21 November, 2000

FYI answer for 11/20/00

There are a few nicknames used here in Antarctica; Beaker * a nickname for scientists, Boomerang * a flight that departs but returns to its origin due to weather considerations, Kiwi * a nickname that refers to New Zealanders, Skua * anything that someone has thrown out that someone else finds worth having, Winter-over - refers to staying in Antarctica for the Austral winter.

In about two months the ice edge will be within our study area. The warmer temperatures have started bringing the ice edge in. The ice edge is where the fast ice meets the ocean. As this progresses towards the continent, seals will be heading to areas of pack ice, which is ice that moves, and farther away from the islands and land. Our field camp will have to complete work and be moved in a month because the ice thickness will decrease and the cracks will increase in width and numbers between here and McMurdo. It will become difficult and dangerous to move the huts off the ice any later than late December. The sight of our field camp will be water by February.

With all the events of the past week, today was the chance to get back to some of the routine work that I am doing with Katsu. We did our routine daily census for Big Razorback Isalnd. We were not able to travel to Turks Head because of high winds. Here at Big Razorback, I was unable to walk around the south end of the island because the wind was blowing me across the ice backwards. I would try to find snow patches to walk on, but winds over the past week have all but cleaned off the snow from the ice in that area. The weather for the day was going downhill.. The winds continued and it began to snow again.

All of the field camp members were scheduled to take a helicopter to Wohlschlag Bay and look at seals out of the study area. I was read with my ECW gear, and Katsu and I waited here at camp for the helicopter to arrive from McMurdo with the rest of our field camp team. Based on the deteriorating weather, the flight was cancelled. The weather seems to have put a damper on a lot of work and extra opportunities. This is Antarctica though. The others eventually came back from McMurdo on their snowmobiles, with a temporary replacement in Yoko's absence. Mike was able to spend a good deal of the evening talking about the history of this study and related projects over the years.

FYI

The Weddell Seal is named after James_________________, a Navy Master, who in 1823, became the first to ________ further south than any man before him and discover the Weddell Sea, named after him. He captured six specimens of the ____________ he himself called sea-________________, but now also bear his name.

What does not get done in the field must get done some other time

We always travel with our ECW gear and a Survival Bag

This will be Big Razorback Island in late February