The Antarctic Sun, January 1, 2006 - United States Antarctic Program

16 Pages·2005·1.7 MB·English

January 1, 2006
Success!
South Pole Traverse arrives Dec. 23
By Peter Rejcek
Sun staff
The mission is nearly over, but the journey is only half
done.
On Dec. 23 at 2:56 p.m., John Wright parked the last trac-
tor of the South Pole Traverse on a hard-packed snow area
near the South Pole Station.
He wearily climbed out of his Caterpillar 95 Challenger,
exchanged a few hugs and kisses with a Polie greet-
ing party, and told his crew to form camp and
ensure all the vehicles were plugged
into electric outlets to keep
them warm in the freez-
ing temperatures. “Let’s
plug ‘em in and shut ‘em
down,” he said.
After 43 days and some
1,600 kilometers, the
South Pole Traverse had
done its job — proving
that an overland snow
route between McMurdo
Station and South Pole
See TRAVERSE on page 12
O R : Marathon no
N THE UN
A new look
mere walk on the beach
By Peter Rejcek McMurdo Station.
Sun staff Pohlman will test his theory on Jan.
Eric Pohlman spent two hours and 8 during the annual marathon.
forty minutes one recent Sunday on Last year, a dozen runners attempt-
the treadmill at the gym preparing ed the marathon or half-marathon. The
for the McMurdo Marathon. Doing race is nearly as popular with cross-
a steady 10-minute mile, it was a country skiers, with seven people opt- This year’s winners of the annual Antarctic
relatively easy 16 miles. But he knows ing to glide their way across the Ross Photo Contest offer a fresh perspective on
race day conditions outdoors won’t be Ice Shelf in 2005. some favorite themes, starting on page 7.
a walk on the beach. One of the skiers was Mary
Then again, maybe that’s exactly Holozubiec, the only one to finish
what it is. the 42-kilometer route, in a time of Quote of the Week Inside
“I’m preparing myself for a 26.2 three hours and 39 minutes. This will
[mile] run on the beach, because it’s be the third time the McMurdo retail “I’m a self.” Breaking up bergs
like running in sand, except it’s freez- materials worker will ski the race. She — Person explaining Page 3
ing cold,” said Pohlman, a hazard- also ran the full marathon in 2001 on combination of Santa Warming up to Pole
ous waste management technician at and elf costumes. Page 4
See MARATHON on page 14
AntarcticSun.usap.gov
2 • The Antarctic Sun January 1, 2006
Antarctic explorer dies at 100
From staff, wire reports Vaughan was born Dec. 19, 1905,
Famed Antarctic explorer Norman in Salem, Mass. He was the son of
Vaughan died Dec. 23 just a few days a wealthy leather tanner and shoe
after turning 100 years old. manufacturer. In 1925, he entered Cold, hard facts
As a young man, Vaughan explored Harvard University but soon left to be
Antarctica with Adm. Richard Byrd, a dog musher in Newfoundland for a
joining him on his 1928-1930 expe- medical missionary. He left Harvard All-time weather records
dition to Antarctica as a dog handler for good to join Byrd on his expedi-
for USAP stations
and driver. tion. Vaughan was part of a crew that
Vaughan continued to seek adven- drove dog teams about 2,400 kilo-
South Pole
ture his entire life. His exploits meters across the frozen continent to
included finishing the annual Alaskan collect scientific samples. High: 7.5F / -13.6C, Dec. 1978
sled dog race, the Iditarod, 13 times, During World War II, Vaughan Low: -117F / -82.8C, June 1982
the last six after age 70. At age 96, served as an Army dogsled driver,
Coldest year: 1983 — average
70 years after he competed in the attaining the rank of colonel and
Olympics as a sled dog racer, he engaging in numerous rescue opera- temp: -59.8F/-51C
carried the Olympic torch in Juneau, tions in Greenland. He devised a
passing the flame from a wheelchair. plan for one such operation to para- McMurdo
Vaughan apparently never aban- chute sled dogs to the Battle of the High: 56F / 13C, Jan. 1987 and
doned his fascination with the sev- Bulge in an attempt to save soldiers
Dec. 1987
enth continent. At 89, he returned stranded in the snow. While the plan
to Antarctica and climbed a 3,145- was backed by Gen. George Patton, Low: -59F / -51C, July 1960
meter peak Byrd had named in his it was later cancelled due to logisti-
Maximum 24-hour snowfall:
honor. Neil Conant, who works as a cal delays.
28 in / 71 cm
South Pole communication operator, On the celebration of his 100th
remembers Vaughan’s visit to the birthday on Dec. 18, he reportedly
Palmer (since 1989)
Pole in 1995. had a sip of champagne, his first
“He was in really good shape,” taste of alcohol after promising his High: 51.4F / 10.8C, Dec. 2000
Conant recalled. mother he wouldn’t drink until he Low: -14.8F / -26.0C, Aug. 1995
The Alaskan had planned to again turned 100.
Maximum wind gust:
climb Mount Vaughan to celebrate To learn more about the famous
his 100th birthday but the expedition explorer and his life, visit his Web 103 mph / 166 kph, June 1990
fell short of money. site at normanvaughan.com.
Source: USAP weather station personnel
Level 1 Comix Matt Davidson
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(OPP-000373). Its primary
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Use: Reproduction and distribution are
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Senior Editor: Emily Stone
Editors: Steven Profaizer, Peter Rejcek
Copy Editors: Amanda Barnett, Rob Ford,
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Web address: AntarcticSun.usap.gov
January 1, 2006 The Antarctic Sun • 3
Icebergs offer insight into global warming
By Emily Stone “It moved like a rocket by iceberg stan-
Sun staff dards,” traveling about 1,000 kilometers
With its frigid waters, biting winds and in eight months, Scambos said. “It drifted
chilly temperatures, South Georgia Island right into the perfect position.”
isn’t the typical picture of a summer won- Now they hope it stays put so the group
derland. Except, perhaps, as viewed by an can reach it before it moves too far from
iceberg. Marambio. The berg is about 40 by 60 kilo-
“Summer never ends by Antarctic stan- meters and 300 meters thick, with about 40
dards when you get up to South Georgia to 50 meters above sea level. It had been
Island,” said Ted Scambos of the University hanging around in the Weddell Sea since it
of Colorado’s National Snow and Ice Data calved off the Ronne Ice Shelf in 1986.
Center. Scambos’ project is using much of
Giant icebergs floating north from the the same technology, and some of the
Antarctic Peninsula generally reach their same team members as Doug MacAyeal’s
breaking point around the island because University of Chicago group does out of
temperatures are so much warmer than McMurdo Station. MacAyeal has been
what the bergs are used to. Scambos is studying the drift patterns of giant icebergs
hoping to track an iceberg next year as it that calve off the Ross Ice Shelf.
makes this voyage to see how it melts and The advantage to tracking bergs off
falls apart. Studying what higher tempera- the peninsula is that they tend to speed
tures do to a sliver of Antarctica will tell north much faster than their counterparts
scientists about what global warming could near McMurdo, which often get stuck in
do to the continent itself. Photos by Ted Scambos / Special to The Antarctic Sun the “iceberg graveyard” near the French
Icebergs follow a fairly predictable Researchers at the University of Colorado station Dumont D’Urville. At Marambio,
path when they leave the area around the in Boulder set up the tower that will hold Scambos is more certain of seeing the
Antarctic Peninsula. Currents fling the their equipment to monitor the melting of an bergs quickly reach warmer waters.
iceberg as it drifts north this winter. Below,
icebergs north and west, past Elephant He wants to see if the berg is more
an iceberg floats off the Antarctic Peninsula.
Island and up to South Georgia Island. affected by rising air temperatures or water
The tower will go on a similar iceberg.
It’s basically the same route that Ernest temperatures. If the air temperature is the
Shackleton and his crew took after their ments, including a weather station, satel- bigger factor, the berg will develop melt
ship got trapped in the Weddell Sea. lite tracking devices, sensors that monitor pools on top. That water sinks into cracks
The water temperature at South Georgia the iceberg’s thickness and temperature, in the iceberg and freezes, which acts like
Island is between about 2 and 4 degrees as well as movable and fixed cameras. a wedge and breaks the berg apart.
Celsius, compared to just below zero at The instruments will send data back to If the seawater is the main force, the
the icebergs’ home along the Antarctic ice Scambos via an Iridium modem a few berg will start melting from the bottom up.
shelves, Scambos said. While this might times a day. Scambos said bergs appear to reach a criti-
not seem like a lot, it makes a big differ- The electronics might seem complex, cal point at around 125 meters thick when
ence to an iceberg. but it was Mother Nature that proved the they suddenly become weak. A berg that
“By this time next year, it will probably most difficult to deal with. For a while, it started at 300 meters thick and retained
be fighting for its life,” Scambos said of the looked like the group might not get a good basically the same shape for years will start
group’s intended target, iceberg A-22A. berg to study. And they’re still a bit wor- losing several chunks a week, he said.
The 1,500-kilometer trip from the pen- ried that A-22A will skip town too soon. Understanding these processes will
insula to the island generally takes about The group originally focused on an ice- help scientists predict what will happen
four or five months, Scambos said. The berg that calved off the Ronne Ice Shelf in to Antarctica’s ice shelves if temperatures
bergs start their voyage by passing near the 2000. But it got stuck on a shoal and didn’t here rise. The idea, Scambos said, is to
Argentinean station of Marambio, where make it around the peninsula this year, “watch [the iceberg] while it goes through
Scambos and his team are basing their proj- Scambos said. a fast forward climate change.”
ect, in conjunction with the Argentineans. “We thought we were really in trouble,”
The group will spend about a month he said. NSF-funded research in this story: Ted
there in February and March, waiting for They started watching satellite images Scambos, University of Colorado National
the right moment to fly out to the iceberg. for another potential candidate, and A-22A Snow and Ice Data Center, www.nsidc.
Their goal is to set up a slew of instru- suddenly appeared. org/icetrek/index.html
4 • The Antarctic Sun January 1, 2006
Perspectives sevitcepsreP
Return to Pole
a warm reunion
By Peter Rejcek
Sun staff
Throughout my year as a Polie, we
would all ask each other the same question:
Are you coming back?
My reply never wavered, “No. Never.” Peter Rejcek spent a year
It’s not that I didn’t enjoy the 12 months at the South Pole as a car-
penter helper from Oct. 31,
at the Pole, from Oct. 31, 2003 to Nov. 1,
2003 to Nov. 1, 2004. Little
2004. It’s a life experience you can’t regret,
did he realize that he would
and not just because of all the neat statistics return to the bottom of the
that go along with wintering at the bottom world, this time as a jour-
of the world. My favorite: More people nalist for The Antarctic Sun.
have climbed Mount Everest (more than
Photos by Andrea Dixon / Special to The Antarctic Sun
1,900 at the end of the 2003 season) than
have wintered at the Pole (unofficially, choice for this hit-and-run style of jour- ments and pictures as the new occupants
1,110). For a brief while, we had the larg- nalism thanks to my previous experience assert their right to work and live there.
est winter crew ever at 75 people. This past working at the Pole; I knew where to go and The converted meat locker that serves as
season they eclipsed us with 86 wintering. whom to interview. the new greenhouse (which I helped build)
But it’s a long year — a very long year. Of course, the quantum leap from sea is as lush as a jungle. The B1 wing’s recre-
At a certain age, you begin to measure your level to a physical altitude of about 3,000 ation and lounge areas are simply luxurious
values — what’s important to you — in meters is not unlike scuba diving at 30 and spacious compared to the cramped and
increments of time. At age 22, I could see meters — you’re moving slow, and feel- deteriorating conditions under the Dome.
the appeal of knocking off five winters in a ing a bit stupid and giddy no matter how And there are windows — dozens of win-
row (the current record). At 32, the age I was many times you’ve done it. On top of that, dows.
when I left the Pole, I couldn’t help wonder I wasn’t prepared for the sheer wonder of The Dome. Not a veteran Polie, my
about the sunsets I had missed, the countries returning to a place I vowed never to see attachment to the old station is superficial at
I had hoped to visit by then but hadn’t. again, as resolutely as breaking off an affair best, lamenting good old days I never really
I worked that year as a carpenter helper, you know can only end badly. knew. Still, it was surreal to see it for the
a detour from my regular profession as But where a year is marriage, two days first time, with the old biomed and dining
a journalist and freelance writer. I must is a honeymoon. hall buildings gone, like watching a picture
admit, the transition was difficult. It wasn’t Since I left, the last two pods of the slowly fading. In another year, the Dome
simply the physical demands I found hard new elevated station, a summer berthing will probably be empty but for boxes and
to meet at first (though office life cer- wing and the gym, have been built and are crates. The Skylab building, home to much
tainly doesn’t build stamina to haul loads already nearing completion. The new com- of South Pole science for decades, is empty
of sheetrock around). It was my first real munications room, the station operations and surrendered to the cold.
experience on a construction crew, when center, looks like mission control at NASA The hospitality at the Pole, of course,
my schedule wasn’t my own to determine, and was fully transitioned this week. All is anything but chilly. Though there were
living the twilight existence of the swing the rooms my crew built are occupied with many new faces after only a year away, I
shift. The day was detailed to the last min- new faces, and I couldn’t help but intrude still recognized a lot of friends and even
ute, from lunch hour to quitting time. It on one poor guy reading in his room to made a few new ones during my brief stay.
was a year of firsts — bleeding from raw boast that I had built the four walls he The Polie attitude is famous among U.S.
knuckles, blinking though scratched safety called home. (He seemed pleased with the Antarctic Program participants — a frontier
glasses, itching incessantly from fiberglass results, even if he could stretch both arms spirit that’s sometimes mistaken for arro-
insulation. I also built my first wall, ran out and touch two walls.) I even ran a gance.
around the world, and played kickball on critical eye down the hallways looking for It’s not hubris that drives the South
New Year’s Day in negative 20 degrees defects; I cringed once or twice but mostly Pole, but hard work and imagination. Sure,
Celsius temperatures. As a buddy of mine nodded in satisfaction. modernity has infiltrated life there as it does
is prone to saying, “It’s all good.” Even more impressive to me is that the everywhere, but conditions are still tough
Fast forward to Dec. 22, 2005. I’m now new station is starting to lose its sterility. at 90 degrees south. I knew that, but I had
a journalist with The Antarctic Sun, about to It’s still far from homey — and no one will forgotten just how welcoming and warm it
touch down at the South Pole. The assign- ever understand the aesthetics behind the could be as well.
ment: Grab all the stories and pictures you Italian-made floor mats on the walls — but Do I regret my year at the South Pole?
can in the next 48 hours. I was the natural the dining hall is plastered with announce- “No. Never.”
January 1, 2006 The Antarctic Sun • 5
a r o u n d t h e c o n t i n e n t
SOUTH POLE
Racing around the world
By Amnesty Kochanowski
South Pole correspondent
Not many people from the United States
celebrate Christmas in summer, and even
fewer enjoy the holiday at the South Pole.
We had 257 people at Christmas din-
ner, including seven members of the
South Pole Traverse team, and enjoyed
beef Wellington, crab legs, mashed pota-
toes, asparagus, and delectable homemade
John Fonseca / Special to The Antarctic Sun
chocolates. The feast was served over three
Runners compete in the annual Race Around the World on Christmas Day at the South Pole.
seatings in the merry dining hall. A fourth Runners, skiers, bikers and others race around the ceremonial pole.
seating was added for some IceCube drill-
ers who had to work the full day. a camp on the mud flats of the Kashunuk
Many people helped prepare fresh veg- PALMER River.
etables and desserts. The galley staff self- The second science lecture was present-
lessly served dinner and worked during the ed by principal investigators Ken Smith,
two-day weekend so others could enjoy John Helly, Maria Vernet, Bruce Robison,
Understanding icebergs
time off. An appreciation dinner will be Ron Kaufmann and Tim Shaw, who were
served for the staff this weekend. By Kerry Kells all on board the Gould.
On Christmas morning, people ran, Palmer correspondent The goal of their research cruise in
biked, skied, rode and walked a circle The past week saw the return of the the Weddell Sea was to investigate how
around the ceremonial South Pole during Laurence M. Gould research vessel to sta- free-drifting icebergs impact the biological
the annual “Race Around the World.” It tion to pick up cargo and take four com- characteristics of the surrounding waters.
was overcast, with winds less than 13 kilo- munity members home. Sections of the sea Two specific icebergs were studied during
meters per hour. The course was about two ice have departed; however, a fairly large the cruise, the smaller W-86 and larger
kilometers long, run in two loops. iceberg dogged the station for a few days A-52.
The top female competitors were earlier this week. Investigations included remote sens-
Sara Boaz (12 minutes and 20 seconds), We had two science lectures this week. ing and imaging of the icebergs; research
Adrianne Gass (12:21) and Kari Nester The first one was presented by Kristen on the phytoplankton and zooplankton
(12:58). The overall winner was Joey Gorman, who is a field team member of communities in the water; the distribution
Hockett (9:05). Second and third place fin- Bill Fraser’s seabird research group and is and abundance of seabird communities in
ishers were Philip Clarke (9:26), and Ben new to Palmer this year. She presented a relation to the iceberg’s ecosystem; and
Dobrovolny (9:55), respectively. At times, talk on graduate level fieldwork she con- research on the icebergs themselves, such
it seemed like a cold parade: a man on ducted in western Alaska on the greater as how dust and other materials trapped in
stilts, snowmobiles and PistenBullys pull- scaup. the icebergs contribute to the nutrient sup-
ing floats, and Santa Claus were all thrown The greater scaup is a coastal-nesting ply of the surrounding waters.
into the mix. duck found in western Alaska, the Great Each iceberg was tracked for about a
Mail was received just in time for the Lakes region and northern Canada. For the week. The characteristics of the commu-
holidays. There have been over 140 flights study, Gorman worked at the Yukon Delta nities near the icebergs included elevated
to date. On Dec. 23, about 1,800 kilograms National Wildlife Refuge, one of the larg- biomass, denser zooplankton communities
of package mail came to the Pole. est refuges in the United States, covering and larger krill populations.
The perfect ending to Christmas day an area of 22 million acres. The area is We celebrated the holidays with
was snow! A light snow started in the eve- populated by 35 Yu’pik Eskimo villages our annual Christmas gift exchange.
ning and fell throughout most of the night. (about 25,000 people). Her study site was See CONTINENT on page 6
the week in weather
McMurdo Station Palmer Station South Pole Station
High: 43F / 6C High: 43F / 6C High: -8F / -22C
Low: 25F / -4C Low: 25F / -4C Low: -15F / -26C
Max. sustained wind: 35mph / 56kph Max. sustained wind: 37mph / 59kph Peak wind: 17mph / 27kph
Windchill: -2F / -19C Precipitation: 4mm Max. physio-altitude: 3,080m
6 • The Antarctic Sun January 1, 2006
Continent gusts made our work difficult, and we
From page 5 made our way around A-52 to a relatively
sheltered bay on the side of the iceberg.
Participants drew a number, and as their Here we managed to deploy the ROV one
number was called, they could either pick a last time and got some more impressive
gift from under the tree or “steal” a gift that footage. We left the area for Palmer Station
someone else had already opened. Some after the weather got too rough to do much
gifts exchanged hands many times. of anything.
Many presents were handmade, includ- After a very smooth and fast transit, we
ing paintings, framed photographs, a trea- arrived at Palmer Station before noon on
sure chest box, a mosaic of Antarctica, Dec. 22. We immediately started the trans-
knitted hats and socks, a blue jean quilt and fer of 150,000 liters of fuel to the station,
many more. which was running low due to the boo-
merang of the last Gould cruise. The cargo
operations took us until well after dinner.
SHIPS We left the next day and headed to Cape
Shireff to drop off and pick up personnel. Cara Sucher / Special to The Antarctic Sun
The Laurence M. Gould sits in port at Palmer
We arrived at Cape Shireff on the morn-
Station recently. The ship brings the station’s
ing of Christmas Eve and did a smooth
LMG passengers and supplies from Chile, and con-
cargo and passenger transfer by Zodiac.
ducts research cruises as well. The ship was
Compiled from reports Under way again, people finished making prevented from reaching the station on its last
by Stephanie Suhr Sliester gifts for their Secret Santa, helped bake trip because of heavy sea ice in the area.
Marine Projects Coordinator pies in the galley, and pursued other merry
We did not think it was possible for the activities. The Secret Santa after dinner had the third in a series of science talks
weather to get any better, but on the morn- was a great success. in the morning, then spent the remainder
ing of Dec. 19 the water surface looked as Almost everyone began their Christmas of the day testing various over-the-side
clear as glass. Day by getting tossed out of their bunks, equipment.
The day started with finishing up the literally, thanks to huge waves that had A test cast with one of the vessel’s con-
deep conductivity, temperature and depth developed. Trying to have a festive break- ductivity, temperature and depth (CTD)
(CTD) casts, after which the Biosonics fast (and lunch and dinner) with 3.5-meter instruments was completed to 1,000
sonar was deployed again to image the swells is such a bother. meters, and all systems are functioning
subsurface area of iceberg A-52. This Things finally calmed down the next normally. We deployed the Trace Metal
was our first really successful attempt morning when we came around Cape Clean (TMC) towfish/pump system and
at this operation, resulting in great data. Horn, and we continued heading for Punta operated it throughout the afternoon.
More CTD casts were completed before Arenas, Chile, intending to land the fol- Another day of calm seas and overcast
breakfast, followed by deployment of the lowing day. skies the next day, and all instrument
remotely operated vehicle (ROV) for two deployments went well. Everyone is await-
hours. Again, gobs of algae and associated ing the ice edge.
NBP
organisms — and even rocks — were suc- We continued steaming south towards
cessfully scraped off the lower subsurface Compiled from reports our work area the next couple days, mov-
area of the iceberg using an improvised by Harold “Skip” Owen ing at a good pace. On Christmas, the chef
plankton net mounted to the ROV frame. Marine Projects Coordinator and galley crew prepared an excellent mid-
The next day was our last day on site, Good weather conditions continued to day meal of roast turkey, baked ham, yams,
and finally, our incredible luck with the prevail on Dec. 21, several days after sail- green beans, cold roast beef and smoked
weather left us. Increasing swells and wind ing away from Lyttleton, New Zealand. We salmon, pies and fruitcake.
What’s your favorite Antarctic Tradition?
“Bag drag.” “The first annual “The holiday
Dolly Parton Day. stockings at
There will be Palmer Station
more.” because they are
so creative and
reflect the jobs
and personalities
of people on sta-
tion.”
Dainella Nartker, Richard Lamanna, Barb Watson,
South Pole McMurdo dining Palmer instrument
electrician’s helper attendant from technician from
from Oregon City, Ore., Seattle, Wash., Kitty Hawk, N.C.,
second season first season fifth season
January 1, 2006 The Antarctic Sun • 7
2005 Antarctic Photo Contest Winners
We had a great turnout for
this year’s photo contest with
nearly 150 pictures entered in
the four categories. We asked
professional photographers
Joan Myers and Jim Mastro to
be our judges. They conferred,
and after what they said was
a sometimes difficult decision-
e
f making process, they chose the
i
l winners and added some honor-
d
able mentions.
l
i “Every photographer has dif-
W
ferent tastes and a different eye,
and each photographer uses dif-
ferent selection criteria when
judging others’ work,” Mastro
wrote of his and Myers’ discus-
sion of the photos. “At times we
had chosen some of the same
photos to be in the top five,
and other times we had selected
entirely different photos.”
Both judges complimented
everyone who entered.
“It was a pleasure to see
all the different ways that peo-
The Medusa Dance Steve Clabuesch
ple see life on the Ice,” Myers
First Place Diver with biology group, McMurdo
wrote.
McMurdo jetty, Dec. 2, 2005 Olympus C-4000 inside a
Congratulations to the win-
Light & Motion Tetra housing
ners and to everyone who sub-
Myers: This category was tough since each of us had strong feelings about the 2nd and mitted photos.
3rd entries, but we agreed that the underwater shot was beautiful. — The Sun staff
Mastro: In this case, each of us had chosen a different shot as our top photo, but again we
both agreed that the jellyfish was a strong shot. Very striking, and technically well done.
McMurdo Sound Weddell Seal Skua in Flight
Ed Stockard Jacob Sullivan
Second Place Third Place
Member of a McMurdo science group McMurdo plumber
Near Big Razorback Island, Nov. 5, 2005 Snow school, Nov. 18, 2005
Canon 20D Olympus C-740 More winners on page 8
8 • The Antarctic Sun January 1, 2006
Myers: We both
loved this shot of
the Antarctic under
water, a world very
few ever see.
Mastro: All three
top shots in this
category showed
c
a clear sense of
i
n composition and
e
design. It was
c
S tough to choose,
but Joan and I both
agreed that the
underwater shot
had strong quali-
ties: good composi-
tion and excellent
technical quality.
Underwater Steve Clabuesch
First Place McMurdo diver with a biology group
McMurdo Sound, 2005 Olympus C-4000 inside a Light &
Motion Tetra housing
Don Juan Pond Erebus Ice Tongue
Glen Snyder Christopher Dean
Second Place Third Place
McMurdo research scientist McMurdo helicopter pilot
Don Juan Pond, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Dec. 8, 2005 Erebus Ice Tongue, November 2005
Canon Powershot S1 IS Canon SD400
More winners on page 9
January 1, 2006 The Antarctic Sun • 9
The Pinsetter
Andre Fleuette
First Place
McMurdo firefighter
McMurdo bowling alley,
Nov. 16, 2005
Olympus Evolt E-300
Myers: This is an unusual por-
e trait, and we liked the lighting,
pl the colors, the woman’s pose,
o and most of all, her socks!
e
P Mastro: The composition was
excellent. This was an easy one
to agree on, though again the
others in the top three all had
winning qualities.
Delaney at the Window
Erin Popelka
Second Place
McMurdo prep cook
Long Duration Balloon drop-off point,
Nov. 16, 2005
Konica-Minolta Z5
South Pole Santas
Bill Jirsa
Third Place
McMurdo computer trainer
Snow Mound City, Dec. 25, 2004
Minolta Dimage G500
More winners on page 10
10 • The Antarctic Sun January 1, 2006
Myers: This category
had many good choic-
es, but we were struck
by the imaginative
collage used for this
portrait.
Mastro: I have to
r
agree; there were
e
h many good choices
t here, but the creativ-
O
ity of the collage won
us both over.
Andre Red One Andre Fleuette
First Place McMurdo firefighter
McMurdo sea ice runway, Oct. 31, 2005 Olympus Evolt E-300
McMurdo Uppercase Dorms at the End of Winter Seventeen Sky
Zondra Skertich Andre Fleuette
Second Place Third Place
McMurdo material requisition specialist McMurdo firefighter
McMurdo Station, Sept. 9, 2005 McMurdo sea ice runway,
Nikon D70 Oct. 31, 2005
Olympus Evolt E-300
More winners on page 11