My name tag and program patch on my “Big Red” parka. Note I also added my Explorer’s Club members pin.
After a very successful 2014-15 summer season working at WAIS Divide, Antarctica, we’ve wrapped up our operations and redeployed. Here’s a quick summary of the season:
This year in Antarctica, I worked at the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide Ice Core Field Camp for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC) Ice Drill Design and Operations (IDDO) Group as a Field and Drill Specialist. I was on a team of four, with our primary mission being to disassemble, catalog, and package the Deep Ice Sheet Coring (DISC) drill and related equipment. The drill had operated for the past 7 or so years, and had completed its job and been decommissioned, so that we could pack it up and ship it back to Wisconsin for refurbishment and redeployment to a new site at some point in the future. Everybody had responsibility for multiple aspects of the mission. My specific responsibility, in addition to general mechanical and team duties, photographing and cataloging all gear and equipment that was disassembled and packed, as well as generally documenting our entire season – as catalogued in this blog.
This year’s primary mission: Disassembling the Deep Ice Sheet Coring (DISC) Drill at WAIS Divide, Antarctica
Blog posts:
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Disassembling the Deep Ice Sheet Coring (DISC) Drill at WAIS Divide, Antarctica
Tour The West Antarctic Ice Sheet Field Camp, Antarctica
Exploring the World’s Most Powerful Icebreaker – The Jet Engine-Powered US Coast Guard Cutter “Polar Star”
Ship Operations at the World’s Southernmost Seaport
Launching the WAIS AERIAL CAMP PHOTOGRAPHIC SURVEY INSTRUMENT (WACPSI)
Making a Crater in Antarctica
Disassembling the WAIS DISC Ice Drill – Timelapse Video
Communication and Control at WAIS Divide, Antarctica
The WAIS Divide Field Medical Tent
The WAIS Snow Pit
WAIS Divide’s Recreation Tent – Warmth and Comfort on the Polar Ice
The WAIS Galley Tent – Community and Food
DISC Drill Arch, Condition 2
Entering Tent City, WAIS Divide, Antarctica
Flying From Civilization To Nowhere – New Zealand to Antarctic Field Camp
Touchdown at WAIS Divide, Antarctica in an LC-130 Hercules
After A Month Of Waiting At McMurdo Finally At WAIS Divide Field Camp
COSRAY – Detecting Neutrons in Antarctica
Charging with Enerplex Solar at WAIS Divide, Antarctica
IceStock 2015 – McMurdo Station, Antarctica
Recreation at McMurdo – Hiking the Observation Hill Loop Trail
Helicopter Operations at McMurdo Station
A Chinese-Operated Kamov KA-32 Helicopter Slingloads Fuel at Scott Base, Antarctica
Exploring an LC-130 Hercules at Williams Field, Antarctica
Investigating SPIDER Polarimeter Long Duration Balloon Payload
The Acid Lounge Returns – To Antarctica!
Happy Holidays from McMurdo!
Launching a Meterological Balloon from McMurdo
McMurdo’s Ice Shelf Airport – Willy Field
Racing at McMurdo Station
Church in Antarctica – McMurdo’s Chapel of the Snows
Celebrating Chanukah at McMurdo Station, Antarctica
Exploring Scott’s Discovery Hut and Hut Point, Antarctica
Tracking Satellites in McMurdo at NASA’s Near Earth Network Ground Station
McMurdo Station’s Hospital
Exploring the Pressure Ridges of McMurdo Sound
McMurdo’s General Store – Anything You Want In The Middle of Nowhere
An Antarctic Thrift Shop: McMurdo’s Skua
Observation Hill
My First Penguin in Antarctica
The Antarctic Crash of C-121 Lockheed Constellation “Pegasus”
The National Science Foundations Central Offices at McMurdo – The Chalet
How To Gear Up For An Antarctic Science Expedition Part 2: Extreme Cold Weather Gear
Pre-Field Preparations at McMurdo Station, Antarctica
New Zealand’s Antarctic Outpost: Scott Base
How To Gear Up For An Antarctic Science Expedition Part 3: Field Camp Expedition Gear
Exploring Christchurch, New Zealand
How To Gear Up For An Antarctic Science Expedition Part 1: Personal Gear
Long Haul: Flying from Denver to the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Field Camp
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Video clips:
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VIDEO
VIDEO
Photos:
Departing Denver, Colorado en route to the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Field Camp, Antarctica
Exploring the offices of the International Antarctic Centre
Me trying on my Canada Goose brand “Big Red” standard issue parka. Each parka has an official program patch, as well as a nametag.
My name tag and program patch on my “Big Red” parka. Note I also added my Explorer’s Club members pin.
A bit of my ECW gear, laid out
Organizing gear at the Clothing Distribution Center in Christchurch, NZ.
Since the LC-130 is LOUD when it starts up, safety briefing takes place outside of the airplane. Oxygen masks are a bit different on this aircraft, and consist of a chemical oxygen generator coupled to a full-head hood. Much like an emergency fire escape hood.
While we’re in mid-flight, it’s ok to go visit the cockpit – super cool!
The inside of an LC-130 Hercules, in flight.
Passing over the seasonally frozen southern ocean, with cracks forming in mid-summer. The ice cover is absolutely beautiful, and takes on infinite forms.
Massive peaks of the Trans-Antarctic Mountains poke out of the polar ice cap. Beautiful.
Another one of the many many forms of sea ice.
In addition to USAP members, we also flew with a bit of the crew of New Zealand’s Scott Base, which is just over the hill from McMurdo on Ross Island.
Admiring the view from the cockpit escape hatch on the top of an LC-130
A delta, and Antarctic airport shuttle, essentially.
A map of key field camps and stations, with associated pictures.
The view from Observation hill into McMurdo Station, Antarctica. This is most of town, although there are a few other faciliites around the corners.
At the Berg Field Center, we go over our field camp gear list.
Going over the basics of setting up both our main tents, as well as the tents contained in deep field survival bags, which are supplied on aircraft and as backups at field camp.
An arctic oven, the tents we slept in at field camp. this is what the internal layer looks like – an exterior shell goes over the top.
Most science teams have their own dedicated Iridium Satellite Phone. It’s quite convenient, and in Antarctica the connection is great.
Going through the checkout process for our flexible plastic gear sleds, which we tow behind snowmobiles. They’re used for hauling gear, as well as people. TIed to the sled, we have a bunch of bamboo and nylon flags, which we use for marking locations in the snow, such as the edge of the snow ramp to the drill arch.
Testing snowmobiles – fun!
Hiking across the ice shelf to the crash site of the Pegasus
Hanging out on the top of Observation hill, awaiting the soon-to-be-cancelled Long Duration Balloon Launch. visible in the background is Mt/. Erebus, as well as the beginning of Mt. Terra Nova.
Exiting the main admin building at Scott Base with my nifty Betabrand Space Jacket.
Me, walking through the inter-ridge trough.
Pressure from the McMurdo Ice Shelf pushing the sea ice against the shore of Ross Island is so intense that it pushes the ridges of ice very high in the air – the formations are constantly changing, and always beautiful.
Taking pictures of seals, with New Zealand’s Scott Base in the background. Humans aren’t allowed to get much closer to wildlife, and the seals don’t really acknowlage our presence there.
On the outer lap of the ob hill loop, cracks in the Ross Sea give way to lots of seals coming up onto the surface of the ice to warm up and relax.
Seals on the Ross Sea ice
A lone Emperor Penguin glides across the frozen sea ice.
The Ob Hill Uphill. We start at the base of Observation Hill on the edge of McMurdo, and run to the top. Obviously, it was snowy that day. Photo taken by Peter Rejcek.
The finishing group at the top of Observation Hill – the wind really whips up there, and it gets cold quickly – especially with light running gear on.
The deck of the McMurdo Chalet, home of the central NSF Antarctic offices
Inside the McMurdo helicopter hanger, a Bell 212 sits for maintenance.
New Zealand’s antarctic helicopter, a Eurocopter AS350 B2, based out of Scott Base, just around the corner from McMurdo Station.
A Bell 212 Twin Huey comes in to drop off a slingload of gear at McMurdo Station.
A Chinese-Operated Kamov KA-32 Helicopter hovers over New Zealand’s Scott Base.
Main stage, with the Antarctic sun circling overhead
Celebrating Chanukah at McMurdo
Scientist Bob Zook explains the inner workings of his deep sea probe.
The SPIDER Polarimeter during the assembly and testing phase before being flown to 125,000 feet under a NASA Long Duration Balloon.
LC-130 Hercules’ line up at Williams Field ice runway, outside of McMurdo Station.
Arrival at the WAIS Divide Field Camp, Antarctica.
Me outside of the central Galley tent at the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide Field Camp.
From front to back of the galley tent. You can see two “Preway” diesel fueled stoves on the left, with large water pots on the top. The stoves heat the tent, and some of the heat goes to keeping water hot, for hot water bottles, etc.
Serving station in the galley – creatively named the “Owaisis”. You can also see the handwash station on the left, and toaster/microwave on the right. And a huge bowl of Andes mints!
Outside of the comms tents, various antennas are setup, including VHF, HF, and Satellite.
The HF Radio set is a standard military model – it looks bulky, but it works!
Smouse posing on one of our snowmobiles.
After a successful landing at field camp and quick briefing in the galley, first order of business was to get our tents and gear setup. In this picture, I’m sitting in our gear sled as we snowmobile to “Tent City”, on the edge of camp. Everybody has their own tent, and it’s a blend of 4-season mountaineering tents, pointy “scott tents”, and dome-shaped “Arctic Oven” tents.
My tent, with Enerplex solar panel.
Tent City is a short walk from the center of camp.
Tents arranged on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet
The texture and quality of the ice surface changes daily, in response to dynamic weather conditions.
Walking to work in the drill arch, visibility can vary.
Walking back to WAIS DIvide Field Camp after a day working in teh drill arch. On days of low visibility, flags are the only way to tell which way to walk – and where the ground is.
Walking down the ramp to our drill arch during stormy ways was a bit like entering a frozen polar base. The ramp leading from the surface down to the arch door frequently got drifted in, requiring digging out by our bulldozer support crew.
The inside of the drill arch, where I’ll be working. During the next few weeks, my 2 teammembers and I will be completely disassembling all of this gear, including gantry cranes, winch reels, rack winders, drilling towers, the control room, fluid tanks and pumps, etc etc. Since the arch is almost completely under the ice, it’s actually much much much colder inside than it is outside – we keep the door open as much as possible, except in storms. This view is from my time lapse camera, which will hopefully last all season to capture a sequence of the gear coming down. That’s me in the blue hat.
The inside of the main drill arch. Overhead you can see the blue heavy crane. The yellow safety fences are surrounding the Winch Pit, which housed the main winch, level wind, and related machinery. This winch pit leads into the borehole slot, which is about 40 feet deep, 40 feet long, 5 feet wide. Although the borehole is only a few inches in diameter, the slot must be long and wide to accomodate the swing room for the drill tower – it must pivot from vertical to horizontal in one motion.
Mike descending into the borehole slot, tethered by a steel cable.
Don took this pick lying on his back, looking up from the bottom of the slot.
Extreme cold for long periods of time causes frost to grow everywhere. These large ice crystals had grown on the window separating the drill arch from the core handling arch.
Rigging the levelwind for extraction from the winch pit. Each piece of gear was meticulously secured to be moved carefully.
Chansawing the ice floor, to level it out in preparation for loading the winch reel, seen behind me.
The shipping container was located on the surface a short ways from the drill arch, and was packed with a variety of loose gear.
I used a dry erase slate to note technical information about each container of gear we packed up. This custom-built palate is for the sections of the drill tower, and is designated Palate 05, Crate 04.
Every piece of gear we disassembled and packed up was carefully labeled and catalogued.
Finally, the large winch reel is hoisted out of the pit – next step is to drag it up the ramp to the surface, where it gets staged for air transport.
It takes two tractors to drag the massive winch reel up the ramp. Although the reel looks small, it’s wound with over 10,000 feet of heavy steel-encased fiberoptic and power cable.
Merlin Mah tests his ice fabric logging instrument.
An explosion of PETN explosives. These explosives were disposed of by being blown up, rather than hazardous transport back to McMurdo.
The crater left by a PETN disposal explosion.
The WAIS Divide, Antarctica DISC Drill crew in January, 2015. From left Rick Smouse (ASC), Otto Neumuth (ASC), Jim Koehler (IDDO), Mike Waszkiewics (IDDO), Jeffrey Donenfeld (IDDO), and Don Kirkpatrick (IDDO).
The US Coast Guard Cutter “Polar Star”, the world’s most powerful non-nuclear icebreaker, in port at McMurdo Station, Antarctica.
The USCGC Polar Star Icebreaker ship commissioning plaque.
Inside Captain RF Scott’s Discovery Hut, Hut Point, Antarctica
Inside Captain RF Scott’s Discovery Hut, Hut Point, Antarctica
Inside Captain RF Scott’s Discovery Hut, Hut Point, Antarctica
Inside Captain RF Scott’s Discovery Hut, Hut Point, Antarctica
Inside Captain RF Scott’s Discovery Hut, Hut Point, Antarctica
Inside Captain RF Scott’s Discovery Hut, Hut Point, Antarctica
Preparing to leave Antarctica on an LC-130.
Flying north, the sea ice gradually melts away to reveal open ocean.
Comments
3 responses to “Living and Working at the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide Field Camp, Antarctica – Summer 2014-2015”
Nice team, If i need this type help for sure i will contact with you.
Thank you for the blog. I don’t comment much but I’m an active follower.
Thank you Catherine!