What a great day! Beautiful weather and productive diving! We actually started the day with camp chores. We had to rotate fuel drums so we have fuel for the heater in the Jamesway. This sounds like such a simple task, but - it's not! All the drums - full and empty - are secured together and set on large plastic drip pads so that they are secure during storms and any potential leaks are trapped in the drip pad. We refilled the fuel for the stove - we basically pumped 55 gallons of fuel into the storage tank, then got another drum so there would be fuel ready to go the next time it is needed. Then we changed out the grey water barrel (grey water is water that is used by us to do dishes, wash our hands, cook, etc.) so we don't overfill the barrel. We moved and secured the full grey water barrel to the area where it can be retrieved by a helicopter. There were lots of little chores that also needed to be completed. We also set up some materials for our dives today. Then - we went diving!
Today, Ian swam towards shallower water in order to retrieve some samples from shallow depths. Peter swam into deeper water to collect samples from deeper depths - he was only able to find water a few feet deeper than Hal's location. I dove to where Hal is to retrieve the light meter so we can download the data it has been collecting and to take more pictures of the mat where Hal is sitting. I also snapped a few shots of the sulfide boundary layer while I was there. Kay dove to collect a core sample near Hal and to bring Hal back to below the dive hole. All went well and as planned; that doesn't happen too often!
 |
Kay splashes in to go collect a core sample and to bring Hal back to just under the dive hole. We're going to move Hal again to a new spot , but first we must re-calibrate all the probes and get him ready. We left Hal under the hole for a little bit, then we hoisted him up and out of the water to make the adjustments. He will relaunch soon!
|
Welcome to the sulfide zone! I snapped this photo as I passed through the layer. It is believed this cloud is made up of free living sulfur bacteria. It creates quite a boundary. It makes it difficult to see the bottom as you descend from the surface!
|
 |
 |
This is a photo of what we believe are green sulfur bacteria. These bacteria use light and sulfur for photosynthesis in order to produce more biomass.
|
Another shot of the bacteria with a centimeter ruler in the background for scale.
|
 |
 |
Another angle of the bacteria.
|
This is a photo, taken by Kay, of the core sample he collected today. This is a very interesting sample. First, notice the multiple layers of growth on the top. Then there is a layer of sand and gravel. This sand and gravel gets to the bottom by "dumping" through the ice. As the sand and gravel blows onto the lake, the sun heats it up and is starts to sink into the ice. The ice, in general, ablates (is removed) from the surface and refrozen below, so there is a basic upward movement of the ice. What that means is that any particles in the ice from the surface, move deeper into the ice. Any particles in the ice from below, move higher into the ice. The sand that originally blew onto the surface reaches the bottom of the ice, and then "dumps" to the bottom. Below the gravel in this core sample there is a black layer, then another layer of mat. The lower mat is decomposing. The black layer is the sulfur which is produced through the decomposition of the lower layer and is diffusing upward into the higher mats and being used in photosynthesis. Pretty "smart" huh?
|
 |
 |
Hey, who took Mt. Erebus? |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
•Ms. Ellwood - rellwood@sau50.k12.nh.us
Questions may be posted with the answers on the page below.
• Questions and answers about the trip.
|
Antarctica 2006 
Antarctica 2006 homepage.