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 …
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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 & …
Oh Block 2, How You Leave Me Waxing
Fourth Wednesday in the Physics department means donuts, I have discovered. As we munched away on that sugary morning goodness, we tried to wrap up everything that has happened in this block. By the nature of taking a cross-listed anthropology and physics class, the content of this block has been pretty varied. Our final projects …
Two Roads Diverged… But Both Led to the Stars
One class, two professors; this week diverged in two educative directions. Dick’s material is the numbers and figures I, in all honesty, have a much harder time translating into words. My head is swimming with the ratios of the surface area and volume of Earth and Mars – tonight’s homework. For my visual mind, far …
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Baca Adventures: Chimney Rock and Major Lunar Standstill
Coming to Baca makes perfect sense for a block on Cultural Astronomy. It’s not just the wide, largely un-light-polluted sky, but something about the sense of quiet tranquillity that engulfs Crestone, a site of important spiritual convergence. There’s something befitting of this mindful environment, as we turn our eyes to the night sky. Considering celestial …
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