20 January, 1997

>1/20
>
>It is nearly impossible to explain our work today without pictures, so
>please go to the beginning of the journal and click on the photo website
>set up by Jon Phillip.
>
>The purpose of our two hour helicopter flight   was to get an overview of
>all the major sites of the Basement and Peneplain Sills.  Aerial views are
>critical to the field geologist for getting the whole picture and locating
>future sites for investigation.
>
>One area in parcticular look very much like the buttes of Monument Valley in
>the Navajo Nation in Arizona and Utah.  Monument Valley is one of the most
>beautiful spots on earth and sacred to the Navajo Way.  Seeing the same
>type of  buttes in Antarctica reminded me of the Navajo tale of how Monster
>Slayer was sent out to kill Cold Woman,  the Maker of Cold.
> What he found   he found was an old and shriveled lady---miserable and
>shaking from the cold.  She appeared so pathetic that he very kindly said,
>"When you are gone there will be no more suffering by The People from the
>cold."  Shivering, the old lady replied, "It makes no difference to me.  I
>am miserable anyhow.  But The People will die when the land dries and
>mountains no longer feed streams."  Monster Slayer understood and left the
>old lady alone in the cold.
>
>The tale could be told of Antarctica as well.  If the cold were to die here
>the ice cap would melt and coastal areas everywhere would be under water.
>The weather patterns all over the world would be completely disrupted.  In
>fact, some scientists claim that the dinosaurs may have died out not
>because of a meteorite impact, but because of Antarctica.  200,000,000
>years ago Antarctica was a part of a Super Continent.  This early continent
>began to break apart and the piece we call Antarctica drifted further and
>further south.  Antarctica moved into the south polar area where only water
>existed before.  Since land absorbs heat faster than water, gives off heat
>faster than water, and does not have currents as water does, a very
>different weather pattern  developed  worldwide.  The earth became colder
>than ever before.  And this may have led to the death of the dinosaur.