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24 November, 1999McMurdo Station, Ross Island, Antarctica Wednesday This morning was so clear and beautiful! I wish that I could have gotten out of town and into the field today! After such a late night last night, I still had to get up at 6:00 a.m. so that I could get the gas chromatograph (GC) warmed up for a very long day of sample analysis! I operated the GC until just after lunch, analyzing the East Lake Bonney water for the presence of nitrous oxide. I then ran a few errands (lining up interviews with interesting folk) and went back to the room for a much needed nap. Unfortunately, I also had to do laundry so I slept for 30 minutes, moved the laundry to the dryer, slept for 30 minutes, folded the laundry, and then I took my 2 minute shower. Yes, you heard me correctly. We are permitted 2 showers a week for 2 minutes each. Now, there are not any shower police monitoring this activity and violators are not hauled off to jail! It is, however, in the best interest of the environment and of McMurdo, if these guidelines are met. I'm afraid that I've been guilty of breaking this rule on several occassions. I sometimes shower every other day (especially if it's been a field day) and there have been a few times when I've let the water run the entire duration of the shower! I do not let this happen intentionally, I just forget! We are so used to our creature comforts! ANSWER TO YESTERDAY'S QUESTION: The coldest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica was at Russia's Vostok Station (in East Antarctica) on July 21, 1983. The temperature was -89.6 degrees Celsius! What would that be in Fahrenheit? TODAY'S QUESTION: What is the 300 Degree Club? POLAR PROFILE: Today I am going to profile a specific research project and the two scientists involved. The project is unofficially titled "High Precision Temperature Measurement At Siple Dome, Antarctica For Paleoclimate Resconstruction and Ice Dynamics"! WHEW! What a mouthful! It took Gary Clow and Bob Hawley 2 hours to explain the project to me and I still am confused on parts of it! I'm only going to whet your appetite and hopefully, make you want to know more and ask me questions! In 1998, a team of scientists took a 1000 meter ice core at Siple Dome, near the top of the dome. The 1000 meter hole left in the ice will be used by Gary and Bob. They want to understand the dynamics of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. In order to understand the ice sheet dynamics, they must first construct an ice-sheet model, also called a heat transfer model. To do this, they will measure the geothermal heat flux (how the heat from the mantle affects the ice), the vertical ice velocity (how the ice is being compacted), and the horizontal ice velocity (how fast the ice is moving away from the Dome). The temperature of the ice bore hole will be measured with a thermistor array, an instrument that, when calibrated will measure temperatures to 1/10,000th of a degree! That's precise! The horizontal ice velocity will be measured using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) for ice moving on the surface. For deeper layers, the horizontal velocity will be determined by looking at the change in shape of the bore hole. As the deep ice moves, the bore hole will become distorted. The vertical ice velocity will be measured using velocity markers. Remember that vertical ice velocity concerns the rate at which the ice is being pushed downward. Into the bore hole, they will strategically place "phosphor bronze bands". These are coiled metal strips, about 3 feet in length, resembling a coffee can without a top or bottom. They will accurately measure the depth at which they place the bands using a metal detector. They will also look at the bands with a camera. Over the next three years, they will monitor the movement of the bands. When, after the three year period, they have gathered all of their data, they will use the model that they produced to predict the paleoclimate of the ice sheet. The formula involved in solving their problem is somewhere in the vicinity of 100 pages long! Mr. Baker, they are devising a simpler problem for your physics students! Visit Bob's website at www.geophys.washington.edu/People/Students/bo for more information. Let me tell you a little about the two fellows who are working on this project. Gary Clow has come to Antarctica 7 times and has spent 6 field seasons in Greenland, as well. He is a Ph.D. candidate in geophysics at the University of Utah and has been employed by the United States Geological Survey for the last 20 years. Gary received his undergraduate degrees in astrophysics and geophysics from the University of California at Berkeley. Gary's experience growing up on an almond farm has taught him a great deal about working with large equipment. This will be a useful skill at Siple Dome. Can you imagine coming all this way and finding out that your equipment won't work? Gary has the experience to fix it! He currently lives in Denver, CO with his wife, Sue. Bob Hawley has been to Antarctica once previously and has worked on the Greenland Ice Sheet, spening an entire, dark winter. Bob is also a Ph.D. candidate studying glaciology in the geophysics program at the University of Washington in Seattle. His undergrad degree is in geology from the same institution. Bob is an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and a mountaineer and so, is well suited for his work on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet! Bob and his wife Suzanne live in Washington. Sharon JUST FOR KIDS!!!!! This morning was so clear and beautiful! I wish that I could have gotten out of town and back to the lake today! After such a late night last night, I still had to get up at 6:00 a.m. so that I could get the gas chromatograph (GC) warmed up for a very long day of sample analysis! I sat at the GC until just after lunch, analyzing the East Lake Bonney water for the presence of nitrous oxide. I went back to myroom for a nap! I also had to do laundry so I slept for 30 minutes, moved the laundry to the dryer, slept for 30 minutes, folded the laundry, and then I took my 2 minute shower. Yes, you heard me correctly. We are allowed to take 2 showers a week for 2 minutes each. Now, there are not any shower police who watches this activity! It takes a lot of work to provide water to us so we are asked not to waste it! I sure will appreciate my long showers when I get home! ANSWER TO YESTERDAY'S QUESTION: The coldest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica was at Russia's Vostok Station (in East Antarctica) on July 21, 1983. The temperature was -89.6 degrees Celsius! What would that be in Fahrenheit? TODAY'S QUESTION: What is the 300 Degree Club? POLAR PROFILE: I met Bob Hawley and Gary Clow today. They are two scientists that are going to Siple Dome in West Antarctica to study the temperature of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. They are going to use a 1000 meter deep hole left in the ice by other scientists. In three years, they will have all of their information and, hopefully, will be able to tell what the climate was like during the last ice age, 22,000 years ago! Bob and Gary are both very well-suited for their tasks. Bob is studying glaciology (that is, he likes glaciers) and Gary is studying geophysics. Bob is also an Emergency Medical Technician and a mountaineer. Gary grew up on an almond farm and knows how to repair their equipment. Now if one of them could just cook a good meal! Sharon
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