The Antarctic Sun, November 9, 2003 - United States Antarctic

12 Pages·2003·1.11 MB·English

Published during the austral summer at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, for the United States Antarctic Program
November 9, 2003
Marshian
South Pole, do you copy?
investigation
By Brien Barnett
Sun Staff
Groundbreaking work in marine
genomics is taking place at
McMurdo’s Crary Lab in an office
staffed by “Marshians.”
Principal investigator Adam
Marsh of the University of
Delaware and his team of research
students are in the first of a three-
year study of the cold weather adap-
tive capabilities of sea urchins and
starfish that live in McMurdo
Sound.
The goal is to decipher the spe-
cific mechanisms that trigger
embryonic development under the
strain of the –1.5 C environment in
which the organisms live and
spawn.
Photo by Kris Kuenning/The Antarctic Sun
The sea urchin embryos, in par-
MacOps operator Melanie Conner does a high frequency radio check with the South Pole Station. High fre-
quency radio communication was replaced by Iridium satellite phones during blackouts caused by solar flares ticular, are spawned in the austral
last week . summer and take about a year to
develop.
Great balls of fire Marsh wants to know whether
those mechanisms are more or less
complex because of the cold envi-
ronment. He’s adapting genomic
Record-breaking solar storm silences communications techniques he learned and refined
over the course of four post-doctor-
By Kris Kuenning dead. There was nothing but a gentle hum. ates in search of the answer.
Sun Staff “That’s the sound of a very quiet ionos- The team dives almost every
Last week, the McMurdo communica- phere,” said MacOps coordinator Shelly other day, Marsh said. Samples
tions hub was unusually quiet. Normally DeNike. come from areas under the fast ice
MacOps and MacRelay are buzzing with the The ionosphere is the layer of charged in McMurdo Sound, such as cinder
crackle and hum of high frequency radios, particles in the upper atmosphere that cones. The live urchins are trans-
which serve as the primary communication bounces high frequency radio waves over the ported back to the Crary aquarium
link between McMurdo, the Amundsen-Scott horizon. The silence at MacOps was the and placed in buckets playfully
South Pole Station and the U.S. Antarctic result of a solar storm wreaking havoc. labeled “Marshian Larvae.”
Program’s outlying field camps. Every day, MacRelay coordinator Carey The “Marshians” are spending
All week, the high frequency radios were
See Solar Flares on page 8 See Marshians on page 10
INSIDE We apologize that due to technical difficulties, copies of the Sun will be limited this Quote of the Week
year. Please share. APDFof the paper is also available on the McMurdo Intranet.
Women crack The life Solar “It’s important to have a good hat
the ice barriers Joe leaves here because every day is a bad
hair day.”
Page 7 Page 12 - A marine biology researcher
www.polar.org/antsun
2 • The Antarctic Sun November 9, 2003
Ross Island Chronicles By Chico
We think we’ve
The scientists have They’re also here
figured out how the
arrived to do the once again to try to
penguins communicate
annual population infiltrate our colony.
with each other.
count.
Cold, hard facts
Getting to the Ice
Annual average of passengers flying
from Christchurch to McMurdo: 3,003
I’m sure that wasn’t OK, let’s start counting, beginning with
too hard. They’re you with the snot on your nose. Average number arriving Antarctica
not too bright. by ship: 400
Average number of Christchurch to
McMurdo flights, including Winfly: 110
Average per passenger bed nights in
Christchurch: 2
Passenger time in Christchurch this
year because of delays: up to a
week.
I thought you said
English was the Total number of bednights used in
universal language. Christchurch last year: 31,000
Flights leaving on schedule as of
Nov. 2: 79%
Flights boomeranged: nearly 24%
Factors causing delays, in order of
frequency: Weather, aircraft mainte-
nance, solar flares disrupting com-
munication.
The Antarctic Sunis funded by the National Sources: Ray Gabriel, USAP Transportation
Science Foundation as part of the United Planner; Lynn Dormand, Manager, Deployment
States Antarctic Program (OPP-000373). Its pri- Specialists Group; Phil Ambler, Manager
Terminal Operations.
mary audience is U.S. Antarctic
Program participants, their fami- Correction:These facts correct a wrong
lies, and their friends. NSF number run in some versions of the Nov.
reviews and approves material 2, 2003 Antarctic Sunon page 13.
before publication, but opinions
and conclusions expressed in the Sunare not
necessarily those of the Foundation.
Use:Reproduction and distribution are
encouraged with acknowledgment of source
and author.
Senior Editor:Kristan Hutchison
Editors: Brien Barnett
Kris Kuenning
Copy Editor:Mark Williams,
Wendy Kober,
Melanie Conner
Publisher:Valerie Carroll,
Communications manager, RPSC
Contributions are welcome.Contact the
Sunat [email protected]. In McMurdo, visit
our office in Building 155 or dial 2407.
Web address:www.polar.org/antsun
November 9, 2003 The Antarctic Sun • 3
Leopards of the sea
Seals inspire
caution and
admiration
A curious leopard seal
cruises by, checking
out the photographer
during a dive near
Palmer Station.
Photo by Dan Martin/Special to The Antarctic Sun
By Kristan Hutchison soon as possible, but you don’t frantically time the penguins start making frequent
Sun staff run away like game that’s been flushed.” trips in and out of the water to feed their
People and penguins react In 80 dives last year, Dan Martin met chicks. The seals will hide behind icebergs
the same when a leopard leopard seals underwater about five times. or work in pairs to catch the penguins.
seal swims by. They get out He began to recognize individual leopard Like cats, leopard seals sometimes
of the water. seals. One was particularly curious. appear to hunt for the sport of it, playing
It’s a natural response to meeting a “This one guy would just come closer with their prey. Trivelpiece once watched
predator the size of a cow with serrated and closer until he was close enough to for 45 minutes as a seal caught a penguin,
teeth and canines up to 2.5 cm long. touch,” Martin said. “I could have scratched over and over again. The seal had already
“Usually the seal just seems curious, but his chin.” killed at least a dozen penguins that day, so
when you’ve got a 10-foot-long (3 meter) To Martin, the leopard seals have an it clearly wasn’t hunting out of hunger any-
predator a few feet away from you, you do almost dog-like demeanor. But unlike dogs, more. Like a cat with a mouse, the seal
worry he might get curious about what you little is known about their behavior or how would grab the penguin and drag it under-
they react in a given situation. Martin has
taste like,” said Chuck Amsler, a biologist water briefly. Half a minute later, the pen-
noticed that when he’s seen leopard seals
who dives at Palmer Station. guin would reappear, looking dazed and
down deep they generally circle from a dis-
This past winter a leopard seal did attack start swimming for shore. For a few
tance, watching. As he rises toward the sur-
a science diver who was snorkeling near moments the seal would follow lazily
face, the seal’s circle often tightens.
Rothera, a British research station on the behind, then catch the penguin again.
Though leopard seals rarely threaten
Antarctic Peninsula. The researcher, 28- “We were rooting for the penguin toward
humans in the water, they do have a taste for
year-old Kirsty Margot Brown, was pulled the end, because the leopard seal didn’t care
the inflatable rubber boats frequently used
under and drowned on July 22. if he ate it,” Trivelpiece said.
around Palmer Station.
It was the first time a leopard seal has Leopard seals have their fans too. Their
“They tend to just gnaw on them like a
caused the death of a person. Despite the sleek bodies are a silvery dark gray color
teething baby,” said Doug Fink, the boating
attack, Amsler feels Antarctic waters are rel- with interesting spotted patterns, which lead
coordinator at Palmer Station. “You don’t
atively safe. to them being named after the spotted
find things torn apart as much as you do
“In thirty-some years of people diving all scrape lines and pinpoint holes from their African cat. The seals live in the pack ice all
over the Peninsula, there’s been one attack,” sharp teeth.” around the continent and can live more than
Amsler said. “I’m in an urban university In one week last year, leopard seals 26 years. They reproduce from September
and we’ve had people killed walking across punctured four of the boats. Fink instructs to January and by most recent estimates
the street, but I still walk across it to go to boat operators to leave the seals alone and to number about 220,000.
the library. I just look both ways.” take any sign of aggression or curiosity on Unlike other seals, the leopard seals use
Though leopard seals have never the seals’ part as a signal that it’s time to their large fore-flippers while swimming.
attacked before, divers around Palmer leave the area. Divers who have seen them underwater
Station have always treated them as poten- Penguins have more reason to fear leop- describe leopard seals as graceful and
tially dangerous animals. The dive tenders ard seals than people do. Though leopard impressive.
keep an eye out for leopard seals and if one seals are primarily krill eaters, they get a “In terms of just seeing one on land, the
is spotted in the area, the dive is called off. taste for penguins and are skilled hunters coloration and shape, in many ways you
If the divers are already in the water, they who always seem to get their prey. might say they’re more beautiful than say,
generally back slowly up to a cliff or wall, “The only way a penguin gets away is if the elephant seal,” Amsler said.
so they don’t have to worry about the leop- it gets to shore,” said Susan Trivelpiece, a “Underwater, the leopard seals are very
ard seal surprising them from behind. bird biologist on King George Island. maneuverable animals that can twist and
“Most of the places we’re diving are The leopard seals often start patrolling turn. If you weren’t worried about the busi-
very steep,” Amsler said. “You get out as offshore of the penguin colony about the ness end, they would be fun to watch.”
4 • The Antarctic Sun November 9, 2003
Perspectives sevitcepsreP
Ice history from the Kiwi perspective
By Baden Norris named after William Stewart, Tuati’s
D
ecades before the U.S. and New father. Once again, the Kiwis were pre-
Zealand Antarctic stations became sent at a notable Antarctic event, yet in
neighbors on Ross Island, Kiwis both cases serving another country.
were cooperating with expeditions Clarence Hare was the only New
from other countries to explore the Antarctic. Zealander to serve on the Discovery dur-
As the final port call before sailing to ing Captain Robert Scott’s National
the Antarctic, New Zealand was the place Antarctic Expedition of 1901-04. This 21-
where expeditions stopped to pick up year-old joined the British ship in
additional supplies, including crew mem- Lyttelton and spent the first year on the
bers. ice at Hut Point before being returned to
Captain James Cook of the British New Zealand by relief ship. This relief
Royal Navy first established a link ship Morning did have New Zealanders
between Antarctica and New Zealand dur- among her crew, including several
ing the first circumnavigation of the con- Lyttelton residents. A number of men
tinent in 1773-74. During his historic feat from Lyttelton also served on Ernest
he spent the first winter in his ship Shackleton’s Nimrod in 1907-09. Scott’s
Resolution at Dusky Sound, in New Terra Nova also carried 19 New
Zealand’s Fjordlands. Evidence of this Photo by Kris Kuenning/The Antarctic Sun Zealanders among its crew during the
winter can still be seen in Facile Harbor in Some of the original Scott Base buildings, 1910-13 expedition.
the form of tree stumps used to moor the which now serve as a museum. By 1917 and the closing of the heroic
ship. The Lyttelton Historical Museum era of Antarctic exploration in the Ross
houses two bottles found there. Sea area, at least 24 men from New
rectly) 3,400 km of shore. He was the first
It was a long time, however, before the Zealand had visited the southern polar
man to recognize that beneath the mantle
first New Zealander entered the southern regions. With the arrival of the Norwegian
of ice lay a continent. It was a notable
polar regions and he was there as a service whaling fleet based in Stewart Island,
event in the long history of the area and a
of the U.S. Navy. many men from that island served aboard
New Zealander was part of it.
Captain Charles Wilkes led the United the ships between 1924-30. Another 57
Although a historic figure, Tuati
States Exploring Expedition of 1839-40. Kiwis served the U.S. during the expedi-
appears to have escaped the attention of
He must have been the most reluctant most historians in New Zealand. All that tions of Rear Admiral R.E. Byrd and three
explorer ever, agreeing to lead the expedi- is known is that he took his family to wintered over.
tion only after several others refused. He Hawaii on his return to the Bay of Islands It was the International Geophysical
was a brilliant cartographer and proved and faded from the scene. Year (IGY) and the Commonwealth Trans
equal to the task. The first New Zealanders to land on Antarctic Expedition that prompted the
Aboard Wilkes’ ship, Vincennes, was a the continent were among a group of New Zealand government to get involved
young seaman who was known as John Norwegian sealers who landed at Cape in its own right.
Sac. His true name was Tuati, the Maori Adare on January 18, 1895. The group In 1956 Sir Edmund Hillary and his
pronouncement for Stewart, and his veins included a Norwegian named team of New Zealanders headed south to
carried Maori and European blood in Borchgrevink, who later led an expedition erect a base on Ross Island near
equal volume. The son of William Stewart back there. McMurdo Station. Named after a British
and his Nga Puhi wife, Tuati had reached This landing is believed to be the first explorer, Scott Base allowed the men
the U.S. aboard a whaling ship in the mid on the continent, although there is evi- from New Zealand for the first time to
1830s, having quickly learned the sea- dence of landings on the Antarctic work in the Antarctic under their own
man’s craft as a crew member. His name Peninsula that may predate this. flag. New Zealand’s part in Antarctic
had proved too difficult for his shipmates The four Kiwis, Alexander von affairs has progressed continuously ever
to pronounce, so he acquired the new Tunzelman, George Lonnecker, William since.
name of John Sac, a name he carried for Joss and George Chevalier, all joined the
the rest of his seagoing career. sealer Antarctic at Port Chalmers after Baden Norris is the Emeritus Curator
Wilkes took his ship, a 24-gun corvette crew trouble left the ship undermanned. of Antarctic History for Canterbury
of the U.S. Navy, to the coast of All four came from Stewart Island, New Museum and the Lyttelton Historical
Antarctica and charted (not always cor- Zealand’s third largest island, which was Museum.
November 9, 2003 The Antarctic Sun • 5
around the continent
well organized and everyone seems moti-
SOUTH POLE
vated for their tasks. It’s definitely cold
too!”
First impressions
Two of our new dining assistants are
Navah Levine from Somerville, Mass, and
By Vincent Scott Sheri Mason from St. Louis, Mo. Levine’s
South Pole correspondent first thoughts were “Wow, it’s very white
New arrivals at Amundsen-Scott South here. Where are the palm trees?” Mason’s
Pole Station had a variety of impressions first impression was of a more practical
of their new home and work place. They nature: “Don’t walk into the propeller.
were impressed not only with the station Don’t walk into the propeller. Don’t walk
and the environment and their jobs, but into the propeller.”
especially with the people.
Here are some of the things said since
PALMER
they arrived Oct. 25:
“Now I’ve breathed the cleanest air in
the world and that’s quite a privilege,” Adelies everywhere
said Sean Hufstetler, a communications
technician from Panama City, Fla. “Oh,
By Kerry Kells
and the water’s good too.”
Palmer correspondent
Eyvind Flater was impressed with the
Beginning with the top of the food
size of the facilities. “It’s more spread out
chain in the Southern Ocean, I spoke with
than I anticipated,” said Flater, a satellite
two team members with Bill Fraser’s
technician from Aurora, Colo. “I’ve seen
group. Fraser is a principal investigator
the aerial photos before, but you just don’t
with a research history at Palmer Station
get the whole picture from those.” Photo provided by Fraser research team
that exceeds 20 years. His two main pro-
Another newcomer to the Pole is Cori Cindy Anderson weighs a bird while Heidi
jects include the study of how global cli-
Geisz writes notes near Palmer Station.
Hayth from Bishop, Calif. Hayth is a gen-
mate change affects Adelie penguin breed-
eral assistant and was also impressed with Zodiacs out to the islands of Litchfield,
ing and foraging ecology and the study of
the size of the station, but observed that, Cormorant and Christine to study the pen-
the impact of humans on Adelie popula-
“Even though the station is spread out, the guin colonies that inhabit these islands.
tions.
community is close knit. And there are Long-term studies have shown that local
Our seabird researchers currently on
good parties!” Adelie penguin populations appear to be
station include Heidi Geisz, the field team
Coming from an Alaskan climate is in decline.
leader and team members Cindy Anderson
diesel mechanic Isaac Parker. Parker was Torgersen and Litchfield are two
and Dan Evans. Known collectively as
very impressed with the station. “The islands chosen for study many years ago
“The Birders,” they work together on the
dome is pretty neat. It’s huge. Do a lot of because of their similarities in size and
many aspects of this research. While other
women work here?” adult penguin numbers. Torgersen is
seabird species are studied—giant petrels,
Robert “Con” Scott, a first time explor- unique because it has a control side
blue-eyed shags, south polar skuas, brown
er from Outlands, England, was pleased (where visitors are not allowed to go) sep-
skuas and kelp gulls—funding for the pro-
upon seeing his name here at the station, arated from a human side (open for
ject is primarily for Adelie penguins. The
“Those good chums spelled my name cor- tourists and visitors) by a flag line. The
birders conduct visits to different islands
rectly – bully for them!” bulk of human impact is on Torgersen
within our 3.2-km boating limit to study
Susan Weber is a first-year janitor for Island. Litchfield Island, however, is com-
several Adelie penguin populations at
the station from Grand Marais, pletely protected from visitor and tourist
indicator colonies (colonies or sites where
Minn..Upon disembarking here at Pole impact under the Antarctic Special
long term data has been collected). They
she was heard to exclaim, “Now this is Protected Area Restriction. Surprisingly,
count colonies to determine population
Antarctica!” penguin numbers at Litchfield have
numbers for adult Adelie penguins and
The Pole’s new physician’s assistant is declined more rapidly than at Torgersen,
measure reproductive success based, in
Troy Wiles from Frankfurt, Mich. Wiles which indicates the situation may be more
part, on number of eggs present, and the
states, “I’m impressed with the new sta- complex than originally thought.
number of fledglings. Torgersen Island
tion and old station and the whole site ris-
and Humble Island are visited every two
ing out of the snow. Things here are very days. Every five days, the birders drive See Palmer on page 6
the week in weather
McMurdo Station Palmer Station South Pole Station
High: 25 F/-4 C Low: -6 F/-21 C High: 37 F/2.6 C Low: 21 F/-6 C High: -25 F/-32 C Low: -57 F/-49 C
Wind: 29 mph/47 kph Wind: 61 mph/96 kph Wind: 13 mph/21 kph
Windchill: -53 F/-47 C Windchill: 5 F/-15 C
6 • The Antarctic Sun November 9, 2003
Palmer
From page 5
Our field team of birders will con- water at the surface and various
tinue throughout the summer season depths below, along with bucket casts
to make their almost daily trips to the and net tows. On Nov. 2 a circuit
Adelie penguin colonies scattered breaker tripped, shutting off power to
around Palmer Station. Local ecosys- the heat tape that keeps the incubator
tems, climate changes, and human drain from freezing. With no drain
impact are all parameters affecting lines, the incubators quickly over-
Adelie penguin numbers. Other flowed, creating massive ice sculp-
Adelie research projects include pen- tures on the helo deck, to the dismay
guin movement, feeding locations and of all involved. Many people turned
food composition (nutrients). Moving out at about 5 a.m., with chippers,
beyond the islands within our sight, scrapers and heat guns in hand. By 10
penguins of the Southern Ocean are a.m. most the incubators were
studied further on research vessels chipped out and back on line. The
throughout the year. incubator system was eventually
replumbed for better cold weather
survival and all incubators are run-
SHIPS
ning free and clear, no ice forming
inside or out.
N.B. Palmer enters ice On Nov. 3 the engines made an
ominous noise, which proved to be
From sitreps by Don Michaelson caused by the two starboard side
The Nathaniel B. Palmer crossed engines racing up from idle, resulting
latitude 60 south on Oct. 30, north of in the failure of some bearings. The
Cape Adare. By lunchtime the next engineers set about fixing the prob-
day the ship was starting to get into lem. While the ship sat still, the
bits and pieces of ice. Passengers researchers continued testing instru-
scampered up to the bridge to have a ments and running the regular morn-
look. ing measurements, deepwater tests,
We’ve passed over into the land of net tows, and bucket casts.
Photo by Kris Kuenning/The Antarctic Sun
perpetual sunlight - if only the fog
would clear. The Laurence M. Gould was at the Floyd Trujillo, an equipment technician from
Silverthorn, Colo., descends from changing equip-
The ship continued south, measur- Punta Arenas dock on a port call all
ment on the Nathaniel B. Palmer.
ing the salinity and temperature of week.
S
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C
“I just read them “[Antarctica is] like “Antarctica in the win-
the brochure. It’s no other place on the ter is easy to describe –
How do you describe the highest, driest, planet. It’s really cold and dark. In the
coldest….” beyond description.” summer, I leave it up to
Antarctica to people Chris Vitry Scot Jackson their own imagination.”
Palmer Network South Pole cargo from Laura Tudor
back home?
Administrator from Silverton, Colo., McMurdo science tech from
Denver, Colorado, third season San Francisco,
fourth season second 13-month season
November 9, 2003 The Antarctic Sun • 7
Women come to Ice as equals
By Kristan Hutchison “At first I remember really hating
Sun staff going into the galley and having all
N
avy guys used to say there these eyes leer at me,” said Palais,
was a woman behind every who is now the glaciology program
tree in Antarctica. Now it manager for the National Science
would take a forest to Foundation. “It’s so much nicer now
hide all the women working in the to have a better balance and have
U.S. Antarctic Program as some role models to look up to and
researchers, trades people, man- have women who are doing good
agers and other positions. science.”
“As far as I can tell it’s not even Now it’s rare to see a field team
a question if you’re a man or without a female member, Palais
woman,” said Cara Sucher, Palmer said.
senior assistant laboratory supervi- A quick tally of the U.S.
sor. “It’s if you can do the job.” Antarctic Programs list of grantees
A conference on Women’s shows that women are the primary
Roles in Polar Regions last month principal investigators on 15 percent
celebrated how far women have of the grants this season. That’s not
Photo provided by Heidi Geisz
come since melting the ice ceiling equality, but it’s better than the
34 years ago. Sponsored by the Heidi Geisz, left, and Cindy Anderson, approach a penguin national numbers. For the entire
chick to band it. They are among the new generation of
American Polar Society, the con- National Science Foundation, of
women researchers in Antarctica.
ference at the Byrd Polar Research which the Polar Programs are only a
Center in Ohio drew nearly 100 people, research team to go to the Dry Valleys. He part, 12.5 percent of grants go to women.
said conference co-organizer Kristin received a letter in response from another In 1999, women earned 35 percent of the
Larson, herself a veteran of several sum- Antarctic explorer who wrote only one doctorates in science and engineering in
mers and winters on the ice as laboratory word: “Traitor.” the U.S.
manager. But women have been mostly well “Absolutely, there remains a reason to
“We shot for the Moon, but we made it received in the Antarctic. be concerned about the disparity in fund-
to Mars,” Larson said of the conference. “The number one point was the men ing between female and male scientists by
“It was just amazing, not only the scope behaved a sight better when there were the NSF,” said Mary Turnipseed, a sec-
and breadth and accomplishments of our women around. They were tidier and more ond-year researcher at Palmer Station.
speakers, but the participants too.” polite,” Bull said. Part of the new generation of women sci-
The conference participants included How women are treated in Antarctica entists, Turnipseed works with another
Edith Ronne, who became the first woman often depends on the national origins of woman, Lauren Rogers, at Palmer Station
to spend a winter in Antarctica in 1947; an the station. When Sucher went to Vostok and did her graduate research in an all-
elder from Barrow, Alaska, who gave an Station in 1995, she was the first American women lab.
invocation in Inuit; and a 13-year-old girl woman to work there. Anthropologist Nancy Chin is studying
who had visited both Poles. “They were really nice,” Sucher said. gender in McMurdo. She’s noticed women
“One of the things that really came out “They definitely respected me.” working in the Antarctic have equal access
was that in communities that are harsh and They also wouldn’t let her help clean to many of the marks of social standing.
where survival is much more difficult, tra- the kitchen or haul ice for water. At holi- “One of the things that gives you pres-
ditional women’s roles are much different days, she had to dance with everyone, but tige in Antarctic society is have you been
than they are in more temperate regions she was also the recipient of all the gifts at to Pole. Yes, women have been to Pole,”
because nothing is superfluous,” Larson Christmas and birthdays. Chin said.
said. “Everybody has to be useful. If Julie Brigham-Grette faced another In fact, the current area manager at Pole
you’re good at driving Cats, it doesn’t side of the Russian treatment of women is a woman and so was her predecessor.
matter if you’re a boy or girl, you get the when she researched in Northeast Russia Women have also wintered, returned to the
job, and the same is true up in the Arctic. in 1991. Initially, she was not allowed to Antarctic for many seasons and been rec-
If you’re good at throwing harpoons, it sign science agreements and at one point a ognized as skilled and hard workers, all
doesn’t matter if you’re a girl or a boy.” Russian man insisted on lugging her back- additional traits people are judged by in
It didn’t start that way. It took women pack, saying “No, I take…you carry Antarctica, Chin said. In some ways
58 years after Amundsen to reach the babies.” women are more equal in Antarctica than
South Pole. When Colin Bull first started “In such circles, respect can eventually back home, Chin said. To start with, they
leading expeditions to Antarctica in 1958, be won by your quiet expertise with a aren’t stuck with the domestic chores.
it was a men-only club run by the Navy. shovel, digging arduous stratigraphic sec- Still, men outnumber women almost 2
He signed a female geologist onto his tions or by handling a small craft and out- to 1 in the U.S. Antarctic program, Chin
research team in 1959, and then had to board motor in large swells,” Brigham- said.
leave her behind when the Navy refused to Grette said. “The balance is certainly much better
carry her in its helicopters. Conference co-organizer Julie Palais than it was, but I think we can do better
He kept trying. In 1969 the National remembers feeling awkward and uncom- too.” Palais said. “There should be some
Science Foundation opened the gates to fortable the first time she went to sort of balance that mimics the general
women and Bull put together an all-female Antarctica, in 1978. gender balance back in the real world.”
8 • The Antarctic Sun November 9, 2003
Photo by Kris Kuenning/The Antarctic Sun
MacRelay coordinator Carey Collins checks a space weather graph to assess the possible impacts for McMurdo communications.
Solar Flares space weather has several distinct storm
From page 1 patterns. The first is a blast of electromag-
netic radiation traveling the speed of light,
Collins checks the space weather forecast the largest of these occurred within 24
which reaches Earth just eight minutes
from the Space Environment Center in hours of each other, affecting airline
after the flare erupts.
Denver. A division of The National flights, satellites, power stations and radio
“This radiation causes ionization in the
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, communications.
ionosphere and creates HF communica-
the center monitors the sun’s activity and At McMurdo, the contingency plans
tion problems on the sunlit side of the
sends warnings around the world to com- developed since the last major period of
munications operators, airlines and space solar activity mean scientific operations Earth,” Murtagh said.
programs. can continue with the help of Iridium As quickly as 25 minutes after the ini-
tial blast, a radiation storm may begin.
Solar forecaster Bill Murtagh said the satellite phones in lieu of high frequency
High-energy particles reach the outer lay-
sun is currently 3.5 years past the maxi- radio communication.
ers of Earth’s atmosphere, and wreak
mum part of its 11-year cycle, but the activ- The LC-130 aircraft that fly to South
havoc on satellites.
ity of recent weeks has been significant. Pole and several field camps are also using
“Although there is not much impact for
The largest solar flare ever recorded in Iridium phones to communicate. Because
Earth, radiation levels are increased for
our solar system happened on November Iridium phones have only been used for a
astronauts,” Murtagh said. Because the
5, McMurdo time. On the Richter scale of few years as the primary source of com-
Earth’s magnetic lines feed into the north
solar flares, it measured X28. X is the munication, the weather restrictions for
and south poles, the radiation spirals
highest of the three rating categories for flying without HF communication are
toward the poles and is absorbed into the
solar flares. Until this week, the highest more stringent, said Lt Colonel Paul
rating was X20. Although smaller flares Sheppard of the 109th New York Air atmosphere at levels that can be felt by
earlier in the week caused power outages National Guard. high-flying aircraft.
Airlines will reroute aircraft flying at
and widespread auroras, this explosion The 150-meter cloud ceiling with 3.2
and above 9,000 meters to protect crew
was not directed squarely toward Earth, km of visibility is increased to 900 meters
and passengers from a radiation dose.
and its effects so far have been relatively with 4.8 km of visibility when the HF
Murtagh estimates that flying over the
minimal. radios are wiped out by solar storms.
poles during last week’s radiation storm
A week earlier, the same two large
would have exposed crew and passenger
sunspots for the record-breaking flare Space Weather
to radiation levels equivalent to several
were aimed directly at Earth, spitting a
Just like Earth weather generates hurri-
total of 10 solar flares at the planet. Two of
canes, tornados or cyclones, Murtagh said See Solar Flares on page 9
November 9, 2003 The Antarctic Sun • 9
Solar Flares
From page 8
chest X-rays.
These radiation storms create a polar
cap absorption in the ionosphere that can
wipe out all HF signals in Antarctica for
days. Two weeks ago, MacOps reported “The timing of two
90 hours of HF communications blackout.
Last week, a series of flares on Monday very large flares
morning interrupted communications for
most of the next two days. Just as the sig- aimed directly at
nal started to reappear on Wednesday,
the Earth, occur-
another huge flare exploded and an hour
later, the HF radio was out again, accord- ring one right
ing to Collins.
The third type of storm created by a after another, is
solar flare hits Earth about one to three
hours after the solar flare. unprecedented.”
Geomagnetic storms affect HF commu-
-
nications and cause the atmospheric polar John Kohl, Harvard-Smithsonian
displays known as aurora. While these dis- Center for Astrophysics The largest recorded solar flare erupted on
plays are normally confined to regions Wednesday McMurdo time, but disruptions were
near the polar circle, the recent solar minor because the flare did not shoot directly
storms created colorful light shows as far towards the Earth.
away as Florida.
“As the sun goes through its 11-year on precision GPS are put on hold. In Specifically, he is looking at the heating
reversal of polarities, the magnetic lines Antarctica, communications move to effects of auroral electrical currents in the
get twisted and appear as sun spots with Iridium phones for communication ionosphere by collecting data of the tem-
either negative polarity or positive polari- between field camps and aircraft. perature, winds and tides of the Earth’s
ty or both,” Murtagh said. “These on their While the space center can predict upper atmosphere, especially above the
own are not of great consequence but quite well what will happen in the days poles.
when the clusters get all mixed in togeth- after a solar flare eruption, Murtagh said The storms initiated by the recent solar
er, the negative and positive areas start they could never have forecast the rapid flares were all highly ranked in the history
reacting.” development of these sunspot clusters and of recordings. In addition to the largest
Space center analysis begins with look- the intense flares they produced. ever flare on Nov. 5, Murtagh said two
ing at sunspots, which are the visible man- “A couple of weeks ago, we were look- storms from the previous week produced
ifest of complex magnetic structures on ing at a sunspot the size of a pinhead. It geomagnetic storms that made the top 20
the sun. Forecasters know from history was unimpressive, but then four or five list of storms that date back to 1932.
which of these groupings are likely to pro- days later there were two spots on the sun Murtagh said this type of intensity is
duce large solar flares. They identify size 20 times the size of Earth,” Murtagh said. not unusual for periods outside the solar
and complexity of the spots to start mak- Antarctic research is working to better maximum, but the activity of the last few
ing their first predictions of increased understand solar phenomenon. Umran weeks is unusual because the flares were
activity. Inan from Stanford University is measur- released within such a short time period.
These predictions give communica- ing solar effects on the mesosphere and John Kohl of the Harvard-Smithsonian
tions operators, power plants, airlines, lower ionosphere from the South Pole. At Center for Astrophysics agrees.
GPS users and space program operators the same time, tracking lightning storms at “The timing of two very large flares
time to take precautionary action. Palmer station provides an indirect way of aimed directly at the Earth, occurring one
Sensitive equipment on satellites is shut monitoring global weather. right after another, is unprecedented,” said
down. Space station astronauts retreat to Gulamabas Sivjee from Embry Riddle Kohl. “I have not seen anything like it in
the most protected areas of the craft, air- Aeronautical University is studying the my entire career as a solar physicist. The
lines traveling in polar regions are rerout- effects of solar disturbances during the probability of this happening is so low that
ed and deep sea drilling operations relying 2000-2002 solar-maximum period. it is a statistical anomaly.”
Antarctic Photo & Writing Festival
Four photo categories: Four writing categories
(One entry per category per person) (One entry per category per person)
- Scenic - Wildlife - Poetry:Up to 30 lines
- People - Other - Haiku:Traditional 5-7-5 syllable poem
Photos may be digital or traditional, - Micro-fiction:Up to 300 words
preferably at 300 dpi - Non-fiction:Essays, letters home, e-mails,
DEADLINE: 7 A.M. DEC. 14
memos, journal entries, etc.; up to 300 words
Outlook users, e-mail entries to
More rules: One entry per category per person for both the photo and writing contests, so choose your best. The con- MCM-Antarctic Sun, others to
test is for photography and art with an Antarctic theme. This will be broadly interpreted. You do not have to be on the [email protected], or stop by the
Ice to enter. Winners will be printed in the Sun, on the Web and posted on Highway 1. E-mail staff for more info. Sunoffice at Building 155.
10 • The Antarctic Sun November 9, 2003
Marshians
From page 1
their first summer season gathering sam- in marine biochemistry, is a team diver microscope slide for urchin embryos.
ples of embryos of Sterechinus neumayeri, and studies respiration. Lindsay Kendall When she finds one she transfers it to
or Antarctic sea urchin, at various stages is going for her doctorate at Delaware and another microscope and prepares it for
of development. cultures the embryos, quantifying their future analysis, delicately drawing off
At Crary, they are isolating the DNA DNA and RNA. Leonard Pace is hoping water, adding buffer, fluorescing the sam-
and RNA and charting respiration, or oxy- to jump from his bachelor’s degree in ple to determine whether it is DNA or
gen consumption, rates. The samples and marine and environmental science at RNA and placing each sample in a tiny
data the team gathers will be analyzed Hampton University to a PhD at Virginia tube to take back home.
back in the lab at Lewes, Dela. Institute of Marine Science. Marsh oversees the work, offers guid-
The “Marshians” are a unique bunch, They do their lab work to the beats of ance and jumps in to help with the sam-
sporting funny hats in the field and MP3s streaming off an iPod in Marsh’s pling and processing. The others are busy
“Matrix” costumes on Halloween. Kevin office. Even with the music in the back- checking embryo respiration rates and
Fielman, a post-doc who just left ground, their work is focused. logging data. Pace, an intern working
McMurdo for Lewes this week, was At her station near the back of the with Marsh’s team and biologist Art
working to relate patterns of gene expres- room Kendall wields a pipette and micro- DeVries, is studying the respiration rates
sion to a particular gene. Tracy Szela, scope with finesse, searching small sam- of dragon fish.
who is pursuing her master’s at Delaware ples of water and other material on a Marsh is familiar with Sterechinus
neumayeri. Back in 2001, he and col-
leagues Rob Maxson and Donal Manahan
At left, graduate student Lindsay Kendall
of the University of Southern California
processes a sea urchin embryo in the sec-
authored a paper in the journal “Science”
ond stage, under a microsope before she
which reported they had found that
places it in a tiny tube for transport back to
Antarctic sea urchins function at a much
the team’s lab at the University of
lower metabolic rate than other animals.
Delaware in Lewes. The team is attempt-
In fact, the urchins’ metabolism is 25
ing to understand the growth mechanisms
of the urchins via genetic analysis. times lower.
The purpose of the genome research
Below, Leonard Pace holds two live sea Marsh is now conducting is to find out
urchins captured in McMurdo Sound. He why that is the case and whether the ani-
explained that the team keeps its sample mal can adapt to a change in tempera-
buckets at the Crary Lab aquarium and tures.
label them “Marshian Larvae.” The That fits in well with a 2003 report
aquarium keeps the specimens at a con- called “Frontiers in Polar Biology in the
stant temperature, approximating their life Genomics Era” by the Polar Research
in the sea. Embryos are cultured from the Board, which calls for additional study of
genetic material that is emitted along with
organisms such as the sea urchin to find
a jelly at the top of the urchin. The sex is
out how they function and what affect any
typed after removing the jelly and analyz-
change in temperatures may play on their
ing it to determine whether it contains
vitality, among other goals. The board
sperm or eggs. The urchins have two types
receives funding from the National
of “spines,” ones that transport it and ones
Science Foundation.
that protect it.
Marsh said his team will reach one of
Photos by Brien Barnett/The Antarctic Sun
two conclusions: Either the animal is
genetically encoded to slow its metabolic
rate or it has adapted some other way.
Because it’s early in the research, no data
is available to suggest a conclusion one
way or another, he said.
Finding out the urchin is genetically
encoded to slow its metabolic rate would
set a precedent and standard for other
types of biological genomic research in
polar regions.
“We’re putting a mechanism to it,”
Marsh explained.
“We’re working on a scale of which
that mechanism is almost a property and
we can expect that the same kinds of orga-
nizational structures and gene expression
exist in deep-sea bacteria and other organ-
isms in other locations.”
Related story on page 11