DOCSLIB.ORG

The Greatest Day 2021-2022

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Greatest Day 2021-2022 GREATEST DAY WOLF’S FANG EXPLORER | ANTARCTICA 2021 - 2022 Come join us on the world’s most extraordinary day trip. Leaving Cape Town via Gulfstream jet, we soar over thousands of icebergs as we pass into 24 hours of continuous daylight. Landing on Wolf’s Fang Runway deep in the interior of Antarctica, you will experience a landscape unlike anything else on earth and become one of the few that have ever stepped foot on the Seventh Continent. PER SEAT PRICE: US$14,500 EXCLUSIVE CHARTER (12 PLACES): US$174,000 “There can be no better journey, no better destination.” October 2020. 7-Time Winner World Travel Awards EXPLORE ANTARCTICA IN LUXURY For centuries, the Last Continent has held a special place in our imaginations, yet even now, long after the first explorers reached the South Pole, access to the interior of Antarctica is still only for the very few. After a five-hour flight from Cape Town, South Africa, we bring you into the heart of Antarctica, a place that is both surreal and majestic. From iridescent ice tunnels to vertical spires of rock, from endless uninhabited horizons to oceans scattered with icebergs, this is a place unlike anywhere else on Planet Earth. Established 15 years ago by record-breaking polar explorers, White Desert offers you an environmentally- conscious choice for luxury and adventure, sensitive to the incredible environment and animals that surround us. Come with us on an unforgettable journey. Come explore. Often tipped as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Cape Town is home to award-winning vineyards and stunning 33º 56’ 29” S 18º 27’ 40” E ocean vistas. We will host a safety briefing the day before your scheduled flight where our staff will explain all kit requirements, assist START POINT with any last-minute preparations and update you on the CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA latest weather forecasts for Antarctica. Atlantic Ocean CAPE TOWN SOUTH AFRICA Atlantic Ocean Indian Ocean WOLF’S FANG RUNWAY Weddell Sea Bellingshausen Sea Pacific Ocean FLIGHTS FLIGHT TO WOLF’S FANG, ANTARCTICA: 5 hours MAXIMUM GUESTS: 12 AIRCRAFT: Gulfstream G550 CLICK TO VIEW LANDING ON WOLF’S FANG BLUE ICE RUNWAY TRAVEL SOUTH AFRICA TO ANTARCTICA We travel in uncompromising comfort across the mighty Southern Ocean in a Gulfstream 550. During the five-hour flight, the African night turns to the Antarctic day as we soar over thousands of icebergs on our way to one of the most remote locations on Earth. Destination: Wolf’s Fang Runway. “This was the most incredible trip of my life. The true essence of ‘Inspirational Travel’ and a dream come true.” Susan Williams, VP Kalalou WOLF’S FANG RUNWAY CLICK TO VIEW LANDING ON WOLF’S FANG BLUE ICE RUNWAY 71º 39’ 43” S 9º 29’ 03” E WOLF’S FANG RUNWAY Our runway is overlooked by one of the most magnificent and iconic mountains on the entire continent, named ‘Wolf’s Fang’ by the early Norwegian explorers. After landing on the ancient blue ice, you will be surrounded by massive monoliths of rock that rise vertically from the glacier. 70º 46’ 37” S 11º 49’ 26” E YOUR TIME ON THE ICE Our UIAGM-qualified mountain guides will lead you on a gentle hike to the base of a nearby mountain where we will host a picnic with views like no other. For the more daring, you’ll be guided to the summit to look over the mountains of the Wolf’s Fang range. Or if climbing isn’t your thing, you’re welcome to ride a fat bike on our specially-prepared trails or go on a 4x4 safari drive. YOUR SAFETY For all its beauty, Antarctica can be a challenging environment, with low temperatures, strong winds and high altitudes. For that reason we are absolutely uncompromising about recruiting the best people to look after you and keep you safe. Our team in Antarctica includes a doctor with a full medical kit, our guides are all UIAGM-qualified and all staff are trained in first aid and rescue procedures, satnav communications and Search & Rescue. “Antarctica, the safest place to travel in 2020 and beyond.” May 2020. ENVIRONMENT White Desert believes that responsible tourism is a genuine force for good and supports Sir David Attenborough’s stance on the transformative power of wilderness travel: “No one will protect what they don’t care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced”. Carbon neutral - White Desert was the first aviation operator in Antarctica to be entirely Carbon Neutral, a status the company has held since 2007. Waste management - We keep waste to a minimum by repackaging all consumables before we bring them to Antarctica, while at the end of the season, all solid waste is shipped back to South Africa for recycling or responsible disposal. INCLUSIONS / EXCLUSIONS White Desert is the only company in the world to offer a private jet service to Antarctica. The Gulfstream has space for up to 12 guests and members of the White Desert staff will accompany the flight. Whether you choose to travel as individuals or charter the entire jet for a special occasion, you will be embarking on INCLUDED EXCLUDED your Greatest Day! 1. Safety briefing (return transfers 1. Commercial flights to and from Cape Town, provided). South Africa. 2. Return transfers for Antarctica flights. 2. Accommodation and meals whilst in TRAVEL DETAILS FLIGHT TO ANTARCTICA: 5HRS Cape Town. 3. Return flight to Antarctica 3. Polar clothing (you will be sent a kit list in (inc. 10kg baggage allowance). TIME IN ANTARCTICA: APPROX 3-4HRS advance of your trip to help you purchase 4. All food and drink (including all alcohol) the necessary items). FITNESS : NO SPECIFIC LEVEL REQUIRED in Antarctica. 4. Comprehensive insurance cover 5. All guiding fees, support of field guides (White Desert staff can advise you as to and logistics staff. the appropriate cover required.) 5. Additional expenses incurred in Cape Town DATES AVAILABLE BETWEEN: 1 DEC 2021 - 6 FEB 2022 6. The use of certain items of polar EXCLUSIVE due to any delay. clothing, as denoted on equipment list. CHARTER COST OF CHARTER: US$174,000 (UP TO 12 GUESTS) 6. Additional baggage costs over the agreed 7. Payment by White Desert Ltd of a amount. ‘Carbon Tax’ for offsetting emissions or created by all Antarctic travel. 7. Use of a satellite phone whilst in Antarctica. INDIVIDUAL PLEASE VISIT WEBSITE TRAVELERS As part of our commitment to preserving Antarctica, all emissions from flights to, from and whilst on the continent, are offset by fully accredited carbon-neutral schemes. CAPE TOWN 5 hours WOLF’S FANG 5 hours CAPE TOWN Images courtesy of White Desert team, Kelvin Trautman, Terry Virts & Marko Prezelj White Desert team ABOUT WHITE DESERT White Desert was founded in 2005 by husband and wife team Patrick & Robyn Woodhead, who hold four exploration world records between them. When White Desert began, visitors reached Antarctica almost exclusively by cruise ship, limiting them to the Antarctic Peninsula and its coastline. Instead, Patrick and Robyn wanted to introduce guests to the deep interior of the continent while offering them a level of hospitality and comfort more akin to a high-end Africa safari than a rugged polar expedition. Receiving its operating permit from the British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the company has grown year-on-year and is now comprised of 70 staff of 17 different nationalities during season, providing a unique and highly specialised skillset. Antarctic travel is the only thing White Desert does. It’s our passion, it’s our mission and it’s in our DNA. Safety briefing at the Silo Hotel in Cape Town JOIN US ON AN UNFORGETTABLE JOURNEY. COME EXPLORE. [email protected] CLICK FOR AVAILABLE DATES +1 718 312 8653.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Antarctic Primer
    Antarctic Primer By Nigel Sitwell, Tom Ritchie & Gary Miller By Nigel Sitwell, Tom Ritchie & Gary Miller Designed by: Olivia Young, Aurora Expeditions October 2018 Cover image © I.Tortosa Morgan Suite 12, Level 2 35 Buckingham Street Surry Hills, Sydney NSW 2010, Australia To anyone who goes to the Antarctic, there is a tremendous appeal, an unparalleled combination of grandeur, beauty, vastness, loneliness, and malevolence —all of which sound terribly melodramatic — but which truly convey the actual feeling of Antarctica. Where else in the world are all of these descriptions really true? —Captain T.L.M. Sunter, ‘The Antarctic Century Newsletter ANTARCTIC PRIMER 2018 | 3 CONTENTS I. CONSERVING ANTARCTICA Guidance for Visitors to the Antarctic Antarctica’s Historic Heritage South Georgia Biosecurity II. THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT Antarctica The Southern Ocean The Continent Climate Atmospheric Phenomena The Ozone Hole Climate Change Sea Ice The Antarctic Ice Cap Icebergs A Short Glossary of Ice Terms III. THE BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT Life in Antarctica Adapting to the Cold The Kingdom of Krill IV. THE WILDLIFE Antarctic Squids Antarctic Fishes Antarctic Birds Antarctic Seals Antarctic Whales 4 AURORA EXPEDITIONS | Pioneering expedition travel to the heart of nature. CONTENTS V. EXPLORERS AND SCIENTISTS The Exploration of Antarctica The Antarctic Treaty VI. PLACES YOU MAY VISIT South Shetland Islands Antarctic Peninsula Weddell Sea South Orkney Islands South Georgia The Falkland Islands South Sandwich Islands The Historic Ross Sea Sector Commonwealth Bay VII. FURTHER READING VIII. WILDLIFE CHECKLISTS ANTARCTIC PRIMER 2018 | 5 Adélie penguins in the Antarctic Peninsula I. CONSERVING ANTARCTICA Antarctica is the largest wilderness area on earth, a place that must be preserved in its present, virtually pristine state.
    [Show full text]
  • Antarctica: Music, Sounds and Cultural Connections
    Antarctica Music, sounds and cultural connections Antarctica Music, sounds and cultural connections Edited by Bernadette Hince, Rupert Summerson and Arnan Wiesel Published by ANU Press The Australian National University Acton ACT 2601, Australia Email: [email protected] This title is also available online at http://press.anu.edu.au National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Title: Antarctica - music, sounds and cultural connections / edited by Bernadette Hince, Rupert Summerson, Arnan Wiesel. ISBN: 9781925022285 (paperback) 9781925022292 (ebook) Subjects: Australasian Antarctic Expedition (1911-1914)--Centennial celebrations, etc. Music festivals--Australian Capital Territory--Canberra. Antarctica--Discovery and exploration--Australian--Congresses. Antarctica--Songs and music--Congresses. Other Creators/Contributors: Hince, B. (Bernadette), editor. Summerson, Rupert, editor. Wiesel, Arnan, editor. Australian National University School of Music. Antarctica - music, sounds and cultural connections (2011 : Australian National University). Dewey Number: 780.789471 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Cover design and layout by ANU Press Cover photo: Moonrise over Fram Bank, Antarctica. Photographer: Steve Nicol © Printed by Griffin Press This edition © 2015 ANU Press Contents Preface: Music and Antarctica . ix Arnan Wiesel Introduction: Listening to Antarctica . 1 Tom Griffiths Mawson’s musings and Morse code: Antarctic silence at the end of the ‘Heroic Era’, and how it was lost . 15 Mark Pharaoh Thulia: a Tale of the Antarctic (1843): The earliest Antarctic poem and its musical setting . 23 Elizabeth Truswell Nankyoku no kyoku: The cultural life of the Shirase Antarctic Expedition 1910–12 .
    [Show full text]
  • Catching Cosmic Rain Dr
    Catching Cosmic Rain Dr. James Madsen Jongil Jung University of Wisconsin River Falls Dylan Frikken UWRF Samantha Pedek UWRF Eric Thuma Dr. Paul Evenson Stoney Creek HS University of Delaware PolarTREC Expedition 2016: Neutron Monitors for Solar Study • Where did we work? • How did we get there? • Who was involved? • What are we studying? • What did we do? • What about students? Where did we work? Antarctica! • Coldest, Windiest, Highest, Driest Continent • McMurdo Station, Ross Island • Amundsen-Scott Station, South Pole How did we get there? • 27 hours in airplanes • Detroit to Dallas to Los Angeles to Aukland, NZ to Christchurch, NZ • Christchurch to McMurdo Station, Antarctica • Then some of us go from McMurdo to the South Pole • Getting cold weather gear in Christchurch • We were delayed for four days coming in from Christchurch to McMurdo. So we had some time to enjoy New Zealand. • Inside the C-130, lots of space but little comfort • First steps in Antarctica • Our transport to McMurdo Station, Ivan the Terra Bus Who was Involved? Eric Thuma • High school teacher at Stoney Creek High School in Rochester, MI • First time in Antarctica Dr. James Madsen • Professor, Chair UWRF Physics Department • Associate Director of IceCube, responsible for Education and Outreach • 5th deployment to Antarctica Dr. Paul Evenson • University of Delaware • Lead Researcher for the CosRay neutron monitors • 15th deployment to Antarctica What are we studying? CosRay • Studying the severe solar storms • These produce high energy particles • We want to know how this happens • We record neutrons produced when the high energy particles interact in the atmosphere IceCube • Studying high energy astrophysical events What did we do? We prepared to ship the neutron monitors to New Zealand for transport to Jang Bogo Station.
    [Show full text]
  • The Antarctic Sun, December 25, 2005
    December 25, 2005 Scientists seek to label whale species By Steven Profaizer Sun staff Patches of pure white splashed on an inky black body. Two-meter-tall dorsal fin slicing through the water’s surface. An attraction at SeaWorld. A pack hunter with cunning intelligence and stunning power. The killer whale, or orca, is one of the most universally known animals in the world. They are also one of the most wide- spread mammals, second only to humans, and inhabit all of the world’s oceans. Yet scientists are still working to deter- mine how many species of killer whales exist. Only one species is currently rec- ognized, but many people, including researcher Robert Pitman, believe there may be two additional species among the estimated 20,000 to 80,000 killer whales that inhabit Antarctic waters. Pitman is far from the first to believe this: Soviet 5 Union whalers in the early 1980s first Deep Freeze turns 0 observed the killer whales’ differences in diet, preferred habitat and coloring. He By Emily Stone does, however, hope to be part of the team Sun staff that finally solves the mystery. Al Hisey spent one of his first nights at McMurdo Station by accident. Pitman, of the National Oceanic and It was 1955, and he was ferrying supplies by tractor from Navy ships across the Atmospheric Administration, led a team sea ice of McMurdo Sound to the spot on Ross Island where the station was being to Antarctica last year on a two-week mis- built. During one of the first trips, there was a major break in the ice between the sion that used sophisticated technology to fledgling station and the ships.
    [Show full text]
  • The Antarctic Sun, November 23, 2003
    Published during the austral summer at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, for the United States Antarctic Program November 23, 2003 Finding a way to the Pole... Photo by Kris Kuenning /The Antarctic Sun The team charged with finding an overland way to the South Pole left McMurdo Station Tuesday. This year’s journey will take the seven men to the Leverett Glacier and back by early February. See South Pole traverse on page 11, Science traverse on page 10 Moon to stage show for Ice people By Brien Barnett, Kristan Hutchison peak of the show lasts only about two min- cent of the sun’s disk covered by the and Kris Kuenning utes. moon. About 10 minutes later, South Pole Sun Staff Cross your fingers for clear skies. residents will see almost 90 percent of the Most times the best party is one with McMurdo forecaster Greg McQuoid said a disk covered. In your haste to witness the the lights off. weather system is due in from the Ross phenomenon, remember not to look So, hats off to the moon for agreeing to Sea on Monday and viewers there should directly at the sun. (See story page 9.) throw the switch midday Monday to kick expect a mostly cloudy day with an occa- One group of astronomy fans at start the total solar eclipse party. sional break. McMurdo is hoping to receive solar filter Most everybody in Antarctica will be At McMurdo station the show begins sunglasses from the States. able to witness at least a part of the Sunday at 22:08:57 UT or just after 11:08 “Otherwise, we’ll watch it through eclipse, with those in extremely remote a.m.
    [Show full text]
  • Working As a Mountaineer in Antarctica: 40 Years in the Making
    Appalachia Volume 70 Number 1 Winter/Spring 2019: Quests That Article 3 Wouldn't Let Go 2019 Working as a Mountaineer in Antarctica: 40 Years in the Making Todd Swain Donnette Swain Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.dartmouth.edu/appalachia Part of the Nonfiction Commons Recommended Citation Swain, Todd and Swain, Donnette (2019) "Working as a Mountaineer in Antarctica: 40 Years in the Making," Appalachia: Vol. 70 : No. 1 , Article 3. Available at: https://digitalcommons.dartmouth.edu/appalachia/vol70/iss1/3 This In This Issue is brought to you for free and open access by Dartmouth Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Appalachia by an authorized editor of Dartmouth Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Working as a Mountaineer in Antarctica 40 years in the making Todd and Donette Swain 8 Appalachia Appalachia_WS2019_FINAL_REV.indd 8 10/26/18 10:34 AM Editor’s note: Todd and Donette Swain wrote this piece together. The narrator is Todd. irca 1977 I asked Marc Levesque for help in climbing, C which I’d just started. I was 17 and lived in New Hampshire. Marc chaired the mountaineering section of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s New Hampshire Chapter. My time with him and other members laid the foundation for decades of climbing adventures all over the world. Marc told me he had worked in Antarctica. Not only had he lived through the challenging conditions of austral summer, he had stayed through a long winter season. I had never heard of anyone visiting the far-flung continent, let alone working there.
    [Show full text]
  • US Geological Survey Scientific Activities in the Exploration Of
    Prepared in cooperation with United States Antarctic Program, National Science Foundation U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Activities in the Exploration of Antarctica: 1995–96 Field Season By Tony K. Meunier Richard S. Williams, Jr., and Jane G. Ferrigno, Editors W 0° E 60°S Fimbul Riiser-Larsen Ice Shelf Ice Shelf Lazarev Brunt Ice Shelf Ice Shelf Weddell Larsen Sea Ice Shelf Filchner Ice Shelf ANTARCTIC 80 S T ° PENINSULA R Amery Ronne A Wordie Ice N Ice Shelf Ice Shelf Shelf S A N EAST West George VI T A Ice Shelf Sound R Amundsen-Scott 90°W WEST C 90°E T South Pole Station Abbot I ANTARCTICA C Ice Shelf M ANTARCTICA O Leverett Glacier U N T A Shackleton Glacier Ross IN Shackleton S Ice Shelf Ice Shelf Skelton Glacier Getz Taylor Glacier Ice Shelf Sulzberger McMurdo McMurdo Dry Valleys Ice Shelf Station Voyeykov Ice Shelf Cook Ice Shelf 0 1000 KILOMETERS W 180° E Open-File Report 2006–1114 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior DIRK KEMPTHORNE, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Mark D. Myers, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia 2007 For product and ordering information: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted material contained within this report.
    [Show full text]
  • SOLAR ECLIPSE NEWSLETTER SOLAR ECLIPSE January 2004 NEWSLETTER
    Volume 9, Issue 1 SOLAR ECLIPSE NEWSLETTER SOLAR ECLIPSE January 2004 NEWSLETTER The sole Newsletter dedicated to Solar Eclipses INDEX 2 SECalendar January 41 Star of Bethlehem and possibly eclipse seen 8 SEC2004 in EMA68 42 Spencer Howson ABC Brisbane QF 2901 Eclipse Report 10 SEML 42 Our Eclipse from the Quantas Flight 10 Index SENL December 42 Big earthquake in Iran 11 Pasachoff Book 43 Eclipse sighting 13 Wide field shot 43 SENL to come (January 2004) 14 Umbral Green 44 Number of total eclipses 14 TSE 2003 IMAGING from the QF 2901 Flight Deck 45 Picture Table Sheridan Williams 14 Eclipse and horizon color 47 Birth of Christ Annular Eclipse 14 Reassurance about my request for high rez pix 52 TSE 2002 link pages? 16 I need some high res pix of eclipse for museum dis- 52 TSE2003 Qantas Flight Photos play 53 "winged sun" corona? 17 2003 annular eclipse video 55 TSE2003 Qantas Flight Photos 17 APOD - Congrats, Fred! 56 TSE League Table 17 Lunar Eclipse 56 Antarctic Eclipse Viewers at AAS? 18 Happy Anniversary... 57 Umbra-whatever, Scio-whatever 19 Solar Watch 57 Annular eclipse table 19 CALIBRATED CCD IMAGES FROM QF 2901 58 QF 2901 "Freebies" FLIGHT DECK... AND SOHO 58 Nabta stones 20 Qantas Eclipse Flight 59 ARTE TV 1999 Total Solar Eclipse Report 20 Picture Qantas Eclipse Flight 60 Mayan astronomy & cultural interpretation 21 Antarctic Video Compilation 63 The Longest Day of the Year 21 SOHO+QANTA (was: Gone for a few Days) 63 Delta T 21 My paper on maximum duration of TSE 64 Transit of Venus Web site 23 Canadian Discovery Channel Video
    [Show full text]
  • Greatest Day
    GREATEST DAY 2019 This is the chance to experience the real interior of Antarctica in a single day. You can either buy a seat or charter an entire Gulfstream private jet. PER SEAT PRICE : US$13,500 CHARTER PRICE : US$150,000 Cape Town is home to award-winning vineyards and stunning 33o 56’ 29” S 18o 27’ 40” E ocean vistas. It is often tipped as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Start POINT We will host a safety briefing the day before the flight where our staff will explain all kit requirements, assist with any last CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA minute preparations and update you as to the latest weather forecasts in Antarctica. Atlantic Ocean CAPE TOWN SOUTH AFRICA Atlantic Ocean Indian Ocean WOLF’S FANG RunwaY Weddell Sea Bellingshausen Sea GEOGRAPHIC SOUTH POLE Pacific Ocean FLIGHT Flight to Wolf’s Fang, Antarctica : 5hrs Maximum Client : 12 Aircraft : Gulfstream G550 TRAVEL SOUTH AFRICA TO ANtarctICA Your Antarctic adventure begins as you fly out from Cape Town across the mighty Southern Ocean. The five hour journey transports guests from the African night, over thousands of icebergs and passes into 24hrs of continuous sunshine. Destination: Wolf’s Fang runway. EEXPXPERERIIEENNCECE AA PPlacelace ASAS BIBIGG ASAS YYOUOURR IMIMagagININatatIONION 70o 46’ 37” S 11o 49’ 26” E WOLf’S FANG RUNWay Wolf’s Fang runway sits beneath one of the most magnificent and iconic mountains on the entire continent. Once on the ground you are surrounded by kilometer high monoliths of rock that rise vertically from the ice, creating a landscape that is simply breathtaking.
    [Show full text]
  • Astronomy in Antarctica
    The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review (2011) DOI 10.1007/s00159-010-0032-2 REVIEWARTICLE Michael G. Burton Astronomy in Antarctica Received: 3 May 2010 c Springer-Verlag 2010 Abstract Antarctica provides a unique environment for astronomers to practice their trade. The cold, dry and stable air found above the high Antarctic plateau, as well as the pure ice below, offers new opportunities for the conduct of obser- vational astronomy across both the photon and the particle spectrum. The sum- mits of the Antarctic plateau provide the best seeing conditions, the darkest skies and the most transparent atmosphere of any earth-based observing site. Astro- nomical activities are now underway at four plateau sites: the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Concordia Station at Dome C, Kunlun Station at Dome A and Fuji Station at Dome F, in addition to long duration ballooning from the coastal station of McMurdo, at stations run by the USA, France/Italy, China, Japan and the USA, respectively. The astronomy conducted from Antarctica includes op- tical, infrared, terahertz and sub-millimetre astronomy, measurements of cosmic microwave background anisotropies, solar astronomy, as well as high energy as- trophysics involving the measurement of cosmic rays, gamma rays and neutrinos. Antarctica is also the richest source of meteorites on our planet. An extensive range of site testing measurements have been made over the high plateau sites. In this article, we summarise the facets of Antarctica that are driving developments in astronomy there, and review the results of the site testing experiments undertaken to quantify those characteristics of the Antarctic plateau relevant for astronomical observation.
    [Show full text]
  • The Antarctic Sun, January 18, 2004
    Published during the austral summer at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, for the United States Antarctic Program January 18, 2004 Taking the temperature of sea ice By Kristan Hutchison Sun staff Arctic researchers came to the opposite end of the world to check the sea ice temperature and compare it to the frozen north. Temperature and other vital signs may explain why Arctic and Antarctic sea ice melt differently. On a large scale, the Arctic sea ice has shrunk by 300,000 square km every decade since 1972, while the Antarctic has lost half as much ice and in recent years has expanded. At McMurdo Station, sea ice is the stuff Photo by Scott Metcalfe / Special to The Antarctic Sun people ski on, drive on, land planes on, and One of the South Pole traverse vehicles struggles through deep snow, which slowed then try to break a channel through for resupply the traverse. vessels. Around Barrow, Alaska they also snowmachine across the ice in the winter, then launch boats to hunt whales in the spring. Snow slows traverse Globally, the frozen polar seas have an important, if less obvious, role. By Kristan Hutchison at a walking pace. “The ocean is the biggest reservoir of heat Sun staff “Though we are disappointed that on the planet and if you can get the heat out that On a wide, white prairie, a caravan we are not making the southward can do a lot to warm a place,” said glaciologist of tractors and trailers halted and five advance at a better pace,” Wright wrote Hajo Eicken, one of two Alaskan sea ice men stepped out, holding wrenches and in a report Dec.
    [Show full text]
  • MEMORANDUM of AGREEMENT Between the National Science
    MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION OFFICE OF POLAR PROGRAMS AND THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY NAVAL MEDIA CENTER REGARDING RADIO AND TELEVISION SERVICES IN SUPPORT OF THE UNITED STATES ANTARCTIC PROGRAM TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................III ARTICLE I BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................1 A. PURPOSE ...................................................................................................................................1 B. ROLE OF THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION .......................................................................1 C. CHARTER FOR SUPPORT, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.................................................................1 D. ROLE OF THE NAVAL MEDIA CENTER.......................................................................................2 E. TRANSITION OF DOD EXECUTIVE AGENT FOR ANTARCTIC SUPPORT .......................................2 F. AFRTS SATELLITE BROADCAST CONVERSION TO DIGITAL SERVICE........................................3 ARTICLE II AUTHORITY..........................................................................................................4 ARTICLE III ASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY ............................................................5 A. NAVAL MEDIA CENTER ............................................................................................................5 1. Administration.......................................................................................................................5
    [Show full text]