12 November, 1997

12 November 97

Condition III for all locations.

REGIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY...Light glacial outflow persists along the western Ross Ice Shelf. Low pressure over the central Ross Sea has an associated surface trough

moving across the northern ice shelf toward Ross Island.

TODAY...Mostly clear becoming mostly cloudy late in the afternoon. Visibility: Unrestricted.

Wind (knots): East 12-18.

High Temperature -02C/+28F Lowest Wind-chill -17C/+01F.

TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy with occasional blowing snow.

Visibility: Unrestricted, reduced 3 to 5 in blowing snow.

Wind (knots): East-southeast 15-20, gusts to 30 after midnight.

Low Temperature -08C/+18F Lowest Wind-chill -27C/-17F.

THURSDAY...Cloudy with occasional light snow and blowing snow. Visibility: Unrestricted, reduced 2 to 4 in snow/blowing snow.

Wind (knots): Southeast 15-20 gusts to 30.

High Temperature -05C/+23F Lowest Wind-chill -23C/-09F.

SCOTT BASE 24HR TEMPERATURE FORECAST

High Temperature -04C Low Temperature -10C

ASTRONOMICAL DATA

Next sunrise in February, 1998

YESTERDAY'S EXTREMES: 11 November, 1997

Maximum Temperature: +00C/+32F

Minimum Temperature: -07C/+20 F

Peak Wind: 34 Knots

Lowest wind chill: -27C/-16F

Today was another beautiful day. I spent the morning on paperwork and prepared for a helicopter trip to the ice edge after lunch. After receiving flight instructions and a short briefing we loaded our gear and took off. The breathtaking view from the air had me amazed and enthralled. It was so wonderful to see the areas which I have become so familiar with from this kind of perspective. The trip from the day before was sill vivid in my memory and I now had a chance to see everything again.

When we reached the ice edge Doug Pace and myself drilled a hole to determine the thickness of the ice in order to see if it was safe enough for the pilot to land. Our scientific reason for being here was to perform a plankton tow. The results of the plankton tow would determine the numbers of echinoderm larvae and the stage of their development under these natural conditions on this date. These data could then be compared to the laboratory cultures.

If we were lucky we might see killer whales, leopard seals, and penguins. Sure enough, some Emperor penguins joined us not long after we got there. They had been swimming in the water and jumped out to see what all the activity was about. Naturally we took lots of photographs but then had to resume the plankton tow. It seems as though they were really interested in our work because they insisted on remaining with us the entire time. What a thrill!

I was sorry when we had to leave. The pilot flew over different areas looking for killer whales but we did not see them today. He told us that they had been in the area recently but we missed them. I couldn't help thinking how incredible the past two days have been. I will always remember them. They are indelibly etched in my psyche.