October 29, 2006

Ozone hole breaks two records Season marks 20th anniversary since fi rst Antarctic visit to study depletion Peter Rejcek Sun staff It’s not the sort of record you like to see broken, particularly if you live in the Southern Hemisphere. Scientists from various agencies and universities measuring ozone depletion over Antarctica say this year’s annual ozone hole not only matches the largest hole in area on record, but it is also the deepest that’s ever formed. On Sept. 24 of this year, the Antarctic ozone hole reached a one-day record of 29.5 million square kilometers, an area that spans the entire continent and spills over into parts of Australia and South America. That’s roughly the same size as the record-setting hole that appeared over the region in 2000. But the vertical disappearance of ozone Peter Rejcek / The Antarctic Sun is even more pronounced than in previous Jennifer Mercer, left, and Wiesje Mooiweer prepare ozonesondes for a balloon flight in the Crary Science and Engineering Center before a launch on Oct. 15. The devices profile the years, particularly between about 14 and concentration of ozone in the atmosphere, particularly the stratosphere, where scientists mea- 22 kilometers above the Earth in the mid- sured record depletion this year. See COLDER on page 8 Book brings Deep Freeze, IGY to life Quote of the Week “… thanks to the military today a little bit more. who provided an infrastruc- In fact, throughout Bel- “Antarctica is ture and the diplomats who anger’s nearly 500-page great, except for crafted a political peace, as historical ode to the men she all the lines.” well as the scientists whose dubs Antarctic pioneers, she — McMurdo resident appetites were only whetted, repeatedly conveys the impor- disconcerted about the the IGY in Antarctica never tance of that half-century-old growing station popula- ended.” legacy. tion as weather delayed During a phone interview flights to South Pole. By Peter Rejcek in August, as the first proof Sun staff copies leaked out, Belanger The closing sentence said she wanted her readers Inside in Dian Olson Belanger’s to appreciate the scope and seminal history book on effort it took to open the con- New shape in Palmer Operation Deep Freeze and tinent for scientific research. Page 3 the International Geophysical “I want people to under- Diatoms pumping iron Year (IGY) is a reminder to stand that it mattered,” she readers that understanding said of Operation Deep Freeze Page 7 the past makes one appreciate See IGY on page 10 The cover of “Deep Freeze.”

AntarcticSun.usap.gov 2 • The Antarctic Sun October 29, 2006 Going to new heights

Cecelia Mortenson, left, Field Safety Training Program super- Cold, hard facts visor, leads a class Oct. 23 USAP helicopters in McMurdo on Total program helicopters: travel to high altitudes. The 4 (two Bell 212s and two AS350s) class includes practicing the Maximum range of helicopters: use of a Gamow about 3 hours and 15 minutes bag, a device used to help a AS350 features: person suffering  from symptoms three-bladed rotor associated with  outfitted for five passengers, plus altitude sickness. one pilot In The Antarctic  680 kilograms load and fuel capacity Sun next week,  burns 150 liters of fuel per hour there will be a story on a study the Mayo Clinic Bell 212 features: is conducting  two-bladed rotor on the causes  outfitted for nine passengers, plus and effects of one pilot and one technician altitude-related  1600 kilograms load and fuel illness in people capacity traveling to the  South Pole. burns 340 liters of fuel per hour Results of a Sun staff poll as to whether the new helicopter paint jobs are better than the old style: 3 for, 0 against

Peter Rejcek / The Antarctic Sun Source: Jack Hawkins, Manager of PHI Antarctica

The Antarctic Sun is funded by the National Level 1 Comix Matt Davidson Science Foundation as part of the United States Antarctic Program (OPP-000373). Its primary audience is U.S. Antarctic Program par- ticipants, their families, and their friends. NSF reviews and approves material before publication, but opin- ions and conclusions expressed in The Sun are not necessarily those of the Foundation. Use: Reproduction is encouraged with acknowledgment of source and author. Senior Editor: Peter Rejcek Editors: Steven Profaizer, Steve Martaindale Copy Editors: Ben Bachelder, Susannah “Webster” Coates, Krista Eastman, Jesse Hastings, Rob Jones, Traci Macnamara, Cori Manka, Melanie Miller, Erin Popelka, Bethany Profaizer, Travis Senor Publisher: Valerie Carroll, Communications manager, RPSC Contributions are welcome. Contact The Sun at [email protected]. In McMurdo, visit our office in Building 155 or dial 2407. Web address: AntarcticSun.usap.gov October 29, 2006 The Antarctic Sun • 3 New lab shows USAP from a different angle By Steven Profaizer Sun staff In a land where boxy, military-style buildings rule, the triangular TerraLab at Palmer Station is a dramatic departure from the architectural roots of the U.S. Antarctic Program. And with 12 different science projects compiling data in the 134- square-meter building, it also represents one of the highest concentrations of sci- ence on the continent. “The initial spec was that TerraLab was just going to be big enough to house the new International Monitoring System equipment [for detecting nuclear deto- nations and seismic activity],” said Rob Edwards, who was laboratory supervisor at Palmer Station during the early plan- ning stages of the facility. “But it then got enlarged so that it would include existing geophysical projects at Palmer.” This new plan allowed for the geophysi- cal experiments contained in two older labs — T5 and Clean Air — to be consolidated with the International Monitoring System (IMS) equipment under one roof. “T5 was dilapidated and needed some work done to it anyway,” said Cara Sucher, Christina Hammock / Special to The Antarctic Sun laboratory manager at Palmer Station at the TerraLab sits on a hill overlooking Palmer Station. The new building now houses the science time of construction. equipment that was contained in two older labs, as well as new monitoring equipment. The Clean Air Lab was in no better shape. The National Science Foundation “For the [ultraviolet ray] project, for “Calling it a laboratory is a misnomer reviewed several different conceptual example, we had to make sure nothing because it’s really just a shack,” Edwards ideas for the new facility, which included was blocking or shadowing their sensor,” said. “TerraLab replaced two very old rebuilding the T5 laboratory, constructing said Sucher, who is now the Crary Science facilities that were really just hanging a very simple square building to replace and Engineering Laboratory supervisor at together.” T5, and choosing the triangular design that McMurdo. “The sensor was planned to be The new laboratory was constructed ultimately became the TerraLab. one of the highest points on the roof, so over the austral winter of 2005. It now “We thought if we could build some- it could receive the full amount of radia- serves as home for most of Palmer’s year- thing that is unique, then it would help tion.” round projects, which measure and record demonstrate a more mature attitude to Following the building’s construction, everything from seismic vibrations to air visitors about how we’re treating the pro- the daunting process of moving all the composition. TerraLab is also the work- gram,” Edwards said. projects housed in the outdated buildings place of the station’s research associate, The building is divided into two near- began. who runs and maintains the mostly autono- equal sections. One of the rooms contains Dobbs was the research associate in mous devices. the new IMS equipment that uses air sam- charge of most of the relocation effort, The consolidation of the projects also pling and seismological data to contribute which he said lasted from early November means the associates spend a lot less time to a global network of 321 other nuclear 2005 to the end of April the following running between buildings. activity and seismic monitoring stations. year. Steve Dobbs, a former Palmer research Regulations require the IMS equipment be The task required careful planning to associate, said he was responsible for proj- kept in a separate, lockable room from the ensure that projects’ data were not com- ects in four different buildings before the remaining 11 projects. promised during the transition. And due to TerraLab transition was complete, which Only slightly larger than a standard space restrictions, extra effort was taken to can make a simple daily task like back- apartment, TerraLab would be considered contain each project to its smallest possible ing up data onto DVDs a real challenge. a small building for most locations but is footprint. He would have to get one disk burning, actually rather large for Palmer Station. For such a small building, TerraLab was leave the building to do work elsewhere To help with the tight quarters, a lot of a huge project — especially for Palmer and keep coming back to change DVDs work has gone into ensuring the available Station. throughout the day. space was used as efficiently as possible, “If this [building was constructed] at Life is much more centralized for the sta- said Joe Pettit, Palmer’s manager of opera- McMurdo, it would have been a very tions’ newest research associate, Christina tions. Everything from the available com- small project,” Edwards said. “But at Hammock. Not only does the TerraLab cre- puter network hookups to the shelving and Palmer, without the kind of [infrastructure] ate less legwork for her, it allows Hammock even the pitch of the roof was designed to McMurdo has, building a brand new build- to keep a much closer eye on the projects meet the needs of the projects that are now ing is a pretty big deal, even if it’s only a for which she is responsible. housed there. relatively small one.” 4 • The Antarctic Sun October 29, 2006

Perspectives Perspectives Home is where the ice is By Peter Rejcek Sun Staff I heard something my first day back at McMurdo that made me think that the speaker should perhaps reconsider some Peter Rejcek and his life choices. wife, Andrea Dixon, The exclamation went something like lie on the sea ice this: “Ooooh, boy! It’s good to be home.” in front of Mount Home? Erebus last October. Rejcek has made I’ve always subscribed to the cliché McMurdo his home that Antarctica is a nice place to visit, but for the last two aus- I wouldn’t want to live here. Certainly, tral summers, work- it’s a wonderful and unique respite from ing as a journalist for the modern world and all its trappings. The Antarctic Sun. And you can rarely find a similar sense of community anywhere else. However, I’ve never considered contacting my real estate agent about seaside opportunities on Ross Island. Alison Lord / Special to The Antarctic Sun But recent events forced me to reassess escape the so-called real world for a frozen I lived there about three-and-a-half years my view of those who hang “Home, Sweet utopia. We all have our reasons for being and made lifelong friendships, the kind Home” signs in their dorm rooms. here, and no place is without its problems. where you may not see someone for years I’m referring to the spate of school However, I think one common thread but can immediately pick up the threads, no shootings in the United States. that draws many of us back is familiarity. matter how bare, and rehash old times. One A certain irrational guilt can wash over We enjoy cruising through Christchurch such friend died earlier this month from you when you learn about such a tragedy en route to the Ice and visiting many of heart complications. We weren’t the best of while feeling perfectly content and safe. I our favorite restaurants and pubs. Strolling friends, but in a way, she was still family, guess there’s really a cocktail of emotions through that city’s vibrant botanical gar- if only for the fact that we shared the same that leave you with the worst hangover: dens for a few last, deep, fragrant breaths of familiar home for a while. helplessness, fear, anxiety and anger. In the earth and flowers has become a ritual every That brings me back to the fellow who end, it seems like all we can do is shake our visit. Wandering through the university- was so enthusiastic about returning to heads and await the next tragedy, hoping turned-arts center and picking at the free McMurdo during the shuttle ride from that it won’t break any body count records. samples of chocolate at the Fudge Cottage the Sea Ice Runway. I think that maybe Once upon a time, as a young reporter is also a habit I look forward to before each I understand his point: We pass through working at small dailies in Texas, part of deployment. many places without really seeing them or my job was to tease out the lurid details On the Ice, I’ve already signed up to the people who inhabit them. But home is of these horrid crimes. Not fun stuff, and I volunteer with the recreation department, a place that is — and should be — safe and don’t miss it. The September school shoot- joined the Mount Terror rugby team, and familiar, where family is always waiting ing in my hometown of Bailey, Colo., just will again try to help with the mass casualty for you. reinforced my relief to be out of the “cop medical team. I’ll even admit that I gain Thinking back on those first few shop” reporting business. a certain satisfaction from complaining moments of bouncing around in the rear of But while I might be relieved at not about the same things each season like the the Delta shuttle from the Sea Ice Runway, being directly involved in those eruptions chronic lack of freshies (fresh fruit and veg- seeing the familiar faces flushed red from of violence, a bigger, more personal ques- etables) and the infrequent arrival of pack- the cold and adrenaline of returning to tion comes up: how do you defend yourself age mail. Of course, who doesn’t like to Antarctica, watching Mount Erebus belch against transient brutality? It’s like being rummage through a skua bin, that fount of its plume of smoke, I guess I too should mugged in a big city: random yet intensely free secondhand goodies, at least a couple say: it’s good to be home for a while. personal and the only way to avoid it from of times a day? Have an excellent and safe season, happening is to lock yourself away. I used to live in another remote location everybody. I guess another alternative is to fly half- before joining the U.S. Antarctic Program. Peter Rejcek is the lead journalist for way across the world to Antarctica. It was a tiny island called Kwajalein in the The Antarctic Sun. Contact him at exten- I’m not suggesting those of us who head Marshall Islands, site of a famous World sion 2407 if you are interested in contribut- south every year or two or 20 are trying to War II naval battle. ing a “Perspective” to the Sun. October 29, 2006 The Antarctic Sun • 5

around the continent

SOUTH POLE A no show at the South Pole By Tom Lohr South Pole correspondent The South Pole is expecting guests. On Oct. 21, a gargantuan cleanup effort had Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station shining like a new penny. Residents expended their two-minute allotment of shower time to temporarily ward off that Polie-specific scent, and the Dean Martin CD was blaring in the galley in anticipation of a glorious pasta feast. But no one pulled into the driveway. Our guests remained ghosts of salvation as Antarctic weather dealt South Pole the cruel card of isolation and flights were can- celed. Of course, in times as desperate as these, when you can almost taste that fresh banana, there is only one thing you can do: have a Techmo-Bowl marathon. Take cutting-edge, big-screen technol- Brien Barnett / Special to The Antarctic Sun ogy and combine it with a low-resolution, Carpenter Mike Hole screws down an approach flag near the skiway at South Pole Station on Oct. early-1990s Nintendo football game (in 17. The approach flags help planes line up for landing at the bottom of the world. Problematic which all of the players have long since weather at Pole has kept the summer crews stranded in McMurdo for the last week. retired). Now, add button-mashing madness into the wee hours of the morning, and you number required for the LC-130 Hercules Sept. 20. Sixteen wintering personnel have the South Pole’s first Techmo-Bowl aircraft to bring the much-anticipated sum- greeted us and some stayed for the three- Marathon. mer crowd and the first load of fresh fruit in week turnover. While some were basking in electronic eight months. Fast ice — sea ice fixed into position nostalgia, others took the delay of the You are sending fresh fruit, aren’t you? near the coastline — was considerably summer season’s first flight to take in the Aren’t you? weaker upon our arrival compared to last solitude one last time. Now that the sun Editor’s note: Flights to the South Pole con- year. (Winter weather reports recorded never sets, and with only 64 people on tinued to be delayed due to weather through wind gusts up to 65 knots and a low aver- station, one can soak up the tranquil polar press time on Oct. 28. Temperatures dipped age snowfall of just two centimeters a below negative 61 degrees Celsius on two con- day.) The first penguins arrived at nearby moonscape and enjoy being swallowed up secutive days, breaking the previous records by its emptiness. for Oct. 22 and Oct. 23. Torgersen Island during the first few days This is the second bonus weekend for of October. the crew that stayed the winter, and the Principal Investigators Maria Vernet time off has allowed for a little rest from PALMER with the phytoplankton and marine optics an extremely busy period of preparation team and Hugh Ducklow with the biogeo- for the arrival of the summer crew. Skiway chemical component of the Long Term grooming, reheating outlying buildings, Summer science gets started Ecological Research (LTER) were among readying previously unoccupied berthing By Kerry Kells the arrivals at the station. wings, turnover preparation and endless Palmer correspondent The LTER group, as the name implies, other assignments outside our normal rou- Summer season at Palmer Station studies long-term trends in the marine tine took an enormous amount of energy. began with the arrival of the first R/V ecosystem in the Palmer Station region, Minus 50 degrees Celsius is the magic Laurence M. Gould (LMG) shuttle on See CONTINENT on page 6

the week in weather

McMurdo Station Palmer Station South Pole Station High: 15F / -10C High temperature: 42F / 5C High: -58F / -50C Low: -14F / -26C Low temperature: 21F / -6C Low: -78F / -61C Max. sustained wind: 31 mph / 50 kph Max. sustained wind: 48 mph / 78 kph Peak wind: 24 mph / 39 kph Min. wind chill: -45F / -43C Melted precipitation: 18 mm Max. Physio-altitude: 3,426 m 6 • The Antarctic Sun October 29, 2006 Continent From page 5 focusing on sea ice variability and how it affects the region. Vernet, who works in conjunction with Raymond Smith, concentrates on the abundance, composition, rates of repro- duction, growth factors, and mortality of phytoplankton, single-celled plants that float in the ocean. Smith’s bio-optics group looks at how ocean color remote sensing can detect phytoplankton con- centration. Ducklow leads research on dissolved organic matter and bacterial dynamics. Both will conduct bi-weekly sampling at Stations B and E, set loca- Christina Hammock / Special to The Antarctic Sun tions on the water near Palmer. A rainbow arches over Palmer Station on Oct. 21. The station’s summer season began Sept. 20 Team members also arrived with with the arrival of the R/V Laurence M. Gould, which transports personnel to Palmer. Vernet and Ducklow and began regular sampling as winds allowed. Bill Fraser’s Later in the season, Palmer will greet well. Weekly science lectures are under field team leader, Jen Blum, along with the return of Richard Lee and his research way along with slide shows on travel and team member Kristen Gorman, began team with the polar entomology (insect) on science research in other parts of the recording snow transect data and conduct- study. Lee investigates the microclimatic world. ing censuses of the Adélie and cormorant conditions of Belgica antarctica (a flight- We say a warm “hello” to former populations on the local islands. Fraser less midge, a sort of fly) and its ability to Palmer community members who are now leads the sea bird ecology component survive under extreme weather fluctua- researching or working at McMurdo or with continued research on Adélie, gentoo tions. South Pole Stations this year. And good and chinstrap penguins as well as giant Artist and writer David Ruth, a glass luck to all at McMurdo and South Pole! petrels, brown and South Polar skuas, and sculptor who will use water and ice as inspi- blue-eyed cormorants. ration, arrives in November. Beginning LTER Principal Investigators Langdon in February, Chuck and Maggie Amsler, SHIPS Quetin and Robin Ross Quetin continue Bill Baker and Jim McClintock return to their work on krill, an important com- station for research in chemical ecology. While most science at McMurdo Station ponent of the Southern Ocean food web. They will dive and collect sessile organ- slumbers during part of the year, the U.S. Some LTER principal investigators will isms, such as sponges and anemones. Antarctic Program (USAP) research ves- return to Palmer for part of the summer Bruce Sidell’s research team will col- sels operate nearly year-round. This past season this year. lect and compare the physiology of ice week finds the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer A new research grant brings James fish to other fish. (NBP) and the R/V Laurence M. Gould Hollibaugh’s research to Palmer Dan Costa’s team will research the (LMG) both resting at port. The NBP is in Station and will involve studying the ecol- uses of the Southern Ocean habitat by Lyttleton, New Zealand, while the LMG ogy of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. crabeater and elephant seals during the crossed the Drake Passage more than a Team member Nicole Middaugh will months of April and May. week ago for Punta Arenas, Chile. take water samples from 150 meters and On the social scene, Palmer volunteers The NBP has been conducting science incubate the bacteria at seven different continue to teach Spanish, Photoshop and surveys off Cape Adare and the LMG temperatures to determine the temperature exercise classes, with a Palmer ecology returned to Chile after transferring passen- response of ammonia oxidation rates. reading and discussion group meeting as gers and cargo to Palmer Station.

What did you miss most about the Ice?

“All the safety “The sparkling “The great folks meetings.” personalities at Pole and Genie of the people at the forklift.” Palmer.”

Chris Wisniewski Nicole Middaugh Kari Nester McMurdo Palmer research South Pole FEMC materialsperson technician from materialsperson from Lander, Wyo., Anchorage, Alaska, from Radford, Va., second season third season second season October 29, 2006 The Antarctic Sun • 7 IVARS puts focus on food web changes By Steve Martaindale toplankton among years are tied to iron Sun Staff availability, but the increases do not occur As Walker O. Smith Jr. looks back at his as rapidly as in warmer climates. five-year research project, he talks about “That’s not to say that it might not be in how much the research team learned, how effect,” he said, “but the problem is that a much scientists still need to know and response time in cold water is pretty long, about how a large number of people who so it’s actually longer than we have the took part in the study are now spreading availability to make the observations.” knowledge of Antarctic research. However, he said he does not carry a The study, Inter-annual Variability in lot of optimism about iron enrichment as the Ross Sea (IVARS), began in December a viable means for preventing CO2 from 2001 and collected its last samples in returning to the atmosphere and reducing February 2006. Its purpose was to learn the overall greenhouse effect. more about how phytoplankton productiv- “I’m not hopeful at all. In fact, I believe that ity varies from year to year. Phytoplankton the large-scale engineering of the Southern are plant-like plankton, organisms that drift Ocean is, I hope, beyond our capability. in the water column and form the basis of “The iron experiments that have been done the marine food web. are very small. I mean, we’re talking about Significant variations concerning ice, 15 by 15 kilometers at most and, to scale that the makeup of herbivore communities and up to huge areas is, I think, impractical. And the lives of birds and marine mammals in so I just don’t see that happening.” the Southern Ocean have been well stud- Too much is not known, he said, to ied, according to Smith. But little is known attempt large projects. about how phytoplankton production var- “There’s really so much that we don’t ies from year to year, even though it plays Walker O. Smith Jr. / Special to The Antarctic Sun know about any large-scale ocean engi- a central role in the food web. A mooring is in the process of being deployed neering like that and I think that the fears IVARS set out to chronicle the amount during an IVARS research expedition. The are serious enough that no one really wants of phytoplankton during the peak of its instrument in the foreground is a time-series to see it happen.” growing season in the Ross Sea. Using sediment trap, which collects sinking particles He said he sees advances in reducing U.S. Coast Guard ice breakers and the over set time intervals. The ball is a float that keeps the mooring taut in the water column. carbon dioxide resulting from economic research support vessel Nathaniel B. pressures. Palmer, researchers collected samples of “I don’t know if you’re aware of the phytoplankton each December and placed into his educator’s role. “Some of the people who have gone with price of gas in Virginia, but I think now it’s moorings to continue collecting data. down to less than $2 per gallon and unless Every February, they collected the moor- us are actually teachers and, if we can get the word to younger kids and get them fascinated there’s a huge economic incentive to reduce ings while performing another sampling. CO concentrations, I just don’t see it hap- The study concentrated on the two about the ocean and Antarctica, ultimately it 2 will be a tremendously positive benefit.” pening in terms of engineering the ocean.” major phytoplankton groups that live at While IVARS has ended its five-year the top of the water column in the Ross He gave the example of a recent presen- run, Smith said he would like to see the Sea: diatoms and Phaeocystis antarctica. tation he gave to a Lions Club in Topping, study renewed, as “almost any scientist” These two single-celled, photosynthetic Va., where a man asked about the reality of algae nourish fish, marine mammals and global warming. would. Regardless, he continues attempt- penguins. During photosynthesis, they take “I always tell people that there is no sci- ing to get others fascinated about oceans up atmospheric carbon dioxide that has dis- entific question anymore about the increase and Antarctica. solved in seawater. If the algae then sink to in atmospheric temperatures and that it is “One of the incredible benefits of IVARS has been that we’ve been able the deep sea, that carbon may be removed tied to CO2. It’s just not debatable anymore; from the atmosphere for thousands of but the problem is the media keep debating to take a relatively large contingent [of years, potentially reducing the greenhouse it and making it like there is a controversy researchers] for short periods every year effect that creates global warming. when in fact there is no controversy.” and so it may be a woman from Kentucky “The data suggest very strongly that the The lack of scientific debate about the that goes down and starts talking to her variations between years or among years reality of global warming fails to mean, peers in Kentucky — and that’s a real are really much larger than I ever would however, that solutions are at the ready, example — or it might be another person have predicted,” Smith said by telephone according to Walker. from Santa Cruz,” Smith said. from his office at the Virginia Institute of Iron enrichment is one remediation “The point is that we’ve actually been Marine Science. strategy undergoing analysis. The idea is very successful in seeding people throughout He said the large variations suggest the that seeding microscopic iron particles the United States [who bring] back knowl- factors that control phytoplankton produc- into iron-poor regions of the ocean may edge about the Antarctic and the research tion also change from year to year. promote phytoplankton growth. With more that goes on and then convey that to other The IVARS Web site says that under- phytoplankton in the ocean, it will con- people. And that’s something you can never standing ecosystems such as the Ross Sea sume more carbon during photosynthesis measure, but I firmly believe that it is a real is “key to detecting and understanding the and reduce atmospheric levels of carbon outcome and a very valuable one.” significant physical and biological changes dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas. predicted to occur in polar areas as the Smith said IVARS produced plenty of NSF-funded research in this story: Walker global climate warms.” data to suggest that iron is incredibly O. Smith Jr., Virginia Institute of Marine And on that topic, Smith easily moves important and that the variations of phy- Sciences, http://www.vims.edu/bio/ivars/. 8 • The Antarctic Sun October 29, 2006

Steve Dobbs, Wiesje Mooiweer and Jennifer Mercer uncoil an ozone- sonde balloon for launch in front of the Wastewater Treatment Plant on Oct. 15. The bal- loon carries instru- ments to profile the stratosphere, where the ozone hole is located about 14 to 22 kilometers above the surface of the Earth.

Photos by Peter Rejcek / The Antarctic Sun Colder-than-normal stratosphere affects ozone hole From page 1 balloons with instruments to take ozone and section of the atmosphere known as the aerosol profiles, and other measurements. stratosphere, according to researchers. The University of Wyoming was one of “There is a huge section this year that is two universities, in addition to NASA and the completely depleted to zero,” said Jennifer National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Mercer, co-principal investigator (PI) from Administration (NOAA), which first came the University of Wyoming, who is leading to Antarctica 20 years ago to find the cause At right, the group carrying out balloon-borne and behind the ozone hole after its initial discov- Mercer laser measurements of the annual ozone ery in 1985. State University of New York at watches depletion event. The ozone hole, a region in Stoneybrook rounded out the team. the bal- the lower stratosphere centered more or less That group — the National Ozone Expe- loon-borne over the Antarctic continent, has suffered dition — eventually determined through instrument nearly total depletion in previous years but balloon-borne, surface-based and laboratory stream never to this vertical extent. measurements that chlorine released from away into the atmo- Terry Deshler, also from the University chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) was the main sphere. of Wyoming, is the PI for the team, which culprit responsible for stealing ozone from Below, deploys each year to McMurdo Station from the atmosphere. the initial roughly mid-August to early November. David Hofmann was the PI for the release. The The group will launch between 25 and 30 University of Wyoming in 1986. Today, research- he’s the director of the Global Monitoring ers closely Division at NOAA’s Earth System Research monitor the wind speeds Laboratory in Boulder, Colo. In that role, prior to he’s the PI for a South Pole project that launch to measures atmosphere constituents, includ- ensure the ing ozone-depleting chemicals. Balloon- balloons borne instruments are launched from South carry away Pole station year-long. from the During a phone interview from his office buildings. in Boulder, Hofmann said that he never expected to still be involved in ozone deple- tion studies and research two decades later. Back in 1986, when he and colleagues arrived at McMurdo and South Pole stations to begin their measurements, the process See NOAA on page 9 October 29, 2006 The Antarctic Sun • 9 NOAA: Recovery of ozone hole pegged at 2065 From page 8 CFCs and other chemicals first started their causing the ozone hole was not understood assault is uncertain at this time. That’s very well. In fact, there was some doubt partly because not all production of ozone- whether a chemical or dynamic process, destroying chemicals has ceased. such as a meteorological event, caused the In fact, United States chemical compa- hole. However, it soon became apparent that nies have more than 20 million pounds of a chemical reaction was to blame. methyl bromide, a pesticide, stockpiled. In addition, the U.S. Environmental Protection Ozone refresher Agency allowed production of another 15 Ozone is a somewhat unstable molecule million pounds this year, according to a Los made up of three oxygen atoms instead of Angeles Times article. two. It’s found throughout the Earth’s atmo- Hofmann noted that atmospheric mea- sphere, with the highest levels occurring in surements, such as those NOAA conducts at the lower stratosphere, a region commonly the South Pole, have found declining levels referred to as the ozone layer, between of these pesticide compounds in the last five about 10 and 30 kilometers above the plan- or six years. et’s surface. (The layer just below that is the Global warming, while unrelated to troposphere, where we live and breathe.) ozone destruction, may play a role in the The ozone layer blocks harmful ultraviolet severity of the annual ozone hole and the rays that have been linked to skin cancer. Courtesy of Jennifer Mercer / Special to The Antarctic Sun ozone layer’s eventual recovery. That’s The ozone hole over the Antarctic waxes These two graphs illustrate ozone levels in because greenhouse gases that trap heat in and wanes every year between August and the atmosphere. Above, a profile from Aug. the troposphere slow the heat transfer to the November as the Antarctic summer begins. 23 shows adequate amounts of ozone above stratosphere, causing it to remain colder for (A similar but far smaller hole occurs the Antarctic. However, a profile of the atmo- sphere on Oct. 12, below, detected an ozone longer periods of time. above the Arctic during springtime there.) hole nearly eight kilometers deep. “If you have a colder stratosphere, then The hole is the result of the input of CFCs you could have much longer, colder polar and other chlorine- and bromine-contain- vortices every year,” Mercer explained. ing gases that interact with two naturally “This would allow for [a] larger or longer occurring events. One is the polar vor- ozone hole because the ozone hole area is tex, a sort of atmospheric cyclone that is controlled by the size of that vortex.” strongest in winter when temperatures are The variability in climate change models below negative 80 degrees Celsius. The makes it hard to predict how the greenhouse other is polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs), effect may impede ozone hole recovery, the or nacreous clouds when visible, that also scientists say. form in the extreme polar winter. The vortex is a closed system that can A model solution? circulate the ozone-destroying chemicals Despite these apparent setbacks, scien- quickly. The PSCs provide an excellent sur- tists remain optimistic that the ozone layer face for setting chlorine and bromine free to will eventually heal. They credit the quick run amok and destroy ozone in the presence reaction of the international community, of sunlight. So, the returning sun serves as which adopted the 1987 Montreal Protocol. the match to set this whole chemical pyre The agreement, and its subsequent amend- ablaze, beginning in August, breaking the ments, provided for the protection of the free-floating chlorine molecules into their ozone layer by phasing out the substances most reactive state. causing depletion. The ozone hole eventually “closes” The protocol is an example of how as the vortex weakens and dissipates by Researchers are measuring slightly less nations could cooperate on tackling a poten- November with the warming temperatures. ozone-destroying chemicals despite this tially more serious problem: global warming The atmospheric mixing that ensues then year’s record ozone hole. and the pervasive use of technologies that consumes the harmful chlorine and bromine “The chlorine maximum [in the strato- emit carbon dioxide, the key greenhouse in other reactions, but also causes a small sphere] was reached about the year 2000, gas, according to Hofmann. percentage of ozone depletion throughout so we should start to see improvements,” “It’s a good model for the global warm- the southern hemisphere as the depleted Mercer said. ing issue, that the international community Antarctic air mixes with mid-latitude air. Hofmann said chlorine and bromine lev- can put together a set of regulations every- els reached their maximum concentration body can get along with,” he said. Recovery at the Earth’s surface around 1994. “It “The world economy is running on Scientists say they expect these mon- takes a long time for these gases to get into things that emit CO2 now. Realization of strous-sized ozone holes to continue the stratosphere, especially to get into the a non-carbon economy is a long way off,” for at least the next several years. Real Antarctic stratosphere,” he said, adding that he said. improvements may not come until the year these molecules can take six years to travel 2010, and continued variability may mask here from the northern hemisphere. NSF-funded research in this story: Terry the healing process for quite some time. Deshler and Jennifer Mercer, University of Estimates for recovery range from 2040 to … And regression Wyoming; David Hofmann, NOAA, Global 2080, though NOAA and NASA anticipate Whether the ozone layer can make a Monitoring Division, www.esrl.noaa.gov/ recovery by 2065. full recovery to pre-1980s levels when gmd/. 10 • The Antarctic Sun October 29, 2006 Cast of Characters ian Belanger drew infor- Dmation and inspiration from a diverse cast of people based on about 70 oral history interviews she and others con- ducted. These pictures are of a few of the military personnel and scientists featured in the book. All of these photos come from the online U.S. Antarctic Program Photo Library. The Web site can be found at http://photolibrary.usap.gov. Dick Prescott / Special to The Antarctic Sun Hundreds of high-resolution U.S. Navy Lieutenant junior grade Dick Bowers, left, and Chief Dave Grisez / Special to Scientist Paul Siple celebrate the first Christmas at the South Pole The Antarctic Sun photos are available free at the in 1956. U.S. Navy Seabee Dave site, including historical photos Grisez stands next to the like these and all the images of washing machines located penguins, seals and icebergs in the power house at the one could possibly imagine. U.S. Naval Williams Air Check it out. Operating Facility (Mc- Murdo Station) in 1956.

U.S. Navy Sea- bee Charlie Bevilacqua was one of the men who constructed the first per- manent station Dave Grisez / Special to The Antarctic Sun at the South Howard Wessbecher, U.S. Weather Bureau, gives U.S. Navy Pole. Commissaryman, 1st Class, Ray Spiers a haircut at the U.S. Naval Williams Air Operating Facility (now known as McMurdo Station) in 1956. (Spiers was not among the Dick Prescott / Special to The Antarctic Sun interviewees.) IGY science bloomed despite Cold War shadow From page 1 the continent nearly 50 years ago, said and 1932-1933. The early IGY science (the Navy’s part of the IGY bargain to Belanger’s book does a particularly good planners, inspired by those first two build and run the stations), the science job of evoking what life was like during heroic but rudimentary forays and now that followed, as well as the amazing the IGY. armed with new technology developed amount of international cooperation it “I think it’s an excellent book,” he out of World War II, felt that waiting took to pull off the entire feat. All of this, said during an interview at his campus another 50 years would be too long. of course, took place in the very menac- office at the University of Colorado- Twenty-five years would also coincide ing shadow of Cold War politics and Boulder in August. “She had some inter- with a period of major solar activity, posturing. esting things that I hadn’t known.” further whetting scientists’ appetite for a The National Science Foundation- The book chronicles the events sur- major geophysical analysis of the planet funded book “Deep Freeze: The United rounding the first coordinated effort to from pole to pole. States, the International Geophysical gain a logistical foothold in Antarctica as So what essentially began as a some- Year, and the Origins of Antarctica’s Age part of a worldwide attempt to conduct what whimsical dinner party conversation of Science” hits bookshelves and online science across the continent and around in 1950 among colleagues would mobilize stores this month. The timing couldn’t the world. Belanger sets the stage with a the U.S. Navy, assemble a cadre of mostly be better, as the NSF and the rest of the brief overview of the continent’s history young, inexperienced but spirited scien- international science community prepares leading up to 1950, when scientists first tists, and lead to a landmark agreement, to initiate another International Polar began discussing the possibility of the the Antarctic Treaty, to preserve the conti- Year (IPY) in March 2007 to commemo- IGY. nent for peace and science. Moreover, an rate the 50th anniversary of the IGY. Two previous international efforts to 18-month expedition turned into 50 years John Behrendt, who was a 24-year- unlock the scientific secrets of the sev- and counting of polar science. old geophysicist when he stepped onto enth continent took place in 1882-1883 See DEEP on page 11 October 29, 2006 The Antarctic Sun • 11 Deep Freeze built seven Antarctic stations From page 10 Interestingly enough, Belanger’s book also began with a conversation and certainly went beyond most original expecta- tions. It started when Dick Bowers, who as a young engineering officer during Deep Freeze I and II (1955-1957) had charge of constructing both McMurdo and South Pole stations, talked with Erick Chiang, head of the NSF Polar Research Support Section, in 1995. Bowers worried that an important period in history would soon be lost as the veterans of that era passed away. “We had a strong feeling that we had done a great deal,” said Bowers, 78, during a phone interview from his home in Jim Waldron / Special to The Antarctic Sun Indianapolis. The “we” he is referring to are the early Navy Little America V was one of seven U.S. Antarctic stations built by veterans who participated in Operation Deep Freeze. That United States Navy Mobile Construction Battalion (Special) Task Force 43 for the International Geophysical Year. Little America V group eventually formed the Antarctic Deep Freeze Association was built near Admiral Byrd’s 1929 base (Little America I) on the east (ADFA), which now includes members of later Deep Freeze perimeter of the Ross Ice Shelf, near Kainan Bay. missions. “All of these people were starting to die off,” Bowers said. the book, asterisks denote which of the people have died since “We were very close to them. We felt it would be a very appro- the interviews took place. priate time to put something together to document them … “I take each one of these losses personally,” she said. “I very trying to get the actual experiences as Dian has done so very much wanted all of them to read this story.” well.” The process also involved difficult decisions on what to use The original concept had been to do an oral history project, and, in the end, what to cut. The first complete draft weighed in but that soon morphed to include a book. The NSF not only at 770 pages, nearly 300 pages longer than the final version. wanted to save these fading memories, Belanger noted, but “It hurts, that stuff that goes in the delete pile. It hurts,” she ensure people would read about them as well. said. “I took it as a challenge,” she said, admitting to a scant Still, Belanger was able to stick to the core story while pep- knowledge of the continent’s history pering the narrative with the occasional aside to illustrate how prior to tackling the subject. She had polar research affected everyday lives. For assumed very little literature existed and example, bakers in high-altitude places that “Antarctica was a universe I could like Colorado can thank the first chef at master.” “It was such a team effort the South Pole, Chet Segers, for those “I’ve been disabused of that,” she handy cooking instructions on the back of said, laughing. Indeed, it’s been eight and such a rewarding effort cake boxes. years since Belanger first agreed to After every cake that he tried to serve as the scribe for the project. because of the long-term bake failed to rise, he contacted “Betty During that time, she conducted more significance [of IGY].” Crocker” at General Mills for help via than 40 interviews around the country. ham radio. In the book, Belanger quotes Eventually, she populated her story with — Dick Bowers, Segers as saying, “Some lady went up in more than 70 people, supplementing her U.S. Navy engineer in charge of construction at a plane at 10,000 feet and baked a cake.” own work with oral history interviews McMurdo and South Pole Now we know how to adjust baking reci- conducted by the Byrd Polar Research pes at higher elevations. Center’s Polar Oral History Archival However, Belanger never strays for Program. long from her themes — the importance “Some of the most profound stuff came from people who of teamwork, leadership and the peaceful, international endeav- weren’t schooled to be profound, but they just had a way of or that Antarctica has come to represent. looking at the world that just spoke true to me,” she said. “The “I convinced myself, and I hope I will convince readers, that story to me is intrinsically interesting. ... I want people to [Antarctica] does matter,” she said. “It mattered then because catch that excitement that I found.” of the Cold War, which was pretty scary. People just forget eas- If the audience catches even a tenth of the passion Jerry ily about how terrified we were of those horrible communists Marty has for this project and Antarctic history, then Belanger and how they were just going to blow us off the planet — and can be assured of reaching that goal. A long-time Polie and the here they were cooperating scientifically in Antarctica, and it NSF South Pole station representative during the austral sum- was just sort of a little miracle.” mer, Marty said he believed Belanger’s volume on Deep Freeze The veterans who made it happen — the military, the sci- should serve as a textbooks for students to understand not only entists, and the politicians and policymakers — appreciate the history but the power of the human spirit. long overdue recognition. “I think it’s important for us to document the stories of these “It was such a team effort and such a rewarding effort individuals who considered themselves ordinary people … and because of the long-term significance [of IGY],” Bowers said. did something not done before,” he explained. “It’s a history (“Deep Freeze” is available at online stores; from the book written by those folks who lived it. … They cared about University Press of Colorado (www.upcolorado.com); or directly [the mission], they had work ethic, they had esprit d’ corps.” from the author for an autographed copy (Dian Olson Belanger, Getting the story right and evoking these themes took time, 5730 Avery Park Drive, Rockville, MD 20855.) Copies will also Belanger said, but she still regrets that the book wasn’t pub- come down on the annual re-supply vessel for McMurdo Station, lished sooner. In the list of “human resources” at the back of but likely won’t be on shelves until the winter season.) 12 • The Antarctic Sun October 29, 2006 Profile Traveling without a hitch By Peter Rejcek Sun staff Those who worked and lived at Ben Bachelder McMurdo Station last austral summer demonstrates the season probably remember seeing Ben hitchhiking tech- nique, replete with Bachelder around. He’s rather hard to his unique yellow miss. reflective jumpsuit, Sure, he’s tall and lanky, a head above that has literally the crowd. And his blondish orange hair, taken him around closely cropped into a chessboard pat- the world. A docu- tern, probably turned a few heads. But the mentary about his nearly garish, bright yellow jumpsuit, with life on the road will be released in May. reflective strips and the enormous thumb on the back that he wears while traveling, forces most people to put on the brakes. That’s exactly the reaction Bachelder wants as a “professional” hitchhiker. Peter Rejcek / The Antarctic Sun “It’s almost like a NASCAR suit,” became a “professional” hitchhiker it was Bachelder’s background that inter- concedes the 29-year-old nomad, back at — people started giving him money. Even ested them more. He was a civil engineer, McMurdo Station for his second straight Indian truck drivers would insist on pass- a vegetarian who didn’t smoke or drink season, this time as a utility technician ing on a few rupees to ensure he didn’t alcohol. (UT) helper. “[I’ve] had a lot more people starve. He also began to earn a little cash “This guy is so against what the stereo- pick me up because they could see me.” as he turned his adventures into stories type is of hitchhiking,” Craven said. “He’s Bachelder caught a particularly virulent that he posted on the Internet, particularly passionate about it to the point to where strain of the travel bug while doing the Digihitch.com, a Web site devoted to he has to have it in his life or he’s not a backpacker thing around Europe at age recreational-style hitchhiking. Eventually, whole person.” 21, after graduating from the University of the founder of the site, Morgan “Salman” Filming took place in August and California-Berkeley. He was on the usual Strub, brought him aboard as a featured September, and included a six-day hitch tourist routes, sleeping in smelly hostels writer and commissioned Bachelder to from Durham, N.C., to the Grand Canyon, and taking trains from one big city to the write specific stories for the site. a place where the well-traveled Bachelder next, when he decided to hitch a ride from “Ben may very well be the world’s had never been. The documentary offers Dresden to Berlin. A German truck driver, most active promoter of hitchhiking cul- “a window into the world of hitchhiking,” who spoke no English, gave Bachelder ture,” said Strub, who adds the purpose of according to Craven, as well as insight his first ride. Despite the language bar- the site is “simply to champion the spirit into why someone leaves a “normal” life rier, there was still a “human connection” of hitchhiking and to promote people who for the uncertainties of the open road. — Johnny Cash was playing on the radio. are doing great things on the road.” Bachelder’s answer, in part, is that he Said Bachelder, “I thought, ‘Right on. I The Web site brought Bachelder to wants to test the ivory towers of his lib- can dig Johnny Cash.’” the attention of two graduate students at eral academic background. “[The] world In the last eight years, the San the University of Florida Documentary view that comes from that is very nar- Francisco Bay area native has stuck his Institute. Kathy Craven and Kimberly row,” he said. thumb out on the roadsides of 43 coun- Cooke were looking for someone to fea- “It is continually surprising about how tries, six continents and every state but ture in a film they were developing about much people want to tell their stories,” Alaska. He estimates that he’s clocked at hitchhiking. Craven added. “Ben is really excellent least 100,000 kilometers. “We wanted to explore a topic that … at being able to talk with all kinds of Quite a few of those kilometers came people maybe had made assumptions different people. People feel at ease with during an 18-month hitching odyssey back about and bring a new perspective to that him.” through Europe and India beginning in topic,” Craven explained during a phone Some of those stories will make it into 2003. “I figured I would just go until my interview. They wondered: If hitching was a book Bachelder plans to write in con- bank account ran out, and even beyond so dangerous, every ride a potential homi- junction with the movie, set for release that,” he said, adding that while thumbing cide, why were so many people hooked in May 2007 at the University of Florida. a ride is certainly a way to stretch a trip, on it? The filmmakers are also shopping the saving a buck on transportation is never In a serendipitous moment, Bachelder documentary at various film festivals. his primary motive. was kicking around his own film ideas at Meanwhile, Bachelder will continue “Part of it is definitely about getting the time while traveling through Australia. to add to his personal odometer, with from point A to point B in a fairly timely He had become “fed up” with the fear plans to hit his seventh continent, South manner, but it’s just more about meet- mongering created by the media and mov- America, next June, just before his 30th ing whoever could be on the road,” he ies about hitching. “It was really coin- birthday. His thumb will take him to Peru, explained. “It’s definitely an exhilarating cidental,” he said of the e-mail proposal Ecuador and Colombia. His verve and thing to have no idea what’s going to hap- from the filmmakers that reached him curiosity will undoubtedly propel him on pen, but to be pretty confident that what- while Down Under. to new adventures. ever it is … it’s going to be great.” The yellow hitchhiking jumpsuit cer- “It is definitely about the human con- It was during the same trip that he tainly intrigued the graduate students, but nection for me,” he said.