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16 November, 1999McMurdo Station and Cape Evans, Antarctica Monday Julie and I spent most of the morning learning the specifics involved with our experiments and how they relate to the use the gas chromatograph. The gas chromatograph will help us to calculate the amount of nitrous oxide in our sample. When we have our first REAL day at the chromatograph, I will explain the experiment we are doing in much more detail. I'll also include a photograph of the instrument! In the afternoon, Bess, Mark, and I loaded all of our equipment, including sleep sacks in the event that weather strands us in the Dry Valleys, into a truck and hauled it down to the helicopter pad. It was necessary to weigh every item. Weights are especially important on a helicopter. The helos can only provide so much lift and must be properly balanced. This took us quite a long time! Maite acid washed our sampling bags. Because we are interested in looking at the concentration of the metals in Lake Bonney, the bags in which we put the water must be completely free of metals. The bottles are filled with 10% hydrochloric acid and are allowed to sit for 2 hours. Then the bags are triple washed with ultra-pure water. The ends of the bags (with the valves and tubing that I put on a few days ago) are completely closed to outside air and dust. All of the bags are then put into a clean zippered bag to protect them. The analyst performing this procedure must wear clean gloves at all times and usually changes her gloves often. This evening we went to Cape Evans. We rode in a Delta, a vehicle with incredibly large tires. They took us across the sea ice. Cape Evans is the spot where Robert F. Scott built a hut in 1911 before attempting to be the first person at the South Pole. The hut is set below Mount Erebus, an active volcano. To this day, it remains as it was left when explorers originally found it. Around the hut you can find hand-made nails, sleds, food rations, a seal flipper (perfectly preserved), a dog carcass (partially preserved), and many boxes filled with materials that the men needed to survive the Antarctic winter. It's a sobering place amidst all of the beauty because it reminds me of the harshness of the continent. It is unforgiving. Unfortunately, someone neglected to return the key to the hut so we were not able to go inside. I am hoping to make another such trip and actually enter the hut! Enjoy the photos of the hut, Mt. Erebus, and the surrounding area. Answer to yesterday's question: This was a tough question! Perhaps you guessed correctly if you looked on a globe. Most of the maps in the United States show Antarctica the way I asked you to view the continent. If you could have folded the map as it would appear on a globe (remember the Earth IS round!) you would see that we must travel in a west-northwest direction. This is confusing because West Antarctica is to the east of McMurdo! Are you confused? Look at a globe and it will make more sense! Today's question: Why doesn't it snow or rain in the Dry Valleys? Polar Profile: Meet Julie Granger. Julie is originally from Quebec, Canada but now resides in Princeton, New Jersey. She attended McGill University in Montreal, Canada where she received her Bachelor of Science and her Master of Science degrees in Biology. At McGill, Julie worked with Dr. Neil Price and studied the nutritional iron physiology of marine bacteria. Today, Julie is the lab assistant to Dr. Bess Ward, our polar profile from yesterday! In her spare time, Julie is an Ultimate Frisbee fanatic! In fact, Julie brought her Frisbee with her to Antarctica! Now that is dedication! Julie also cross-country skis and eats a lot of unusual food (at least, unusual for me)! She has already gotten me to eat sushi and sardines! Sharon JUST FOR KIDS!!!!! Today, Julie and I learned how to operate a very special piece of equipment called a gas chromatograph. We will use this after we get our samples tomorrow. Bess, Mark, and I took all of our equipment that we will need for our field trip, to the helicopter pad. All of the items had to be weighed and marked. This is important so that the helicopter pilot can balance the load. I don't want to get on a topsy-turvy helicopter tomorrow! In the evening, we went to Cape Evans, an area of Ross Island that is very historic. It is where Robert F. Scott built a hut and lived before trying to be the first person ever to reach the South Pole. This was in 1911. The hut is set below Mount Erebus, an active volcano. To this day, it remains as it was left when explorers originally found it. Around the hut you can find hand-made nails, sleds, food rations, a seal flipper (perfectly preserved), a dog carcass (partially preserved), and many boxes filled with materials that the men needed to survive the Antarctic winter. Answer to yesterday's question: This was a tough question! Perhaps you guessed correctly if you looked on a globe. Most of the maps in the United States show Antarctica the way I asked you to view the continent. If you could have folded the map as it would appear on a globe (remember the Earth IS round!) you would see that we must travel in a west-northwest direction. This is confusing because West Antarctica is to the east of McMurdo! Are you confused? Look at a globe and it will make more sense! Today's question: Why doesn't it snow or rain in the Dry Valleys? Polar Profile: Meet Julie Granger. Julie is originally from Quebec, Canada but now lives in Princeton, New Jersey. She went to college in Canada and studied bacteria that live in the ocean. Today, Julie is the lab assistant to Dr. Bess Ward, our polar profile from yesterday! In her spare time, Julie is an Ultimate Frisbee fanatic! In fact, Julie brought her Frisbee with her to Antarctica! Now that is dedication! Julie also cross-country skis and eats a lot of unusual food (at least, unusual for me)! She has already gotten me to eat sushi and sardines! Sharon
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