Yep, we even have a pretty nice workout room at the south pole station. Including treadmills, eliptical, spinning bikes, rowing machines, weight machines, and a full rack of weights. Additionally, there’s a TV and stereo setup right in front of the treadmills, so movies can be watched.
It’s cold here at the south pole – today it’s a balmy -46.1F. So to stay warm, among other ways, we have our own sauna here on station. It’s open for anyone to use, and feels great after being outside all day. Two pics:
The entrance room:
The Sauna – nice and warm:
https://flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/8459754582/in/photostream
Here at the South Pole Station, living and working in -45F (today’s weather) temperatures, we’re hard on our gear. And in order to stay producive, a lot of the gear we rely on is made by Petzl. For me personally, this includes my work helmet, as well as headlamp. Recently a few of us got together at the geographic south pole for a quick group shot to rep Petzl. Cheers!
By far one of the most impressive structures here at the south pole is the South Pole Telescope. This gigantic microwave telescope is housed in the Dark Sector Laboratory, and features the iconic satellite dish extending out the roof. Over the course of the Summer 2012-2013 south pole season, I’ve had the opportunity to spend a bit of time over at the telescope.
A brief overview of the SPT, from the University of Chicago:
The South Pole Telescope is a 10 meter diameter telescope operating at the NSF South Pole research station. The telescope is designed for conducting large-area millimeter and sub-millimeter wave surveys of faint, low contrast emission, as required to map primary and secondary anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background. The SPT is a collaboration between the U of Chicago, UC Berkley, Case Western Reserve University, U of Illinois, and Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, and is primarily funded through NSF OPP.
Why is this telescope specifically at the south pole?
Ground based astronomical observations at mm and sub-mm wavelengths place extreme requirements on the transmission and stability of the atmosphere. Steady atmospheric emission loads the bolometric detectors and adds photon noise, reducing overall sensitivity. Fluctuations in atmospheric brightness add noise to the detector timestream data as well. For these reasons high altitude sites, preferably with stable atmospheric conditions, are needed for ground based observations such as those targeted by the SPT.
Emission from the atmosphere consists of two components, one due to “dry air” which results from the wings of oxygen lines and a second component due to water vapor. The “dry air” component is well-mixed in the atmosphere and produces a signal that is only a function of elevation, commonly removed by beam switching. Water vapor, on the other hand, exhibits considerable variations in its density. These fluctuations in water vapor density result in spatial variations in the brightness of the sky.
A few pics from throughout the season:
The Dark Sector Laboratory building, a 15 minute walk away from the south pole station.
Inside the telescope mount – here’s a shot of the spiral of control cables and hoses at the heart of the telescope support.
Scientist Amy Bender at the base of the telescope.
For servicing, the telescope can be “docked” to the roof of the DSL building. Once docked, the roof of the building opens, revealing the access hatch to the telescope’s sensor. In this picture you can see the empty sensor box, as the sensor is being worked on.
https://flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/8411698969/in/photostream
The main sensor cryostat – it loves clusters of galaxies.
And finally, a direct shot of the telescope dish, as seen from the groundshield of the KECK Array.
Here at the south pole station, we need a lot of supplies – machinery, food, fuel, building supplies, etc. It’s all stored in a few locations around the station grounds – and the bulk of our food is stored in the supply arch. This steel structure lies buried by the snow right next to the elevated station, and the two are linked via the beer can. Also adjacent to the supply arch is the main garage, fuel storage arch, vehicle maintenance facility, among other facilities. A few pics…
This season while living and working at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica, I’ve had the opportunity to meet and in some cases work with a few incredibly talented science teams taking part in ground breaking research. One such team was the ARA Team to construct the Askaryan Radio Array – A large-scale radio Cherenkov neutrino detector at the South Pole. Run by Principle Investigator Albrecht Karle, the ARA team consisted of experts in multiple fields. Drill team members Jim Haugen, James Roth, Terry Benson, Dave Pernic, Rob Young, Darrel Hailton and Thomas Mueres worked tirelessly to assemble and test the drill rig, and to drill ultra-precise holes deep into the ice. Deployment and instrumentation team members Chih-ching Chen, Jonathan Davies, Michael DuVernois, Yael Hagar Landsman, Christian Miki, Jiwoo Nam, Ken Ratzlaff, Michael Richman, and Ben Rotter successfully deployed the full suite of instrumentation deep into the ice, and linked it back to the Ice Cube Laboratory via fiber optic cable entrenched under the ice. Additionally, joining the team for a portion of the season was teacher Elizabeth Ratliff, who was here in conjunction with the PolarTrek program.
An overview of the project, from the USAP Science Planning Summary:
Dr. Karle and his international collaborators will probe the nature and cosmic evolution of the accelerators of the highest-energy cosmic rays by observing ultra-high-energy neutrinos produced when cosmic rays interact with the microwave background. At these very high energies, neutrinos can be detected in dense, radio-frequency-transparent media, such as ice, by the Askaryan effect. Its origin is an excess negative charge that builds up when electrons are swept out along a shower front advancing relativistically through the ice. The thickness )estimated to be almost two miles) and exceptional radio-frequency clarity makes the south pole ice cap an ideal place to study ultra high energy neutrinos. This project will develop and deploy a limited number of radio detector stations which will provide the basis for development of a much larger array. The work builds upon past and current neutrino observations including the IceCube and AMANDA Cherenkov observatories and the RICE and ANITA radio Askaryan telescopes in Antarctica as well as the Pierre Auger cosmic ray observatory in western Argentina.
Throughout the first 2/3 of the season, I was privileged to be invited out to the field with the ARA team, to help out with a variety of levels of drill rig construction and testing of the drill rig, actual drilling deep into the polar ice sheet, and finally deployment of the first three ARA field instrumentation stations. Working with the team in the field was very hands on, precise, difficult, and rewarding work. Seeing the drill rig take shape, and then witnessing it drill actual holes deep into the ice was an extremely satisfying experience, as was working out on the polar ice with a great team.
A few photos and commentary from my season working with the ARA team…
We started the season by hauling all of the drill rig components out to a space in front of the IceCube laboratory. This was the main worksite for putting everything together. In addition to the drill rig components, we also had a number of large shipping containers which served as workshops and supply sheds.
Driving in a winterized van from the south pole station out to the IceCube Laboratory (ICL)
Morning briefing, before starting work
Showing up in the mornings at the beginning of the season, here’s the rig components starting to come together
One of the emergency stop switches I installed – drilling with hot water in the middle of nowhere with a jet fuel-powered sled is dangerous – and the ability to shut it down instantly is critical.
https://flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/8395473649/in/photostream
Looking from the step at the mouth of the water tank down towards the snow melter, heaters, and hose reel.
Terry Benson double checking the valve configuration to feed hot water into the drill head
Me, fabricating a metal gutter, to catch water drips coming out of the main tank. Any liquid water that spills freezes almost immediately, so funneling it away from our work area and into a steel drum, and then into the ice, was critical.
And my gutter, installed. I also routed most of the electronics cables between the heater/hose reel sled and the tank sled.
The drill sled, almost complete, ready to be dragged out to the first drill site.
https://flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/8396562800/in/photostream
The drill team, in front of the newly assembled hose reel
After all of our equipment was towed out to the drill site, we got aroudn on snowmobiles – either on the machine itself, or riding a sled dragged behind. A very fun way to get around – although wind whipping through while zipping along the snow creates an incredible wind chill.
The ARA3 Drill Site. In this picture, you can see the fully assembled and working drill rig, as well as our power generator, and field workshop.
Inside the workshop we stored drill heads, supplies, food, medical equipment, etc. There was also a heater, microwave, and coffee maker.
As drilling gets started for the day, the team checks the status and fine-tunes the process at the Drill Information Center, built by James Roth.
The drill head, being guided down the fern hole.
Securing the drill head to the drill hose, and getting all of the water and power connections working.
As drilling proceeds, the team has various tasks, including keeping an eye on the reel progress, and maintaining rubber spacers embedded in the hose assembly.
And finally, a successfully drilled hole. In addition to these deep holes, sensors are also deployed in shallow pits on the surface.
After drilling is complete, the deployment team gets to work installing electronics and sensors into the ice. Here’s deployment expert Ben Rotter with the Pisten Bully that transports the deployment team.
The beginning of the ARA2 site. Eventually this box gets filled with data acquisition and relay electronics and buried in the ice.
The electronics box sits at the center of each site, and has a web of data and power cables extending out to each sensor array. Here’s the team burying the cabling for each sensor.
One of the shallow sensors, before being covered up.
Deep trenches allow the cables to be buried deep to protect them from any machinery driving overhead.
And finally, the ARA team at the south pole.
Thanks very much to the entire ARA team for generously allowing me to work with them throughout the season. Hopefully we’ll work together again sometime soon.
Seeing bits and pieces of the South Pole Station operations only gives you a partial view of what goes on here, and who makes it all happen. Here’s the full view – the entire Summer 2012-2013 station crew, in front of our home, the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica.
This season at the south pole, among other roles around the station, I’ve been working in the galley as a production cook. Our crew is lead by Executive Chef James Brown, and consists of a very talented group. Here’s our official crew photo, taken at the geographic south pole.
A ways away from the South Pole Station, a new antenna field is taking shape – it’s the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network – nicknamed SuperDARN. Run by Principle Investigator Bill Bristow of the Geophysical Institute at The University of Alaska Fairbanks, the SuperDARN antenna array has quickly taken shape since the new year. The installation, located about 1/4 mile away from the station, consists of two rows of antennas about 30 feet off the ground, and a central elevated electronics and workshop.
The completion of the South Pole SuperDARN installation adds it to a global international network of 22 radar installations. The network primarily observes high frequency bands from 8-22 MHz, and is aimed at helping to answer questions about worldwide magnetic storms and the sun’s effects on ionospheric plasma movement.
The full explanation, from the USAP’s science writeup:
The Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) is a global international radar network of 22 installations observing high frequency (HF) bands between 8 and 22 MHz. Radar systems have been installed at McMurdo (2009-10) and South Pole (2011-12), extending the global-scale coverage in the Southern hemisphere and helping answer questions about geomagnetic conjugacy of global magnetic storms and substorms and differences in the ionospheric plasma convection caused by the asymmetry of solar illumination in both hemispheres. The SuperDARN network, with its ability to observe global-scale convection with excellent temporal and spatial resolution has proven to be the most powerful tool available for the ground-based research, allowing scientists to address the most fundamental and important questions of space physics. These data are also relevant to important societal issues such as space weather studies and they enhance the usefulness of data from other instruments.
A few photos of the installation:
Looking from just outside the South Pole Station at the final form of the radio array
Principle Investigator Bill Bristow, along with fellow scientists
Inside the electronics workshop, antenna cables feed into the main electronics racks
Carpenter Don McCreight installing the stairway to access the workshop
https://flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/8375204644/in/photostream/lightbox/
Last night, the entire Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station crew gathered together at the geographic south pole for a moment of silence for the victims of the plane crash on Mt. Elizabeth, Antarctica that occurred just days ago.
Reported this morning on The New Zealand Herald – the wreckage of a lost airplane in Antarctica has been found. To refrain from editorilizing, I’ll simply post the news, with a few links to relevant news sources:
The wreckage of the Twin Otter aircraft missing in Antarctica since Wednesday night has been found.
The aircraft wreckage is located on a very steep slope, close to the summit of Mt Elizabeth. Rescuers say there are no signs of activity in the area surrounding the site and the aircraft appears to have made a direct impact that was not survivable. No details are available on the cause of the crash.
The site of the crash is at a height of 3,900 metres at the northern end of the Queen Alexandra Range, within New Zealand’s Search and Rescue Region – halfway between the South Pole and McMurdo Station (approximately 680km or 370 nautical miles in each direction).
According to an NSF press release, early in the morning on January 21st, 2012 EST, contact was lost with a plane bound for the south pole, and the plane is believed to have crashed in the Transantarctic Mountains. Full press release from the NSF below.
NSF press release: https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=126676
January 23, 2013
Officials with the U.S. Antarctic Program are cooperating with their Italian and New Zealand counterparts, as well as the Rescue Coordination Centre in Wellington, NZ, in a search-and-rescue effort to locate a propeller-driven aircraft that is believed to have crashed in a remote and mountainous part of Antarctica.
A three-person crew is believed to have been aboard the de Havilland Twin Otter when contact was lost with the plane in the early morning hours of Jan. 21, Eastern Standard Time (U.S. stations in Antarctica keep New Zealand time). The nationalities of the crew are unconfirmed at this point.
The missing plane was flying in support of the Italian Antarctic Program under the logistical responsibility of the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), and was en route from NSF’s Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station to the Italian research station at Terra Nova Bay when contact was lost with the aircraft in a remote region of the Transantarctic Mountains.
The aircraft is owned and operated by Kenn Borek Air Ltd., a Canadian firm headquartered in Calgary that charters aircraft to the U.S. program.
Communications between U.S. officials at McMurdo Station in Antarctica and the New Zealand Rescue Coordination Centre confirmed that an emergency locator beacon had been activated.
Officials are monitoring conditions at the site, where the weather is currently very poor, to decide when to launch a search of the area and what kind of aircraft to use.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) manages the U.S. Antarctic Program through which it coordinates all U.S. scientific research on the southernmost continent and in the surrounding Southern Ocean as well as providing the necessary logistical support for the science.
Media Contacts
Peter West, NSF (703) 292-7530 pwest@nsf.gov
More coverage:
Early on Tuesday morning, January 22nd 2013 NZDT, Expeditioner Aaron Linsdau successfully made it to the South Pole. Congratulations Aaron! Upon arrival, Aaron seemed to be in great spirits, and although a bit achy, had plenty of energy and good cheer after his long journey.
Wednesday morning, January 23rd 2013 NZDT while he was awaiting his flight back to Union Glacier, I had the opportunity to have a breakfast chat with Aaron about his expedition. We met up early in the morning outside the south pole station, and took a quick stroll around both the geographic and ceremonial poles.
As we began out walk and chat, the first thing Aaron remarked about was how good it felt to be walking. After months and months on skis, he seemed relieved to be waking around on hard packed snow (packed down around the pole by foot and machine traffic).
Speaking about the journey one of Aaron’s more harrowing tales was of 10 meter high ridges of Sastrugi – ridges of snow frozen solid by the unrelenting Antarctic wind. He recounted to me his days of traveling around and over the frozen walls of snow, noting specifically that the going was extremely slow and arduous at times, but he was able to power through it. According to Aaron, there were parts of the journey where the Sastrugi fields were so extreme, he was convinced that if he needed rescue, landing a plane there would be impossible.
Navigation at certain points in the trek was difficult too. Although his two GPS units apparently worked just fine, skiing in a straight line during whiteout storms was challenging. Aaron recounted skiing for about a minute, and then taking a pause to reference his GPS and Compass, making any necessary course correction, and then continuing on for another minute or two. Progress during storms was slow, but he managed to power through, and keep on course.
Throughout the trip, Aaron kept in touch both with his United States-based media support team, as well as with camp managers with ALE/ANI at Union Glacier, Antarctica. He carried two Iridium Extreme satellite phones, as well as an emergency locator beacon. Aaron reported that the Iridium Extreme phones worked very well, although there were intermittent periods of flakiness. When I met up with Aaron outside the station earlier this morning, he was on the phone reporting his position, status, and weather condition back to the support team at Union Glacier. Aaron kept his phones and other electronics charged using an array of solar panels, which are efficient enough to even work from inside his tent, on days with strong sunlight.
Although Aaron’s expedition was done solo, he did indeed have a little company out on the ice. He reports that at one point in the trek, while camped out for the evening, Icelandic skier Vilborg Arna Gissurardóttir caught up with him and stopped by his tent to say hi. Although the expanse of ice is vast, on good days visibility is almost to the horizon, and Vilborg was able to spot Aaron’s tent and ski over for a chat. Vilborg ended up arriving at the south pole just 2 days before Aaron, making her the first Icelandic woman to ski solo from the coast to the south pole.
Finally, Aaron seemed to be healthy and fit when he arrived. He mentioned that his rations had worked well, and that he had made it to pole with about 4 days of food remaining.
Wednesday afternoon, Aaron was successfully picked up from the South Pole by a DHC-Twin Otter operated by Kenn Borek Air, and he’s now en route back to Union Glacier.
Congratulations Aaron on your incredible journey!
Read more about Aaron’s journey, including his daily expedition log on his website. https://www.aaronlinsdau.com/antarctica.html
Throughout my season working here at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities during my free time. One or my free-time jobs here is to act as a tour guide for tourist groups at the station. As a benefit of this duty, it means that I get to meet many of the interesting people who show up to the station on expeditions, including the few solo skiers who have made it thus far. Recently, I welcomed two skiers to the station and showed them around a bit – and my coverage of the events was covered on The Adventure Blog.
Over the past few months we’ve diligently followed a number of skiers who have traveled hundreds of miles to reach the South Pole. Along the way, we’ve shared in their triumphs and agonized with their struggles, cheering them on from the comfort of our warm homes. But have you ever wondered what it is like for them when they arrive at their final destination? Ever wondered who it that greets them when they actually reach 90ºS?
If so, then let me introduce you to Jeffrey Donenfeld, a freelance photographer, blogger and adventurer who is currently living at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Jeffrey has been witnessing the arrival of all of the ski expeditions this year and taking some photos of them when they get to the Pole. Last week he posted news of the arrival of Vilborg Arna Gissurardóttir and shared some photos of her wrapping up her expedition, and yesterday he did the same for Aaron Linsdau. The photo accompanying this post was taken of Aaron by Jeffrey when he stood at 90ºS.
Thanks Adventure Blog for the shoutout!
Each and every tourist group we get here at the south pole has their own personality – some of them are quiet and burnt out after a long ski journey. Some of them are jubilant and exited to be here after a relaxing plane ride. Some of them speak english, some dont. And some like to get tattoos at the south pole.
A few weeks ago, a tourist flight arrived at the south pole carrying American tattoo artist Jarod Powell of Farsyde Tattoo in Koloa, Hawaii. Jarod came prepared with his traditional tattoo kit, and was quick to set up shop right at the geographic south pole. Although his time here was short, he gave a few of his fellow adventurers commemorative tattoos. A few photos of the process…
In addition to the United States Antarctic Program’s presence at the South Pole with the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, other “non-governmental organizations” are also permitted to have a small presence at the pole. For these NGOs, there’s a very specific marked area that they’re allowed to camp in, and their access to the south pole station is limited. This season, Adventure Network International setup their south pole basecamp in support of incoming ANI expeditions – both ski expeditions, as well as tourist flights.
The ANI folks are great, and run a very solid operation. Their camp, while portable and temporary, is top notch, with sleeping facilities, a galley, bathrooms, and power generation. During their time here, I had the opportunity to meet a few of the camp staff members while giving them tours of the South Pole Station, and also got my own tour of their camp. A few pics of the ANI NGO Camp at the South Pole:
Approaching the NGO Camp Area from the south pole station – it’s about 1/2 mile away from the station.
ANI’s campsite, fully setup. You can see the main meeting and mess tent, as well as their supply tents.
Between tents are the solar power arrays, snow melter, and other equipment.
Camp staff sleeping quarters.
Inside the main tent, complete with galley, eating area, and heater. Actually quite comfy!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/8395503273/in/photostream
Find out more about ANI’s expeditions to the South Pole, as well as the rest of Antarctica on their website.
For the past 60 days, Icelandic skiier Vilborg Arna Gissurardóttir has been skiing from Union Glacier, across the Antarctic continent, towards the south pole – alone, unsupported. And yesterday, with a huge smile on her face, she made it successfully to the pole, making her the first Icelandic woman to complete the trek solo. Congratulations Vilborg!
During her adventure, she maintained an excellent blog (in Icelandic), which she updated in the field with the help of an Iridium satellite phone and a fantastic ground crew. Read her complete adventure blogg.
Here she is at the South Pole Station Comms Office pointing out where she started her journey:
I was fortunate enough to be able to greet her as she skied up to the ceremonial south pole, and then showed her around the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station for a bit. She was in great spirits, and seemed to be doing very well, considering her long journey.
Vilborg camped out at the south pole for one night at the NGO camp, and this morning got picked up, along with 4 skiers from South Africa in a twin otter.
Photos and content from this post were mentioned at:
Quick one today – Published last year in the New York Times, a great piece by Alexander Kumar on wintering over at Concordia Station, Antarctica.
Altogether, 13 people are locked inside our station — an eclectic collection of skills, experience, personalities and stories from different backgrounds and countries. It is Antarctica’s version of the “Big Brother” reality TV shows.
Our challenge is to get to the end of the year with all men, and our surprise single female member, still standing — everyone alive and well. Shackleton had done it… how hard can it be?
Luckily, I had a chance to meet a bunch of the scientists working with the British Antarctic Survey during their recent stopover here at the south pole.
Although much of the food, fuel, and supplies in Antarctica is transported via air, there’s still a good amount that needs to be hauled by ground. Additionally, various field camps need a heavy ground crew to support their operations and transport requirements. For this, we have the ultra-burl South Pole Traverse Team.
More on their route, from Wikipedia:
The South Pole Traverse, also called the McMurdo – South Pole Highway, is an approximately 995-mile-long (1,601 km) compacted snow road in Antarctica that links the United States’s McMurdo Station on the coast to the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station. It was constructed by leveling snow and filling in crevasses, but is not paved; flags mark its route.
After four years of development, the trail is now operational, with Caterpillar and Case Corp. tractors pulling specialized sleds to deliver fuel and cargo to the South Pole in about 40 days. The return trip to McMurdo Station, with less fuel and cargo, is substantially quicker.
Throughout the summer season at the South Pole Station, the traverse team stops in for food, fuel, and rest. A few pics of their recent stops at pole, and their machinery and facilities.
The traverse team arrives after a long trek across the frozen continent.
Towing giant bladders of AN8 jet fuel.
View from the drivers seat. Remarkably comfortable, with GPS and stereo with iPod hookup.
Their living quarters.
Inside the living quarters.
The team needs to be able to deal with any mechanical issues they encounter while on the road. Here’s their repair shed.
At night, all of the machines are hooked up to a central generator, where they receive electricity to power engine blog heaters. Without constant heat, the engines would freeze up in the sub-zero air, and be extremely difficult to start again in the morning.
https://flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/8395493961/in/photostream/lightbox/
Among the many science experiments taking place at South Pole one of the more interesting field experiments is AGO – the Automatic Geophysical Observatories Network. While Research Scientist Dr. Bob Melville and his team were stationed here at the South Pole Station, I had the opportunuty to help build various electronics, which were subsequently installed at the AGO remote field sensor sites. It was a great experience working with them this year, and I’m certainly hoping to continue my involvement during future seasons on the ice.
A bit about AGO, from the University of Maryland:
Continued progress in understanding the Sun’s influence on the structure and dynamics of the Earth’s upper atmosphere depends upon increasing knowledge of the electrodynamics of the polar cap region and the key role that this region plays in coupling the solar wind with the Earth’s magnetosphere, ionosphere and thermosphere. Measurements that are central to understanding include the electric field convection pattern across the polar cap and knowledge of the response of the atmosphere to the many forms of high-latitude wave and particle energy inputs during both geomagnetically quiet and disturbed situations.
The U.S. AGO network, which consists of a suite of nearly identical instruments (optical and radio wave auroral imagers, magnetometers, and narrow and wide band radio receivers) at six locations on the polar plateau, actively studies the coupling of the solar wind to ionospheric and magnetospheric processes, emphasizing polar cap dynamics, substorm phenomena, and space weather.
Here at the south pole, we get lots of visitors – and many of them are extremely interesting. This past week I had the honor of meeting NASA Astronaut Scott E. Parazynski, MD. Dr. Parazynzki is now working as the Medical Director of the United States Antarctic Program. Having dinner with both Dr. Parazynzki as well as Dr. Sean Roden, former International Space Station Lead Flight Surgeon and now South Pole Chief MD was extremely interesting. Among other things, we discussed the various missions that Dr. Parazynzki and Dr. Roden had worked together on, as well as a few of the more interesting logistics for Antarctic medicine.
Here at the south pole, we have some of the cleanest air in the world. As a result, a lot of unique atmospheric research goes on here, mainly at NOAA’s Atmospheric Research Observatory, nicknamed ARO. A few days ago I had the opportunity to be taken on a full tour of the observatory by scientist Kelliann Bliss, who explained to me how it all works:
[JD]Thanks for your tour of the NOAA Atmospheric Research Observatory the other day. It’s really quite incredible that such a complete lab is positioned here at the South Pole. Why does NOAA have an observatory here at the south pole? What’s the significance of this particular spot?
[KB]This station is part of NOAA’s Baseline observatories. We now have six in Barrow, AK; Trinidad Head, CA; Mauna Loa, HI; Pago Pago, American Samoa; South Pole and the newest is a joint project with the NSF in Summit, Greenland. The idea is that by having these spread out across the globe in relatively clean areas (atmospherically speaking) then we can get an idea for the background (baseline) of the planet. We can use that information to then go into a city and say well yes, we know this is “dirty”, and this is why. This data is part of the info that people use to try and figure out how much the planet is changing over the years as well, how much of it is caused by human influences. This is also some of the data they have been referencing in the summits on climate where countries have been getting together and trying to set limits of things to meet in future years (which so far hasn’t been working).
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/8375187538/in/photostream
Life down here is harsh – it’s sunny 24/7 during the summer, and the temperatures are very very cold. What challenges unique to Antarctica do you come across while performing your scientific work here? Any particular things that need to be considered here and nowhere else in the world?
One thing for certain is because it IS so cold is that we have to have special cables (sadly way more expensive) as normal power cables just so they don’t get brittle and break. Lubricants that everywhere else we’d put in instruments to help them move smoother here can’t be used as they freeze and bind up the instruments even worse than if we used none (so we don’t use any). There is also the problem with accessibility. We do some flask sampling as well as the continuous in-situ sampling. Once the station closes for the winter those flasks have to sit here and wait to be shipped back to Boulder, CO until the station opens again. There is also the fact that if something breaks and we don’t happen to have replacement parts then we are either stuck with a broken instrument or we improvise, get creative and ask for new parts to be sent when the station opens again. In some respects it is not unlike what astronauts have to do if they don’t have parts.
Could you give me a brief overview of the main types of science that goes on at ARO?
We are measuring the atmosphere, and what chemicals are doing; CO2 (several different ways),over 60 greenhouse gases such as halocarbons,CFCs (actually these were ozone depleters until they were banned in 1992). We also measure ozone four different ways, aerosols, black carbon, UV, and the sun’s radiation as it relates to the planets temperature.
What’s your particular role with NOAA and ARO? I’ve seen you around the station occasionally in a uniform – is NOAA military? How does that work?
I am an officer in NOAA Corps, the way I generally describe it (partially in jest) is the seventh branch of the uniformed service that no one has ever heard of. NOAA Corps came into existence when during WW1 members of the Coast and Geodetic Survey were surveying foreign ports and were being captured and tried as spies as they wore no uniform. The uniformed division was put into place to protect them and the valuable work they were doing in creating charts and some maps of areas. To be accepted to NOAA Corps you must have a degree in some science, engineering, or mathematics, then there is a lengthy application process, training is basically going through OCS with the Coast Guard with a great deal of seamanship and ship-handling added onto the side. As for the majority of new officers the first assignment is to a research vessel as a deck officer. This is a small service there are around 340 of us right now and we are all dedicated to furthering science and research and scientific policy. The particular billet that I am in right now here at the South Pole is that of the Station Chief of the Atmospheric Research Observatory. They usually have one officer and one civilian stationed down here at the pole and the idea is that the civilian is usually the tech person and good with fixing things and the officer is generally the “scientist” though I put that in quotations as the real scientists are the PhDs back in Boulder and we work with them to get the data they need in a manner that doesn’t compromise quality but still adheres to the challenges we have at such an extreme site.
How long have you been doing your job here? In the time you’ve been working down on the ice, what stands out as some of the more interesting observations, measurements, or events that you’ve witnessed?
I have only been here since November this year, and I spend 8 months in Boulder, CO training with the scientists before coming down here. One of the more interesting things is to realize that our instruments are sensitive enough to pick up the CO2 you exhale as a spike in the data if you happen to be upwind of the inlet tubing. The other great thing is seeing how excited people get about the information when they come to get a tour. I think we are doing great, important science here and it makes my day when people get thoughtful when they learn something they didn’t realize. Everyday, non-scientist people are the best way to get the info out there that there is a problem, the CO2 has been steadily rising since we started taking records here at the Pole in the 70’s (and is much higher than we’ve ever seen in ice cores from other stations), or that the ozone hole isn’t just some random theory, it’s something we can show graphically!
Thanks Kel!
Previously, Kel showed me how she takes ozone measurements.
Complete Antarctica videos, photos, articles – http://JeffreyDonenfeld.com/Antarctica
I lived at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station Austral Summer 2012-13. My move here was a long time coming, but the final decision to make the journey here came suddenly, and without a lot of time for reflection or preparation – both for myself, as well as my friends and family. And so, as I made my way down here, lots of questions about how, where, why, and when have come up. To help answer a lot of the more frequent questions, here’s a list of a few of the more common questions I’ve received over the past few weeks.
Also: How to plan an Antarctic Science Expedition
More questions? Contact me.
Getting a job in Antarctica was HARD. I tried for 4 solid years to get down here, and only got offered the job at the last minute. Here’s my complete saga of job searching.. Getting A Job In Antarctica: My Long Journey 2009-2012
So, it’s difficult, but if you’re dedicated, you can make it happen. I’ve noticed that most people down here are very specialized at what they do, extremely motivated, smart, and outgoing. The guys I’ve been working with on the Askaryan Radio Array (ARA) drill sled are mechanics, scientists, and drillers – and each one of them is highly experienced.
Even people like me – a cook, and dishwashers, and janitors – almost everyone has a higher degree, or has been working in the field for a while. It’s difficult to get in, especially if you’re good at a lot of different things, or have a lot of experience at a career that doesn’t directly apply to the specific job (like me, with digital media).
So, I’d start working on it now, and making contacts. Look for the Lockheed Martin Antarctic Support Contract (ASC) page on Facebook, and that has links to all the job boards – PAE, GHG, GSC, NSF, etc – start getting organized now, and plan on submitting your filled out applications for all jobs you might qualify for on March 1, 2013 for the 2013-2014 summer season.
Not a lot. About 5 days. Here’s the details: I Got My Dream Job! – Working in Antarctica
It’s a lonnnnnng journey. The basic route I took was: Commercial flights – DEN>SFO, SFO>LAX, LAX>SYD, SYD>CHC. US AirForce Military Flights – CHC>McMurdo, McMurdo>South Pole. And coming back it’s just the opposite. Here are photos from the journey down:
Moving to Antarctica Leg 2: Christchurch, New Zealand to McMurdo Station, Antarctica
Moving to Antarctica Leg 3: McMurdo Station to Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station
Nope, we have people from all over the world working here!
Summer Season is about three months, from November 15th to February 15th. During the summer, we have about 160 people living here, the temperature is around -18F, and the sun shines 24/7. During the winter, which is Feb 15th to Nov 15th, 50 people live here, the temperature gets down to -100F, and it is dark all the time.
My official job here is as the breakfast cook – that means that I’m solely responsible for making breakfast for the entire station, 6 days a week. In addition to my “official” job, I also have a number of other positions here. I’m a certified W-EMT, and so I work on the South Pole’s “Team 4”, which is the emergency medical response team. If there’s a mass casualty incident here, I’m on the team that responds to it. In addition to Cook and EMS responder, I’m also a tour guide. When expeditions and tourist groups arrive here at the south pole and want a tour of the station, I’m one of the people who can lead them around the station. Finally, I’m working as the south pole station correspondent for The Antarctic Sun, the NSF’s Antarctica news publication.
Since I’m the breakfast cook, I singlehandedly make breakfast for 160+ people, every morning, 6 days a week. My usual breakfast consists of a number of dishes:
- Scrambled Eggs
- Scrambled Eggs w/ ingredient
- Potatoes – hash browns, potato cubes, tater tots, hashbrown patties, etc.
- Meat – Sausage links, sausage patties, bacon, canadian bacon
- 2nd Option – Varies, mostly whatever I want. In the past I’ve made huevos rancheros, migas, biscuits n gravy, bread pudding, breakfast bake, baked eggs, quiche, casseroles, etc etc etc – there’s intense pressure from upper management for me to make something new every morning, so I’m always racing to think up something new and tasty.
- Sweet – french toast, pancakes, waffles, w/ syrup
- Yogurt – made from scratch
- Berries
- Fruit
- Granola
- Cereal – oatmeal, 7-grain, grits
- Smoothie – fruit smoothie, frappuccino, horchata, chai
And after I’m done making all of this in the 2 hours before breakfast service starts, I stand at the griddle and make eggs to order while breakfast is served. I usually make about 90-100 eggs per morning, usually over easy, over medium, scrambled, sunny, or “in a frame”.
While I’m doing all of this, I also have to be prepping for the next morning’s meal. I get to work at 03:30 and start cooking. Breakfast service is from 06:00-08:00. And then I have to be done with all of my breakfast cleanup, as well as complete prep for the next morning by 09:00. I take my first break from 09:00 – 09:30, and then I come back and work with the lunch lady to make lunch for everybody. I get out of work at 13:30, and then usually try to get to sleep around 20:00, so I can wake up at 03:00 the next morning and do it all over again.
There’s only 1 doctor, and 1 nurse. I’m good friends with both of them, and they are both extremely knowledgeable and competent. Our doctor was the former Flight Surgeon for the International Space Station, and has worked in emergency medicine for many many years – his name is Dr. Sean Roden. Our medical facility is equipped to handle almost anything. We have a trauma/surgery bay, a dental bay, a communications bay, a medical laboratory, and even two ward beds, for sick patients. It’s quite incredible how much capability we have packed in such a small space. We also have every kind of medical device you’d find in a basic modern hospital, including 12-lead EKG, Xray, suction, O2, etc. Finally, there’s a remote video system – so if there’s a situation in which we need an extra doctor’s opinion, we can get somebody “virtually” in the operating room. I’ll have photos of all of this soon.
Not enough! I work a 9 hour shift 6 days a week – from 3:30 – 13:30. After that, I try to go to the gym, and take time to tour around to various places on the station. I’m also training for the South Pole Marathon, so I try to run outside as much as I can.
The food is actually not so bad. We try to be as creative as possible in the kitchen. All of our food has to be flown here, and it’s all stored at -60F in the supply arches, under the ice. We have a lot of food, but it’s all stored away in deep freeze. So anything we make must be able to use food that has been stored and frozen for a long time. Occasionally we get “freshies” – fresh food flown in from New Zealand. That includes fresh fruit and vegetables. There’s never as much as we want, though!
Nope, not really. My bedroom has a window on it, with a shade that blocks out some light. I taped cardboard over my window, so when the lights are off in my room, it’s completely dark. I have a small red light that I turn on at night, so I can turn off the bright overhead light and make it feel like night time when I’m in my room at night. It took a while to adjust, but nowadays I sleep just fine. Actually, I’m usually so worn out at the end of each day that I fall asleep immediately.
I’m getting to know just about everybody – there are only 150 people, and we see each other every day, so you get to know each other quickly. Additionally, since we all eat in the same galley, we get to sit with each other. I usually try to sit with as many different groups as I can, so I get around to having conversations with everybody.
It’s definitely amazing being here, and I think if you’re feeling the urge to come check it out, it’s worth it. Even just the trip down here is worth it. I flew from DEN>SFO ,SFO>LAX on normal flights, then got to fly LAX>SYD on Quantas on an AIrbus A380 which is an incredible plane. Then SYD>CHC on Emirates on a Boeing 777-300ER, which is also very very cool. Then got to spend time in Christchurch drinking with a bunch of scientists. Then a military flight on a C17, then bummed around McMurdo for a day, then to pole on a C-130 Hercules. Even just those flights are incredible in their own right, and the fact that I was getting paid pretty damn good money to do it was great. Then living down here at pole – the work is HARD for everybody, but the free time is incredible. Every second I’m outside walking around, i’m awestruck by this place. So, yes, come down here, it’s worth it – both for the external experience of it, and also for the experience of getting to know yourself as you put yourself through this intense experience.
Nope, we each get our own rooms – they are small, but cozy and comfortable. Here’s a photo and details of my room.
I get up at 02:30 (and yes that is “AM”, although all of our timing here is 24 hour time, so nobody uses “AM” and “PM”), but that also means that I go to bed around 7, right after dinner. So I have a somewhat normal length day, it’s just shifted forward a bit. It’s a pain in the ass to get up so early, but it also means that I get off of my shift at 13:30 – while all of the scientists are still working. That allows me to go visit them, see what they’re up to. The down side is since I go to bed so early, I basically have no social life here – and believe it or not, there is a huge social scene.
Regarding tourists – actually, we’re just starting to pick up on tourist season. I’m one of the 3 tour guides here on station, and I get to give one or two tours of the station per week, during high tourism season, which is now. The other day I gave a station tour to a “last degree” skiier with ANI. This is the trip they were on: https://www.adventure-network.com/experiences/ski-last-degree. These 4 people + guide on the tour are on a guided expedition with ANI, and each paid a decent amount to get flown to 89 degrees south, and then ski the last 60 nautical miles (1 degree). When they get here, they aren’t actually allowed within a certain radius of the station, because we are a “special use area” as per the antarctic treaty – they camp just outside the ring. Their camp is called the “NGO” camp – Non Governmental Organization – and it’s actually quite nice. Kinda interesting to chat with a bunch of crazy tourists for a few hours. Their DC-3 just landed a few minutes ago, and they’re taking off today. Pics of the NGO camp will be posted as soon as I can.
Did I miss anything? Have any more questions or want to discuss? Contact me!
I’d suggest you look directly at the LMC ASC Site, as well as PAE, GHG, and GSC’s sites. Also find LMC’s Facebook Page
Probably – look on PAE’s job site.
Yes, almost always – LOTS of people apply for each position. Very strong competition.
Normal contracts are for summer, since there are more staff. However, there are full year contracts available for certain positions, and once you’ve done a summer, you can start thinking about doing a winter.
My shift was 9 hours per day, 6 days per week. Shifts vary amongst job positions.
I don’t now, that’s a good question for UTMB. It will all be addressed during your physical qualification process.
The United States Antarctic Program, which receives funding from the National Science Foundation.
Two 50 lb bags per person, plus a small personal bag, i think. It’s all explained in your deployment packet once you get the job.
No
That is unregulated, and personal hygiene is taken seriously – regular handwashing is strongly encouraged at the station. Additionally, there are instant hand sanitizer dispenses all over the place. We keep it clean! :)
Although I don’t yet have personal experience with winter, yes, I believe it is possible.
Yep, we go jogging, skiing, hiking, and everything else. Lots to do, both inside and outside. There’s even a recreational cross country ski loop, complete with a warming hut at half way.
Yes, this is addressed here.
Yes
No
