First, let me say "Thanks" to all the folks at Rye Junior High who sent the surprise Thanksgiving messages! That was a surprise and so nice to hear from all of you!
Today was hot! In fact, I believe it was warmer in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica than in NH today! Of course, I can only speak for our immediate location and conditions not far from here could have been quite different! It did seem odd, however, to actually be hot in Antarctica!
We were faced with a few conundrums today and some decisions now need to be made. In order to make the decisions, however, we need to gather a bit more information. Research doesn't always go as planned, and doing research in remote, continually changing, largely unstudied areas just confounds the potential problems. Peter uses the analogy of walking up the down escalator to doing research in Antarctica. It seems there is always something trying to push you down or block you from being successful. Sometimes it's just the simple things as I mentioned in an earlier journal entry. Other times it's more dramatic. Sometimes the weather slows research down - or even grinds it to a halt! Surprisingly, it's not just bad weather that can block efforts. On my first trip to Antarctica, the flight taking me off the continent was cancelled on an absolutely beautiful day. Everyone was curious as to why the planes weren't flying. Apparently, a solar flare was hitting Antarctica and knocking out navigation systems - not a good day to fly! This current stretch of warm weather, although enjoyable, may actually be causing us some problems. The dive hole we are trying to melt in Lake Fryxell is not melting as quickly as expected. We are not entirely sure why. It could be that there is melt water from the surrounding area getting into the hole somewhere below the surface that is absorbing the heat we are putting into the hole, thus it is not melting well. The ice is really thick (over 21 feet) - it could just be taking longer.
Our conundrum is - do we continue melting this hole and hope for the best, or do we cut our losses (in time) and move the hole to a new location? Will a new location be any better? Should we put a second hole melter into this hole and try to speed up the process? Another issue... this hole is over water that is deeper than expected. We may not even be able to retrieve the data we are hoping to get from this spot. Again... do we stay and try, or do we "cut and run" to a new spot that may be more promising? The current decision is to continue melting this hole through the night, and put Peter down the hole (let him go diving!) first thing in the morning. He will survey, not only the condition of the hole, but the surrounding area. Based on what Peter finds, a final decision will be made tomorrow! Field research can be tricky. It would be easier if we knew what to expect here, but this is such a new region of research, that no one really knows what to expect! In a way... although frustrating, it's quite exciting!
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A B-212 helicopter landed in our front "yard" this morning to pick up an extra survival bag that we have in camp. In how many places can I say that a helicopter just landed out front. It was so loud, it sounded like he was going to land on the roof!
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Some folks have been asking about what the inside of the Jamesway looks like; here it is! It's a cozy little place. It's perfect for small groups, but when there are a lot of people in camp, it gets a bit too cozy!
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Ian chipped out steps down to our dive hole this morning. The water level in this particular spot is about one meter below the surface of the ice. It would be difficult to pull a diver and all the gear up and out of the hole with such an edge. So, the steps will make it easier, and safer (for everyone) to pull the divers out. That assumes of course that we can get the hole big enough to dive through!
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How many researchers does it take to decide if the dive hole is big enough? Actually I joined them right after I took this picture. We all sat gazing down the hole in a few moments of silence. I wondered whether people were thinking about how beautiful the ice in the hole was or wondering if they would fit with all their gear on! This is a LONG tube!
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Dr. Doran, also known as "Ice Dr. D" surveys the ice for a potential new dive hole location. This is no easy task. Not only does the surface ice need to be evaluated, but estimates need to be made about what the ice is like below the surface as well as whether or not the spot might be good for collecting needed samples.
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This is the closest to a sunset that I have seen since I left New Zealand. On cloudy days, just as the sun passes over the mountains, it looks like it might just set. Not this time of year! I was talking to folks here and realizing that I haven't turned a light switch (on or off) since I left McMurdo. It's nice actually!
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