The Antarctic Sun, December 27, 1997 - United States Antarctic

17 Pages·1997·1.02 MB·English

DECEMBER 27, 1997
Every Two Weeks
Published during the austral summer for the United States Antarctic Program at McMurdo Station, Antarctica.
Bi-PolarConnections:
Antarctic Discovery!
Of Barbs and Antifreeze
Linking the Arctic and Antarctic
by Alexander Colhoun
Afireproof vault deep in the heart story and photo by Alexander Colhoun
of the Smithsonian Museum lined
with darkened rows of alcohol-filled jars Perfect circles scribed at 66 degrees 33 in the Antarctic; the boundary of various
holds the biological encyclopedia of the minutes on both ends of the earth treaties —a political 60ß in the Antarctic; or
planet. Inside each jar is a holotype: the demark the Arctic and Antarctic circles. There, even by the temperature of the water— the
first captured and identified example of the earth tilts just enough to allow at least one Summer Isotherm circumscribes the Antarctic
thousands of marine species known to full day a year without a sun set. at 50ß.
inhabit the seas of this planet. Amap offers a different tale. Viewed from While definitions may be vague, one thing
Acatalogue of life, the shelves sel- above, each region might be defined by the about the polar caps is certain: half of each
dom get new additions from the sub-zero limit of ice pack —swimming lazily above and year is dark and half of each year is light, and
waters of the Antarctic. below 66ß; the northern limit of the tree line— that alone draws Todd Franson, a long-time
In July, however, the Smithsonian got rising above 64ß in the Arctic, but non-existent Antarctic Support Associates employee, to
a new Antarctic specimen —the barbled spend his days on the caps of
plunder fish or Pogonophryne cerebro- the earth. (cid:210)I haven(cid:213)t seen a lot
Seasons Greetings
pogon,a discovery made by ice veteran of darkness in the last ten
Joe Eastman. from Antarctica years,(cid:211) said Franson. (cid:210)I like the
daylight.(cid:211)
...cont. on page 5
That may be the greatest
understatement of polar living.
Franson, like some 30 ASA
INSIDE employees, alternates his home
between the Arctic and
NSTW1998National Science And
Antarctic, passing the summer
Technology Week highlights Arctic and
in each location.
Antarctic research carried out by the
With the exception of days
National Science Foundation.
traveling between the two,
Franson spends most of his life
Landing In AMilk Bottle Landing
under a shining sun, even when
in a complete whiteout is like landing
he sleeps. (cid:210)I sleep with the
in a bottle of milk —you only know
blinds open, the light on my
you(cid:213)ve landed when the wheels touch
face,(cid:211) says Franson. (cid:210)It just
down.
doesn(cid:213)t bother me.(cid:211)
Wasting Away in AntarcticaThe U.S. Franson came to the
Antarctic Program retrogrades almost Antarctic from Denali National
all of its waste to the continental Park in Alaska. In time the
United States. The exception to this is, word has spread, and today a
by necessity, waste water. flock of Denali seasonal work-
ers have followed in his foot-
PerspectiveSteve Munsell returns to steps. (cid:210)We used to call him the
Antarctica after a sixteen-year absence Toddfather,(cid:211) said Kathy Soutter.
and reflects on the changes he sees in (cid:210)And the rest of us were the
the program. Denali mob.(cid:211)
Some come for employ-
ProfileBreaking barriers was never his
ment, others for an adventure
intention, but with Ed Burnette(cid:213)s drive Despite being eleven thousand miles from their own kitchens in Denver, bigger than Alaska, but for Dr.
and curiosity, it was inevitable. Colorado, Nancy Farrell, left, and her friend, Ellen Copeland, would not be
deterred from making Christmas cookies.
...cont. on page 13
2
December 27, 1997 The Antarctic Sun
program produced by the National
Science Foundation and supported
by its corporate sponsors. Its mis-
Polar
sion is to engage the American
public in the spirit of learning and
adventure that is the hallmark of
science and engineering.
Theme
NSTWpursues its mission
through a wide variety of initia-
tives. The most popular is a packet
of teaching activities (published in
for both English and Spanish) in sci-
ence, mathematics, and technolo-
gy, designed to inspire the imagi-
National Science
nations of students, teachers, and
parents.
& Technology Week
This year, the Polar
Connectionsactivity packet has
story by Pat Olmert many educational activities rang-
NSF, Office of Legislative and Public Affairs ing from Polar Opposites: Getting
to Know the Arctic and the
Antarctic to Polar Protection:
How Do Polar Animals Survive in Such a
How can two of the most isolated, forbid-
Climate?School children can investigate What
ding places on Earth also be among its most
Color Is a Polar Bear?construct protective Participants are Ambassadors
valuable sites for scientific research? Why do
sunglasses —first developed by Arctic Inuit
people the world over find the Arctic, with its to the U.S. Antarctic Program
natives. Educators will find that the activities
polar bears, and the Antarctic, with its pen-
include everything from simulated research by Beth Gaston,
guins, so endlessly fascinating? Yet when
voyages to one-page kitchen-counter experi- NSF, Office of Legislative and Public Affairs
asked, (cid:212)Why is it polar bears don(cid:213)t eat pen-
ments.
guins?(cid:213)oftentimes the general public is Life in Antarctica is interesting and
stumped. NSTWis also an opportunity for getting unique, providing us with opportuni-
involved at the local level. (cid:210)Arctic and
Well here comes an opportunity to interact ties many people will never have. Because of
Antarctic researchers along with many other
with the public on polar subjects on a large this intrigue, the general public and news
program participants in extreme weather
scale. reporters are often interested in many aspects
regions have an opportunity to share their
PolarConnections: Exploring the of life, death, love and work on the ice.
experiences and knowledge of a variety of
World(cid:213)s Natural Laboratoriesis the theme The National Science Foundation (NSF)
subjects with public audiences,(cid:211) says Mary
of the National Science Foundation(cid:213)s 1998 believes this publicity is a good thing. We are
Bullock, NSF(cid:213)s Office of Legislative and
National Science & Technology Week (NSTW, a taxpayer supported agency. Our bosses,
Public Affairs. NSTW1998 and Polar
April 26th to May 2nd). The week will focus members of the public, deserve to know how
Connectionsprovides an opportunity for
on Polar research and education, alerting the we are spending their money. And, in tough
orchestrating local activities for public
public to the excitement and adventure of sci- budget times such as these, well-known agen-
involvement such as open houses; hands-on
ence and engineering in both Arctic and cies generally fare better than those that are
science and technology demonstrations; lec-
Antarctic regions. Polar Connectionswill obscure.
tures at libraries, museums, colleges, and uni-
invite people of all ages to explore the world(cid:213)s Antarctic Support Associates (ASA) also
versities; or visits to elementary and secondary
natural laboratories of science and technology supports this publicity. (cid:210)Our aim is to create
classrooms by knowledgeable travelers to the
through events and activities designed for this public awareness of the United States
ice.
year(cid:213)s outreach. Antarctic Program,(cid:211) said Valerie Carroll, who
(cid:210)At NSF, we believe it is important to nur-
In its 14th year, National Science & manages public affairs for ASA. (cid:210)ASA
ture the natural interests of children and the
Technology Week is a major public outreach employees are always encouraged to interact
child in all of us about the wonders of science
with the public and the media. We(cid:213)re lucky to
HHHHHUNITEDSTATESANTARCTICPROGRAMHHHHH TShOthteape tAi enNsnia otAtaninors tcnaatanrilccd t S iScccuo iPennnrc,o clpugeasr rFaitomo onu,fs n itedsh xafeptu iUronendns.esitdeed db iyn aTnedch Ttneooc hlleonagorylno Wgmyeo,e(cid:211)rk es a1ayb9so9 u8Bt:u Nllaotciko.nal Science & hrcehasvepceok sniunscigbh,l esau ncp repenowtr.ht Wuasneida ps gtrioucvi,d ikdanneo cmwe alfetoedrr gitaehlaesbm, lfe aa acsnt-d
NATIONALSCIENCEFOUNDATION FoTuhned aStuionn a.re not necessarily those of the ¥ Write: NSF Staff at NSTW, National they deal with the public and the media.(cid:211)
Science Foundation, Office of Legislative and
Use:Reproduction and distribution is encouraged with Many of you are excited about being here,
acknowledgement of source and author. Public Affairs, Rm. 1245, 4201 Wilson Blvd.,
what you do and what the program is all
Editor: Alexander Colhoun Arlington, Virginia, 22230 or e-mail at
about. There are many opportunities to share
Publisher:Valerie Carroll, ASA [email protected].
Contributions are welcome.Contact The Sun at your experiences: talking to church or com-
¥ Check us out on the World Wide Web at:
[email protected]. In McMurdo, visit our office in munity groups, visiting classrooms or retire-
Building 155 or dial 2407. http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/nstw/start.htm. Y
Web address:http://www.asa.org ...cont. on page 7
3
The Antarctic Sun December 27, 1997
Driving toward Scott Base at 3:15am,
Landing in a
Bill McCormick immediately noticed
the sharp contrast of a heavy fog bank curled
around Williams Field to the clear, bright sky
over McMurdo Station. He had been paged by Milk Bottle
search and rescue team (SAR) leader Steve
Dunbar in response to a field mission.
Two LC-130s had been forced to land in
story by Susie Brown
the Whiteout Area, a crevasse-free landing
field on the permanent ice shelf. Fog had
vehicle is built to go practically anywhere, and Looking for the aircraft in such thick fog
deterred them from landing on the plotted run-
this one was equipped with technologically- was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
way, and lack of fuel had prevented them from
advanced marine radar equipment. (cid:210)We were on the aircraft before we saw it,(cid:211)
landing at the Siple Dome or Downstream
(cid:210)It wasn(cid:213)t an official SAR function. It was McCormick said. (cid:210)The fog was so thick you
Bravo project sites.
more of a field safety navigation exercise,(cid:211) couldn(cid:213)t see the sun, and I wasn(cid:213)t sure I was
(cid:210)It was one of the thickest cloud layers said Dunbar. His team used GPS (global posi- seeing the aircraft at first or just spots in my
I(cid:213)ve seen in my life,(cid:211) said VXE-6 pilot Lt. Joe tioning system), a military satellite navigation eyes.(cid:211)
Mohnacs. (cid:210)The weather was good until we got
system, to locate the aircraft since the planes Dunbar and his team retrieved the passen-
100 miles out of McMurdo. Then observations
had been able to relay their exact coordinates gers in the bogged-down plane from South
went crappy quickly.(cid:211) At that point, visibility
to MAC Center communications. Had the air- Pole first, approximately six miles from
went from unrestricted skies to one-sixteenth
craft in the Whiteout Area not been able to Williams Field. The two H(cid:138)gglunds then
of a mile above Williams Field.
give their coordinates, the H(cid:138)gglund(cid:213)s radar ambled another 2 1/2 miles to the
Mohnacs and his co-pilot, Lt. Ken technology (this time only tested, but able to Christchurch plane, and delivered 28 people to
Hobman, each shot a precision approach, but pick up the Hercs in 200-foot visibility fog) Williams Field before returning for 16 more.
there was no reference to the ground. After would have proved invaluable. From the time of landing at the Whiteout
waving off two approaches to the invisible
(cid:210)Afew years ago, no one would have Area to the time they arrived at Williams
runway, and unable to see Pegasus runway
gone anywhere in this kind of situation,(cid:211) said Field, six hours had passed. McCormick said
either, they radioed the other plane in the air.
McCormick. (cid:210)This technology has opened up the passengers from Christchurch were a little
The crews mapped out a plan to land in the
great opportunities for rescue missions. Four more disoriented than the ones from the Pole.
whiteout area, one plane in the southern por- years ago, a person was lost on the ice 20 (cid:210)I happened to have a Newsweekreporter, and
tion, the other in the northern portion. miles away; we had GPS, but no radar, a couple of Rocky Mountain Newsmedia peo-
Mohnacs descended at a rate of about 200 enabling us to attempt a search, but not able to ple onboard,(cid:211) said Mohnacs. (cid:210)I told them they
feet-per-minute. (cid:210)My first concern was ensur- pinpoint a stationary object like the new radar just received the five-star flight.(cid:211) Y
ing the other aircraft didn(cid:213)t land anywhere tracking system in the H(cid:138)gglund can do.(cid:211)
near us because they wouldn(cid:213)t be able to see
us until they were on top of us,(cid:211) he said. (cid:210)My
second concern was the possibility of hitting
drifting snow that could cause a propeller
strike.(cid:211)
All VXE-6 flight crews undergo simula-
tor training for whiteout approaches, and
pilots must also perform a training landing in
the Whiteout Area at the beginning of each
season. You can abort a training landing, but
this was for real. (cid:210)It was the first time I had
never seen the ground,(cid:211) said Mohnacs. (cid:210)You
can(cid:213)t tell from the instruments exactly when
you(cid:213)ll land, so this time we didn(cid:213)t know till
we felt the plane touch down.(cid:211)
(cid:210)It was a beautiful landing. We set down
gently as if we were in the middle of a milk
bottle,(cid:211) said Eric Baker, a photographer
n
returning from the South Pole on the same a
m
plane. er
k
c
Mohnacs taxied for about 10 minutes e
N
before the skis got stuck in the deep snow. e
k
The second plane touched down 10 minutes Mi
y
later after it, too, had aborted two approaches b
o
to Williams Field. ot
h
p
Meanwhile, Dunbar and crew were en
route. It was their first opportunity to put a VXE-6 personnel dig-out the snow surrounding skis on one of two LC-130 Hercules aircraft that were forced to
new $300,000 H(cid:138)gglund to use. The two-cab land in the Whiteout Area due to ground fog on the skiway.
4
December 27, 1997 The Antarctic Sun
DidYou Know...
Wasting Away in
by Brenda Joyce
Antarctica:
Afox terriertraveled to both the Arctic and
the Antarctic. Abiography was written about
(cid:212)Igloo(cid:213), the canine companion of Richard
Byrd. His tombstone in the Pine Ridge
story and photo by Dave Breitenfeld
Cemetery for Small Animals in Dedham, a
suburb of Boston, bears the inscription:
(cid:210)IGLOO. He was more than a friend.(cid:211)
The Terra Nova,said to be the last whaler
built in Dundee Scotland (1884), was leased in
1903 to sail with The Morningto McMurdo
Sound to relieve Scott(cid:213)s Discovery expedition.
Returning to sealing with Bowring Brothers,
she was resold in November 1909, for Scott(cid:213)s
second journey. In 1914 Bowring Brothers
bought her again for work in Newfoundland
and Labrador waters. Springing a leak 38
miles off Hollander Island, Greenland, she
sank without loss of life on September 12,
1943.
Fifty-one U.S. aircrafthave been lost in
Antarctica since 1946.
The average annual precipitationin the
interior of Antarctica is less than 2 inches,
drier than the Sahara desert.
Nunataksare mountains that are buried so
deeply in snow that only their tips peek above
Rob Robbins, ASA(cid:213)s Dive Coordinator, assisted by Christian McDonald, prepares to dive in Winter Quarters
the ice.
Bay to inspect the waste water outfall.
Six hundred sixty-one thousand, six The exception to this is, by necessity, waste No rain has fallenin the Dry Valleys in
hundred gallons of waste water dump water generated at McMurdo Station, includ- approximately a million years and the occa-
into Winter Quarters Bay every day. Situated ing sewage. sional traces of snow are quickly blown away.
on the south side of McMurdo, this location Like any small town, McMurdo uses a lot
also served as the McMurdo station dump of water. Salt water is pumped in and desali- Scott and his companionslugged 37 lbs.
from 1956 to 1979. nated primarily by a process of reverse osmo- of geological samples all the way to their
Throughout this 23-year period, the sis. This water cycles through McMurdo for deaths.
seafloor was littered with derelict vehicles, drinking, cleaning, food preparation, and
broken equipment, and other miscellaneous sewage disposal, and is too plentiful to make Apsley Cherry-Garrard,a member of
garbage. Since 1980, however, things have retrograding practical. Scott(cid:213)s expedition, in The Worst Journey in the
changed. Running through a spiderweb network of Worldwrote: (cid:210)And I tell you, if you have the
The United States Antarctic Program has above-ground pipes, waste water from every desire for knowledge and the power to give it
cleaned up its act. As a result, Winter sink, shower, toilet and other drain intersects physical expression, go out and explore...You
Quarters Bay, and many other U.S. Antarctic at one of two masticators. The masticators will sledge nearly alone, but those with whom
Program sites are, while not ecologically pris- break up or (cid:210)delump(cid:211) any solid waste as it you sledge will not be shopkeepers: that is
tine, in far better condition than they were 20 passes through. This consists mostly of food worth a good deal. If you march your winter
years ago. waste from the galley as well as human feces. journeys you will have your reward, so long as
Adopting the backpacker philosophy of After mastication, the waste water contin- all you want is a penguin(cid:213)s egg.(cid:211)
(cid:212)pack-it-in, pack-it-out(cid:213), the U.S. Antarctic ues through a pipe to its 10-inch diameter
Program now retrogrades almost all waste outfall 180 feet into and 60 feet below the Herbert Pointing,Scott(cid:213)s photographer,
from Antarctica to the continental United surface of Winter Quarters Bay. Positioned pulled a one-man sledge with 400 lbs. of pho-
States for recycling, processing, or disposal. tographic and camping equipment.
...cont. on page 9
5
The Antarctic Sun December 27, 1997
Fish Antifreeze Only one taxonomic group, the notothe- (cid:210)Without them, the fish fauna here would be
...cont. from page 1
nioids, adapted to the cooling period that fol- scanty and the whole ecosystem would be
lowed and persists today. These hardy fish did quite different. An important chink of the food
Hauled-up from the icy depths by a net
more than adapt, however, they flourished, web would be missing.(cid:211)
trawled behind the Nathaniel B. Palmer (an
icebreaker and research vessel owned by the and today make up 95 percent of the fish bio- In recent months, the Devries(cid:213)have traced
National Science Foundation) last summer, it mass in most southern parts of the Antarctic the molecular history of this anti-freeze pro-
wasn(cid:213)t until a Sunday morning in February Ocean. In a community with just 274 species tein back to a point between five and fourteen
that Eastman first questioned what he had of fish (there are 25,000 species world-wide), million years ago, a time that jibes with
found. that(cid:213)s saying something. oceanographers(cid:213)estimates of ocean cooling
The mechanism that allowed the in Antarctica, as the continent shifted to its
Using a standard taxinomical key,
notothenioids to pull off this Houdini-like isolated position.
Eastman discovered he was unable to identify
the fish. (cid:210)I was certain this fish had already feat is the life-work of a husband and Beyond anti-freeze, the fish have modi-
been documented,(cid:211) said Eastman with a per- wife team, Art and Chris Devries, fied other aspects of their anatomy to make
plexed look. (cid:210)I even cut off the barb to do marine biologists from the University life easier on themselves. Gone are the heavy
tests on it.(cid:211) of Illinois; and it begins with anti- bone structures normally associated with fish
freeze. of this type. Instead, notothenioids have
Hours later, after discussions with a col-
Joining her research team on developed lighter cartilage based infra-
league in Maine, Eastman found himself
their last night of fishing for this structures and fat sacs (as opposed to
reconnecting the barb with an underwater
season, Chris Devries piles into swim bladders found in most fish), both
superglue. (cid:210)You can hardly tell it was off,(cid:211)
a Spryte and heads out across of which allow the fish to move effortless-
said Eastman, who proceeded to register the
frozen McMurdo Sound to go ly within the water column, and hence
new species in an elaborate process that ended
fishing. Not an eccentric find food where it is available.
in an alcohol-filled jar at the Smithsonian.
hobby, Devries is fishing In time, the notothenioids have
Eastman(cid:213)s discovery, the result of a single
for science, and accomplished what Eastman describes
thirty-minute trawl across the ocean floor
hopes to catch a as an adaptive radiation. Typically a
revealed how little is known about these
Mawsoni, better fish group will isolate to a single
waters. (cid:210)The Ross Sea fauna is not as well
known as niche. In Antarctica, the
known as we thought it was,(cid:211) said Eastman,
Antarctic Cod. notothenioids are everywhere.
who explained that 19 additional species came
Twenty minutes later, They occupy all sectors of the
up in that historical trawl —nearly half of the
inside fish hut number three water column, from top to bottom.
50 species known to exist in the Southern
Ross Sea. This season Eastman will make (built by her husband nearly In this way, Antarctic fish have
another trawl, with hopes of gathering further 20 years ago) all eyes unusual links with species in
data. watch with expectation as other remote corners of the world,
the metal fishing line reels including Darwin(cid:213)s finches of the
Discovery of the barbled plunder fish is
up from the floor of the Galapagos, sculpin fish of Lake
the latest in a string of icthyological revela-
sound. In time, a lead weight Baikal in Russia and cichlid fish in
tions that have come out of Antarctica(cid:213)s ocean
the great lakes of East Africa.
depths in the last quarter centu-
ry. It is the oceans themselves, Like the notothenioids, these
however, that have paved the In July, the Smithsonian Museum species have radiated from a single
way for adaptations among got a new Antarctic specimen ancestor, and occupy particular niches
marine fauna unlike any other —the barbled plunder fish or in each of their respective environ-
species on the planet. Pogonophryne cerebropogon, ments. And like the Antarctic environ-
a discovery made by ice veteran ment, each of these regions has been iso-
Joe Eastman likens Antarctic
Joe Eastman. It is the first of its lated from outside intervention by other
oceans to an ancient lake.
kind ever caught. The fish was species.
Separated from other land mass-
es by vast distances and low hauled up in a net pulled behind (cid:210)Antarctica has much to offer as a
water temperatures, Antarctica is a research vessel. hotbed of evolution,(cid:211) said Eastman.
isolated from the rest of the (cid:210)When people think of mainstream evolu-
world, much as an inland lake. These condi- tionary biology, we want them to think of
comes into view —the team has
tions make it impossible for non-native fishes Antarctica for its unique adaptations and
been skunked.
to simply swim here and survive. depth-related diversification of fish.(cid:211)
Fortunately, the rest of the season yield-
It hasn(cid:213)t always been so inhospitable. All of which revolves back to Antarctica(cid:213)s
ed more than 70 specimens, the pancreas of
Thirty-eight million years ago Antarctica was secluded geographic location. Surrounded by
which were extracted to gather a protein sub-
much closer to its neighbors, Australia and moats of cold water and far from encroaching
stance not unlike antifreeze used in cars.
South America. Fossil records on Seymour continents, Antarctica ocean species were left
Attaching itself to tiny ice crystals in water
Island in the Weddell Sea, east of the to adapt and survive on their own, which lead
swallowed by the fish, this substance prevents
Antarctic Peninsula, indicate what Eastman in turn to nature(cid:213)s version of antifreeze and
crystals from growing larger and killing the
describes as a cosmopolitan fauna of sharks, the domination of Antarctic waters by notothe-
catfish, rays, billfish and cod. In sharp con- fish. nioids. Y
(cid:210)These anti-freeze proteins are important
trast, none of these species exist in Antarctic
to the entire ecosystem,(cid:211) said Chris Devries.
waters today.
6
December 27, 1997 The Antarctic Sun
The main objective during this NBP97-8 Christchurch, NZ
by Brian Stone
Process IVcruise was to gather time-series
The Air National Guard (ANG) will be
data on the turnover and flux of carbon in the
leaving four LC-130 aircraft in Christchurch
Ross Sea. The NBPwas the platform used to
over the holiday season. To save costs and
obtain exciting results form the SeaWIFS
reduce wear and tear on the aircraft, the air-
fromAntarcticstationsandships imagery and the pumping SeaSoar systems.
craft are left on the USAPramp in the two-
With completion of this cruise, scientists from
week gap between Air National Guard (ANG)
NBP97-8 disembarked while scientists for
deployments. The air crews and maintenance
NBP97-9, ROAVERRS embarked. Asuccess-
personnel will re-deploy to the United States
McMurdo Station by Stan Wisneski ful and cost-effective ice-edge transfer of sci- by commercial aircraft, leaving the aircraft for
The New York Air National Guard entists, staff, and cargo took place. NBP97-9, the next rotation of ANG personnel to fly
(NYANG) redeployed 17 December 1997 and ROAVERRS began research aboard the NBP south in January.
will return on 7 January 1998. Two VXE-6 December 21 and they plan to examine the
The R/VROGER REVELLE will be
aircraft were forced to land in the white-out ice and ocean response to the strong offshore
arriving at Port Lyttelton on 03 January for
landing area near Williams Field due to fog. winds that emanate from the Ross Ice Shelf.
her third JGOFS port call of the season. The
The aircraft landed safely with no damage to The cruise participants will service and rede-
ship will be in port until 08 January when she
the aircraft or injuries to the passengers or ploy current meter moorings, which will be
departs on the JGOFS Survey II cruise.
crew. needed to quantify the ocean response to the
The two-day Christmas holiday was wind forcing, make wind observations, and R/VAbel-J
enjoyed by all personnel. Festivities started on provide a basic description of the hydrogra-
by Dawn Scarboro
Christmas Eve with the annual Christmas phy.
The ABEL-J continued to (cid:210)island hop(cid:211) in
party at the VMF. On Christmas day there
R/V Laurence M. Gould support of researchers (S-087 and S-097).
was another outstanding meal prepared for the
The research involves recording GPS data and
community by the Galley staff and many vol- by Ron Koger
seismic techniquest, respectively, to obtain
unteers. On Christmas Day the R/VLaurence M.
information relating to the tectonics of the
Gould got underway from Louisiana on its
Scotia Arc at Elephant Island, Low and/or
South Pole Station by David Fischer 22-25 day journey to Punta Arenas, Chili to Smith Island, Deception Island, and other
Peak population of 196 people has been go on Charter it will pass through the Panama sites along the Antarctic Peninsula coast. The
reached. This represents a constant challenge Canal. The LMG(cid:213)s first science project will ABEL-J has also served to transport scien-
to manage the population, accomplish our be the multi-year Long Term Ecological tists, staff, and cargo to Palmer Station. Plans
tasking and planned science support, and also Research Project in the Palmer area. are for the ABEL-J to continue work for
monitor the impact of larger populations on NSF/ASAuntil the LMG comes on-line.
R/V Roger Revelle
the station.
In tandem to science support, we are in by Poly Penhale ASA, Denver
by Ron Koger
the midst of several construction projects Atwo-ship operation is supporting the
Happy Holiday Wishes to all of the par-
including the rings for the new garage arch, JGOFS (Joint Global Ocean Flux Study) pro-
ticipants in the U.S. Antarctic Program.
snow-clearing, movement of the summer ject in the Southern Ocean this season.
Please know that the work you do is appreci-
camp and numerous demolition projects. Joining the NBPis the R/VRoger Revelle, a
ated and a vital link in the chain-of-events
research ship from Scripps Institution of
that occur each busy austral summer.
Palmer Station Oceanography, University of California, San
by Ron Nugent The M/VGreenWave is scheduled to
The M/VExplorer arrived last week and Diego. begin loading at Port Hueneme on 4 January.
delivered three USAPresearchers and the new The ship is currently operating at about 64 Jackie Samuel at Port Hueneme continues the
NSF Representative, Dr. Sonia Ortega. Also degrees South, supporting a cruise focusing stow planning —trying to find space to load
on board were 60 tourists who visited the sta- on the biological and physical oceanography everything awaiting shipment.
tion. of the region. The ship, which was built in
Four members of the Argentinian 1996, is owned by the U.S. Navy and operat- National Science Foundation
Antarctic Program also visited last week. ed under charter to Scripps through the Office
by Guy Guthridge
They were diving and collecting water sam- of Naval Research.
Can you top these? NSF has just listed 10
ples near the wreck of the Argentine ship, The Southern Ocean JGOFS program is
Antarctic discoveries made the last five years:
Bahia Paraiso. The ship ran aground and jointly supported at NSF by the Office of
Ameteorite contains possible evidence of life
sank a few miles from Palmer in 1989. Polar Programs and the Division of Ocean
on Mars. Ozone depletion hit a low in 1993.
The station will most likely choose to Sciences. Broadly viewed, JGOFS aims to Increased UVthrough the ozone hole reduced
take Christmas Day and the day after as holi- monitor and predict the response of the marine primary production and damaged fish.
days and then work through the following Southern Ocean to global climate change. West Antarctic ice streams are changing
weekend due to the scheduled arrival of the Other national Antarctic programs, such as velocity. The Vostok ice core spans 400,000
R/VAbel-J on 27 December. Merry those of the United Kingdom, France, Japan, years. The southern ocean removes lots of
Christmas! Germany, Australia and New Zealand have carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The
conducted JGOFS cruises in other areas of the
Antarctic Peninsula region warmed signifi-
R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer Southern Ocean. Chief Scientist Richard
cantly. El Ni(cid:150)o may drive a four-year pattern
Barber (Duke University) reports that six sta-
by Dawn Scarboro in weather and sea ice around Antarctica.
tions have been completed, with successful
The JGOFS-AESOPS process study in the Antarctic winter water could disappear quick-
sampling all around. He notes that (cid:210)the R/V
Ross Sea successfully completed their ly, reducing global circulation of Antarctic
Roger Revelle is a great platform for
research for this portion of their studies in bottom water. Neutrinos have been detected
oceanography.(cid:211)
mid-December. using the ice sheet as the medium. Y
7
The Antarctic Sun December 27, 1997
Ambassadors
...cont. from page 2 support waste management —
ment homes, and showing photos to your friends
Sort your Trash
and family.
Talking to reporters is another way to reach a
broad audience. It(cid:213)s neat for your friends and fami-
ly back home to see you quoted in articles.
However, there are some things to remember when
talking to any audience.
¥ Because of the nature of news, reporters are
often looking for things that are dramatic,
quirky, new or tragic. There is also a human
tendency to share the more dramatic moments,
rather than talking about walking from the
dorms to the galley every day. It(cid:213)s more inter-
esting to discuss what that the trip was like
during condition one. However, it is important
to provide context. For the uninitiated, a story
about one unusual event can easily seem like
the norm.
¥ When talking to reporters or the general pub-
lic, explain complicated subjects in simple
terms. Most news outlets are limited in time or Starts at Noon,January 1st
space. If your explanations are too complicat- All acts are welcome!
ed, either your material will not be used or it Contact Kendra, at MWR, with the name,
will be simplified for you. type of act, and contact person(cid:213)s phone
and email address.
¥ If you are not sure about something, say so Donations will go toward band equipment.
and direct the questioner to someone who does
know the facts. Chapel
¥ And finally, be clear about whether you are
of the
speaking on your own behalf or as an official Snows
of ASAor NSF.
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free Sundays:
to contact Valerie Carroll at ASA, Lynn Simarski at Catholic Service 9:30 AM
Protestant Service 11:00 AM
NSF, or the NSF representative at your station. Y Wednesdays:
Prayer and Praise at 7:30 PM
-- EDITORIALS --
Here at The Sun we enjoy compliments and
appreciate the support and interest of our readers.
We welcome your thoughts at The Antarctic Sun.
To the staff of The Antarctic Sun:
My compliments for a job well done...!
The Sun is looking like a real hometown
paper!
As a science writer for The New York
Times I’ve been down to the ice five times
since 1974 (when sledding down the brand-
new South Pole dome and visits to Old Pole
Station were still permitted) and made more
lifelong friends than I can count. The Sun I
see (via the internet) lets me keep up with
the changes, the science and the gossip on
the ice, and it’s the next best thing to being
there!
All the best,
Malcolm W. Browne
The New York Times
8
December 27, 1997 The Antarctic Sun
teachers Convention. But the greatest impact
Teachers Experience Antarctica may be right in his classroom, where Jones
hopes to integrate his Antarctic experiences
into everyday lessons.
story by Alexander Colhoun
While teaching is his job, proving that
Jones made the
anything is possible is his legacy.
grade on both
(cid:210)The Dry Valleys are as close to Mars as
counts. Having par-
I(cid:213)ll ever get,(cid:211) said Jones with a twinkle in his
taken in Foundation
eye. With his penchant for latching onto
courses ranging from
adventure, however, no one will be surprised
a visit to the
to see Jones strapped into the Space Shuttle,
Stanford Linear
headed off on another grand experience. Y
Accelerator to sail-
n ing a three-masted
u
ho schooner from
Col Halifax, Nova
er Scotia, to Woods In Siple(cid:213)s
d
n
a Hole, Massachusetts,
x
Ale he was well-suited Footsteps:
by for this Antarctic
oto adventure. Today, A Girl Scout in Antarctica
h
p Jones finds himself
story by Zee Evans
Paul Jones hunts nematodes and studies glacial melt in Antarctica when he(cid:213)s not transplanted to anoth-
teaching science in Montezuma, Iowa. er world: Antarctica(cid:213)s The typical image of a Girl Scout, a 12-
He(cid:213)s a living, breathing Walter Mitty. Dry Valleys. year-old selling cookies door to door,
For one month Jones will be stationed in isn(cid:213)t necessarily complete. Hannah Thomas, a
Hunting for dinosaur bones, sailing
the Dry Valleys, working with several different 19-year old Girl Scout, breaks the mold and
through the North Sea and flying by helicopter
research groups within the Long Term asks you to think again.
through Antarctica(cid:213)s Dry Valleys sound more
like the dreams of James Thurber(cid:213)s character Ecological Research project. The projects Every three years a Girl or Boy Scout is
than the real life experiences of an Iowa include the nematode hunters (a team of chosen to come to Antarctica, continuing a tra-
school teacher. That may be Paul Jones(cid:213)mes- researchers hunting for microscopic worms) dition that began with Paul Siple, a Boy Scout
sage: with determination and a pinch of luck, and a group studying glacial melt run-off. chosen to join Richard Evelyn Byrd(cid:213)s 1928-30
the world is your oyster. Research is the easy part for Jones; living Antarctic expedition. This program allows 18-
in a remote field camp tent is something else. 20 year-old scouts to travel to Antarctica for
(cid:210)I(cid:213)m not a big-shot teacher,(cid:211) said Jones, a
(cid:210)We(cid:213)re always cleaning. There(cid:213)s dirt every- ten weeks to assist with research projects.
one-man science department. (cid:210)I(cid:213)m out in the
trenches.(cid:211) For the last 36 years Jones has where,(cid:211) said Jones. (cid:210)But that(cid:213)s the lesson. In 1997, 55 Girl Scouts applied for the
taught biology, chemistry and physics to the People can live, and live comfortably, in Antarctic Research Project co-sponsored by
240 students enrolled in the Montezuma extreme situations. I(cid:213)ve used less than a gallon the National Science Foundation and the Girl
Community School in central Iowa. of water per day for many days.(cid:211) Scouts. Thomas received an application in the
When he(cid:213)s not working, Jones stays busy mail from her local Council and jumped at the
Jones began his Antarctic adventure with a
keeping in contact with his students back ...cont. on page 9
mere thirty-two cent investment in a postage
home via the internet. In
stamp. With it, he sent in his application for
the field, Jones sends his
the National Science Foundation(cid:213)s Teachers
notes back to McMurdo
Experiencing Antarctica (TEA) Program.
with the helo pilots on a
Teachers Experiencing Antarctica is a five-
computer disc. Later, this
year-old National Science Foundation program
material is entered into a
originally designed to bring students to the
home page maintained
Antarctic. In time, this program shifted empha-
by Rice University
sis from bringing students to bringing teachers,
(www.glacier.rice.edu).
whose long-term impact in the classroom is
Keeping in contact
greater. n
with students and spread- ou
(cid:210)I saw the advertisement in Science h
ing the word about ol
Teacher Magazine,(cid:211) said Jones. (cid:210)It sounded C
interesting so I applied.(cid:211) Jones makes it sound Antarctica are the only der
requirements of the TEA n
simple, but both entry guidelines and competi- xa
program. For his part, e
tion are tough. All applicants must have com- Al
Jones hopes to make a y
pleted at least one National Science b
presentation at the Iowa o
Foundation science enrichment course and, ot
like all United States Antarctic Program partic- Science Teachers ph
Convention, and later at Following in Antarctic explorer Paul Siple(cid:213)s footsteps, Hannah Thomas, a Girl
ipants, must pass a stringent physical exam.
the National Science Scout from New York, joins researchers in Antarctica.
9
The Antarctic Sun December 27, 1997
Girl Scout ...cont. from page 8 Wasting Away ...cont. from page 4 Before mastication, 280,000 gallons of
sea water are added to the total outfall every
opportunity to apply. When the call came where passing currents can pick up and begin day from the aquarium where live marine
informing her that she had been accepted to diluting the pollutants, most of the lighter specimens are contained. Further diluting this
1997 Project Scholarship, Thomas was and less dense particles form a plume that is is a daily total of 264,000 gallons of brine
ecstatic. (cid:210)I whooped and hollered and could constantly dissipating. Some of the denser that comes from the reverse osmosis units.
hardly wait to tell my friends,(cid:211) she said. pieces sink and form a mound of debris Totalling approximately 16.5 million gallons
Science has always been a dream of referred to as (cid:210)the corn pile,(cid:211) or (cid:210)Charmin annually, most of the outflow consists of un-
Thomas(cid:213)s. Both her parents are geologists, Mountain(cid:211) by divers who conduct underwa- contaminated sea water.
leading to her early dreams of becoming a ter research and specimen collection in the Joe Seibert, resident ASAenvironmental
park ranger or a nature center director. area. technician, tests contaminant parameters
After taking a class in geology at Mount One group of divers has established a three times a year. Levels of contamination
Holyoke College in Massachusetts, howev- benthic ecology study to determine effects of remain within acceptable standards as set by
er, she decided to follow in her parents the outfall on the flora and fauna of the bay. the Antarctic Treaty. In fact, some results
footsteps. To date, negative effects appear minimal and could even be considered beneficial to the
Thomas is a member of the Adirondack are not widespread. marine life of the bay. (cid:210)We(cid:213)re putting nutri-
Girl Scout Council in Queensbury, N.Y. (cid:210)The plume is really localized,(cid:211) said Rob ents into the water resulting in a larger algal
(cid:210)Girl Scouting has really prepared me for Robbins, dive coordinator, as he prepared population,(cid:211) said Seibert.
this trip,(cid:211) said Thomas, with a gleam in her himself for a dive into the 28.4 degree In the future, McMurdo may build its
eyes. (cid:210)I(cid:213)m really excited about the opportu- Fahrenheit water to place equipment for the own sewage plant to process the human
nity to do scientific research and the inde- study. Concerned with contacting or even waste generated in town, as well as the hun-
pendence of interacting with scientists in ingesting small amounts of waste water near dreds of thousands of pounds of grey water,
what I hope will be my field when I finish the outfall, the divers must wear masks that urine, and feces that must be collected in
college.(cid:211) cover their entire face and connect to their containers at field camps and retrograded to
Thomas has been a Girl Scout for 14 dry suit. the U.S. For now, however, the sea will have
years. She received the Girl Scouts highest Though pumping over 72,000 gallons of to incorporate our waste, and it is up to us to
honor, the Gold Award, along with many town waste water a day into Winter Quarters watch what we dump down drains and flush
other badges and honors including the Bay may seem like a less-than-ideal situation down toilets. Y
Senior Girl Scout Leadership Award and in environmental terms, actual pollutants
the Senior Girl Scout Challenge. comprise a remarkably low percentage of the
Thomas arrived in Antarctica in late outfall.
October and will be here through January.
In the last few weeks Thomas has assisted
as a dive tender; traveled to the South
Pole to release balloons that measure the
ozone; helped tag Adelie penguins at Cape
Royds, Cape Bird and Cape Crozier; and
visited Siple Dome to assist with core
drillings of the snow.
(cid:210)I(cid:213)ve been very lucky to have been
given this chance to go to Antarctica,
especially since this kind of opportunity
has not always been available to women,(cid:211)
said Thomas.
Throughout Thomas(cid:213)adventures, she(cid:213)s
kept in contact with her friends and fellow
Girl Scouts via the Girl Scouts Of
America web site. Her trip to the ice and
her stay while she is in Antarctica is fund-
ed by the National Science Foundation. un
o
Her local chapter of Girl Scouts funds her olh
stay in Christchurch while she is en route. er C
(cid:210)Everything will have a lasting nd
a
impression,(cid:211) said Thomas of her experi- x
e
ences thus far. (cid:210)But when I leave, I know y Al
b
I will miss the wonderful people here.(cid:211)Y o
ot
Visit Hannah Thomas(cid:213)web site: h
p
(www.gsusa.org/girls/go/hannah/antarcti.htm)
Making his way through a foot and a half of fresh powder that fell on Ross Island two weeks ago, Scott Jones earns his
turns for a ski down the hill below Castle Rock.
10
December 27, 1997 The Antarctic Sun
Ask also the time of year you (cid:210)replay(cid:211) it in your mind. Actually,
when seasonal depres- grieving, regretting, resenting, or keeping
AuntArctica sion is most prevalent. bitter memories of the past alive will only
Be it family of ori- maintain a bridge to an unhappy past.
gin issues, remember- Instead, focus on what you would like
...advice forstaying healthyontheIce
ing a lost relationship, this time of year to mean to you. Create ritu-
Aunt Arctica is written by a clinical psychotherapist or the absence of als for yourself that bring a new purpose and
from Washington state with eight years experience
friends, it can be a understanding to what the holidays signify
working in individual counseling, specializing in cogni-
tive and transpersonal psychologies for personal time for many of feel- for you personally.
growth. Please write with any questions you may have.
You need not include your name. All queries will be ing alone and more There may be pieces of your past that
confidential. isolated than at any did work for you: incorporate these into the
other time of year. It can also be a time of new scenario. Family may not hold for you
Question:I am in need of being reminded assessing what is absent in your life. now, or in the future, the ability to meet your
what this season means. As a child, the long Our culture, focusing on materialism as expectations. With that in mind, consider
anticipated Christmas morning thing was a a means to happiness, underscores this with how you can build a (cid:210)family of choice(cid:211) that
huge let down. My father started drinking a message of what we ought to have in our will bring you a greater sense of belonging.
earlier in the day each year while my mother lives if we are to be happy. Take this opportunity of being removed
ran around frantically providing an air of
The childhood scenario you describe is from home, here on the ice, to reinvent what
festivity. As an adult, the whole thing seems
wrought with these messages and others this time of year can mean. Allow yourself
to me like an expensive and tedious waste of
including expectations of the (cid:210)ideal(cid:211); disap- to relinquish expectations based on the past,
time. I see joy and generosity on the faces of
pointments in what life has dealt you; and and let your new experience of the holidays
folks around me, but feel like an outsider in
disillusionment that it will ever be different. unfold and happen.
a strange land. Am I destined to always feel
The remedy for this lies in our ability to Agood way to get started is by writing a
this way about the holidays?
live fully and productively in the present. wish list of what you would have liked the
The way we choose to view and use the past past to have been, then create a ritual of
The (cid:210)magic(cid:211) of this time of year to me in our present lives ultimately effects the throwing it away and letting it go.
has always been in its ability to regress and extent to which we are depression-prone.
transport each one of us into the past. It is
The past cannot be relived or changed as
Snow Jobs
byBen Mann
photo by Alexander Colhoun
Every season New Zealand Defense Forces personnel perform a Haka for the residents of McMurdo. This is
a traditional ceremony originally used by native New Zealand Maori warriors.