I would like to acknowledge the many who have contributed to this amazing time on the ice. My experience on the ice was made possible by Christine Siddoway. A wonderful advisor and mentor, and brilliant professor, Christine has guided me throughout my studies at Colorado College and furthered interests in structural geology, geophysics, and polar science. …
Author Archives: Alec
Castle Rock
On Sunday, the day after our last flight, I went on a hike to Castle Rock with a couple other ROSETTA folk. Being the only day in the week that we are not on the schedule to fly, of course, the skies were clear and visibility as good as can be. The wind, however, was …
Last Flight of the Season
The last survey flight was completed on December 3rd. This flight concentrated on an area in the southern part of the Ross Ice Shelf. Travelling anywhere on the shelf requires some work. Although the IcePod remains attached to the lever arm on the plane until surveying ends for the season, the gravimeters are removed from the …
Our Approach to Studying the Ross Ice Shelf
The Ross Ice Shelf (RIS) is a floating extension of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet that occupies the southern Ross Embayment in West Antarctica, and acts as a buttress to the flowing Antarctic ice sheets. The bathymetry beneath the RIS in West Antarctica controls the circulation of sub-shelf ocean water that may warm the ice …
Continue reading “Our Approach to Studying the Ross Ice Shelf”
The Office
Every morning, I take a ~20 minute shuttle to get to work. We work in a RAC tent… …located on Williams Field (an airfield) so that we have easier access to load and unload our equipment. Our RAC tent is split into two main rooms: the front room is our office space and the back …
Observatory Hill
After many hours in the RAC tent sitting and working with computers, preparing for and eager to begin surveying, we needed to stretch our legs. I joined a few other ROSETTA-Ice members on a night hike to Observatory Hill, or Ob Hill, as it is commonly called. The trail is steep and partially covered in …
Scott Base and Pressure Ridges
The ROSETTA-Ice team had their first full day off on Sunday and everyone was eager to get out and explore McMurdo, after catching up on much needed sleep. I went to Scott Base, the New Zealand station, which is about a 3.6 mile walk across the ice from McMurdo. Scott Base is much smaller than …
Mactown — the first few days
Although we have yet to begin our survey, these first few days in McMurdo have been quite busy. All scientists must go through a bunch of training/briefings that pretty much cover what not to do and how to survive while in McMurdo. During our (thankfully) indoor three-hour Field Safety & Training (FST) session held in …
The Journey to 77° South
I left the States from Denver on November 3rd and arrived at McMurdo Station on the 7th, travelling through Los Angeles, Sydney, and Christchurch. We arrived in Christchurch on the 5th , and the next day we were shuttled to the United States Antarctic Program (USAP) campus where we had a series of briefings & …
