Hello Everyone!
1. DVs
The congressional "distinguished visitors" have come and gone. I unfortunately didn't get to see them, as the tours around the lab went long. This group sits on the committee that votes on NSF's budget. Today they started their trip back to the US.
2. Weather here - it isn't that cold!
Gee, how is it that the weather here isn't that bad and maybe better than back in the US? Let's compare! Here are the last few weather observations from McMurdo, Antarctica:
|
Day
|
Time
|
StCo
|
Stn
|
T
|
Td
|
Dir
|
Spd
Gus
|
AltSet
|
Vis
|
Weather
|
Ceil
|
|
(hhmm)
|
(id)
|
(F)
|
(F)
|
(
kts )
|
(
mb )
|
(
mi )
|
|||||
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||||||||||
|
11
|
0055
|
US
|
NZCM
|
28
|
070
|
5
|
991.5
|
7.00
|
|||
|
11
|
0155
|
US
|
NZCM
|
28
|
070
|
6
|
991.2
|
7.00
|
|||
|
11
|
0255
|
US
|
NZCM
|
30
|
070
|
6
|
990.8
|
7.00
|
|||
|
11
|
0355
|
US
|
NZCM
|
30
|
010
|
3
|
990.5
|
7.00
|
|||
Actually, not bad
weather - 30s and sunny! (we have had fog over the iceshelf).
Here are the last few from Madison, WI:
|
Day
|
Time
|
StCo
|
Stn
|
T
|
Td
|
Dir
|
Spd
Gus
|
AltSet
|
Vis
|
Weather
|
Ceil
|
|
(hhmm)
|
(id)
|
(F)
|
(F)
|
(deg)
|
(
Kts )
|
(
mb )
|
(
mi )
|
||||
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||||||||||
|
11
|
0053
|
WIUS
|
KMSN
|
38
|
32
|
220
|
6
|
995.2
|
10.00
|
||
|
11
|
0153
|
WIUS
|
KMSN
|
37
|
31
|
6
|
995.2
|
10.00
|
5/110
|
||
|
11
|
0253
|
WIUS
|
KMSN
|
36
|
28
|
260
|
7
15
|
995.2
|
10.00
|
||
|
11
|
0353
|
WIUS
|
KMSN
|
35
|
24
|
240
|
7
|
995.2
|
10.00
|
||
Gee, not much difference?
How about these:
South
Pole, Antarctica:
|
Day
|
Time
|
T
|
TD
|
Dir
|
Spd
|
|
(
CYD )
|
(
HMS )
|
(
F )
|
(
F )
|
(
Deg )
|
(Kts)
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||||
|
2000011
|
0
|
-24
|
40
|
10
|
|
Or better yet, Relay
Station AWS, Antarctica (Lat=74 South Lon=43 East)
(These are from a few hours earlier)
|
AWS
Station
|
Time
|
T
|
P
|
Dir
|
Spd
|
|
(
HMS )
|
(
F )
|
(
MB )
|
(
Deg )
|
(Kts)
|
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||||
|
Relay
Station
|
140000
|
-21
|
641.00
|
259
|
15
|
|
Relay
Station
|
140000
|
-22
|
640.70
|
269
|
17
|
|
Relay
Station
|
160000
|
-24
|
640.60
|
271
|
16
|
Big, big differences in temperatures between the stations. Antarctica is in the very middle of its summer now. With McMurdo Station also being a coastal station (nearly the southern most point you can sail a ship in the world), the ocean, which is mostly free of ice, near by does temper our weather some. However, on the polar plateau, it is still mighty cold in the summertime, especially at stations like South pole, Relay Station, Dome C, etc.
3. AWS team to fly to Siple Dome!
Tomorrow the group that is going to be repairing our weather stations in West Antarctica, will be leaving to go to Siple Dome (81.5 South, 150 West). They will be taking an LC-130 transport to Siple Dome, and then visit several stations using a smaller Twin Otter aircraft, which is on skis as well. The small Twin Otter is able to fly to many locations that the larger military cargo aircraft cannot get to. They will be at a small camp at Siple Dome, and sleeping in tents!
4. Long Duration Balloon Launch!!
Yesterday afternoon,
the National Scientific Balloon Facility, a group associated with NASA,
launched a Long Duration Balloon(LDB). It was an amazing sight! These
balloons will circle around the Antarctic for
several weeks and extremely high altitudes (over 80,000 feet or more!).
The instrument package that is under the balloon will be measuring and
learning about the sun actually! It actually is cheaper to launch
some science experiements on an LDB rather than on a rocket. There will
be another balloon launched sometime soon. When the balloon goes up, it
takes a very, very long time before it is out of sight. It could be seen
for over 2 hours in the clear blue skies over McMurdo yesterday!
That is the report for today.
Take care!
Matthew