Hello All!
Sorry for not having sent the usual daily note. Its been a bit busy here.
1. Transportation
in Antarctica: Aircraft
2. Science Lecture
3. Observations around the station
4. DVs visiting
1. Transportation in Antarctica: Aircraft
Just how do we get around here in Antarctica? There's a few types: Aircraft, ground, and ship.
Aircraft is a key
way to get around. Of course, there are the Military cargo transports
from Christchurch, New Zealand to McMurdo Station - LC-130s (some times
just C-130s - the L means "ski" - some times of the year wheeled
aircraft can land on the annual sea ice runway), along with the occasional
C-141 and C-5
transports. All are flown by either the US Air Force, or New York State
Air National Guard. The LC-130s also transport cargos and scientists to
South Pole and field camps around the continent. You'll hear me talk about
these more in future messages. Oh, sometimes folks come in on the Royal
New Zealand Air Forces C-130 as well. (And the Italians have two C-130s
for cargo, only)
Another kind of transport is helocopters - they are used to get folks a short distance away from station. They also are used to transport cargo and scientists to and from the ships, too. In fact, the US Coast Guard icebreaker that is currently working out in front of the station just came back from servicing some of our weather stations along its route south. Helos were an important part of that trip!
In future notes, I'll talk more about other means of transportation in Antarctica.
2. Science Lecture
Last night I gave the science lecture on station - partially why I didn't mail everyone. Every Wednesday during the summer the various scientists on station can give a lecture on their research. I talked about our weather stations, and our weather activities, including our data collection, and research such as El Nino, and weather affecting the earily explorers of the Antarctic.
On Sundays they have a general science lecture and whole station attends. Watch this space for more as I hope to report to you all on both of these lectures that other scientists will give.
3. Observations around the station
As I write this note
to you, you can hear and feel the helicopters taking off the nearby helo
pad to take scientists and supplies to nearby field camps. Meantime, there
is a US Coast Guard cutter is out in the
sound, cutting the ice to make way for the refueling ship and resupply
vessels that will arrive in a few weeks. It has snowed nearly every day
since I got here - but not very much in total.
4. DVs visiting
Using the vocabulary I informed you of, there are DVs or Distinguished Visitors, due to visit us here at McMurdo: 4 members of congress, the director of the National Science Foundatation NSF (the governmental group that runs and oversees the US Antarctic Progra (USAP), the director of the NSF Office of Polar Programs (OPP), and the Chief Scientist of the USAP/NSF/OPP will all be here this weekend. In case you don't hear from me, you'll know that I'm busy preparing to tour them around our work areas here at the station.
That's the news from McMurdo Station Antarctica! Talk to you all later!
Matthew