3 December 2008

Stacy writing

Why was today atypical?  Because we got SO MUCH done! Once again our day started with a helicopter flight to our field site at Heald Island.  I have to say, a commute like this is very worthwhile.  First we turn in a flurry of buildings as we head away from McMurdo, then we are over sea ice in all the shades of white from clear to grey; it clears the mind to get away from the structures and see the shapes of wind and water.  Then we get to the Dirty Ice, where katabatic winds off the continent have strewn dirt and rocks on top of the ice, creating patterns in black and white that culminate in Bratina Island, a huge mound that is not attached to the seafloor, is just sitting on the sea ice.  Then we get into the mixture of refrozen melt ponds that show the blue glacier ice beneath, and finally, into the spectacular “architexture” of the barrancas.  We follow the tortuous line in the canyon of ice that leads to our tent and land.  Heavy gear is handed out and slipped and slid across the slick ice, we lie across our bags and boxes to stop them from blowing away in the brief storm of the helo taking off, and we are into our work day.

A helicopter-eye view of the sea ice.

And the dirty ice.

And finally, the ice shelf.

Today our base of operations starts in the Kiva tent.  This is also called a toilet tent, and it is not much protection but does offer a small amount of privacy.  For a single person.   But that use is not what we have in mind for it.  Following the wind-borne destruction of our Arctic Oven tent, the Kiva is what we had out here as an emergency shelter.  We set the computers (4 monitors) up on an equipment box and we sit on the floor of cold wet cardboard.  Wind blows in under the tent which has no floor, and we are enshrouded in a layer of black plastic to block out the light that unfortunately sags and crinkles around us.  Nevertheless, we get great science done!  Bob pilots us through beautiful transects in the midwater, assessing abundances of planktonic animals at different depths.  In the background we hear Scott muttering as Cameo and he attempt to set up the Endurance tent that we brought out today. Scott does not appreciate that the directions included do not accurately depict the tent they accompany, or even anything vaguely like it. Cameo takes charge and together they pry, prod, drill and tie a tent into place.  It is a magnificent structure, a 4 of us EASILY fit inside and you can even stand up in it!

Our Kiva base tent. How can all that gear fit inside?

The computers plus an extra monitor - is a tight fit.

After a lovely lunch of peanut butter and jelly on crackers, we move operations to our new base in the Endurance tent.  Ah, such luxury!  We sit on the equipment box and the computers are on a real table.  There is room to move without plastic folding around your head.  Scott pilots us though a great set of transects and photos at this new site.  It is ¼ mile away from the old site, and the animals look very similar, but there is a huge mound of sediment about 5 m high and the grains seem finer.  It is still amazing to me to see so much life almost 80 kms from the edge of the Ice Shelf.

Ah, spaciousness as we operate out of the Endurance tent.

Exhausted from focusing on the computer screens showing us the life 200 m below us, and trying to record it in the best detail, we finally have to conclude the dive and start packing up.  Everything has to be organized, boxed, and tied down in case another storm comes through.  We are getting better at this, but we cut it close and Scott is still winding up tether when the helo is calling that they are 5 minutes out.  A brief panic and we are ready, very ready to go home.  But when we arrive we still need to unload and back up data and ready things for the next morning!

Snug and safe, everything tied down in camp for the night. A small place in a large landscape.

I hope that your day doesn’t leave you too tired!