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Home , Lake Vida, Lake Vostok

www.polar.org/antsun The November 26, 2000

PublishedAntarctic during the austral summer at McMurdo Station, , Sun for the United States Program

Quote of the week Helping hands “I’m luscious. I want to be eaten.” Volunteers worked the equivalent - General assistant dreaming of of 72 kitchen shifts last week to help being a strawberry. the staff prepare food for yesterday’s Thanksgiving Day dinner. Nearly 900 people were expected to eat. “For us to do this nice of a dinner, volunteers are imperative,” execu- tive chef Jody Cheever said. “We’re very appreciative.” A search starts for other life By Teri McLain Special to the Sun On , one of ’s frozen moons, a thin skin of ice hides what may be a liquid sea. If so, it would be the only known place in the solar system besides where water exists in significant quan- tities. It is there scientists believe we might discover our first aliens – a nation of Above: Lorie Above: Mike microbes. Poole and Brenitta Smith, left, But the training ground for this interplan- Brady top Brie and Justin etary exploration is Vostok in Antarctica. wheels with nuts, Henkel pull Engineers from NASA, Woods Hole pesto and dill leaves Oceanographic Institution and the cranberries. from the University of Nebraska are designing a pair Right: Cook Luke stems. The Kearney stirs of robots to penetrate the sea ice of Europa men spent six and sample the putative ocean. The , pasta while meat hours thaws in the a device that melts a route through the ice, preparing the other kettle. herb. and the hydrobot, a small submarine that Photos by Beth explores the sea below, may see real action Minneci. for the first time in Earth’s largest known see Vostok on page 5

By Jeff Inglis Expectations Sun staff psychologist They say you only experience your first time in is comparing the two Antarctica once. Gary Steel wants to know how that plays out for newcomers to the Ice. Steel, a social psychologist at Lincoln University experiences near Christchurch, New Zealand, is studying the & see Expectations on page 4 INSIDE Communication Snowy Drilling A life in breakdown summer for fuel the skies page 2 page 6 page 10 page 12 2 • The Antarctic Sun November 26, 2000 News In BRIEF

Swedish Polar Ambassador “We have subscribed totally to the on the other hand, is similar in the visits Ross Island Antarctic Treaty goals,” Kettis said. two areas. While she is “The science has a clear bipolar The New Zealand Antarctic Program the ambassador aspect,” Kettis said. “I think it has not played host to the Swedish polar for both polar only polar aspects but global aspects.” ambassador, Eva Kettis, last week. regions, Kettis On her trip to the Ice, she visited She had been in Hobart, Tasmania, said she concen- Ross Island’s historic huts, various field Australia, for a meeting of the trates most of her camp locations around the Commission for the Conservation of effort on the and in the Dry Valleys, and visited Antarctic Marine Living Resources . McMurdo, where she was particularly and was invited to be a guest at Scott “That’s per- impressed by the mawsonii in the old Base. haps nearer to our aquarium. After several days on weather hold heart,” Kettis said. “I never thought I would see a big in Christchurch, Kettis arrived on the She works Eva Kettis toothfish,” Kettis said. Ice for her second visit. Her first visit with the Arctic Council, a group that As well, she toured Scott Base and was to a site on the includes the eight countries that bor- liked what she saw. where a hut was built by an early der the Arctic and several groups of “They are very well equipped and it Swedish Antarctic explorer, Otto Arctic indigenous people. works very well,” Kettis said. Nordenskjold, in 1901. “That is quite unusual for intergov- She was unable to leave on schedule Sweden, which signed the Antarctic ernmental cooperation,” Kettis said. because of the weather, which frustrat- Treaty in 1984, maintains two small The political issues, she said, are ed her a bit, but Kettis said she was glad summer-only camps in Queen very different in the north and south to be able to see this part of “this huge Land and cooperates with Finland and polar regions. For example, since the and beautiful continent.” I Norway in areas of logistics and opera- Arctic is largely ocean, no country tions. can make territorial claims. Research, - by Jeff Inglis Roadblock on the superhighway By Josh Landis effort to make the system more efficient Sun staff is under way. McMurdo Station has hit a The first step is to set up a local milestone, although it’s one few proxy server. That’s a computer people will be celebrating. Internet that will keep track of what web usage has reached its peak, and there is sites people visit most often, and store nowhere else to turn. The link that supplies information from those sites locally. This our connectivity to the web is maxed out. will make some web-surfing faster, because each addi- “Our internet pipeline is full,” said Jim Johnson, head of tional user won’t have to download the same data individually. information technologies. “There are nearly 700 computers on But there’s a catch. The less-frequented addresses will take station for a population of about 900 people. That’s pretty sig- longer to load, because that same computer will want to first nificant.” store the words and pictures before it displays them on a screen. All those people surfing all those web sites are creating dig- The second step in getting a handle on the congestion will be ital traffic jams, and some essential communications are at risk. to set up an automatic priority system that will act as a data traf- “Some of the critical data is not getting off continent,” fic cop. This is more complicated and could take months or Johnson said. “We’ve hit the threshold, and we’ve got to change more to put in place. It involves “boxes” at each end of the T1 the way we do business.” link. One will be here at McMurdo and one will be in Ames, That change will affect everyone who goes on-line for any Calif., where the line enters the information superhighway. reason. Each box will decide what information gets through, and Right now McMurdo gets its voice and data through a T1 when. It means the clinic’s X-rays will get uploaded right away, satellite connection. The information (whether it’s e-mail or but a person downloading music files during their lunch break web pages or audio files or pictures) is transmitted on a first- may get cut off mid-transfer. Some people may have com- come, first-served basis. The T1 is a fast link, but only about plaints about the solution, but it could be worse. half of the bandwidth is available for internet access. “We could have shut down non-essential sites, like National Right now, larger data transfers sometimes get squeezed out Public Radio and Napster, but we’re hesitant to do that, and so by many smaller ones competing for bandwidth. The medical is the NSF,” said Johnson. “The only other option is to priori- department has discovered an example of that limitation. The tize.” clinic has a teleradiology machine, which transmits digital X- Ultimately, the internet logjam in Antarctica is a reflection of rays to the States for additional analysis. But for the last sever- the growing reach of the technology. al weeks none of the files have been able to go through because “It’s amazing the difference five years has made,” Johnson they are too large and their transmission times are too long. said. “It’s a different world from the days of DOS, when To avoid this and other potential problems, a two-pronged nobody knew about the internet.” I November 26, 2000 The Antarctic Sun • 3 American, Norwegian head for McMurdo on skis Seuss Minnesota native Ann Bancroft and Norwegian Liv Arnesen started a cross- -a-palooza country skiing trek across Antarctica. From the side of Antarctica near Africa, on the Sites with Seuss parodies and writings Fimbul , the women pushed off Nov. 14, aiming to reach McMurdo Station within 100 days. •www.seuss.org This is Bancroft’s second attempt to cross the continent. In 1993, Bancroft, The Center for Seussian Studies McMurdo Station resident Anne Dal Vera and two other women stopped at the after 67 days of traveling, 882 miles from their goal. •www.physics.purdue.edu/~northrup They missed their mark, but still made history as the first team of women to /old/seussshakespeare.html reach the South Pole on skis. “What if Dr. Seuss wrote Dal Vera is playing for the public a documentary made about their attempt Shakespeare?” Monday at the galley. The film, “Poles Apart,” features Bancroft, who was the first woman to reach the by land, Dal Vera and the rest of the team dubbed •www.iwaynet.net/~wstocks/fun/ the American Women’s Antarctic Expedition. seuss.html Bancroft and Arnesen’s start was originally planned for Nov. 1, but they were Links to parodies, song lyrics, early held up in South Africa when bad weather in Antarctica made flying to their jump- Seuss writings, analysis and links to links off point impossible. They hope to reach the South Pole by Christmas. Dal Vera is from Colorado. She works in waste management and is in her fifth season with the U.S. Antarctic Program. I

The Sun’s Annual creative writing festival Monday morning on the . It’s always a little slow out here after Sunday’s relaxation, but the weather’s clear and we’re loading planes. Me? I’m just sitting out here, watching the action, wasting time before I get to start my day’s work. The past week has been pretty crazy. The holiday season is beginning, and the weather’s been wild for months now. My partner, Pat, and I are still planning to head over to when we get a chance. Looking out the window of the big red van I’m in, I see a flurry of activity over on the cargo line, and the fuelies are walking around near their shed, waiting for the first pit stop of the day. A big dozer stops on the apron, and the driver hops out for a smoke. The firefighters are heading onto the runway to clear away a couple of penguins who have set up camp in the middle. But there’s something different about today. Finish this story or submit your own. SELECTED STORIES WILL BE PRINTED IN THE SUN Poetry (Maximum length 30 lines.) Entry deadline: 6 p.m. Dec. 17 Fiction (Maximum length 500 words.) Enter via e-mail to [email protected], or at the Sun office Finish this story... (Maximum length 500 words.) in McMurdo’s Building 155.

the week in weather

The Antarctic Sun, part of the United States Antarctic Program, is funded by the National around Antarctica Science Foundation. Opinions and conclusions McMurdo Station (Saturday) South Pole Station expressed in the Sun are not High: 28F/2C High: 43F/6C High: -13F/-25C necessarily those of the Foundation. Low: 6F/14C Low: 25F/-4C Low: -31F/-35C Use: and distribu- Windchill: -31F/35C Avg. temp: 30F/-1C Avg. temp: -23F/-31C tion are encouraged with Wind: 46 mph/74 kph Wind: 44 mph/70 kph Wind: 29 mph/47 kph acknowledgment of source and author. Publisher: Valerie Carroll, Communications manager, Raytheon Polar Saturday’s numbers Services around the world Senior Editor: Josh Landis Editors: Beth Minneci Chennai (Madras), India San Francisco Jeff Inglis High: 86F/30C High: 62F/17C Contributions are welcome. Contact the Low: 73F/23C Low: 48F/9C Sun at [email protected]. In McMurdo, visit Scarborough, Maine Columbia, Missouri our office in Building 155 or dial 2407. High: 38F/3C High: 49F/9C Web address: www.polar.org/antsun Low: 26F/-3C Low: 34F/1C 4 • The Antarctic Sun November 26, 2000

Expectations from page 1

relationship between people’s expecta- duct the interviews for his studies, to tions about Antarctica and their actual keep research information separate from experiences. his contract work. The project, supported by Antarctica In the past, he has studied other New Zealand and operating at Scott aspects of life on the Ice. What he had Base, involves talking to about 20 peo- often heard from the public was that ple at the base about their perceptions of they thought the weather would be the life in Antarctica and their predictions hardest part of living and working in about what their perceptions will be like high latitudes. But, he said, that’s not the in the future. case. This project began in October and “What we find is that it’s the social will continue with interviews at the end environment, not the physical environ- of the summer and, for winter staff, at ment,” Steel said. “Life is life, even in Winfly and next October as well. the Antarctic.” Steel is reluctant to say much about One of those studies looked at the the current project, because it is still in patterns of moods over the course of a progress and he doesn’t want to influ- stay on the Ice. He had heard anecdotal- ence the study group. He is looking at ly and from other researchers that at the similarities and differences between halfway point of a person’s work on the expectations and experiences and why Ice, the mood drops to its low point. they may either be accurate or inaccu- “We went looking for that,” Steel said. What he found was that there was The social, not physical environment affects people’s some evidence of what he called the moods more. “Life is life, even in the Antarctic.” “third quarter phenomenon.” “Some people do show that pattern,” - Gary Steel, psychologist Steel said, “but it’s not a particularly reliable effect.” And mood “drops” aren’t people sinking into depression. rate for different people. “They come down from being basi- “I’m not sure what we’re going to cally ecstatic to mellow,” Steel said. find,” Steel said. “We suspect that He also looked at whether there is a there’s a connection between the quality type of person who is well-suited to of a person’s experience and the match, working in the Arctic or Antarctic. or mismatch, of expectations and actual “Is there a polar personality? There perceptions.” seemed to be,” Steel said. He did say, though, that some people He was part of a 14-country collabo- are accurate and realistic about their ration studying 450 cases. The results expectations, while others are not. Some showed that there is a tendency for polar of that information comes from friends workers to have lower neuroticism, or colleagues who have been to higher extroversion, higher openness to Antarctica before. experience, higher agreeableness and “It’s New Zealand. Everybody higher conscientiousness than is the knows somebody who’s been down norm among the U.S. population. there,” Steel said. Steel expected to find more openness He said the results, when the study is to experience. The hiring process weeds completed in a year, could be used to out certain types of people. prepare first-time Antarctic workers, to “They were selected for their consci- help them better understand what entiousness,” Steel said. they’re getting into. The rest of the characteristics, Steel is an appropriate person to help though, were unknowns. People who polar workers have more realistic have the set of traits in a “polar person- expectations. He is a psychologist inter- ality,” Steel said, tend to be more stress- ested in people in extreme and unusual resistant and more emotionally stable environments. In addition to the than the general population. He said Antarctic, he has studied people work- those attributes are very useful for work- ing in the Arctic and on submarines, ing in extreme environments. spacecraft and isolated oil rigs. In general he said, people have posi- Separate from his research, he is also tive experiences and look back fondly a psychological contractor for on their time on the Ice after they leave. Antarctica New Zealand. He has “People tend to do very well down research assistants or colleagues con- there,” Steel said. I November 26, 2000 The Antarctic Sun • 5

Vostok from page 1 subglacial : Vostok. Just one of almost 80 known beneath Antarctic ice sheets, Lake Vostok has recently captured the attention of glaciologists and microbiologists alike. A pristine body of water cut off from the out- side world for a million years or more, the lake has the potential for supporting previ- ously undiscovered microbial life forms, as well as holding clues to ancient cli- mates. It is a time capsule of sorts, buried under four kilometers of ice. When the Russians opened near the geomagnetic pole in 1957, they had no idea that it was situated over an ancient body of water more than 1,640 feet (500 m) deep and 243 miles (230 km) long. And when they started drilling the world’s deepest in an attempt to understand recent global warming in rela- tion to the climactic cycles of the last 500,000 years, they would not have pre- Russian driller Valery Shoshkin displays the ice core room at Vostok Station last January. dicted that they would be stopped at More than two miles' worth of cores were pulled from the ice beneath the station. Photo 11,886 feet (3,623 m) by a group of scien- by Josh Landis. tists concerned with contamination of the lake’s pure water. John Priscu of Montana State University entists in understanding the lake’s physical This season, the National Science examined bits of ice from the deepest part properties and geologic origins. Foundation is setting up a camp near the of the core and found . The next phase could involve NASA Russian station to explore subsurface fea- It is still unclear whether these tests of the robots. The cryobot would melt tures of the lake. microbes were deposited by ancient its way down to the lake where it would Although early seismic surveys in the winds, or if they are indicative of bacteria eject the hydrobot to explore the depths 1960’s and 70’s indicated that water might living in the lake below. But it is tantaliz- and send back pictures and data to the sur- exist under the , it wasn’t until ing to astrobiologists, who speculate that if face via a cable. The final stage would drilling was well under way in the early life can exist in Lake Vostok, it may also involve deep coring to retrieve sediment 1990s that satellite, seismic, and airborne be present on Europa. and water samples. The details of probing radar data were put together to map the A multinational team of scientists and the lake without introducing contaminants buried lake. “It was a ‘Eureka!’ moment,” funding agencies is assembling to devise a are still being worked out. said Martin Seigert, a University of Bristol method for drilling into Lake Vostok with- It is a complex and ambitious effort that glaciologist. out contaminating it with drilling fluids or with the help of NASA technology will In 1995, the Scientific Committee on foreign bacteria. The first step will com- potentially answer some fundamental ques- Antarctic Research recommended that mence this week with test flights of the tions about the evolution of life here on drilling be stopped 400 feet from the lake’s SOAR Twin Otter. Equipped with instru- Earth. And by giving scientists a testing surface, until a sterile method could be ments for an aerogeophysical survey, the ground for the cryobot and the hydrobot, found to tap into one of the oldest ecosys- team plans to conduct 69 flights this sea- something may someday be discovered tems on earth. Last year, microbiologist son and produce a data set that will aid sci- about the evolution of life on other planets. I

1 What has been your biggest psychological Highw y challenge this season? one

“My job. It drives “Having to ‘hurry up and wait’ “Dealing with the constant “Very little darkness in me crazy.” when the weather cancels flights.” social stimuli.” 13 years.” Raver Lt. Col. Dan Dunbar Sheri “Peaches” Bluestein Todd Franson Materials person for Chief of Staff dining facility attendant heavy shop worker dining facility 6 • The Antarctic Sun November 26, 2000

McMurdo Station is close to a record November snowfall & what’s it mean for us? Why Fleet operator Rowdy Branson pushes on the By Beth Minneci Sun staff ice runway. Photo by Beth Minneci. y now, the hills ought to be Bchocolate brown, the color of volcanic rock that lies under the snow. During a typical November, the tem- perature should be mild by Antarctic measures. The sky should be a deep shade of blue. Not this November. After nearly record snowfall – 15.6 inches counted on Friday – the ground is still solid and white. Yesterday, 18 of 25 November days had been cloudy. And the temperature, typical- ly in the upper 20s and lower 30s, has been mostly in the lower to mid-20s. MacWeather forecasters say a stormy weather pattern typical of Winfly in August never left town. And they don’t know why. MacWeather’s lead forecaster Joe Kramer “We have no clue,” MacWeather monitors screens showing weather predic- lead forecaster Joe Kramer said. But tions and current weather pictures. Photo by Beth Minneci. continued on next page November 26, 2000 The Antarctic Sun • 7

MEAN, RECORD AND CURRENT SNOWFALL South America Africa an ce Typical November O ic nt storm path tla ❆ ❆ A Current storm ❆ path This time of year ❆ storms usually

inches circle the continent offshore. Forecasters are ❍ looking into why McMurdo the storms are breaking onto land, following a pattern typical ❆ Numbers provided by in August, MacWeather. The last year in not November. which snowfall extremes were Australia calculated was 1987. New Zealand

Graphics by Beth Minneci from previous page they’re studying charts and graphs, trying to figure it out. Fuelies had to keep their lines clear so that they could The fluffy white stuff that piled up outside office windows reach the valves. On severe weather days, fuel operators fill this month was a nice reminder of wintertime back home. the 500-gallon runway generators every other day to keep But on the airfield, normally a bustling time for cargo and the power running in about two dozen huts out there. passenger transportation, the only sure actions were bulldoz- With a mean November snowfall of 5 inches, snowfall is ers moving snow and fuel workers scrambling to protect not usually a big problem. This November, though, fuelies their lines. were in snow-mode sometimes three or four days a week. on the ice shelf is scheduled to open next “It’s had a big impact on us,” Taube said. month, and the sea ice runway is scheduled to close. But the On a global scale, the weather’s been weird for about the sea ice runway is valuable until then because larger planes last decade. People have become accustomed to witnessing with wheels, which can extreme weather events – carry more weight, can record temperatures, heat land there. “The weather patterns here waves, rainfall and drought. November is typical- are unlike anything we’ve ever seen Back at MacWeather’s ly a good month for fly- offices, forecasters are monitor- ing, but not this anywhere else. ” ing what’s happening this November. - Joe Kramer, MacWeather month and they’re scratching Many scientists did- their heads. They can see the n’t get to the South Pole storm pattern: Storms that nor- and field camps. Cargo mally circle the continent off- pallets stayed stacked on the ice. Thousands of pounds of shore are breaking on to land, over to McMurdo. It’s a pat- fresh food for Thanksgiving Day dinner arrived later than tern typical of August that has continued into November. But scheduled. they don’t know why it’s happening. Most Novembers, fuel operations foreman Scott Taube At home, detailed meteorological records go back about and his crew deal with wind-made snow drifts, but the large a century. Here, MacWeather’s numbers date back to 1956, amount of snowfall this month compounded the fuel staff’s and for the most part are not compiled to reveal any mean- work. ingful patterns. Likewise for fleet operators. Earlier this month, different MacWeather forecasters Too much snow on the ice not only impedes airplane traf- reported different snow inch counts. But Friday, they agreed fic, it traps heat, which deteriorates the sea ice that station oper- McMurdo Station was 5 inches short of the 1971 November ations manager Bill Haals said everyone would like to pre- record of 20.6 inches. More snow fell Saturday. serve. A thin layer of snow, however, reflects sun off the ice. The unusual weather keeps the jobs in and out of the Drivers moved an overwhelming amount of snow with a office interesting. tractor fleet that includes some rickety pieces of equipment. “The weather patterns here are unlike anything we’ve They pushed heavy snow off the airstrip and the ice runway ever seen anywhere else,” Kramer said. “They’re hard to road, then went back to spread a thin layer. predict. They change very rapidly.” I 8 • The Antarctic Sun November 26, 2000 our Antarctic week 27 Monday 28 Tuesday "Poles Apart," Game Night, documentary video 8 p.m., Scott cold introduced by Base. Sign up hard Anne Dal Vera, with the recreation 8 p.m., galley department. (Saturday’s facts Thanksgiving Day dinner) Wednesday Thursday Friday 29 30 1 Number of guests: 880 Science lecture: Book exchange, 8 "Measurements of p.m., Coffee House. Swing Gala, Pounds of meat: turkey 1,300; ham crustal motion in Sign up on the board 7:30 p.m., southern Victoria Land," in front of the gym 150; Antarctic cod 200; salmon 40 by Mike Willis, U.S. recreation department. Geological Survey, 7:30 See recreation for Gallons of gravy: 20 p.m., Crary library more information. Desserts: pies 150; pecan tarts 500 Number of rolls: 3,000 -a- OW. MY EYE! Pans of stuffing: 24 Seuss Pounds of fresh fruit: 120 palooza Pounds of fried onions: 24 7 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Coffee House Pounds of canned cranberry sauce: 200 Readings, recitations, songs and skits of or inspired by the writings of Dr. Seuss. Pounds of cheese: 60

Ross Island Chronicles By ChicO Hi. I’m here to Hey Dad, It’s Thanksgiving Day. Why don’t you go and find invite the miserable can I go out and wretched to and play? someone who hasn’t eaten, and brighten their day? join me this Thanksgiving Day.

Looks like we have We can’t eat him. a guest for dinner, If you’re going to boys. He’s done wet all over himself! play against the big boys, it’s always smart to have a backup plan in case you want out. November 26, 2000 The Antarctic Sun • 9

Pinpoint precision geographic locators are accurate GPS to within tenths of an inch

By Jeff Inglis Sun staff Several scientists in the U.S. clock. By receiving the signals from tions of an inch, a human error in anten- Antarctic Program use specific measure- several satellites, a GPS unit on the na placement for observation could ments and locations on the surface of the ground can calculate its location. appear to be a large fluctuation in sur- Earth as key elements in their research. But that can be difficult at high lati- face movement. They watch many processes, including tudes because the satellites don’t pass To provide a stable platform, Johns the movement of glaciers, growth or directly overhead, which would give the and Kurnik sink a metal rod into the rock shrink rates of ice sheets and rock layers best possible readings. or ice and affix a leveling platform to the and the melting of patches of snow in “They’re all low on the horizon in the rod. The antenna screws onto the plat- the Dry Valleys. polar regions,” Johns said. form. Each reading, then, is taken from These researchers use the Global All of the positions calculated are rel- the same location relative to the rod. Positioning System, originally created ative to other, fixed, known locations. To If a location change is measured, it for combat use by the U.S. Defense be precise, measurements need to be means the rod has moved, and therefore Department, to locate themselves and compared very carefully with the exact the rock or ice surrounding the rod has their study areas very specifically. At trajectories of the satellites at the time of moved. McMurdo Station each summer are the reading. This type of measurement is possible GPS experts who provide equipment “That typically means collecting and around the world using base stations and and training for about 20 science groups post-processing data,” Johns said. That satellite readings anywhere on the sur- on the continent. process can take a couple of days, he face of the Earth. But Johns said “We’re supporting grantees who are said. Antarctica is where GPS gets used most using GPS for their field research,” said Some groups need Johns and Kurnik heavily. He and Kurnik may support five project leader Bjorn Johns, of the to do GPS portion of their work, while science projects during the rest of the University NAVSTAR Consortium other researchers need technical assis- year, and more than 20 during the sum- (UNAVCO), a group of 100 academic tance or data-processing help. mer field season on the Ice. institutions, including the National Johns and Kurnik also install both The GPS work helps influence future Science Foundation, promoting the use of permanent and temporary stationary research, Johns said. This season at high-accuracy GPS for scientific research. GPS stations to monitor ongoing geo- Icestream C, a group wanted to drill an Many people on the Ice and in the logic processes and to improve accuracy ice core in an area where the glacier isn’t U.S. have their own handheld GPS of nearby readings. moving very quickly. Because of GPS units, which cost around $200. This season, they put a station on surveying last year, they knew where “It’s become a national utility,” Johns Mount Erebus to watch how under- one was. said. ground activity changes the volcano’s GPS is also used to map the atmos- Commercial handhelds provide surface. phere. Since GPS uses radio waves, accuracy to within about fifteen feet of “If there’s any inflation or deflation which behave differently as atmospheric an actual location, Johns said. of the volcano relative to McMurdo conditions change, GPS readings at By contrast, the equipment Johns and we’ll see that,” Johns said. known locations can show variations in his colleague Chuck Kurnik issue are If anything significant happened on the ionosphere and troposphere through accurate to within tenths of an inch, cost Erebus, or anywhere else with a perma- changes in radio waves along different around $15,000 and involve a platter- nent GPS monitoring station, the data paths. size antenna and laptop computer-size would be valuable for scientists. Johns and Kurnik don’t directly receiving box. “When an event occurs, you’ve cap- interact with the atmospheric mapping GPS is based on a group of satellites tured it, with pre- and post-event data,” projects, which are not based in orbiting Earth and several ground sta- Johns said. Antarctica, but help people use GPS in tions monitoring them. The satellites Another important element is fixing all kinds of ways. broadcast their position in space and the the exact antenna position to the ground. “Everyone has something they want exact time from an on-board atomic If a measurement is accurate within frac- measured,” Johns said. I 10 • The Antarctic Sun November 26, 2000 VICTORY AT VIDA By Josh Landis Sun staff

Kirsten Wade, bottom right, was part of the team that went to Lake Vida last week to find out what became of a decades-old, diesel-filled bore hole. Drillers, background, set up their rig. Photo by Bill Gilmore.

Sometime during the next two decades, it!’” said environmental engineer Bill or decades a mystery hid however, the hole fell into disuse and the Gilmore, describing the moment. beneath the sands of Victoria section of pipe was wrenched out of place. If only a foot of fuel is missing, it means Valley. A hole one thousand feet According to Joyce Jatko, National Science cleanup will be much easier than expected. deep, full of diesel fuel, was Foundation environmental officer, it was Gilmore said initial core samples taken near concealed.F It had been drilled in the early most likely the result of Vida’s level rising the drill site last week indicate that the fuel 1970s, but attempts to locate it again in the and falling over the years. The ice on the that managed to escape from the top of the 1990s proved unsuccessful. Hundreds of lake’s surface probably pushed and pulled hole penetrated no more than 6 inches (15 gallons of fuel were out there somewhere, the piece of metal out of place. cm) deep. but nobody could say exactly where. What brought the old hole to the NSF’s “This project went way beyond our Until now. attention again was a team of scientists that expectations,” said Gilmore. The U.S. Antarctic Program’s remedia- wanted to use it to take new temperature Still, there is additional testing that tion team and three New Zealand drillers readings. They found the pipe, but couldn’t needs to be done to make sure the extent of returned to the scene last week to resolve a find the shaft, and the search began. the diesel plume is known. Any residual puzzle that started decades ago. “The cap of the borehole was not fuel would affect the purity of the area The Dry Valley Drilling Project took attached to any casing and was not even sit- indefinitely. place between 1973 and 1975. It was an ting on top of the borehole,” said Jatko. The remediation team is also faced with international effort to explore the geology of Furthermore, there was an odor of diesel the decision of what to do with the hole the region and better understand how the rare fuel in the area. It appeared that some fuel now that they’ve found it. valleys had formed. American, New Zealand in the ground had leaked. “We’re looking at a couple of different and Japanese research programs collaborat- But how much? And where had it gone? options,” said Gilmore. “But we’re defi- ed and drilled numerous sites throughout the There were a number of unpleasant pos- nitely going to monitor it.” Dry Valleys and McMurdo Station. sibilities, the worst of which would have Options include draining the old fuel, One of the holes went in near Lake Vida been that the fuel was somehow released replacing it with water (which would sta- in Victoria Valley. into Lake Vida when the lake’s level rose bilize the hole and close it for good), or In order to keep the hole from collaps- above the standpipe in the mid-1990s. even leaving it as is so scientists can con- ing, it was filled with diesel fuel. This Fortunately, after the remediation team’s tinue to research the bedrock beneath the would allow scientists to monitor tempera- recent visit to the site, it doesn’t appear that valley. tures at different depths. It was assumed was what happened. They were able to dig “It’s good to know work that was done since the hole was drilled in bedrock, the around and find the original hole. They also in the 70’s is still of value today,” said fuel would simply remain where it was. A discovered something very relieving: In 27 Jatko. “And it's a remediation project that short length of pipe was pushed into the years, the thousand-foot (305 meters) col- had a very happy ending. We found (the ground to keep the "active zone" on the sur- umn of fuel had dropped less than a foot (30 hole), it was in much better shape than we face (which freezes and thaws) from melt- centimeters). expected, and we don't have a serous cont- ing into the hole. “We were like, ‘Oh my god, we’ve got amination problem.” I November 26, 2000 The Antarctic Sun • 11 Modern plane and old history-maker ARE BIRDS OF A FEATHER By Josh Landis Sun staff ast Sunday evening a piece of L history landed on the sea ice run- way. Appearing to float slowly out of the sky and land gently on the white surface, the Basler BT-67 joined the air fleet operating out of McMurdo Station. Built on the airframe of an old Douglas DC-3, the Basler will be here for about a month to fly missions with weight requirements that fall between the smaller Twin Otters and the larger LC-130s.

“It will be an evolving process to see how it fits in the U.S. Antarctic Program.” - Alana Jones, fixed-wing coordinator

“It’s a nice addition to the other plat- forms we have,” said Alana Jones, fixed-wing coordinator. “It will be an evolving process to see how it fits in to the U.S. Antarctic Program.” The Basler is a not-so-distant rela- tive of the historic aircraft, Que Sera Sera. In 1956 that Navy R4D carried Adm. George Dufek south to become Top: The Basler BT-67 landing on the sea ice runway at McMurdo last week. Photo the first person to stand at the Pole by Josh Landis. since Robert Scott’s party in 1912. Bottom: Gus Shinn examines the jet-assisted takeoff rockets on the Que Sera Sera Throughout the years, the Navy flew at the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Fla., earlier this year. Photo countless missions in R4Ds and other by Jim O'Connell. similar aircraft as part of Operation Deep Freeze. one. It was the last flight over the Billy-Ace Baker spent multiple winters The last time a plane like the Antarctic by a United States DC-3-type and summers on the Ice between 1963 Basler flew for the program was in aircraft…. and 1980. He’s now an avid historian 1968. The Antarctic Journal docu- “These veterans of Antarctic flying and chronicler of Antarctic achieve- mented the day. are being dismantled and prepared for ment. “Re-supply of the inland stations return home by ship, thus ending a “It is not known how many Douglas went well, and on December 3, fuel saga that goes back to January 29, DC-3s remain entombed in the deliveries were reported to be slightly 1947, when a C-47 with Admiral Byrd Antarctic, but only one ever claimed ahead of schedule. At Hallett Station, on board flew from the aircraft carrier the lives of men,” said Baker. “The ver- where landings are made on the sea ice Philippine Sea to Little America IV, on satile aircraft was immortalized on the of Moubray Bay, rising temperatures the shore of the Bay of Whales. It was continent by having three geographic caused the runway to deteriorate, so it the first aircraft in Antarctica to be locations named after it: Dakota Pass, was closed to traffic on Dec. 3. equipped with a combination ski-wheel R4D Nunatak, and Skytrain Rise,” “The day before the closing, an LC- landing gear, and at that time it was the Baker said. I 117D made a round-trip supply flight largest plane to have reached the con- between McMurdo and Hallett Stations tinent.” Brian Stone contributed to this that was routine in all respects except Retired Navy Chief Radioman report. 12 • The Antarctic Sun November 26, 2000 Profile

A PILOT WHO Jack Hawkins Flies fickle skies By Beth Minneci Sun staff From a helicopter hangar near the sea ice, the most remote and majestic places on Earth. the distant mountain peaks look dark blue, “It’s some of the best helicopter flying in almost purple. Strong gusts blow snow in the the world,” Hawkins said. “One day you distance and on the sea ice runway, making might be up 13,000 feet going to Erebus. Hawkins takes off with a double slingload everything in sight look blurry. Next you might be on the sea ice helping a from the helo pad near the sea ice. Photo The day is, in pilot speak, marginal. scientist capture penguins. Then, you’re at courtesy of Jack Hawkins. On the radio, Jack Hawkins is talking the Dry Valleys and lakes.” with a pilot at , a sort of heli- Back in the states, for years Hawkins flew one of seven pilots who is a military veteran copter rest stop near the Dry Valleys. The over the Gulf of Mexico, bringing people but not retired military. Collectively, the men are discussing whether it is safe for the and equipment to drilling sites. On the Gulf, pilots have 173 years of flying experience. pilot to bring home people he left to work in the ocean storms are fierce and mercurial. Each morning, helicopter coordinator the Valleys this morning. “A lot of people think flying in the moun- Rhonda Rodriguez hands out a flight sched- If the conditions get worse soon, the pilot tains is a lot harder than the Gulf,” he said. ule. But the schedule is flexible because will leave them, and they will camp. The “The Gulf, day in and day out, is actually flights can be canceled at the last minute and pilot will stay put at the stop-over at Marble pretty tough.” shuffled and rescheduled when the condi- Point. In his fifth Antarctic season, Hawkins, 54, tions change. “They have survival bags but we don’t started a helicopter flying career in 1967 with “We’re always on our toes,” Hawkins said. want to leave them out there with survival the U.S. Army. He served in Vietnam in 1968 The pilots take cargo and passengers to bags if we can help it,” Hawkins said of the and 1969, where he first flew in mountains. field camps. The passengers are usually sci- people waiting to be picked up. After that, the Texas native went home to entists who may work in the field for From the window of his office in the earn a bachelor’s degree in forestry before months. Or they might be there for an hour hangar, Hawkins can see the gray tails of Petroleum Helicopters Inc., hired him in 1973. or two to check data on instruments already LC-130s on the airfield sticking out of the He’s been with PHI ever since. set up. airborne snow. Many McMurdoites can boast of travel- One pilot can take people out, then fly off “I’ve got a good view of what’s happen- ing the world, but not many have lived in to another destination, and another might ing with the weather,” Hawkins said. But foreign countries while earning a salary. pick them up after completing a drop-off still, sometimes a pilot can’t tell how bad fly- Hawkins and six other pilots here work for somewhere else. ing conditions are until the pilot is in the air. PHI, a Louisiana-based company that sta- The majority of passengers are at ease on Earlier in the day, two pilots tried to reach tions pilots all over the globe. a helicopter, Hawkins said. But for those a remote camp about 150 miles south. In Africa, Venezuela and Argentina, who aren’t, pilots emphasize the safety fea- Visibility was OK, but the turbulence in the Hawkins flew people and equipment to and tures of the aircraft to calm them down. mountains was too much. The helicopters from work sites. “The attitude of the pilot and a profes- turned back. During a typical year, he spends about sional manner can lay down a lot of appre- “The weather was good at the camp, but half of it away from his wife, Ann, a teacher, hension,” he said. they would have had to go through some and two grown sons, but the rest of the year And nobody has ever argued with him pretty rough territory,” Hawkins said. he is working near home. about canceling a flight for bad weather. Several other trips were canceled. During college, Hawkins hoped to com- “Even though they want real bad to do Hawkins was scheduled to take cargo to a bine forestry with flying, but the closest he’s their work, if you don’t want to go, the sci- camp on Mt. Erebus, but low clouds kept come was in 1989 with Alaska wildlife and entists don’t want to go because they want to him on the ground. fisheries employees he flew around the be safe.” Two New Zealand pilots turned back Prince William Sound after the Exxon When asked if he’s had close calls in a after they saw bad weather on the other side Valdez spill. helicopter, Hawkins said, “Anybody who’s of Hut Point, only a couple of miles from “That was fun,” he said, adding that he been flying for this long has been in scary Scott Base. was intrigued by the state’s efforts to assess situations. Not all days are like this, of course. When the environmental health of the area, and “You deal with them and you go on. the weather is good, Antarctica is a fabulous with the kodiak bear, elk, salmon and trout. You learn from them. The biggest thing is place to be a helicopter pilot. The job, after all, “Everywhere I went I took my rod and reel.” to avoid them. One way is by turning entails shuttling cargo and scientists to some of Here in Antarctica, Hawkins is the only back.”