Valleys, but the name comes from an "incidence" a couple of years ago when the propane got out of hand.

Speaking of the Rocket Toilet, environmental issues are the highest priority of life here in the Dry Valleys. Not a single human generated piece of waste ever remains here. All water that is used for cleaning dishes, hands, and ourselves (shower day is every Sunday) gets canned up for disposal in the US. Along with the water, human waste (both), food trash, plastic, burnables, miscellaneous debris, everything, eventually makes its way to Port Hueneme, California for disposal.

As a few of you know I have some particular vices, and I bottle that waste too.

With doing all of this we are adhering to the International Antarctic Treaty, but beyond that, if you could see the sun shining in the valley at night or the clouds over the Asgard Range you wouldn't want to change a thing or leave any mess behind. I'll end with a promise from the camp manager: it really is supposed to warm up here at some point...I can't really believe that yet (Shackleton would be laughing). However, the sun floods the valley every night at 9:30pm for an hour and the radiated heating made it absolutely balmy in my tent (as I am comfortably tucked away in my -40 sleeping bag).

Pictures: The Rocket Toilet.