tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69517738446561699712024-02-19T00:32:13.743-08:00The Adventures of Marco PolieMarco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-12267605612231245752011-12-18T22:46:00.000-08:002011-12-18T22:48:19.790-08:00Epilogue of One Year at the South PoleI have been back home for one month now and it is time to close this blog with the last few reflections of my year spent at the bottom of the world. The memories and emotions are still fresh in my mind, and it is difficult at this point to sort through them and say what will be the legacy of this amazing experience. As the days and weeks go by, some memories fade away; others become more vivid. It will be those memories that are vivified by the passing of time that will define the legacy of these twelve months at the Pole. Since returning home, a day has not passed without me thinking about the South Pole, thinking about my friends still there, imagining what it would be like to still be there. Of all my memories, the ones that are most deeply etched in my mind are those of the polar night. The going out to ski in the middle of winter, when it is pitch black, when it is even hard to follow a flag line, only to see the path suddenly illuminated by an aurora. And then stopping breathless for a few minutes to look at the ephemeral display of lights, only as long as the -80F chill allows me to stop. Or the going out with the full moon to enjoy the clear view of the plateau extending forever, while imagining myself occupying a unique location in the cosmos, in relation to our planet and the stars, hundreds of miles away from the closest living organisms, where the only noise that can be heard is the screeching sound of the skis on the crusty ice. And then there are the memories of the people, some of the most unique and extraordinary characters in the world, who challenge the common wisdom and reject the roads already travelled to seek the novelty, the unknown, and the adventure. And so it is that I want to close this blog with a few photos taken with some of my fellow Polies, friends for life, and, because I don't ever want to lose it, with my exercise log.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03uqlK_cLUnl_1Q4TKk8mP4GjAbyO7Xst_4zbpFN7J6Rfb6ofX34xcyyUvz8Pym_jrNGWrKeaPfe6xQNWvdT05c_crpf7RmJy1hnMDDrcjEXskMrTpt1jP2bhCmwSEIUT-Fc3pdFE8JI/s1600/IMG_6823_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03uqlK_cLUnl_1Q4TKk8mP4GjAbyO7Xst_4zbpFN7J6Rfb6ofX34xcyyUvz8Pym_jrNGWrKeaPfe6xQNWvdT05c_crpf7RmJy1hnMDDrcjEXskMrTpt1jP2bhCmwSEIUT-Fc3pdFE8JI/s320/IMG_6823_small.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I owe it all to Al, the South Pole Science Manager, my boss, who called me out of the blue in the spring of 2010 and made me the offer that I could not refuse. In this photo we are standing in front of the electronics rack in the Space Weather Laboratory at the South Pole Station in December 2010, a few days before Al went back home and left us behind to watch over the instruments for the winter. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB89sBbY_G4ihPwIZESJfHmYz9xcIrVXqssnyS8bZwjNQIY6DeKLpgz39RsMrY3tbpsFbATVWZzDt1U5Wi1YzTCLI-II6hkUipxjYUTO6-THsYMCtePxX7KNuVreAZsHsXjnoFTZ52xIw/s1600/IMG_1459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB89sBbY_G4ihPwIZESJfHmYz9xcIrVXqssnyS8bZwjNQIY6DeKLpgz39RsMrY3tbpsFbATVWZzDt1U5Wi1YzTCLI-II6hkUipxjYUTO6-THsYMCtePxX7KNuVreAZsHsXjnoFTZ52xIw/s320/IMG_1459.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Another special person that I enjoyed working with is Martin, the South Pole Summer Station Manager. We took this photo together on the deck of the station in November, a few days before I went back home. To me Martin symbolizes the spirit of the South Pole. I believe he loves the station more than anyone else in the world and he cares about each of us as if we all were his children. He is a role model that I can only aspire to. I hope I will see Martin again, and I hope it will be at the South Pole Station again one day.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJM-UDIQHmVwG-XyUO6GCzSbf-pMXYjrN2PcMUf85Re5IZMhOAnX56GWN4W8xRYTmZvZgv3ZJPhqsmDsAmL7XWtsVv6mCca_bxuL96j29Vdn3aI60gCPe2ExVv_cWElY3w1_6nh3dljG4/s1600/IMG_1462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJM-UDIQHmVwG-XyUO6GCzSbf-pMXYjrN2PcMUf85Re5IZMhOAnX56GWN4W8xRYTmZvZgv3ZJPhqsmDsAmL7XWtsVv6mCca_bxuL96j29Vdn3aI60gCPe2ExVv_cWElY3w1_6nh3dljG4/s320/IMG_1462.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We all pass the baton to someone else before we leave the station. This is formally called the turnover, when we train our replacement, typically for about one week. My replacement was the same person who had trained me the year before, so I did not really have to train him. My real turnover was with Carlos, the ice cube scientist who wants to run outside all winter long, like I did. We had exchanged email before he arrived, and it was a great pleasure to finally meet him on the ice and pass onto him my little experience and few tricks learnt from running outside in the middle of winter. We took this photo in the Science Lab on Nov 8, before we went out to run the length of the skiway together, my last run at the Pole; Carlos' first. Unfortunately it was a windy day, and we had to fight a bone chilling 15-knot headwind for the 2.5-mile trip back to the station, but it was our one and only opportunity to run together, as I was due to fly out only a few hours later. Good luck, Carlos! I wish you a great winter!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-reQV7kqEwRNPQYWSYM9tX7imUEqU1LDZi4kzd7l5nhYbg0FnOqy1XbwNXKt-wXaWvr9Ue7Qm4jpKpsthSuQB_vIx7JMAVAaThl-k9INZCd8Y05ifpoQ1SXKezGobqXKzOwqy8XUGYR8/s1600/Exercise_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-reQV7kqEwRNPQYWSYM9tX7imUEqU1LDZi4kzd7l5nhYbg0FnOqy1XbwNXKt-wXaWvr9Ue7Qm4jpKpsthSuQB_vIx7JMAVAaThl-k9INZCd8Y05ifpoQ1SXKezGobqXKzOwqy8XUGYR8/s320/Exercise_2.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The summer was a very busy period for me and for most of us on station, but winter is typically pretty mellow. When all of the scientific instruments were working fine, I could do my work in just a couple of hours per day. That left a lot of time to kill. Most of us winterovers develop personal projects to fill that time. For some the project is picking up a new hobby, for other it is learning a new skill, like making movies, taking and editing photos, knitting, learning some new software, playing games, or just watching lots of movies and reading books. My winter project developed quite unexpectedly. It turned out to be my outdoor exercise. I have never kept a log of my exercise but, for some reason, I started one at the South Pole. Initially I was just happy to be able to run on the ice a few miles while training for the race around the world on Christmas day. I started a ski club in the summer just to make friends and have fun, with no ambition, as I am not really a skier. I had no idea that I would continue running and skiing through the winter. As temperatures got colder and colder towards the end of summer every day I thought that I was doing my last run and that I wouldn't be able to go the next day if it got colder, but then every day it got a bit colder I learnt a new trick. Every time that I would get a little frostbite I would learn how to protect that area better, and by the beginning of April I figured that there was no stopping, and I would make the outdoor exercise my winter project. It turned out to be a very demanding project, as I would spend an average of three hours a day outside, one hour running and two hours skiing. Considering the time it takes to get ready to go out in -80F in the winter, and the time it takes to warm back up and to eat enough food to replace the calories lost during the workout, I ended up devoting a good six hours a day to my exercise. I ended up traveling a total of 2,916 miles (4,692 km) on the ice: 1,552 miles on skis, 1,297 miles running, and 66 miles on the bicycle.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span id="goog_1726204303"></span><span id="goog_1726204304"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTuIvDtmryx5CsJzypWorltnpQX9XaggegeIrfmue9dpRf2An5BtkYo94_DVM-ULoRa4VOD-IagzxeUdGGw7yUTK0sNEn41CUSqgoGGk2VQ0_b3FDqDLrNn5o9p59OuWP09j3hnIcTJWk/s1600/PC114461-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTuIvDtmryx5CsJzypWorltnpQX9XaggegeIrfmue9dpRf2An5BtkYo94_DVM-ULoRa4VOD-IagzxeUdGGw7yUTK0sNEn41CUSqgoGGk2VQ0_b3FDqDLrNn5o9p59OuWP09j3hnIcTJWk/s320/PC114461-001.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div>On Dec 10 Pablo, who was working at the IT helpdesk at the South Pole Station during the summer, invited me to his house in Palo Alto for a gathering of some of his musician friends. What a surprise to see Rickey, fellow marathoner, the winner of the race around the world, and of the South Pole Contingency Marathon. I had not seen them since they had left the station in mid-February. Pablo has now gone back to his job at Google, while Rickey has turned into an ultramarathoner, having already won a 75-mile race in Canada as well as the race up Mt. Washington. He has moved to San Francisco, where he is training for his next races. I am sure there will be more of these reunions. Left to right Rickey, me, and Pablo.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE474ETFYsYw6LOPagComKVqVgSexrDsNlR4G8XUzzt52GFshr9525ZzfceqhGkJS-y8DQciUnC4NSrnqlVA2laZQQTlJdT7ijdodUdhrxI7uCDJZBs3_RvcCErO3iUTQkFBIBQscvRx8/s1600/IMG_0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE474ETFYsYw6LOPagComKVqVgSexrDsNlR4G8XUzzt52GFshr9525ZzfceqhGkJS-y8DQciUnC4NSrnqlVA2laZQQTlJdT7ijdodUdhrxI7uCDJZBs3_RvcCErO3iUTQkFBIBQscvRx8/s320/IMG_0014.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On December 18 there was another reunion, this time with Linda, with whom I spent so many hours skiing during the summer. She was our HR manager. She sent me an email that she was in the area, so we got together for dinner in Newbury Park with some of her girlfriends. She just came back from the Annapurna trek in Nepal, and she is now on a roadtrip with her motor home to visit her children and grandchildren for the holidays. We had a wonderful time. As far as me, I found a dream job, working with a great team of people on a fascinating technology in Camarillo, halfway between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. I will be enjoying warm climates, and the soft sand of Southern California beaches will replace the polar plateau for my morning runs. Will I ever go back to the South Pole? I always say that life is long enough to spend one year of it at the South Pole, but too short to do the same thing twice, yet ... something deep in my heart tells me that I will be back one day.</div>Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-43939039842023478462011-11-20T16:43:00.000-08:002011-11-20T16:43:15.941-08:00Out of AntarcticaThe trip from the South Pole to New Zealand requires two flights (there is a change of plane in McMurdo) and can take anywhere from 24 hrs to two weeks, depending on flight connections and weather. We were lucky and made it out on schedule in 2 days under ideal weather conditions. The days preceding the departure were full of mixed emotions. On the one hand the desire to be back in warm weather, see liquid bodies of water, smell the grass, eat lots of fruit and vegetables; on the other hand the sadness of leaving the South Pole, my ski trails, my morning runs on the skiway. I spent the last few days savoring those experiences one last time, skiing to the farthest visibility markers or to the last wind turbine, from where no more flags, no more building, no more antennas can be seen. I stared at the vastness of the plateau, and listened to the silence of nothingness one more time. At times I wished the plane would be delayed, so I could spend one more day at the Pole, but then, once my room was cleaned up, the bags packed, and the good-byes said, it started to feel like the time was right to leave and make room for the new crew. We were the largest group of winterover to leave at once: 18 of us, on November 8. The flight to McMurdo had great significance, now that I had read the classics from Scott, Shackleton, and Amundsen, now that I had learnt so much more about the geography of the continent, and now that I had lived on the ice for 12 months. <br />
We arrived in McMurdo at 9 PM on November 8 and spent the next morning there, waiting for the flight to New Zealand. McMurdo was wonderful. First of all it was warm (29 F or -2 C) when we arrived. That allowed us to be outside without gloves, hats, and balaclava for the first time in 12 months. Also, for the first time in 12 months we saw mountains: the beautiful glaciated slopes of the Royal Society Mountain Range, across the McMurdo sound from us. For the first time we were able to walk in and out of a building through a regular door, as opposed to the 8-inch thick refrigerator doors at the South Pole station that serve as a constant reminder of the harsh conditions outside, and of the requirement to double check our clothing before going out, to prevent frostbite. <br />
After spending the night in McMurdo in a dorm room with two other traveller, in the morning, I went out for one of the most beautiful runs in my life, first on solid ground from McMurdo to Scott base, and then on the Ross Ice Shelf all the way to Willy field and the McMurdo balloon inflation facility. A 15-mile round trip in sunny 23 F (-5 C) temperature, with spectacular views of Mt. Erebus, with its plume of smoke and majestic glaciers flowing down to meet the ice shelf in a jumble of pressure ridges, Castle rock, Observation hill, and the Royal Society Mountains across the sound. It felt good to have good traction both on the dirt road to Scott base and on the well groomed road to Willy field on the ice shelf. I felt light, after shedding all my layers of thermal underwears, fleeces, hats, and thick gloves that had been the companions of my runs for the past several months. <br />
In the afternoon we flew out of McMurdo in very clear skies, which allowed spectacular views of Victoria Land, Oates Land, and the sea ice. It got cloudy once we reached the open water of the Southern Ocean, and by the time we got to Christchurch it was raining: the first rain we had felt in more than 12 months. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnDXBbT34qeOwPN24XwRgRumRQ6A5JLueFIoFGQsDjhVrhMbezwTA_qnoTmNxy0dnLQMUewnMDhiUy_qWpyHYAUCHciV_AeFV5ed8xHjA22KGjb12kyz49sGZwEDJxZeVIPwGMP1SgdYw/s1600/Out_of_Antarctica_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnDXBbT34qeOwPN24XwRgRumRQ6A5JLueFIoFGQsDjhVrhMbezwTA_qnoTmNxy0dnLQMUewnMDhiUy_qWpyHYAUCHciV_AeFV5ed8xHjA22KGjb12kyz49sGZwEDJxZeVIPwGMP1SgdYw/s320/Out_of_Antarctica_01.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The LC-130 that would take us to McMurdo arrived at the South Pole around 5 PM on November 8, on a terse but windy day, after a 5-hr mechanical delay.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU4WVbh5HJy_qb0jcWo4nGy_ydzKa1cg7TvWVvqdde7uqJv-3piaUicf0-klwa99rQVTUuTewPBpCUDayVPvVbIfQpGm44Jo1V2pcSfpYckBu5JIC9g-7Os0Hm4Zk5w1mINA4g4O6Pw3k/s1600/Out_of_Antarctica_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU4WVbh5HJy_qb0jcWo4nGy_ydzKa1cg7TvWVvqdde7uqJv-3piaUicf0-klwa99rQVTUuTewPBpCUDayVPvVbIfQpGm44Jo1V2pcSfpYckBu5JIC9g-7Os0Hm4Zk5w1mINA4g4O6Pw3k/s320/Out_of_Antarctica_02.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There were eighteen of us Polies and a couple of other passengers on the aircraft, and almost no cargo, making for a very comfortable flight. The seats are not cushy, but offer plenty of legroom for the short 3-hr flight to McMurdo. I would trade a first class seat for one on a C-130 any time I could.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6AClIRjpfrsoMs4Vcxu5ErdLi8b3Cu5qYHAVVpLBtiYs3Z5TbNDFu7PFUVys24jIK_wnBmkRpQs-uB7Ia8DkdOzXCIQHpiZRmnXzkGlhxxB91jkffItWYWXT8ju1Qa98l77nR87L62I/s1600/Out_of_Antarctica_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6AClIRjpfrsoMs4Vcxu5ErdLi8b3Cu5qYHAVVpLBtiYs3Z5TbNDFu7PFUVys24jIK_wnBmkRpQs-uB7Ia8DkdOzXCIQHpiZRmnXzkGlhxxB91jkffItWYWXT8ju1Qa98l77nR87L62I/s320/Out_of_Antarctica_03.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The flight path follows the route taken by Scott, Shackleton, and most modern-day adventurers walking to the South Pole from McMurdo. The journey can be divided into three sections of approximately equal length: the plateau, the Transantarctic mountains, and the ice shelf. Here we are at the transition from the plateau to the mountains, where the two-mile thick ice of the polar cap starts to break up into crevasses under the tremendous pressure exerted against the barrier of the mountains.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7rwiX-zunRLy0xedJWC8_og_SrMGV81fT0dKAbg2qXjd9o3lqwrpJh7Oxp7Af5pnZuBCdsG9Rt2LyVwzutmLBHaPsJNdgf7ZKHWP65i-L2moicfl-5X1wh1i0s7FoqAflSMBMLkDsqBc/s1600/Out_of_Antarctica_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7rwiX-zunRLy0xedJWC8_og_SrMGV81fT0dKAbg2qXjd9o3lqwrpJh7Oxp7Af5pnZuBCdsG9Rt2LyVwzutmLBHaPsJNdgf7ZKHWP65i-L2moicfl-5X1wh1i0s7FoqAflSMBMLkDsqBc/s320/Out_of_Antarctica_04.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There are only a few small portholes on a C-130 from where we can enjoy the views. Here we are flying over the Transantarctic mountains.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfQNuh5Is3qEz9rI7QCL9mMtVFpjZ5FhCpSyynv928AoLC1Inkwe6A5CTs1vTb7PRnraZBmgvKzHB8R51vSnsp4bovW_19bZ9mOqUZh2f_GU_FgoIe8UdCE6R9rPjBW2g8A3S9XmPmZkw/s1600/Out_of_Antarctica_05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="185px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfQNuh5Is3qEz9rI7QCL9mMtVFpjZ5FhCpSyynv928AoLC1Inkwe6A5CTs1vTb7PRnraZBmgvKzHB8R51vSnsp4bovW_19bZ9mOqUZh2f_GU_FgoIe8UdCE6R9rPjBW2g8A3S9XmPmZkw/s320/Out_of_Antarctica_05.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One of the most spectacular views is that of the Beardmore glacier, one of the largest in the world. 100 miles long and 25 miles wide, it descends 7,000 feet (2,200 meters) from the plateau down to the ice shelf. Although it does not appear to be steep from the air, it is a hard climb for those people pulling a sled on their way up to the South Pole. It is also heavily crevassed, as can be seen in this photo.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsxaw-aLMhy7QXkM2MkAeBiFHV-AcxQbTyBNtJoinhvj5pd0OyYns00imXEZRtN7LGF3g6WHkJTa6_5Wd37ZUxIdv5mkU2cSFGZo8g_f0v5XNctW-sTQmGT1f-2stEZQ8B81rn8uqv1c/s1600/Out_of_Antarctica_06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="146px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsxaw-aLMhy7QXkM2MkAeBiFHV-AcxQbTyBNtJoinhvj5pd0OyYns00imXEZRtN7LGF3g6WHkJTa6_5Wd37ZUxIdv5mkU2cSFGZo8g_f0v5XNctW-sTQmGT1f-2stEZQ8B81rn8uqv1c/s320/Out_of_Antarctica_06.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Amphitheaters of ice.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RYH4Y9mMNQYS57350p89AWSp5iaL9uoMs9nWlMSNLTx43TcckcTrHj4_2Npcc0lPUWJvQXedOopIPpzymedgGWM_OhsitErQ6bICDYS2-p5xwvnjrhMZDYZ_jX3nphu58y9Gf72awwg/s1600/Out_of_Antarctica_07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="180px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RYH4Y9mMNQYS57350p89AWSp5iaL9uoMs9nWlMSNLTx43TcckcTrHj4_2Npcc0lPUWJvQXedOopIPpzymedgGWM_OhsitErQ6bICDYS2-p5xwvnjrhMZDYZ_jX3nphu58y9Gf72awwg/s320/Out_of_Antarctica_07.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The ice flows around the mountains just like a river, as it descends the mountains from right to left in this photo, first breaking up into crevasse fields at the beginning of the descent, then reassembling into a smoother surface, like frosting on a cake.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr38dVm0KzsIIeMZjRrmH6ol4Oc4QoeLOepjACXrw0KWuHSDEcAKr8v7kgNXYLaZ1sZwGkFRlNbqKJIaMG2Ofiv617tmx0KnPNYOSo-9U5u_jf8ZUfq2WjuIgX9vyEWqP2bR8vhZTM9WA/s1600/Out_of_Antarctica_08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="126px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr38dVm0KzsIIeMZjRrmH6ol4Oc4QoeLOepjACXrw0KWuHSDEcAKr8v7kgNXYLaZ1sZwGkFRlNbqKJIaMG2Ofiv617tmx0KnPNYOSo-9U5u_jf8ZUfq2WjuIgX9vyEWqP2bR8vhZTM9WA/s400/Out_of_Antarctica_08.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After crossing the Transantarctic mountains the landscape becomes flat for the last hour of the flight as we fly over the ice shelf, until, close to McMurdo, we come into view of White Island. This island is permanently surrounded by the ice shelf, which is hundreds of feet thick and floats on the ocean. Soon after passing White Island we see Ross Island, a much larger island on which McMurdo is situated.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVLD6pPeXrmd_nKavdhBdSzD6NciFRQSqxGMWfYDP4NrNKK45YYffTJlszQIgu1CcoeXhlsG1ouRcV7YBQgKGbDAjVSAM1c9IUi-3WQPWzJPZtztvwCTSErMFX-FeeJI3LhHf3jekW8U/s1600/Out_of_Antarctica_09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVLD6pPeXrmd_nKavdhBdSzD6NciFRQSqxGMWfYDP4NrNKK45YYffTJlszQIgu1CcoeXhlsG1ouRcV7YBQgKGbDAjVSAM1c9IUi-3WQPWzJPZtztvwCTSErMFX-FeeJI3LhHf3jekW8U/s320/Out_of_Antarctica_09.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After lunch on November 9, a group of us walked to Scott Base, the New Zealand research station on Ross Island, just 2 miles across a hill from McMurdo, to visit their gift shop. No more red parkas, balaclava, and thick gloves. It was nice to be able to have a conversation while walking, which is very difficult at the South Pole, where we always breathe heavily through our protective layers. Left to right: Andrew, Joselyn, Weeks, Kevin, Shannon, Kevin, and Bill.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1TN-Ap91OGP4xRKuR2dV8ET1fanFnb5F8ICGab5l-8Dr8zneTdye-1iOCX39tgAClI0v7iwvcNrU9lx3vsQyTAiTsvWhJmQDZSJUpKVP3upYFBD8j3v6udLR6pq6kk5fD8R8Qtp3hQk/s1600/Out_of_Antarctica_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="150px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1TN-Ap91OGP4xRKuR2dV8ET1fanFnb5F8ICGab5l-8Dr8zneTdye-1iOCX39tgAClI0v7iwvcNrU9lx3vsQyTAiTsvWhJmQDZSJUpKVP3upYFBD8j3v6udLR6pq6kk5fD8R8Qtp3hQk/s320/Out_of_Antarctica_10.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We boarded the C-17 on the sea ice runway around 4 PM. The sea ice is hard enough for this aircraft to land on wheels, unlike airplanes at the South Pole which must land on skis because of the softness of the surface on the polar plateau.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9T0T9nHcMyIDjTyfU7gFqhl3k5bOGIiZXazeHktrMBbdT2JqBzllMSEyE4hGCEX-uvG7CkUW0ON-t88QTo7SEjxf1XjaCoD9fx78oB9aFkaMEHlL91v8IlPpj2ubXg1jMN3Pnbkz63kM/s1600/Out_of_Antarctica_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9T0T9nHcMyIDjTyfU7gFqhl3k5bOGIiZXazeHktrMBbdT2JqBzllMSEyE4hGCEX-uvG7CkUW0ON-t88QTo7SEjxf1XjaCoD9fx78oB9aFkaMEHlL91v8IlPpj2ubXg1jMN3Pnbkz63kM/s320/Out_of_Antarctica_11.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The C-17 is cavernous. As big as a 747. With only the 20 of us or so occupying it, we had plenty of room again for the 5-hr flight to Christchurch.</div> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSncofqRGZ6ScuJfRznconloRZ3zWd99AIseG0MaeClHMn2ok1u_0mLLYiS9D3GhkLpLxHIfoPwjmBRfOunGSdwmJHzzp9_yq9M4FDSF5psXkaaRzK-ks28FPVZf14IwU_uf83jemIyFU/s1600/Out_of_Antarctica_13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSncofqRGZ6ScuJfRznconloRZ3zWd99AIseG0MaeClHMn2ok1u_0mLLYiS9D3GhkLpLxHIfoPwjmBRfOunGSdwmJHzzp9_yq9M4FDSF5psXkaaRzK-ks28FPVZf14IwU_uf83jemIyFU/s320/Out_of_Antarctica_13.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The flight path takes us across another piece of the continent: Victoria Land and Oates Land. Here are the mountains of Oates Land. They reach a maximum elevation around 11,500 ft (3,500 mt) and, as everything else in Antarctica, are heavily glaciated.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlbmOpZ-OY6NeS6QQ6TgLDgUH22Io61pyAVV8wn67BnHCLfYHmO9pFUj8GTvpry65VyE7r20YlLLIuF2eLngVFA8TJkVz6D5fKfWoD_gRytqVgOKVTBwcwfbe_647Qx0O3btQlq6trFU/s1600/Out_of_Antarctica_15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlbmOpZ-OY6NeS6QQ6TgLDgUH22Io61pyAVV8wn67BnHCLfYHmO9pFUj8GTvpry65VyE7r20YlLLIuF2eLngVFA8TJkVz6D5fKfWoD_gRytqVgOKVTBwcwfbe_647Qx0O3btQlq6trFU/s320/Out_of_Antarctica_15.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is my last view of the Antarctic continent, at the edge of Oates Land. The sea ice is starting to break up into wide leads. The small platforms of ice visible at the edge of the sea ice are actually gigantic icebergs that broke off an ice shelf during the summer and started floating around the continent, until they were locked in place when the sea froze last winter. As the sea ice melt, the icebergs will be freed, and will continue their random journey in the Southern Ocean until they in turn will melt away. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2lD2ujvvmn43guEjFs9heucxsqTP1P3ZBCippAyP-ZXajKqD9OpL_PtVf13E4x5yH-sIYY7CUUB_5Fhq8wRFIN9k9ry2XmgigeZjT8Ku7rSBKxepycAp_5qtA2toT-3thWLo15z0Ic9U/s1600/Out_of_Antarctica_14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2lD2ujvvmn43guEjFs9heucxsqTP1P3ZBCippAyP-ZXajKqD9OpL_PtVf13E4x5yH-sIYY7CUUB_5Fhq8wRFIN9k9ry2XmgigeZjT8Ku7rSBKxepycAp_5qtA2toT-3thWLo15z0Ic9U/s320/Out_of_Antarctica_14.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The transition from sea ice to open water is very gradual, as the ice gets thinner, and wider and wider leads open up in the ice as we move north. This was one of the last views, before the fog and the clouds shrouded the ocean all the way to Christchurch.</div>Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-28527680674439199042011-10-30T00:39:00.000-07:002011-10-30T00:39:46.718-07:00Winter OverThe winter season at the South Pole ended this week with the arrival of two planes carrying some of the people who will replace us and take care of the station for the next year. <br />
The end of the winter season was delayed by bad weather, which is the way it usually goes every year, although this year we seemed to have worse luck than before. Nevertheless, we are now fully caught up and back on schedule; actually we are a little ahead of schedule. A landing at the South Pole requires a combination of weather conditions that is hard to achieve this early in the season. Three conditions must be met both in McMurdo (where the flights originate), and here at Pole. Those conditions are wind, visibility, and temperature. For a C-130 the wind needs to be less than 20 knots, temperature greater than -59 F (-50.5 C), and visibility more than 2 miles. A Basler can operate under slightly less restrictive parameters, which is the reason why the Baslers are the first to arrive. After the first two Baslers landed here on Oct 17 to refuel on their way across the continent from Rothera to McMurdo, it took a full week for those weather conditions to allow the next landing at Pole. Then the weather closed again, putting us further and further behind in the station opening activities. At the same time, people were piling up, sitting idle in McMurdo waiting for an opportunity to fly here. So, a decision was made to substitute two Basler flights with a single C-130 flight (a Basler carries 16 people, while a C-130 can take 40), and we lucked out. The first C-130 landed here yesterday, Oct 29, just hours before a storm would have prevented a landing for who knows how much longer. So, with 40 more new people on station, we are now in full summer season. The weather can only get better from now on, as the temperature is unlikely to be a limitation any more, and winds in McMurdo tend to be less strong as the season progresses. The next C-130 is scheduled to get here on Tuesday. It will carry my replacement.<br />
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As a result of these two flights, our population, in less than one week, has ballooned from 46 to 105 people. We already knew most of the new people from having spent the last summer together here at Pole. So, we are having a great time exchanging stories, hearing what they have been doing while we were wintering in isolation, and reciprocating with our winter stories. We can feel the energy that all these new people are bringing with them, and it is shaking us up from our winter torpor. It feels invigorating. Today we had brunch, which is tradition for Sundays at the South Pole during the summer season. It felt like a big reunion with old friends. It was also wonderful to have fresh bagels, salmon, cream cheese, omelets and, most of all, fresh fruit. It was overwhelming, though, to walk into the galley and find it so full of people. I had not seen 100 people all at once in more than 8 months. Wow! I had to stand in line to get my coffee. I had not stood in a line in more than 8 months! How many more things am I going to have to get used to again, now that I am about to return home!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpjWG_ruHLekwYd9MWLAeviXchets0bRuB0BHGteI0ZN1_ygyv8huBUOZEVbybmbxslyRm_ebm-fYFPMHNTnIZOlm8jwEnDYLGF5SvuvP8Pu_6OE7K9SNni_Ayve2JExhw-mydAMeB8Q/s1600/WINTER+OVER+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147px" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpjWG_ruHLekwYd9MWLAeviXchets0bRuB0BHGteI0ZN1_ygyv8huBUOZEVbybmbxslyRm_ebm-fYFPMHNTnIZOlm8jwEnDYLGF5SvuvP8Pu_6OE7K9SNni_Ayve2JExhw-mydAMeB8Q/s320/WINTER+OVER+1.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A Basler landed at the South Pole on Oct 24 with the first new people who arrived to prepare the station for the summer season. It also carried our mail and some freshies, including peaches and strawberries. It was a cold but clear day. The station is visible in the background.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2r7IBY6Mgurxhx6ssWuSE0wwUrZ9PpoPUmor25d3Xy-H-SVsK8ojntlFCpF2jMTLRws1ODM5yNZ8Y_5WIUY6onQe9-vYu-p6Y-4q6lqJjpX-jRbGa24iTblsFD5M9yupRjhvorghaof0/s1600/WINTER+OVER+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="119px" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2r7IBY6Mgurxhx6ssWuSE0wwUrZ9PpoPUmor25d3Xy-H-SVsK8ojntlFCpF2jMTLRws1ODM5yNZ8Y_5WIUY6onQe9-vYu-p6Y-4q6lqJjpX-jRbGa24iTblsFD5M9yupRjhvorghaof0/s320/WINTER+OVER+2.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The next plane to be able to land was a Hercules (C-130), on Oct 29. The weather was just starting to deteriorate, with clouds moving in. Within a few hours the visibility would drop to less than 1/2 mile. It has not yet cleared as I am writing.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj1H1hnEaIHoXStXE_Dt6uNdbb6mbNwTY_EAUZHpyona1_Dx1YoGi5j-vDtkdVRj8uZK2KPfHAT-hCFQpcngiTJxIVVHYn3R88f7IbM-KQO0lk4W37q4uMTe5MldkkVJQrfEO_Q954kg8/s1600/WINTER+OVER+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216px" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj1H1hnEaIHoXStXE_Dt6uNdbb6mbNwTY_EAUZHpyona1_Dx1YoGi5j-vDtkdVRj8uZK2KPfHAT-hCFQpcngiTJxIVVHYn3R88f7IbM-KQO0lk4W37q4uMTe5MldkkVJQrfEO_Q954kg8/s320/WINTER+OVER+3.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">40 people arrived on the C-130, re-enacting a routine familiar to the summer season, when many people come and go on a regular basis.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieiKIKY-SpIRKTlUB_T0CQDkKU1AscEkYCGCZA6MyG3Khsw30yFBmdDmVlOw67cOc33si8Xv3R9aolmikxY48qAF6tkD97R9spJ0ZSDLmg-HnjbvFukVXf2JTtgw9mDS7SSy_1CnplG-g/s1600/WINTER+OVER+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128px" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieiKIKY-SpIRKTlUB_T0CQDkKU1AscEkYCGCZA6MyG3Khsw30yFBmdDmVlOw67cOc33si8Xv3R9aolmikxY48qAF6tkD97R9spJ0ZSDLmg-HnjbvFukVXf2JTtgw9mDS7SSy_1CnplG-g/s320/WINTER+OVER+4.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Two twin otters arrived on Oct 29 as well, shortly after the Herc, on their way across the continent from Rothera to McMurdo. They were supposed to just spend a night here and take off today, but 20-knot winds, with 30-knot gusts this morning, and no visibility, are forcing them to stay put here for a while. Two twin otters had landed the day before, on Oct 28, the first such planes this season, and were able to take off for McMurdo before the storm. It was nice to see Travis again, the Twin Otter pilot who took me to one of the Autonomous Geophysical Observatory (AGO) sites, in the middle of the continent, last summer. He will spend another season ferrying people and cargo to the various field camps across the continent. What a job!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0erQkd89SsoDhno3_QkZ1rTm2_1M4sKasUj48iryD1VbI5fTQbqNX0ubl7YVTcWKrHRCFIYlRd1o8pzJNH-e2i8ydkPBD1tftFekZqHXNgQYHtl2RQakzAGxC74nrUtMpm9Pmw6dXKg/s1600/wo2011final%2526names.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181px" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0erQkd89SsoDhno3_QkZ1rTm2_1M4sKasUj48iryD1VbI5fTQbqNX0ubl7YVTcWKrHRCFIYlRd1o8pzJNH-e2i8ydkPBD1tftFekZqHXNgQYHtl2RQakzAGxC74nrUtMpm9Pmw6dXKg/s400/wo2011final%2526names.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Before the winter was over, on October 1, as tradition obliges, we all went out on the ice to take the winterover photo: the photo of all the people who wintered over together at the South Pole Station. This year, in theme with the 100th anniversary of the first people reaching the Pole, we took the photo at the very South Pole, where we also had set up a tent, similar to the tent that the Amundsen party set up and left here 100 years ago, and made a photo composition to include the historical photo of the Amundsen party. We also took the Norwegian and British flags, in honor of both the Amundsen (Norwegian) and the Scott (British) expeditions, who arrived at the Pole within days of each other 100 years ago. Photo and composition by Robert.</div>Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-55995169016961449192011-10-18T00:43:00.000-07:002011-10-18T00:43:33.574-07:00FreshiesThe title of this blog could have been “The first plane” or “End of Isolation”, but I decided it should be what most of all I was waiting for during the last eight months of isolation at the South Pole: freshies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Freshies is Antarctica jargon for fresh fruit and vegetables, of which, as anybody can imagine, there is very limited supply, if any at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have been blessed this year with good harvests from our greenhouse, which have provided lettuce, tomatoes, kale, eggplants, cucumbers, etc. but, with the exception of half an orange for each one of us that was airdropped here at the South Pole on Aug 29, we had not seen a fresh piece of fruit since we ate the last of the apples back in March.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Apart from the freshies, the real big event yesterday was the landing of the first planes of the season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two of them arrived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their primary reason for landing here was not to bring us freshies, but to refuel on their way across the continent from Rothera, the British research station on the Antarctic Peninsula, to McMurdo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are Baslers, vintage DC-3 airplanes that have been refurbished for polar travel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are chartered to the US Antarctic Program from Kenn Borek, a Canadian company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took them about two weeks to arrive, coming all the way from Calgary, in Canada, hopping from airport to airport along the American continent, and then across Antarctica.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They will be stationed at McMurdo for the rest of the season, carrying passengers and cargo to the South Pole first, and then to field camps in Antarctica.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While they were refueling today, they also picked up three of us who had urgent needs to get back to the US, leaving only 46 of us to run the station until the summer crew arrives in a few days.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9325MaEnE4a-phObd9hXeLIlKFLWSQ9CEn4jCbJtdl_MH7qQkAavTroaAiWbF8F52k-j912er-nnAO8beS30OBoWcyRPFPNHYD_JRCzDkKGhb6q0UEUws70yL7CBTkBeXFIhyphenhyphenkwlmOI/s1600/BASLER_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9325MaEnE4a-phObd9hXeLIlKFLWSQ9CEn4jCbJtdl_MH7qQkAavTroaAiWbF8F52k-j912er-nnAO8beS30OBoWcyRPFPNHYD_JRCzDkKGhb6q0UEUws70yL7CBTkBeXFIhyphenhyphenkwlmOI/s320/BASLER_1.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The pilots and mechanics of the two Baslers took the time, on their last stop in Punta Arena in Chile, to go to the store and, out of their own good heart and pockets, buy some fresh fruit and vegetables for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They handed us large grocery store bags full of apples, oranges, pears, and lettuce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not the first time that these pilots come to the South Pole, and they know what we most long for after 8 months of isolation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was enough for a big apple for each of us, an orange and a large bowl of lettuce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We love you, Kenn Borek pilots and mechanics!</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQ-qIjtSWdikDWMJkDG8D5J_wxZ5yMVNwBKrakVpp-GZ-kFNUQlbhhQiDbsZgv_mY1xCpW-uyDyMrKmtNT-JbjXbQubnpXfP5HPtfr0ch8YvyKcbLXHpyad8HRXZpYAFdQNDmPF4HTuQ/s1600/BASLER_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQ-qIjtSWdikDWMJkDG8D5J_wxZ5yMVNwBKrakVpp-GZ-kFNUQlbhhQiDbsZgv_mY1xCpW-uyDyMrKmtNT-JbjXbQubnpXfP5HPtfr0ch8YvyKcbLXHpyad8HRXZpYAFdQNDmPF4HTuQ/s320/BASLER_2.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The planes were on the ground only 45 minutes: just the time to taxi to our pit, refuel, and taxi back out the skiway for takeoff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several of us worked hard in the previous days to groom the skiway, prepare the fuel pit, and, today, to deliver the precious juice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Cs2VHVMLnGp2tWvvjMIYr6ssE2RcVMg8CjH-IAQKmv54-pX6prKoW7JL_I5EcoAbaMFh1v9WXlmb1lZuBI_hnf-hlexg7s7gMPSbldVI1gbBHFTnI4AXCeDj3itUkRwKGrz9_o0uRh4/s1600/BASLER_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Cs2VHVMLnGp2tWvvjMIYr6ssE2RcVMg8CjH-IAQKmv54-pX6prKoW7JL_I5EcoAbaMFh1v9WXlmb1lZuBI_hnf-hlexg7s7gMPSbldVI1gbBHFTnI4AXCeDj3itUkRwKGrz9_o0uRh4/s320/BASLER_3.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At home we always have to stop the engine before we refuel our cars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not at the South Pole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather, although gorgeous yesterday, with very good visibility and almost no wind, was a chilly -59 C (-74 F), which is colder than what the Baslers are rated for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The oil in the engine can freeze very quickly if the engine stops, so the pilots kept the propellers turning all the time while refueling, and the operation had to be carried out as quickly as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cloud seen in the picture is ice that is lifted in the air by the action of the propellers.</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFUw3qA_WXgDGtysZMbf6dikWmuXUT1hOCalZk24b0a1zkKQHqldfjWUKQDV422KJrqWtBHmg0pYsdMirbtRdli_FJ9eBXQgnfv-eTBgxCT1tf89jyD-O85uyiKHZFyIIvjweuYEHkU98/s1600/BASLER_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFUw3qA_WXgDGtysZMbf6dikWmuXUT1hOCalZk24b0a1zkKQHqldfjWUKQDV422KJrqWtBHmg0pYsdMirbtRdli_FJ9eBXQgnfv-eTBgxCT1tf89jyD-O85uyiKHZFyIIvjweuYEHkU98/s320/BASLER_4.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The sun was already 9 degrees above the horizon, and, with the reflection from the snow, it is very bright out.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJ16Sbl0fVNtqkMCOKHjQz1ilvG8VrEE3IxGJBogINJPdOsMCuFpSdHUAHcxRHnoNspPXgX2F-Gk7Lid3vyHKzTPcmhNhZaZUviEaUT5WHdA7cKB6TJU2MGNxmSzoRnc4vsewULXvh0Y/s1600/BASLER_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJ16Sbl0fVNtqkMCOKHjQz1ilvG8VrEE3IxGJBogINJPdOsMCuFpSdHUAHcxRHnoNspPXgX2F-Gk7Lid3vyHKzTPcmhNhZaZUviEaUT5WHdA7cKB6TJU2MGNxmSzoRnc4vsewULXvh0Y/s320/BASLER_5.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In this photo we can see the flight engineer sitting on the right wing of the airplane, pumping fuel into it.</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSUxl_svX3KgxnLNtl38BKAViaWDw9nNhK3vb4ztXW8pSTuYfwTFOKwjlYOVl1M8Lhge9cuMEqnxTrtUhrmBreCLTb3LO8hQU6BajBZkZVyighkSJmVzn_5HRQXEKUAgH9d6oRg5if2g/s1600/BASLER_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSUxl_svX3KgxnLNtl38BKAViaWDw9nNhK3vb4ztXW8pSTuYfwTFOKwjlYOVl1M8Lhge9cuMEqnxTrtUhrmBreCLTb3LO8hQU6BajBZkZVyighkSJmVzn_5HRQXEKUAgH9d6oRg5if2g/s320/BASLER_6.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ready for takeoff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the pilot revs up the propellers, the cloud of snow becomes gigantic.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCL7lkLaIUPOjEv2YTOBvaJ0x2KgkjhL4LL-RtMdwfkoA98ptDAndwxRfUS4aeCRhvgrYZBL-rfk00CqlnmyGfn_MsdPtmGDqEKHvaOpCyMr7ZLv74iNA3vyhSaatg3NnLW2dNIvTHR30/s1600/Orange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCL7lkLaIUPOjEv2YTOBvaJ0x2KgkjhL4LL-RtMdwfkoA98ptDAndwxRfUS4aeCRhvgrYZBL-rfk00CqlnmyGfn_MsdPtmGDqEKHvaOpCyMr7ZLv74iNA3vyhSaatg3NnLW2dNIvTHR30/s320/Orange.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This photo was taken on Aug 30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I mentioned earlier in this blog, we had some oranges air dropped to us by the Air Force on Aug 29.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not that the Air Force made a special mission to the South Pole just to send us some oranges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, this was a special mission to deliver some critical medical supplies, the first winter air drop at the South Pole in the last 10 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because the medical supplies were not heavy enough for the parachutes to operate properly, the Air Force added to the packages some mail and, what they knew we mostly desired, some freshies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we divided them up, we each got half an orange – probably the most expensive piece of food that ever will have passed through my mouth.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfWD120xt65dwBURV6D5kwI31H9O2SfSeQCC-Hijo2wOPLj1qiVdNIttT4gxv6jSdfca4KdubV8uft5Xm9gorolyMrA9VUOJaEXfc5BWbGb-6MTvvyIC71eg7ihSpwnvIlsdlQf064Yg/s1600/AIRDROP_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfWD120xt65dwBURV6D5kwI31H9O2SfSeQCC-Hijo2wOPLj1qiVdNIttT4gxv6jSdfca4KdubV8uft5Xm9gorolyMrA9VUOJaEXfc5BWbGb-6MTvvyIC71eg7ihSpwnvIlsdlQf064Yg/s320/AIRDROP_4.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Preparing for the Aug 29 air drop, in the middle of the polar night, was not a simple task.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were given four-day notice to get ready.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had to groom 160 acres of ice (0.6 Sq Km) to provide a smooth landing for the packages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within this area we had to set on fire barrels full of jet fuel to mark the point of impact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The barrels had to be positioned in very specific locations to form a pattern that would be recognized by the pilots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lighting up fuel at -80 F is not easy because the cold does not allow the fuel to vaporize and burn. We used special tricks that we had learned when we trained during the summer, and it all worked very well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My primary responsibility was to calculate the locations of the barrels based on a sketch provided by the Air Force, and navigate to the calculated locations using a GPS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the packages landed, we had to quickly find them – not an easy task in the middle of the night – and then bring them into the station as quickly as possible before the medical supplies would freeze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almost every single one of the 49 of us was involved in one way or another in this operation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this photo by Robert we see the burn barrels on the ground, and the airplane (a massive 4-jet-engine C-17) making a pass over the drop zone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The long exposure reveals the path of the aircraft.</span></div>Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-62747170966165120262011-10-15T01:56:00.000-07:002011-10-18T00:02:59.928-07:00Where is Polheim?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Well, no one really knows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Polheim means “house of the pole” in Norwegian, and is the name that the Amundsen party gave the tent they set up at the South Pole when they arrived on Dec 14, 1911.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a spare tent that they had carried all the way from the coast, and because they no longer needed it for the trip back, they left it standing at the Pole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Inside the tent they left items that they also did not need for the trip back, including two sextants and some clothes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Scott arrived at the Pole a month later he found the tent still standing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvWFfj1sAaWMx6mqao_6_Pczt3cxXGTZRqOBuLkHt4euU4jkBVeUrU-x63wXB-_xC7vfCBpwI40w719UAWQHTcCkY_viK7b3uiO2elWEUMfNUN6SUIimeBvol6BAo2mPOyhLBgvPcJQk/s1600/POLHEIM_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvWFfj1sAaWMx6mqao_6_Pczt3cxXGTZRqOBuLkHt4euU4jkBVeUrU-x63wXB-_xC7vfCBpwI40w719UAWQHTcCkY_viK7b3uiO2elWEUMfNUN6SUIimeBvol6BAo2mPOyhLBgvPcJQk/s320/POLHEIM_1.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Polheim on Dec 14, 1911.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From left, Amundsen, Hanssen, Hassel, and Wisting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Photo by Olav Bjaalland.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Scott was the last person to see the tent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next people to set foot at the South Pole were members of the US Navy when they came to establish the first South Pole Station in 1956.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At that time the tent would have been buried under several feet of ice, due to the constant accumulation of snow grains that fall from the sky and never melt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today the tent is estimated to be under 65 ft (20 mt) of ice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Supposedly, the tent was located at the exact South Pole, but because the navigational instruments used by Amundsen only had an accuracy of about 2 km, there is quite a bit of uncertainty as to the exact location of Polheim. In addition, the plateau moves over time, so the tent would have moved approximately 1 km in the 100 years that have passed since it was erected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Researchers, using handwritten notes from Amundsen, and studying the instruments that he used, have estimated the current location.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are two such estimates. They differ from each other by 700 meters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first one puts Polheim at 2 km from the current location of the South Pole; the second at 2.7 km.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">A few days ago Robert, one of our astronomers, invited me on a pilgrimage to these sites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert had studied the literature, drawn maps, and programmed a GPS to take us there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our destination lied within the boundaries of the clean air sector, an area that is off limits even to us researchers because it is located upwind of very sensitive instruments that continuously monitor the air quality of our planet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The instruments are so sensitive that they can detect the presence of a single person breathing one mile away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, we had to wait for the winds to shift to a grid East direction, so that our travel would be downwind of the instruments and, with proper permission from NOAA, after dinner on October 11, we were allowed to enter the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNipDZdW7Jy2KsIuslFqLv_iKkHKEMnQoM4I_BOfNCLYw5GbC0AC_x1BSSblRdNmW3odGmsuAlhmRUP4aTYBKlcps2L9LRkPKvbPsv88SoInyB4gxeAhltkbQVAOh0_DGzvi3s8VD1TNk/s1600/POLHEIM_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNipDZdW7Jy2KsIuslFqLv_iKkHKEMnQoM4I_BOfNCLYw5GbC0AC_x1BSSblRdNmW3odGmsuAlhmRUP4aTYBKlcps2L9LRkPKvbPsv88SoInyB4gxeAhltkbQVAOh0_DGzvi3s8VD1TNk/s400/POLHEIM_2.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Skiing in the clean air sector towards Polheim .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The surface, sculpted by the wind into small sastrugi, is very hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Skis hardly make an indentation as they glide over the bumps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The temperature was a chilly -60 C (-76 F), which is several degrees colder than the mean temperature for this time of year, but winds were moderate at under 10 knots, which made for a pleasant trip (Photo by Robert).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7tI9RJZynmlZeCSwqsarwcfHmlzIF_YBmx_wKbqgHXkL3shk_SgTRGibEVgwcVvYod-K7Swmk4dC5BWhcNChmkAOMEpzjRP-SfCpupM_vh6CJsR3ZYouERw3hJkPWDhkPlcFeDP4Gi4/s1600/POLHEIM_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7tI9RJZynmlZeCSwqsarwcfHmlzIF_YBmx_wKbqgHXkL3shk_SgTRGibEVgwcVvYod-K7Swmk4dC5BWhcNChmkAOMEpzjRP-SfCpupM_vh6CJsR3ZYouERw3hJkPWDhkPlcFeDP4Gi4/s400/POLHEIM_3.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Robert checking the GPS coordinates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, we are at the correct location: this is where the first of the two estimates puts Polheim, 20 mt under where Robert is standing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Note how Robert uses a 100-year old technique of tying his bear paw mittens to a rope and hanging them around his neck, so that he can easily take them on and off without losing them, when he needs to use his hands.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNA4YJpgfA1c38GhveUNmglnue2qo8nc51ZnJcyvtt3XhY6qAzT5q2NaPn8tkzgetwtiP4XdzbbY_fVmsYZmBrvuDdX7jwCIKt4OY26AEzOfUBWFxoFcHdGHtUw9_AvPWCZRuy3N8vAk/s1600/POLHEIM_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNA4YJpgfA1c38GhveUNmglnue2qo8nc51ZnJcyvtt3XhY6qAzT5q2NaPn8tkzgetwtiP4XdzbbY_fVmsYZmBrvuDdX7jwCIKt4OY26AEzOfUBWFxoFcHdGHtUw9_AvPWCZRuy3N8vAk/s400/POLHEIM_4.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Robert took this photo of me at the first estimated Polheim location.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We never remove our dark goggles, not even for a photo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although the sun is only 7 degrees above the horizon, the UV radiation is intense under the ozone hole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our friends Johan and Christy from NOAA have been monitoring the ozone hole here at the Pole all year long by launching balloons that reach into the stratosphere, up to around 100,000 ft (30 km) of height.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have increased the frequency of their measurements now that the hole is forming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the beginning of October, the total integrated column of ozone reaches a minimum, at around one third the normal values.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the middle of October the ozone hole starts to fill in again. This year we actually reached the minimum on October 9.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrBjF1Z74bS1muzhbCX3m214V2SZnFiWkXWNKk6cDXJEp6LmBiKJiAdPB2IfOFHjL68XZhPxmFOPZAcuLjphKwWEKzoS6VskrtKVqs74aUIiJSOna2A7Uhpf6fdqlLm1JlvYhYnwAjyc/s1600/POLHEIM_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrBjF1Z74bS1muzhbCX3m214V2SZnFiWkXWNKk6cDXJEp6LmBiKJiAdPB2IfOFHjL68XZhPxmFOPZAcuLjphKwWEKzoS6VskrtKVqs74aUIiJSOna2A7Uhpf6fdqlLm1JlvYhYnwAjyc/s400/POLHEIM_5.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">At the second estimated Polheim location we found a flag, which was put in place by one of last year's winterovers with an interest in the history of Polheim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found the flag in very good conditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here Robert is savoring the moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could he be standing just 20 mt above Polheim?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nobody knows.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr5jrxeRCVr9tUlXWb-TtTdtZpUFopxoEa5eBtPqpwzqsdEUhk91nnrox13V2zsTm9DR9k0wBSuo-cVfqLmsYXSMFg8mPnm_wyApATQe0wOUN8mfwMrzV3CSSyBJ5VNxUMH4_U6_7mzIY/s1600/POLHEIM_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr5jrxeRCVr9tUlXWb-TtTdtZpUFopxoEa5eBtPqpwzqsdEUhk91nnrox13V2zsTm9DR9k0wBSuo-cVfqLmsYXSMFg8mPnm_wyApATQe0wOUN8mfwMrzV3CSSyBJ5VNxUMH4_U6_7mzIY/s400/POLHEIM_6.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">This is the view from Polheim into the clean air sector, not at all different from what Amundsen first and then Scott must have seen 100 years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A thin fog was appearing and disappearing on the horizon, but never obscured the dark blue skies above us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a wonderful 2-hr trip on the ice, full of emotions, as we walked in the steps of the great polar explorers that our station is named after.</span></div>Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-79533806779798907772011-09-27T02:47:00.000-07:002011-09-27T02:52:54.005-07:00Sunrise?After 6 months of darkness, the sun has finally and officially risen on September 21 ... but where is it?<br />
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We are having the stormiest weather of the entire season these days, and of the sun we have only been able to see a mirage on Sep 16, and a few rays on Sep 24, when the storm subsided for a few hours. This storm has brought record-setting winds, very close to the strongest wind ever recorded at the South Pole of 55 mph (88 km/h), dating back to1989. The wind lifts snow grains from the ground and blows them high across the featureless polar plateau, reducing the visibility to nil. In the proximity of our buildings, then, it creates turbulence and massive amounts of snowdrift that can pile up to form ice cliffs that can be difficult to negotiate on the way up and treacherous to descend from. Another effect of the wind is the creation of static charge. When we walk in these conditions, the snow grains rubbing against our insulated clothes leave static electricity, so our bodies charge up without us noticing it, and when we finally arrive at our destination and open the metal door the enter a building, we receive strong electric shocks, even through the three pairs of gloves that we wear. Many of our science projects are suffering, either by the direct impact of the force of the wind, or by the creation of static electricity, and we have been quite busy troubleshooting and fixing equipment. Some is hard to access in these conditions, and we will have to wait until the weather allows us to safely visit the sites on the ice. All in all, going out in this extreme weather, has been quite an exciting, fun, and unique experience, one that cannot be safely experienced anywhere else in the world. It is, after all, one of he reason that we signed up to spend a year at the South Pole.<br />
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Here are some photos to show what it has been like around here in the last few weeks.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Tosa_33JqGKsbXTk5jlBOR9TbSJPUO_x5Ag7ywDa6OmnwJlNov4pqDJlZ7zc4yf_LqN3Zj22cGsKN8EsgRa4LlE2gbl5EU5_tlci6M9GmcR_9eAzd4_A_Z8GhUPSh7v0uy8EG1_hIss/s1600/STATION.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Tosa_33JqGKsbXTk5jlBOR9TbSJPUO_x5Ag7ywDa6OmnwJlNov4pqDJlZ7zc4yf_LqN3Zj22cGsKN8EsgRa4LlE2gbl5EU5_tlci6M9GmcR_9eAzd4_A_Z8GhUPSh7v0uy8EG1_hIss/s320/STATION.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our last full moon of the winter occurred on Sep 11. Here the station is seen from the Atmospheric Research Observatory, about 1/3 of a mile (half a kilometer) away. What illuminates the snow is not the full moon, but the twilight from the sun, located only 4 degrees below the horizon, opposite the moon.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCTWnnzuE6CF8fngA1zQQI0cC2RJMOXWOe5Hiy8ECKw2xM8zVT9cvSJ2K_IkekYYJa1gomTHqSW5Y93Cct63KHHm19Thp31sfwe5Ym9PClFzGQV7NYKXvU-sx4rb3BaujEKYq9ddC-60/s1600/FIRE_TEAM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256px" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCTWnnzuE6CF8fngA1zQQI0cC2RJMOXWOe5Hiy8ECKw2xM8zVT9cvSJ2K_IkekYYJa1gomTHqSW5Y93Cct63KHHm19Thp31sfwe5Ym9PClFzGQV7NYKXvU-sx4rb3BaujEKYq9ddC-60/s320/FIRE_TEAM.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On Sep 13 the fire team, of which I am a proud member, went out to take a photo at the ceremonial South Pole. Pointing the camera towards the rising sun, clear skies, and a flash, provided some spectacular morning colors. A windchill of -130 F (-90 C), though, was bitter, and some of us came back with frostbitten noses after uncovering our faces just a few seconds for the photo. (Photo courtesy of Christy)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZalGOH3LC2sOXQgYCQUYEnclzNKOjBilX50suFTH357Y2kkoYuS0ID-zfdVdeK42tJrW_zuJQjkb5f5vtgbUpTpJhCndm_RJ1EKULsuWsaePJ64EeJrqElYm017y6JY0ETKqV4b6kr8U/s1600/SUNRISE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214px" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZalGOH3LC2sOXQgYCQUYEnclzNKOjBilX50suFTH357Y2kkoYuS0ID-zfdVdeK42tJrW_zuJQjkb5f5vtgbUpTpJhCndm_RJ1EKULsuWsaePJ64EeJrqElYm017y6JY0ETKqV4b6kr8U/s320/SUNRISE.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On Sep 16 we saw the sun for the first time, even though this is only a mirage. The sun was still 2 degrees below the horizon, but a thermal inversion near the surface of the ice caused the rays of the sun to refract down towards the earth. On that day, the temperature at the surface was -96 F (-71 C), while the temperature just a few hundred feet above the ice was -40 F (-40 C), as measured with a weather balloon. The next day a series of strong storms would start lashing at us and would prevent any further sightings of the sun, except for a few hours on the 24th.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0M2sIFPsX-sq5cGJtXSnSH8us2dGbwevqhcwthhEWOcF5U2CMZusssP7eSQBtA9rh4zuVNnmW9t_uX8Ob9PBmxxgQxoZ0S3Jg_mbkSUOzkC_0uolhcAJ17GELThr2To20Tah46duRYFg/s1600/ARO_SUNRISE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0M2sIFPsX-sq5cGJtXSnSH8us2dGbwevqhcwthhEWOcF5U2CMZusssP7eSQBtA9rh4zuVNnmW9t_uX8Ob9PBmxxgQxoZ0S3Jg_mbkSUOzkC_0uolhcAJ17GELThr2To20Tah46duRYFg/s320/ARO_SUNRISE.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On Sep 24 the wind dropped to 10 mph and allowed me to put on my skis for the first time in a week and go inspect our wind turbines to see if the wind of the previous week had caused any damage (luckily it had not). I took this photo of the rising sun from the Atmospheric Research Observatory. When the skies had cleared, the temperature had dropped down to -91 F (-68 C), so I was happy to return to the station, where a sumptuous sunrise dinner awaited me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfaeQgiv3plgKNwfZeAYubFRrb4b58SJc6tTGel2m5ab5l8XsmlQ5um-Hx_LpwiCwgR91eygxGLF7YhdK_9B3UP1AXZ_0DArMBCl4Z8z_7ZuTH0iGRuHO9B-f2wfbMUf7fcvE44vyzuOA/s1600/DINNER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfaeQgiv3plgKNwfZeAYubFRrb4b58SJc6tTGel2m5ab5l8XsmlQ5um-Hx_LpwiCwgR91eygxGLF7YhdK_9B3UP1AXZ_0DArMBCl4Z8z_7ZuTH0iGRuHO9B-f2wfbMUf7fcvE44vyzuOA/s320/DINNER.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The South Pole is the only place in the world where one can have dinner at sunrise. It is one of the three major celebrations that mark the passing of the season here, together with the sunset dinner on March 21 and the mid-winter dinner on June 21. This time the chef came around a few weeks before the event with a form soliciting our suggestions for a menu. We each wrote down our favorite dishes. What a surprise when the cooks presented us each with our own selection, like an a la carte restauant, and so it is that I enjoyed a delicious piece of grilled salmon with steamed broccoli.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMlY6qOlxKHO5haFW2fpCFBfhZiPk8Xw1Lpf_Dr__BEguM9bmDAiwC54e1olY3KGg0b3yJPIcnMyNbRT5KnuPkjnhcSBmmkQPBA9dZUUGyjrCaLXgq6kbPhnsqhYdxEsX-0MYHsxC8lME/s1600/TENT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245px" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMlY6qOlxKHO5haFW2fpCFBfhZiPk8Xw1Lpf_Dr__BEguM9bmDAiwC54e1olY3KGg0b3yJPIcnMyNbRT5KnuPkjnhcSBmmkQPBA9dZUUGyjrCaLXgq6kbPhnsqhYdxEsX-0MYHsxC8lME/s320/TENT.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A stronger storm has been pounding us since Sep 25, with winds up to 52 mph (84 km/h). I took this photo today, Sep 27, at the geographical South Pole, where the axis of rotation of the earth is indicated by a short pole barely visible to the left of the flag. We erected a tent at this location in mid-September for anyone who dared spend the night out on the ice, but with these strong winds, no one has dared, yet.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd739LOs2EH7LywC4reMLNbJEFFd3Go_oIuIH00v-Uk631sDyEgq8XRpr-ykxo6ylcTHJBY5fCZyQ5lXLxOxMssML3Xypbn2m58BM8TbwQnKdBNne4-mflrwHcgoVEW0j8hKjvulnadro/s1600/CEREMONIAL+POLE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd739LOs2EH7LywC4reMLNbJEFFd3Go_oIuIH00v-Uk631sDyEgq8XRpr-ykxo6ylcTHJBY5fCZyQ5lXLxOxMssML3Xypbn2m58BM8TbwQnKdBNne4-mflrwHcgoVEW0j8hKjvulnadro/s320/CEREMONIAL+POLE.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is the ceremonial South Pole, the same location where we took the fire team pictures two weeks ago, now pounded by 40 mph winds. The station, less than 100 yards away, is barely visible through the drifting snow.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTIgOrOZomuU1OtF70AqNBji5DadVsPoCq0TnPtf1JctrqSBwQ2tfLAxrA8O6XJiPL_k6WT21hPy1UZQH2B308skmkpJfKHPoDMFvprQh8-4_IugfyWyos4FtybAT1FaVw7LY8-9Q1No/s1600/STATION.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245px" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTIgOrOZomuU1OtF70AqNBji5DadVsPoCq0TnPtf1JctrqSBwQ2tfLAxrA8O6XJiPL_k6WT21hPy1UZQH2B308skmkpJfKHPoDMFvprQh8-4_IugfyWyos4FtybAT1FaVw7LY8-9Q1No/s320/STATION.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The North West corner of the station early in the morning of Sep 27. The length of the station is 400 ft (120 mt), but not even half of it is visible through the snowdrift, yet we see blue skies overhead.</div><table></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjovVR80xfYH6d2YPhpLDmxNITieI632mEhzxzZWFIB8j0ZJwmN3sBkuN-Bq0WqcxCy29G7DwKYgFY-4xwtMg4JUysdCWQfLCc4xj0l4oQcuqKskvXpicarEUXPCYONqTThkcpUxs7Qujs/s1600/UNDER_STATION.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162px" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjovVR80xfYH6d2YPhpLDmxNITieI632mEhzxzZWFIB8j0ZJwmN3sBkuN-Bq0WqcxCy29G7DwKYgFY-4xwtMg4JUysdCWQfLCc4xj0l4oQcuqKskvXpicarEUXPCYONqTThkcpUxs7Qujs/s200/UNDER_STATION.jpg" width="215px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sep 11, 2011</div></td><td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBaNGPTbgEUFL4IJ81gWuTvhq0Fwtx8i4zlfX9RnaNxCaz4XbX4VL7ntWPx082sJU9Ez6gUMjBO3AhY0qvS1Qx32CvN8-8m8EXnjb4YbwsCMEqTpnXiEonVKfQIez4kfo-uTrVCgSr_0/s1600/UNDER_STATION.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162px" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBaNGPTbgEUFL4IJ81gWuTvhq0Fwtx8i4zlfX9RnaNxCaz4XbX4VL7ntWPx082sJU9Ez6gUMjBO3AhY0qvS1Qx32CvN8-8m8EXnjb4YbwsCMEqTpnXiEonVKfQIez4kfo-uTrVCgSr_0/s200/UNDER_STATION.jpg" width="215px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sep 27, 2011 </div></td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">What a difference 2 weeks make! This is the underneath of the station. The station has an airfoil design, like an airplane wing, that causes the predominant North winds to accelerate as they pass through, scouring the surface and preventing snow accumulation under the station. This provides a hard surface that I have used for running all winter long, when the darkness prevented me from venturing far from the station. I even left a track on the ice along my running path, visible in the photo on the left. This winter we have rarely had winds in excess of 15 mph, but this last few stormy days have put the design of the station to a test. A steep cliff has formed at the edge of the station, about 15 feet tall, looking like a giant ocean wave about to crash, and is now starting to encroach on the northernmost set of columns supporting the station. My running tack has been erased, but the snow has not yet accumulated under the station. So far the design has proved to be effective, but the storm is not over, yet.</div>Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-73481705490667926992011-07-23T05:52:00.000-07:002011-07-23T05:52:57.383-07:00The Polar Night<div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">We are in the middle of the polar night: the single, 6-month long night that only occurs at the Earth’s poles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, July 23, one month after the winter solstice, the sun is still 20 degrees below the horizon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all studied in school that at the Poles there is a 6-month long day and a 6-month long night. We often associate that notion with the polar regions in general, but in reality the 6-month night only happens at the very pole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even at Vostok, the Russian station which is the closest inhabited location to the South Pole, at 78 degrees of latitude, twilight will show up every day of the winter, as the sun will be less than 12 degrees below the horizon at least for some time every day even in the deepest of winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, it is an incredible and unique privilege to experience the polar night at the South Pole Station, where we live in complete darkness, without even the faintest of the twilight, for 80 days in a row, from May 12 to Aug 1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Winter at the South Pole feels like a long tunnel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We entered the tunnel on March 21, when we switched from day to night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But for several weeks we were able to still see the light at the entrance of the tunnel in the form of twilight getting fainter and fainter every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was a time of slight apprehension for me, as I did not know what to expect as we went deeper and deeper into the night: would I still be able to navigate outside, on foot and on ski?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would it get even colder and windier?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How big would the snowdrifts get?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would I go insane without sunlight for so long?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, on May 12, we left behind the last of the twilight, and we could not see the entrance of the tunnel any more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have now been in the middle of this dark tunnel of the polar night for 70 days, and it has been beautiful, as I have learned how to cope with the lack of light first, and then how to truly enjoy it, to the point that I now regret that this very special time will soon come to an end.</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The South Pole in winter is the most pristine environment that I have ever experienced, with no air pollution, no light pollution, and no noise pollution. In the summer we have the noise of the airplanes and of the snowmobile, but not in the winter. To reduce interference to the scientific instruments that look at the sky and at the auroras, we do not have lights on the buildings, and we cover all the windows, so all our buildings appear as black boxes against the glare of the snow, and we are thousands of miles away from any source of atmospheric pollution, provided we stay upwind of our power plant. </div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">In winter we do not have to wear goggles to protect our eyes from the solar radiation, as we do in the summer, so we enjoy much clearer views, unobstructed by the fogging that always forms on the goggles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, because I do not wear my glasses outside, I do not fully enjoy the night sky, but I still can see many different stars, and even use them as navigational aid.</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Soon our eyes will be pointed at the horizon, looking for the end of the tunnel in the form of a faint twilight which will get bigger and bigger as the days will progress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We often look forward to that moment that will signal the return of the sun, without thinking that it will also mark the beginning of the end of this wonderful polar night and polar experience, so I try to go out every day and enjoy the little that is left of this mystic polar night, with its stars, its auroras, and its silence.</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">No photographs can make justice to the magic of the polar night, but I have selected a few, taken this winter by Dana, the scientist who operates the South Pole Telescope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dana is spending his sixth winter at the Pole this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has done scientific work both at the North Pole and at the South Pole, a very rare distinction, and is probably the most experienced winter traveler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During his six winters at the Pole he has walked a total of 5 ~7,000 miles on the ice, probably more than any other human being has on the Polar Plateau.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have learnt a great deal from him on how to stay safe outside in the middle of the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I often meet him outside while I am skiing and he is walking back from the telescope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I don’t see him on the ice, there is always a chance around dinner time to exchange our impressions of the night sky that we experienced while outside, as every day the night sky is a little different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One big difference between Dana and I is that Dana does not like it when the moon is out, because it washes away the stars, whereas I really do enjoy the moon and how it reflects on the ice. More photos from Dana are posted on his website <a href="http://www.polarwinter.com/">http://www.polarwinter.com/</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8nvWI2Q1cEkCIRvefMqE-vAoXlRZsf1EN0ubY1nms_dSzDzb522Q2Un9_aQFDaNc-pCrkwOzz41_ZTuUopX9TTTIXomsSyu637paiCXEA-sy6QAH_1O7HGvKKGsG19iBD8qHgZ5uBck/s1600/milky-way_large-magellanic-cloud-5-27-11sl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8nvWI2Q1cEkCIRvefMqE-vAoXlRZsf1EN0ubY1nms_dSzDzb522Q2Un9_aQFDaNc-pCrkwOzz41_ZTuUopX9TTTIXomsSyu637paiCXEA-sy6QAH_1O7HGvKKGsG19iBD8qHgZ5uBck/s320/milky-way_large-magellanic-cloud-5-27-11sl.JPG" t$="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">We see different portions of the sky from the Northern and Southern hemispheres.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a photo of the Milky Way, which is our own galaxy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can see it both from the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern, although we see different portions of it in each.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The small blob in the upper left quadrant of the photo is the Large Magellanic Cloud: a galaxy orbiting our own Milky Way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We cannot see it from the mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the Northern Hemisphere instead we can see the Andromeda Galaxy, which is 100 times larger and 15 times farther than the Large Magellanic Cloud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andromeda is not visible from the South Pole.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiuG8HAQaLfw5_zgZPlhpg49M24YLDb1Q-e8Ap0AlgfWORyq-WI5_PMsd8wc5dh2lH39OncEv_D1SCt6FmFog7a4QxSsn7DS78VxXUVyoHFxp0kSJQVIQraNzqUWXG_xg2x3RRa6aNvb4/s1600/large_%2526_small_magellanic_clouds-1sl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiuG8HAQaLfw5_zgZPlhpg49M24YLDb1Q-e8Ap0AlgfWORyq-WI5_PMsd8wc5dh2lH39OncEv_D1SCt6FmFog7a4QxSsn7DS78VxXUVyoHFxp0kSJQVIQraNzqUWXG_xg2x3RRa6aNvb4/s320/large_%2526_small_magellanic_clouds-1sl.JPG" t$="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">This photo shows both the Large Magellanic Cloud (Lower left) and the Small Magellanic Cloud (Upper Right) in the same frame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Small Magellanic Cloud is also a Galaxy, slightly smaller and farther away than the Large Magellanic Cloud. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQb6DKuaDRZykOZXdntjVH9jk7XSOu_CDyb8OVObliCuYt4EQr-eQguz2aBbBwe9VROCIF4yE9iSOw2lU4iNBIUfrfY_OTZabGA2jok1R2JHnpCCGk9oOeh7kiqmLi_J3hASzhVO-IaU/s1600/lunar-eclipse-6-16-11-6csl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQb6DKuaDRZykOZXdntjVH9jk7XSOu_CDyb8OVObliCuYt4EQr-eQguz2aBbBwe9VROCIF4yE9iSOw2lU4iNBIUfrfY_OTZabGA2jok1R2JHnpCCGk9oOeh7kiqmLi_J3hASzhVO-IaU/s320/lunar-eclipse-6-16-11-6csl.JPG" t$="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">On June 16 our full moon was obscured for a few hours by an eclipse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a photo of the moon partially eclipsed just a few minutes before it became completely dark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided to enjoy the eclipse from the ice, so I went out running when the moon was still full and providing good visibility, and kept running for about 1 hour until it got so dark that I could not see well any more, at which point I came back into the station to watch the last few minutes of the moon eclipsing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was one of the highlights of my winter so far.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbmjixm7304jMt1pa9GUEuhLJqmFFGyQ3L0lEuMJ8IacB4OYegEa9N4dLGy7Z9HgrK0HKX4_InOjohUwjKQxvs2goJ-g-c0ZcXfwBAG8HIGiwPgcbQ-WOtUFaKOeDCHXndXmsXncksRs/s1600/Moon_Plot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbmjixm7304jMt1pa9GUEuhLJqmFFGyQ3L0lEuMJ8IacB4OYegEa9N4dLGy7Z9HgrK0HKX4_InOjohUwjKQxvs2goJ-g-c0ZcXfwBAG8HIGiwPgcbQ-WOtUFaKOeDCHXndXmsXncksRs/s320/Moon_Plot.jpg" t$="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">The moon at the South Pole does not have the daily cycle that it has at intermediate latitudes, where it rises and sets every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here at the South Pole, instead, it stays up in the sky continuously for two weeks, then it sets and remains below the horizon for the following two weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like the moonlight because it allows me to roam around farther from the station without the risk of getting lost, and I can much easier navigate around the snow drifts when I go out running or skiing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore I have created this chart to display the brightness of the moon through the winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The brightness is calculated based on the elevation of the moon on the horizon, the phase of the moon, and the distance of the earth from the moon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I look at this chart almost daily to plan my outdoor activities.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicKwNWI1gTGUE6NDY06YM9TaAHWxmj-Gvf4itSeERklaUvWGCswkFWsSBe_NPklM6l5kANxiCmOd3GeLPhCCw0bmjKZEId1QhNuJ_gUIyxhYc34bGY0nTpmo5pmD9gpMDG2H0sJGsEbPY/s1600/SPT-moonlight-5-14-11-3sl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicKwNWI1gTGUE6NDY06YM9TaAHWxmj-Gvf4itSeERklaUvWGCswkFWsSBe_NPklM6l5kANxiCmOd3GeLPhCCw0bmjKZEId1QhNuJ_gUIyxhYc34bGY0nTpmo5pmD9gpMDG2H0sJGsEbPY/s320/SPT-moonlight-5-14-11-3sl.JPG" t$="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Silhouette of the South Pole Telescope against the moon ...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKe__rrT6NzJO-it4q7-3Sqi7_JAhZRVEYumhuegn2KvD5Mvp6I4c3_gQDpNJj_sxhNsarxVtv3k5kaYX76J94269pm01HtBBzJg_yEM620USTPhT_KqA2_ZphX1wr_oFP17o65gX8vlk/s1600/aurora-spt-5-2-11-1sl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKe__rrT6NzJO-it4q7-3Sqi7_JAhZRVEYumhuegn2KvD5Mvp6I4c3_gQDpNJj_sxhNsarxVtv3k5kaYX76J94269pm01HtBBzJg_yEM620USTPhT_KqA2_ZphX1wr_oFP17o65gX8vlk/s320/aurora-spt-5-2-11-1sl.JPG" t$="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">... and against an aurora.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-26392633254647713642011-07-17T05:32:00.000-07:002011-07-17T22:39:32.207-07:00Extreme Cold Weather Skiing<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have never been a big skier, having never lived in a place where it snows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have skied downhill a handful of times, and, before coming to the South Pole, I had only cross-county skied maybe a dozen times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, knowing that <span style="font-family: inherit;">people had skied all the way across Antarctica, I thought that skiing should be a fun outdoor activity at the South Pole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before leaving home I inquired with some veteran Polies and I was told that the South Pole station had plenty of skiing equipment, but the gliding would be poor, and it would not be possible to ski in the winter, as the temperatures would be so cold that the skis would nearly freeze solid with the ice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prepared with this grim outlook, my expectations have far been exceeded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since arriving at the Pole last</span> November, I have skied almost every day: in the summer, in the winter, with temperatures down to -70 C (-94 F), and I have been having a great time, so I decided to write this blog to let future generations of Polies know that it is indeed possible and enjoyable to ski year round at the Pole, and also as a way to record the clothing and equipment that I used, my experiences about what worked and what did not work, so that I might use this blog as a future reference in case I decided to buy some of the equipment for my personal use, or for the benefit of anyone else who might be considering doing some skiing in extreme cold environments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXIxqiaR0wFQwSjOjlHabo5Xh8b9nurx26HqsKxUKROesrC5QY-_EI8OxxrCbyEd8TSnW1PdBfvldDP0PzAeQ525ZLPxL1xKSTL9a7aio9-iosjCNOhN5lJGg3ZtkuuoTaB_X2vEC7H8/s1600/ECWS_SD_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXIxqiaR0wFQwSjOjlHabo5Xh8b9nurx26HqsKxUKROesrC5QY-_EI8OxxrCbyEd8TSnW1PdBfvldDP0PzAeQ525ZLPxL1xKSTL9a7aio9-iosjCNOhN5lJGg3ZtkuuoTaB_X2vEC7H8/s320/ECWS_SD_1.jpg" width="236px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Steele took this picture of me on July 1, outside of the Martin A. Pomerantz Observatory (MAPO), about ½ mile from the station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The temperature was -63 C (-82 F), and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it was blowing a 16-knot (18 mph) wind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>The glide: is there actually any glide here at the South Pole?</strong></span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The short answer is that yes, there is some gliding, but very, very little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To quantify the gliding I took some data point earlier in the season, at the end of March, with temperatures around – 60 C (-76 F).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I counted the number of steps that it took me to ski the 400 ft (122 mt) distance between two sets of flags along the skiway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did this several times in three different conditions: 1. Forcing myself not to glide; 2. using my regular Nordic ski pace; and 3. trying to glide as much as possible using the skating technique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With no gliding it took me an average of 146 steps to cover the distance, meaning that my step was 2.6 ft (80 cm) long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is about the same as when I walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I used my regular Nordic ski pace it took me an average of 92 steps to cover the same distance, which corresponds to a step length of 4.3 ft (132 cm).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, the gliding per step was 132 cm – 80 cm = 52 cm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using the skating technique and trying to glide as much as I could, it took me an average of 66 steps to cover the distance, which corresponds to a step size of 6.1 ft (185 cm).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this case the gliding was 185 cm – 80 cm = 105 cm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not sure how this compares to warmer conditions, but I suspect the gliding here at the Pole is inferior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another way to compare the skiing conditions here at the Pole to other locations is by comparing the speeds obtained during races.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the McMurdo marathon on the Ross Ice Shelf here in Antarctica, on Jan 16, and with a temperature close to freezing, the winner in the ski category completed the 26.2-mile course at an average speed of 10.5 mph, while here at the Pole, on Dec 25, and with a temperature of -12 F (-24 C) the fastest skier on the much shorter 2.2-mile course of the Race Around the World skied at an average speed of 5.4 mph, and he was an experienced ski racer from the Northeast, who had even competed in the Marcialonga in the Italian Dolomites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, the speed here at the Pole is about half of what it is at temperatures closer to freezing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, the gliding must not be great, but we can ski and have a good time nevertheless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been skiing at a speed of 3 ~ 4 mph, closer to 4 in the summer and closer to 3 in the winter, which is kind of like a fast walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have not tried to wax the skis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have talked to numerous adventurers last summers who skied to the Pole, and none of them was waxing their skis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess the wax loses its gliding properties when it gets too cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The gliding is probably affected not only by the temperature, but also by the quality of the ice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no snow here at the Pole, as the temperature is too cold for snow flakes to form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, precipitation comes in the form of ice crystals, which are only about 0.01 mm in size, much much smaller than snow flakes, and invisible when they are in the air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ice crystals remain on the ground as a powder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They only aggregate together to form solid ice under their own pressure several feet under the surface.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, there is no melting and refreezing here at the Pole, so the surface is a constant dry powder all year round, with a thin crust on the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ice crystals make a screeching sound under the pressure of the skis that can be heard a long ways away. The friction between ice crystals is in my opinion where the energy of the forward motion of skiing is absorbed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>The clothing</strong></span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I ski an average of 5.5 miles each day, which takes me a couple of hours, so warm clothes are necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have found that the equipment provided by the US Antarctic Program is excellent and perfectly adequate for this activity, so I would like to give its description here. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSVS123puH9B5SIf-qfnnbSnUFmA6WuTRmzRH3Kp8Xbcx4I7ug_m_xTv_ihxq8VQ6Csi2V5EMKJDfPnF6OKK0TndUjhe7NtRgKRPTX4kApsLe5CjhOZaXujETOGsyMFG-K2sNsUy0UL5Y/s1600/ECWS_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSVS123puH9B5SIf-qfnnbSnUFmA6WuTRmzRH3Kp8Xbcx4I7ug_m_xTv_ihxq8VQ6Csi2V5EMKJDfPnF6OKK0TndUjhe7NtRgKRPTX4kApsLe5CjhOZaXujETOGsyMFG-K2sNsUy0UL5Y/s320/ECWS_01.jpg" width="280px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I start with an under layer of cotton socks and longjohns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The top, made by Kenyon, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is 100% polyester, and is commercially available; the bottom is 100% polypropylene, it is made by Peckham Vocational Industries and does not appear to be commercially available.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-D9r8TaUAgEJI4R6ixW83Gy1dK-XOfuCzm22Wiv9oTvxjc3fGYLDujxOdSZCX0w6rmIzJ-88_dk5tiP5vUbueckoIwAeIWD-jG7dM97pfzvR2WyqR6ttfPPerZ7pESjUbA8ZSPlDBBDo/s1600/ECWS_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-D9r8TaUAgEJI4R6ixW83Gy1dK-XOfuCzm22Wiv9oTvxjc3fGYLDujxOdSZCX0w6rmIzJ-88_dk5tiP5vUbueckoIwAeIWD-jG7dM97pfzvR2WyqR6ttfPPerZ7pESjUbA8ZSPlDBBDo/s320/ECWS_02.jpg" width="284px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then I put on heavy wool socks, or more precisely, 95% Worsted Wool and 5% Nylon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ours are made by Wigwam Mills.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESEhXKvT2jCJKQzm3AKF8oFCb-kyPmIszJNXFOxzWg9j5crBaP1Hhbn5i57_VoIrUMuBW2uQT-yX02oVUnlY0GXepkpwl4Qb1zBnK8YrY5m1tT0bTAodFpdplD0HhwkLypP63nkIttoY/s1600/ECWS_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESEhXKvT2jCJKQzm3AKF8oFCb-kyPmIszJNXFOxzWg9j5crBaP1Hhbn5i57_VoIrUMuBW2uQT-yX02oVUnlY0GXepkpwl4Qb1zBnK8YrY5m1tT0bTAodFpdplD0HhwkLypP63nkIttoY/s320/ECWS_03.jpg" width="289px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then comes what we call the Carhartt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carhartt is actually the name of the manufacturer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a fantastic piece of equipment, one of my favorites of the entire wardrobe provided by the program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are insulated work coveralls with multiple pockets suitable to hang tools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are designed for outdoor work, and they are very sturdy, although not indestructible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They even have a hook on the back, which I used in the summer to attach a rope to and haul a sledge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did this several times when I was skiing with Dr. Weatherwax to different locations on the ice carrying equipment to calibrate fields of cosmic radiowave antennas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I use one of the two pockets on the front bib to hold my UHF radio and the other to hold my music player.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These coveralls are made of a 100% cotton exterior shell, a 100% nylon internal lining and a 100% Polyester insulating interlining.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are listed on the Carhartt website as style R02, and list for $110.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> So, staying warm in extreme cold weather does not necessarily require extreme $$$. </span>In general, cotton is not considered to be a good material in cold weather because it absorbs water and stays wet a long time, but there is no water here at the pole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we are outside the ice never melts, even when it sticks to our clothes, and when we walk back into the station the air is so dry that the ice seems to turn into vapor without going through the liquid phase.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwiw_o0JZYSsAsatSCOVm3qw6w4rmtikTXjrFen4I6d3XmSa3Qvuo1hyphenhyphenbD7VdLtAbow1mFPe0wxGiYcLe2pCV7CZ9Wng5P_xkH17ycjBrvnlhq6Y03_A1bgGV61MYFR-EygdpDFtj2aic/s1600/ECWS_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwiw_o0JZYSsAsatSCOVm3qw6w4rmtikTXjrFen4I6d3XmSa3Qvuo1hyphenhyphenbD7VdLtAbow1mFPe0wxGiYcLe2pCV7CZ9Wng5P_xkH17ycjBrvnlhq6Y03_A1bgGV61MYFR-EygdpDFtj2aic/s320/ECWS_04.jpg" width="277px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We have several options for ski boots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My favorites for the winter are made by Karhu, model Convert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They top my list because they are the warmest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They look like sturdy walking boots, with good insulation, and have three pins in the Vibram sole to fit the bindings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although these are the warmest boots we have on station I still use our Grabber foot warmers and toe warmers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are small packs containing a mixture of iron, water, activated carbon, and salts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When exposed to air, the chemicals in the packs react with the air to provide heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They last several hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not sure how effective they actually are at our temperatures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While they definitely provide plenty of warmth at room temperature, it looks like either the reaction slows down when temperatures get colder, or the heat generated just isn’t enough to compensate the heat lost to the environment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless I still use them, as they provide at least some extra insulation.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXjjcDcnyMmmnr4abWHeoxeIS82VmWrmt3rQWgioMFEMnSG_JAbl64xwJbML-Z70Ciaf_75EPX3rPojuGiw8P2HD4jNhMxqmgpHRIsgd9i0jX0TslgIUSKCthNm4_-JJVQBo6NGsJd1cg/s1600/ECWS_06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXjjcDcnyMmmnr4abWHeoxeIS82VmWrmt3rQWgioMFEMnSG_JAbl64xwJbML-Z70Ciaf_75EPX3rPojuGiw8P2HD4jNhMxqmgpHRIsgd9i0jX0TslgIUSKCthNm4_-JJVQBo6NGsJd1cg/s320/ECWS_06.jpg" width="285px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then comes the balaclava.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have used a couple of them through the season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The one I have now, from Outdoor Research, is made of Windstopper fleece, and is very good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has lasted the whole winter, through an average of 3 hours of use every day, and through multiple washes, and still looks like new.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMOriqNdUkck6nniMh8hNEf6V5cvV0kBiev0umXsbl_G558s3uBWXXcw6sirdBiXIe5QN5CaH3yISOj37jBMT0WXLRrqNmP5en4_oGi2nmkfuauRE9uuWhQzlyidzfW4jsZnnkH8DCjRw/s1600/ECWS_08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMOriqNdUkck6nniMh8hNEf6V5cvV0kBiev0umXsbl_G558s3uBWXXcw6sirdBiXIe5QN5CaH3yISOj37jBMT0WXLRrqNmP5en4_oGi2nmkfuauRE9uuWhQzlyidzfW4jsZnnkH8DCjRw/s320/ECWS_08.jpg" width="286px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After the balaclava, I put on my wool hat from Nepal, and then my Northern Outfitters 100% polyester fleece top.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlR7-AvoZ4mvFmvuTMsLrHCS1NafuQe4K3HWlT6ogIPtfClYTcGmp5grOM7i6sV2IpU4Cu_JlzlNMynODGhENOHScdYAFZtQ0eAkrJ_cl8F_Z3fRtTGXwjwUSuJsUAAOTTjQUpkKLgIIo/s1600/ECWS_09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlR7-AvoZ4mvFmvuTMsLrHCS1NafuQe4K3HWlT6ogIPtfClYTcGmp5grOM7i6sV2IpU4Cu_JlzlNMynODGhENOHScdYAFZtQ0eAkrJ_cl8F_Z3fRtTGXwjwUSuJsUAAOTTjQUpkKLgIIo/s320/ECWS_09.jpg" width="288px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The third and final top layer is the very famous red parka.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is by far the most amazing and valuable piece of clothing that we are issued.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have never, ever, felt cold wearing it, even at -100F (-73 C), and even with the strongest winds that we experience here at the South Pole, provided of course that I do not stand still.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My feet are actually getting cold before I can feel any cold through the red parka.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the very rare occasions when the wind chill has dropped below -140 F (-96 C), I could just start to feel the wind through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The red parka, originally designed specifically for the US Antarctic Program, is now also a commercial product.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is called the Expedition Parka and it is made by Canada Goose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has an 85% polyester/15% cotton shell, a 100% nylon lining, and a 625-fill white duck down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has coyote fur around the hood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the parka is zipped all the way up the hood cannot be lowered, which means that it will not come off even in the strongest winds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hood protrudes several inches forward from the face in what we call the snorkel, so as to create a chamber of warm air around the face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, the edge of the hood has a metal frame which stays rigid even in strong side winds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the wind ever makes it into the hood, all I have to do is to close down the opening of the hood by bending the metal frame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This way I lose a little bit of visibility, but I can fend off the wind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This parka also has a multitude of internal and external pockets which I use to carry small tools, emergency flashlight, fresh batteries, pencil and paper.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHBw7ggpTK6OWeU49uk93UOQMmz17rFBYEwo7ZFOQlS2p_8ZARALsrxUIyzDSPJ4COMuaNSOEXKCUMfNoluDzBlM9CHfRPa4-7EifDxSuMwBRR1H7wvg-EsqW8QIHMFKJSpAugt1ht1o/s1600/ECWS_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHBw7ggpTK6OWeU49uk93UOQMmz17rFBYEwo7ZFOQlS2p_8ZARALsrxUIyzDSPJ4COMuaNSOEXKCUMfNoluDzBlM9CHfRPa4-7EifDxSuMwBRR1H7wvg-EsqW8QIHMFKJSpAugt1ht1o/s320/ECWS_11.jpg" width="293px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After the parka come the three layers of gloves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first is just a pair of thin wool liner gloves – the blue glove visible on my left hand in the picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second is a pair of leather mittens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lining is 65% polyester, 35% rayon, and the insulation is made of 3M Thinsulate material.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I use hand warmers in the mittens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They work just as the foot warmers and toe warmers that I described earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hand warmers are very effective at keeping the hands warm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not exactly sure why they seem to work so much better than the foot warmers, but I suspect that the hands remain fairly warm, so that the hand warmers do not have a chance to freeze. </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvjDs4rd9vpFRfrJeJxIjdpzFZ-yLlJwUrXObi69-xOyzrWnNxT8w3SEWep6oIzutz2KHSmytlXF4NSA48mLeyB-pc8henvbxRnCRbOKTlFZX4YfVxKatn3wK-J5ytIDduUDiqv7d9ysU/s1600/ECWS_13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvjDs4rd9vpFRfrJeJxIjdpzFZ-yLlJwUrXObi69-xOyzrWnNxT8w3SEWep6oIzutz2KHSmytlXF4NSA48mLeyB-pc8henvbxRnCRbOKTlFZX4YfVxKatn3wK-J5ytIDduUDiqv7d9ysU/s320/ECWS_13.jpg" width="285px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Finally the bear paws, and I am ready to hit the ice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bear paws are gauntlet mittens made by the Illinois Glove Company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have a 100% wool shell with leather sewed to the inside of the palm and pile fur on the outside, and an insulating detachable insert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found them necessary when temperatures drop below -50F (-45C).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>The ski equipment</strong></span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The US Antarctic Program provides us with a good selection of ski equipment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every item comes in a variety of sizes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have tried most of the equipment available to find what works best for me.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgos0RWaT3v6IC2kskJdR_JK3WccrnZFh7x7SVfJ7snmFchveNmRYq-zYPrj8_7NT7Owkehggi1hRaHhDapx0jM1Yz0vF6iq0Fu4jVrapP2shz5auz4BXyvxzv-LbrGWcZaBibpZejNGho/s1600/ECWS_14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgos0RWaT3v6IC2kskJdR_JK3WccrnZFh7x7SVfJ7snmFchveNmRYq-zYPrj8_7NT7Owkehggi1hRaHhDapx0jM1Yz0vF6iq0Fu4jVrapP2shz5auz4BXyvxzv-LbrGWcZaBibpZejNGho/s320/ECWS_14.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first combination available is skating skis and boots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The skis are made by Fisher, model BC Country Crown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bindings are snap-in Fischer Autoflex 105 Profil SNS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boots are Fischer Combi 5000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found this to be the best combination for the summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ski mostly Nordic style, but occasionally, on a good surface, I like to skate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These skis and boots allow both styles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only problem with this set is the extreme cold, and I am talking about temperatures at or below -50 C (-68 F).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Around these temperatures feet get cold after less than one hour, the rubber in the bindings becomes rigid so that it becomes impossible to snap the boots into the bindings, and the boots become sort of brittle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I broke the metal rod in the boot, where it attaches to the binding, with no apparent stress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is why, at the beginning of April I started experimenting with different skis.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV8Sp_AXjrGjxx2DCWIMr5QNYUcMNksRiAu9RDPOnPLgawJiNl1TgzUdqi0f5eZuJolq1ZMiEPokxEgVuMSOmmo8dTOMMJXYVcACzEgjV2Hjujy3qZdEp-G0ekdTNoXgTU1LU_7LhigbU/s1600/ECWS_15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV8Sp_AXjrGjxx2DCWIMr5QNYUcMNksRiAu9RDPOnPLgawJiNl1TgzUdqi0f5eZuJolq1ZMiEPokxEgVuMSOmmo8dTOMMJXYVcACzEgjV2Hjujy3qZdEp-G0ekdTNoXgTU1LU_7LhigbU/s320/ECWS_15.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is the second pair of skis I used.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are telemark skis, with metal edges, made by Karhu, model Lookout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boots are Karhu Convert, and the bindings are made by Rottefella.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The great thing about this set is the boots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are well insulated and much warmer than the boots in the previous set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also fit very well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have tried different sizes and none of them ever produced a blister or any discomfort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found the best fit in a boot two sizes larger than my shoe size, which allows room for the heavy socks, foot warmers and toe warmers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been able to ski for up to 3 hours at temperatures down to -90 F (-68 C) before my feet started getting cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the skis are significantly slower, probably because of the additional friction produced by the larger surface area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took me about 30% more time to cover the same distance using these skis as compared to the Fischer BC Country Crown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These skis, weighting 8 lbs with the bindings, are also much heavier than the Fisher skis, which weight just 4.5 lbs including the bindings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, most of the Karhu boots that we have on station have cracks, either in the Vibram sole or in the top leather, or in both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe the cracks are due to the cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While cracks in the leather are mostly an aesthetic flaw, cracks in the sole are a big problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My first boots had a small crack in the sole, which eventually propagated and resulted in the sole breaking and the boot becoming useless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took a second pair of boots and made sure they did not have cracks in the sole to begin with, and I have now skied more than three hundred miles in them with no sign of damage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To prevent causing damage to the Vibram sole I do not skate and I try to move slowly when on rough terrain, but I suspect that a potential cause for the damage to the boots is the fact that we currently store them in an unheated building, so I am looking for a storage place inside the station to better care for them.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztxioHo-sYw44dJ4xdQfQbjmUPLOQr8iUWOsTKFm1-ld30gx_RqS53xqRXuqQ3qktEkptXCR1Hpa7DF0ZrCw22I_HuPVhbxMui2ALu1kx5bUjTcaZjZwXaEZELcDGRFL6yLl2eztg5M0/s1600/ECWS_16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztxioHo-sYw44dJ4xdQfQbjmUPLOQr8iUWOsTKFm1-ld30gx_RqS53xqRXuqQ3qktEkptXCR1Hpa7DF0ZrCw22I_HuPVhbxMui2ALu1kx5bUjTcaZjZwXaEZELcDGRFL6yLl2eztg5M0/s320/ECWS_16.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I found the best winter combination to be the lightweight, low-friction, Fischer skating skis with the heavy-duty Karhu Convert boots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This however requires a different type of binding, of which there are only two on station: the Norwegian-made Rottefella Super Telemark three-point bindings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These bindings have worked very well at any temperature down to -94 F (-70 C), as they are purely mechanical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I can get the speed and the warmth at the same time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think I will be too hot in these boots even in the middle of summer, so I vote this as the best kit for recreational skiing at the South Pole.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>The ski trails</strong></span></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSkW_pD9tip-qkXnqymalY9bCuTAOYvMa1ZYrFEpxY5HNFXKMedZLH9hf5BMOWLkQOCAPW92wFADubXsaqX0avZOhtUXbHOFpTyy04BLoLC6Dft1hq96GDwNxxT2sPRRf6odddY8e4MQ/s1600/ECWS_18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSkW_pD9tip-qkXnqymalY9bCuTAOYvMa1ZYrFEpxY5HNFXKMedZLH9hf5BMOWLkQOCAPW92wFADubXsaqX0avZOhtUXbHOFpTyy04BLoLC6Dft1hq96GDwNxxT2sPRRf6odddY8e4MQ/s320/ECWS_18.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here is a map of my ski trails.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All distances were measured with a GPS.<u></u></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuGvKV0rBdBG8ErYIo-abTjzeHqDHwr2VKqNgrnXuxhVMDJNW6WN5M0SZ0eJVyaz5ynEOLPqkn_3xwrFAah1UXb7fCqOFqpJBmsCOIbfSgZIZHqOwcLxJgvZzUOEcXiI3XbHW8bD559ac/s1600/ECWS_17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuGvKV0rBdBG8ErYIo-abTjzeHqDHwr2VKqNgrnXuxhVMDJNW6WN5M0SZ0eJVyaz5ynEOLPqkn_3xwrFAah1UXb7fCqOFqpJBmsCOIbfSgZIZHqOwcLxJgvZzUOEcXiI3XbHW8bD559ac/s320/ECWS_17.jpg" width="313px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Before I close I want to pay a tribute to Steele, our very competent machinist, who braved the -82 F (-63 C)temperature and 16-knot winds on July 1 to take photos of me outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When not at the Pole, Steele lives in Tasmania, an island off the coast of Australia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is his second winter at the Pole, and he may come back next year for a third.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I first met him at Fire School in Denver back in September of last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has made several parts and modifications for my various projects, is a true gentleman, and is a great pleasure to share stories with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is also currently building next year’s Pole Marker, which will be unveiled at the Geographic South Pole during the Pole Marker Ceremony on Jan 1, 2012.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-28873577818469111692011-06-25T00:35:00.000-07:002011-06-25T00:41:02.164-07:00Mid-winter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Several people have been asking me about skiing here at the South Pole, so I would like to first let everyone know that I am working on a new blog on Extreme Cold Weather Skiing, which I hope to publish within the next couple of weeks. Today's blog, however, is on our mid-winter celebration, which we observed here at the South Pole last Saturday, June 18, three days ahead of the actual winter solstice. This is the darkest of winter for us, with the sun sitting at a constant 23.5 degrees below the horizon, but it is cause for celebration because the sun is now slowly starting its trip back up towards us, even though it will be at least 6 weeks before we can even discern any faint glow at the horizon. In good South Pole tradition, we celebrated with a sumptuous banquet and with a group photo on the ice.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdDbPNQi2_ZHNYSNI-dH2f_1tODn8f_Tyq9_hiZJ_xAWm9wpL6gvfWuYm9xFgCHgXNSvIHBaO4fBWSh1xaMf_8Tuhkr3PFh_vJhTyXsGCk6VyWur7SeP171_i0bpMnwEZZanjUwQYI20/s1600/SouthPoleWinterGreeting.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdDbPNQi2_ZHNYSNI-dH2f_1tODn8f_Tyq9_hiZJ_xAWm9wpL6gvfWuYm9xFgCHgXNSvIHBaO4fBWSh1xaMf_8Tuhkr3PFh_vJhTyXsGCk6VyWur7SeP171_i0bpMnwEZZanjUwQYI20/s320/SouthPoleWinterGreeting.png" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Summer and winter solstices can easily go unnoticed to people living at medium latitudes, but they are a big deal here in Antarctica. All the stations that remain open for the winter exchange greetings, typically accompanied by a photo of the winterover group. Here is the greeting that we sent out. We took this photo on June 13 under an almost full moon and using a long exposure, which makes the station behind us visible. I am the fifth from the right, standing.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQcNaPVZ52YqTxjMVfCE1xvJ0dMx30GvRX02roj6rJIAXd-_Ga50VV9EtsdU7O65uUzOMPQ0sW22e4wJj81mZJOQ84HU-eJwK-cy8mHKrPTND0D417Nldgshh0EpuyMffrV9QF1HlsP4/s1600/MIDWINTER_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQcNaPVZ52YqTxjMVfCE1xvJ0dMx30GvRX02roj6rJIAXd-_Ga50VV9EtsdU7O65uUzOMPQ0sW22e4wJj81mZJOQ84HU-eJwK-cy8mHKrPTND0D417Nldgshh0EpuyMffrV9QF1HlsP4/s320/MIDWINTER_2.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We shed our work clothes for the party and try to dress up a little. Some of us have even brought suits and ties for the occasion. To my right is Jens, one of the two Ice Cube Laboratory scientist, who has been looking all winter long for a single extra-terrestrial neutrino. To my left are Bill, our electrician, and Kevin, our plumber. We try to socialize in a more formal way than we usually do, with cocktails and appetizers.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-WSH6Wgkjadpi-VfsXnv6QNr3kcEvD0JkLVYn_tzB6grNRMy94KNSFfA5_NvOLjpFWbpnmw7hrIqF3sgu1yfhs4M3MdLiF86EyTtsO20_4WIU3j10wfQfdWXSeVjzfNmYkiWctOIIkw/s1600/MIDWINTER_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="102px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-WSH6Wgkjadpi-VfsXnv6QNr3kcEvD0JkLVYn_tzB6grNRMy94KNSFfA5_NvOLjpFWbpnmw7hrIqF3sgu1yfhs4M3MdLiF86EyTtsO20_4WIU3j10wfQfdWXSeVjzfNmYkiWctOIIkw/s320/MIDWINTER_3.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">From the cocktail table I particularly enjoyed the Blue Cheese Walnut Tarragon Dip, the Roasted Red Pepper Goat Cheese Pine Nut Dip, and the Crostini, but we also had shrimp and beef pate'.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEShWrj_g3aUgb7d4V4_NH3JnjTsweuEMW6YhBDWC8OuGbpPJp-LMIIP3ofPtFq5LP984Xp7fn8pkH70HJ0_ZuaTX8PJmPLgiDAWC8Z1P6KO9nE1zMnKV5qH1pB8X_6861oEaDwDZ0NtI/s1600/MIDWINTER_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEShWrj_g3aUgb7d4V4_NH3JnjTsweuEMW6YhBDWC8OuGbpPJp-LMIIP3ofPtFq5LP984Xp7fn8pkH70HJ0_ZuaTX8PJmPLgiDAWC8Z1P6KO9nE1zMnKV5qH1pB8X_6861oEaDwDZ0NtI/s320/MIDWINTER_4.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We set up a very nicely decorated long table, we played some background music, displayed a fireplace on our large LCD monitor, and enjoyed some wine, too, including some from New Zealand and some even from Italy. Before we started the meal the station manager read a letter that President Obama sent us. In the letter the President praised our work in furthering our understanding of global warming and closed by saying "As you mark Midwinter's Day in Antarctica, I commend you on your commitment to discovery and innovation. I encourage you to continue to use your talent and dedication to make the world better for us all, and I thank you for a job well done."</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0hZoYWWsy5GN1iLVrTUzEnP3mxnBv3Au3AbOE7c0lez9LCWHceNp4Mfv2PTrAh3RzRnKWuovc4i6W9r7kI8iz5PyGPiQZQfKovYjIm_afbv2sM5TJOyqvCWNF7b_JGY_m6h59MgRoJMs/s1600/MIDWINTER_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0hZoYWWsy5GN1iLVrTUzEnP3mxnBv3Au3AbOE7c0lez9LCWHceNp4Mfv2PTrAh3RzRnKWuovc4i6W9r7kI8iz5PyGPiQZQfKovYjIm_afbv2sM5TJOyqvCWNF7b_JGY_m6h59MgRoJMs/s320/MIDWINTER_5.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our midwinter dinner consisted of a Salad fresh from our greenhouse, tossed with walnuts and mmarinated dry cherries, and a main course made of Glazed Duck Breast topped with a blackberry tarragon garnish (Top), Lobster and King Crab sauteed in garlic butter topped with a champagne sauce and served in a pastry shell (Right), Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Artichoke hearts sauteed in olive oil (Bottom), and Polenta Cakes baked with sundried tomatoes, capers, and Rosemary (Left) ... delicious.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf7H9qABKwNrAuFPO55515UmU23VL9-mJZv2u_1gWpYfCA7NbEqxaBOcKi3qIpXPmAeIVdFGm-9tCnYpNnzmnN0YtGk3-1FPl-6tTq8KAVfPvN831UMJ9FUk_cA8D1Sq6Mt8tt_QKtHa0/s1600/MIDWINTER_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf7H9qABKwNrAuFPO55515UmU23VL9-mJZv2u_1gWpYfCA7NbEqxaBOcKi3qIpXPmAeIVdFGm-9tCnYpNnzmnN0YtGk3-1FPl-6tTq8KAVfPvN831UMJ9FUk_cA8D1Sq6Mt8tt_QKtHa0/s320/MIDWINTER_6.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It wouldn't have happened without our superbe kitchen staff: John, Bryan, Will (the chef), Jeremy, and Ashley, left to right. Will and I have several things in common: his last job was in a French restaurant in Denver, Co, and I speak French, and, like me, he worked in the semiconductor industry, as chef at the Sematech cafeteria in Austin, Tx, which I visited several times, so it is likely that I ate some of the food he prepared even before I came here to the South Pole. We also shared a room, with many others, for 13 days, in McMurdo, waiting for our flight to the Pole back in October - occasionally he saves me a bowl of oat meal if I sleep in and am late for breakfast! Bryan works dinner. He always makes sure I get plenty of vegetables, excep on Fridays, when he knows that I turn from vegetarian to carnivore and I like my steak rear. Jeremy works lunch and makes great tofu dishes and indian food. He lived in Japan for some time and speaks Japanese. John was the baker in the summer, and made me panettone for Christmas, but during the winter he is responsible for managing our food supplies. Ashley has the biggest smile on station and must be the happiest person I have ever met in my life.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn9OAio3jE9HEVg1FzHWDnMzXK0T64RtHfhq8dtDJlcKQcL2TyO1sbkey2_sZQuY_Z3ABuwkxi8i0jFn7_16me4XGMSgq8Dw1g9MOTk-fkPEiG9csJh27D-VI0FXQyam7lWBTPYxaZtvU/s1600/Full_moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn9OAio3jE9HEVg1FzHWDnMzXK0T64RtHfhq8dtDJlcKQcL2TyO1sbkey2_sZQuY_Z3ABuwkxi8i0jFn7_16me4XGMSgq8Dw1g9MOTk-fkPEiG9csJh27D-VI0FXQyam7lWBTPYxaZtvU/s320/Full_moon.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I took this photo from the deck of the station, less than 1 hour before we started dinner. It was two days after the full moon. On the horizon the Ice Cube Laboratory (left), and the South Pole Telescope (right) are visible in the moonlight. They are part of my daily ski loop. The distance to the Ice Cube Laboratory is 0.67 miles (1.1 km).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIW2N-mPJfctEmCXimZVhrZP3bdQNs0k6NTxcpXu15W3iJaOrZhgxNvjCfhLfYnIcdgt-2olVekPWIcaWhBtGvPAGgb8lkRm2Og_c5GrIjd6CKzUSDg9svcGGaiz8_PKpwq0OyhgWqRAA/s1600/pole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIW2N-mPJfctEmCXimZVhrZP3bdQNs0k6NTxcpXu15W3iJaOrZhgxNvjCfhLfYnIcdgt-2olVekPWIcaWhBtGvPAGgb8lkRm2Og_c5GrIjd6CKzUSDg9svcGGaiz8_PKpwq0OyhgWqRAA/s320/pole.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I went out on June 21, the very midwinter day, and took this photo of me at the very South Pole (temperature -85 F, or -65 C).</div>Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-75365583648937666482011-06-12T03:03:00.000-07:002011-06-12T03:12:51.225-07:00Aurora AustralisWe are only a few days away from the winter solstice (that will occur on June 21 here in the Southern hemisphere). This is also the darkest of the polar night, yet the sky is all but dark. We have been blessed this year with spectacular auroras. Some are brighter, some more colorful, and some have more structure than others, but a day does not go by without auroras showing off in our sky. I spend an average of 3 hours outside every day, and I would be hard pressed to remember a day when I did not see auroras. Auroras are produced by charged particles (electrons and protons) emitted by the sun. When these particles approach our planet, they follow the field lines of our magnetic field, and therefore move towards the polar regions, where the magnetic field lines concentrate. Before they can reach the magnetic poles, though, at a height of about 300 km from the surface of the earth, they excite oxygen molecules, which then glow just like a fluorescent light does. Because the particles coming from the sun move at supersonic speed, so do the auroras. They seem to constantly dance in the sky, 300 km above us. Some of them last 10 or 15 minutes; others last as long as one hour. This has been a very good year for observing auroras, as the sun is approaching a maximum in its emission of particles: a maximum that occurs with a periodicity of 11 years. The South Pole, located approximately 1,000 km away from one of the two magnetic poles of the earth, is one of the best locations on the planet to observe auroras, and that is why a lot of the scientific research that we do here has to do with observing auroras and correlating the observations with other celestial phenomena.<br />
It takes good photographic equipment, a tripod, a lot of patience, and tolerance to the cold to take good pictures of auroras. Lacking a good camera and patience, I thank Christy and Jens for letting me use some of their photos in this blog. All the photos shown here are raw images. Typical exposure times are about 10 seconds.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZZbmYxYHpavSREoxuVv-bn_M9SwlrURWWU6spS5z286j_lVxoXgbV6_tn5szfRQRh-qz2o7UKDLqf72hFkW3yOqtWmEschEVeFfHb5AuxDh6TyUu9_NOwbvtDWRzHLCpS8NbPu6lC80/s1600/AURORA_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZZbmYxYHpavSREoxuVv-bn_M9SwlrURWWU6spS5z286j_lVxoXgbV6_tn5szfRQRh-qz2o7UKDLqf72hFkW3yOqtWmEschEVeFfHb5AuxDh6TyUu9_NOwbvtDWRzHLCpS8NbPu6lC80/s320/AURORA_1.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is what most auroras look like here at the Pole: spanning a large portion of the sky, glowing green. Notice the stars in the sky and the Atmospheric Research Observatory at the bottom of the frame. This aurora happened on June 6. Photo by Christy.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUtvHbWGVMO5lv4DYDVsFGDJWhkwYAA9YJ8dQybxuBmnjqx1jsXZQuWG6_L9DPpihdjRDDgxxBL6K8YnMYFfzvL134nbfTobNe4XGoB0thGOS7VQI5cS-PTfUi82cJXAqLL68aKte74s/s1600/AURORA_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUtvHbWGVMO5lv4DYDVsFGDJWhkwYAA9YJ8dQybxuBmnjqx1jsXZQuWG6_L9DPpihdjRDDgxxBL6K8YnMYFfzvL134nbfTobNe4XGoB0thGOS7VQI5cS-PTfUi82cJXAqLL68aKte74s/s320/AURORA_2.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This aurora, on May 25, shows some interesting structure, twisting away at the far right, and with a hint of red color. In the foreground are the pole marker on the right and the sign commemorating the arrival of Amundsen and Scott 99 years ago. Photo by Christy.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfL7pA3JmC5rQHwZ5hvwmnck3RDFEjEH6vHtZ6H33JhF3_GcOsd4RwISxw-8zaDwgs06LxQeTGBJTfMSpmaUlXGFUqCgliNwo2iC4ADxUBA5DICrLzow8u29NadbCNH7BrQVhXUvxy5A/s1600/AURORA_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfL7pA3JmC5rQHwZ5hvwmnck3RDFEjEH6vHtZ6H33JhF3_GcOsd4RwISxw-8zaDwgs06LxQeTGBJTfMSpmaUlXGFUqCgliNwo2iC4ADxUBA5DICrLzow8u29NadbCNH7BrQVhXUvxy5A/s320/AURORA_3.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I call this a lenticular aurora, covering a large portion of the sky in a round shape. This aurora occurred only a few days ago, on June 9, and was part of a series of auroras that came on display almost continuously for a period of 12 hours following a massive ejection of particles from the sun called a coronal mass ejection (CME). We were alerted to this event from observations of the sun made by NASA. Typically, it takes two days for the particles emitted in a CME to reach the earth and manifest themselves as auroras, so we had time to get ready. Photo by Christy.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrOiFf5VOFD1X-sJQBPP9ePw2-kQwNtNGgTSBYv9iRO3Z6w3krWw2pxwCvKwWGTtmJr8I2QW7yNzdUEq36XIwheZdYlOzaIKM3s2Ej-SnHyJB0e6QkiAdhW2sn43cjf22rrkbtM_G9B2c/s1600/AURORA_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrOiFf5VOFD1X-sJQBPP9ePw2-kQwNtNGgTSBYv9iRO3Z6w3krWw2pxwCvKwWGTtmJr8I2QW7yNzdUEq36XIwheZdYlOzaIKM3s2Ej-SnHyJB0e6QkiAdhW2sn43cjf22rrkbtM_G9B2c/s320/AURORA_4.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is a beautiful, bright, and colorful aurora that occurred on May 3. On the left is the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Photo by Jens.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9IgxjA0nCzN_xLv9zw6SFK_nCO8ybHzUsgXZrOBoOg68Uk2SfXJvvOxmKYa5yGtqLBqB2zcwO7lC0sgJl2dO1uxhGNIOdhZR3F1fah2PQRt3jPoWVsTcGsz1Zns7UWqAhymDu87y4H-E/s1600/AURORA_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9IgxjA0nCzN_xLv9zw6SFK_nCO8ybHzUsgXZrOBoOg68Uk2SfXJvvOxmKYa5yGtqLBqB2zcwO7lC0sgJl2dO1uxhGNIOdhZR3F1fah2PQRt3jPoWVsTcGsz1Zns7UWqAhymDu87y4H-E/s320/AURORA_5.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I was skiing to the Ice Cube Laboratory under a nice aurora, on May 2, when I met Jens, who was walking to the same building, but had stopped to take a photo of the aurora. I like his photo because it gives a realistic representation of how a typical aurora brightens the surroundings. In the background are, from left to right, the 10-meter South Pole Telescope, and MAPO, a building that houses two additional microwave telescopes.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpu4254SBKTsWFtg52tqjp70j96_7o2O70ZR6vFFR5fJ0QbC_UoE-tKWR8fPJTvsAEpyeK7rP_2Ji9e4S5UCJHN5NJh2WKxNbFqY0sn1hID2Bw7Yt_MqfYWwDm0W9bn4FLZiS2Je-zdA/s1600/AURORA_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpu4254SBKTsWFtg52tqjp70j96_7o2O70ZR6vFFR5fJ0QbC_UoE-tKWR8fPJTvsAEpyeK7rP_2Ji9e4S5UCJHN5NJh2WKxNbFqY0sn1hID2Bw7Yt_MqfYWwDm0W9bn4FLZiS2Je-zdA/s320/AURORA_6.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Auroras happen all the time, in the summer and in the winter. It is just that during the summer we cannot see them because the light from the sun overwhelms them. A full moon, though, is not sufficient to blind some of the brightest auroras, as shown here on May 19. Photo by Christy.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3aeLMjeYJBMMHEBduv324X_bDeHACUsQl-cgSADSRHLtlO9g2XuhcAfsovndNU2yi_isbb8kpATsySHerOXOzlDMZKaUmq94D7MDzAtVlfhG5WtZOLqnQjEYv4Cee9erLRHljlGpdako/s1600/AURORA_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3aeLMjeYJBMMHEBduv324X_bDeHACUsQl-cgSADSRHLtlO9g2XuhcAfsovndNU2yi_isbb8kpATsySHerOXOzlDMZKaUmq94D7MDzAtVlfhG5WtZOLqnQjEYv4Cee9erLRHljlGpdako/s320/AURORA_7.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As I said, auroras move very rapidly. In this sequence taken by Christy an Aurora is seen starting at the horizon, then move overhead. All the photos are taken under the same exposure settings. The time stamp below each photo gives an idea of the speed at which the aurora is moving. Also notice how much brighter it gets as the aurora moves overhead. The building on the right is NOAA's Atmospheric Research Observatory.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLlLhZoX5n7aQvmst9ExlTTFt0NMqrL5i2w4s4Lrd7rjUebwNML_EJ1IBRsauBDgYg7SjRs66SmQPY8Bz2o5K9tUHu-Xi_BT9riJdkbeTu50gdPWIPl1WL8CFs9XlGuR7bgJAyOMOasaQ/s1600/AURORA_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLlLhZoX5n7aQvmst9ExlTTFt0NMqrL5i2w4s4Lrd7rjUebwNML_EJ1IBRsauBDgYg7SjRs66SmQPY8Bz2o5K9tUHu-Xi_BT9riJdkbeTu50gdPWIPl1WL8CFs9XlGuR7bgJAyOMOasaQ/s320/AURORA_8.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is what an aurora looks like to the eyes of a research camera. It happens to be one of the experiments that I am responsible for. This image is taken by a high resolution, black and white, all-sky camera, that takes 180 degrees images of the sky through several color filters tuned to the particular frequencies of the light emitted by the auroras. Because of the filters, this camera is mostly insensitive to other lights, such as the light from the moon, which appears as a yellow spot on top of the image. In reality the moon is much much brighter than the aurora, but the trick with the filters allows the aurora to be clearly visible. These images are publicly available on the website <a href="http://www.southpole-aurora.org/">http://www.southpole-aurora.org/</a> where you can see the evolution of auroras at the South Pole hour by hour. Another interesting website is <a href="http://www.usap.gov/videoclipsandmaps/spwebcam.cfm">http://www.usap.gov/videoclipsandmaps/spwebcam.cfm</a> where, in the austral winter, you can see time lapse images of auroras shown as movies. Those photos were taken a few years ago by Robert Schwartz, who is wintering here with us again this year.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbo4JnWqAc7A7XyZnGyj53t3TDZF60Vivc_Gb_ntSw8Xniz29C_cS05lvzYH3CEDnk7YcunhGlcH_Qa0y_Ep1QSTM83iT3_QFlHkHsgKsxo0fh_CAz2R52VTfYZtAmeRpVx3aUX-a3gvc/s1600/AURORA_9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbo4JnWqAc7A7XyZnGyj53t3TDZF60Vivc_Gb_ntSw8Xniz29C_cS05lvzYH3CEDnk7YcunhGlcH_Qa0y_Ep1QSTM83iT3_QFlHkHsgKsxo0fh_CAz2R52VTfYZtAmeRpVx3aUX-a3gvc/s320/AURORA_9.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Finally, a quick note on the weather. Despite global warming, we had the coldest May on record here at the South Pole, with an average temperature of -62.6 C (-80.7 F). Luckily it was not a windy month, so my outdoor activities were not impacted. On May 27 the thermometer dipped for the first time below the -100 F limit, reaching a minimum of -103.4 F (-75.2 C), as seen in this screenshot from the weather page of our intranet. The photos on our weather page changes every 15 seconds and serve us a reminder of the world that awaits us back when our time here at the Pole will come to an end only five months from now.</div>Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-42269380921120241732011-04-14T13:28:00.000-07:002011-04-14T13:28:16.535-07:00The South Pole Kitchen<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One reason I would like to be a millionaire some day is so that I could afford a house with a large, professional kitchen, equipped with all kinds of appliances and utensils, all within easy reach. Until that day I may have to keep coming to the South Pole, where I have at my disposal a million-dollar kitchen every week-end that I feel like cooking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only is the kitchen available to us non-chefs when the cooks take their day off from Saturday evening until Monday morning, but we also have 48 other friends willing to taste our culinary specialties or experiments, and ... we also benefit from the precious advice of our friends the cooks and the chef. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So I have been testing my favorite recipes over the past several weeks, first in small batches, then in larger and larger batches, making fettuccine, gnocchi, breads, and apple tartts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcSKW1o8HrxuRPf2vD0oGxRQXGjjO3CjWZcjO-U2iGETCw6khwNUz45LtIkdNGNm-9ZE9bWDhi6S9ygo7nAkxiYCJAvxVXMMZq9VbDhzCXxrerxD5G-jGmaUzlMy_lB-MWJZ-DQMPzRBM/s1600/KITCHEN_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcSKW1o8HrxuRPf2vD0oGxRQXGjjO3CjWZcjO-U2iGETCw6khwNUz45LtIkdNGNm-9ZE9bWDhi6S9ygo7nAkxiYCJAvxVXMMZq9VbDhzCXxrerxD5G-jGmaUzlMy_lB-MWJZ-DQMPzRBM/s320/KITCHEN_1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">All the utensils, appliances, pots and pans are hanging from the ceiling or stowed under the wide stainless steel counters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The knives, the most important tool in a kitchen, are always sharp and put away in their wood block.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bulk ingredients, such as flour, rice, beans, are stored in easily accessible large bins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end of the kitchen are two walk-in refrigerators and one walk-in freezer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You wouldn’t think that we’d need a freezer here at the South Pole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact most of our frozen food is kept on an outside deck, currently at -60C (-76 F), but it is nice sometimes to have a warmer freezer that you do not have to wear extreme cold weather gear to get in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kitchen is also equipped with a state-of-the-art polyphonic stereo system that we can plug our computers, iPods, or MP3 players in. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUp5_Fn2oWzCnYUO3uk_6tYEbBtaPG_dGTbXqorYbScnL85MYzGjaCK9-aB0CpW2awXKbbnyg4fNf5NMMFFTfsqAPgichktxFUvYCVH_V6Gy6EljCHiu3vsDLeLFPJCQrBgG8zflLXJk/s1600/KITCHEN_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUp5_Fn2oWzCnYUO3uk_6tYEbBtaPG_dGTbXqorYbScnL85MYzGjaCK9-aB0CpW2awXKbbnyg4fNf5NMMFFTfsqAPgichktxFUvYCVH_V6Gy6EljCHiu3vsDLeLFPJCQrBgG8zflLXJk/s320/KITCHEN_2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We even have an Italian pasta machine, directly from Italy, just like the one I have at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here I am making some egg fettuccine on March 27.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although we have fresh eggs (6,000 of them, kept fresh throughout the winter by a thin layer of oil patiently applied by a score of volunteers at the beginning of the season), I used eggs from a carton, to save the fresh eggs for breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those eggs from the carton worked very well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also used a mixer, seen in the previous photo at the near end of the counter, instead of kneading the dough by hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a great help when dealing with 3 lbs of dough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I dried the pasta and kept it in the refrigerator for serving it the following Sunday, Apr 3.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkyJfgsankPEpuWVeK8nZdTLO1M4JdaksLCCVoQG8DrDng0Nh1hOWqs8LU2xa_UKOJhQsbfwGTHYfd7_9UsRMPWoRkk1wS3YlS-HZPN1qNZ26PWpHSpkngBB0jnZmCZVPFJGwumL6_vXk/s1600/KITCHEN_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkyJfgsankPEpuWVeK8nZdTLO1M4JdaksLCCVoQG8DrDng0Nh1hOWqs8LU2xa_UKOJhQsbfwGTHYfd7_9UsRMPWoRkk1wS3YlS-HZPN1qNZ26PWpHSpkngBB0jnZmCZVPFJGwumL6_vXk/s320/KITCHEN_3.jpg" width="244" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The day before, on March 26, I prepared green fettuccine by adding spinach to the dough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were also dried and refrigerated for serving the following week-end. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because the air here at the South Pole Station is so dry (relative humidity about 3%), there is no need for a drying rack like I use at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, I just lay the sheets of pasta on the kneading table for 20 minutes, and they are ready for cutting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once cut, the fettuccine dry completely within an hour or two without sticking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This makes things a lot easier.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixaFCRzqhy8YW9mWNtPN-qeJYG8ICPBIV7ZS0YCncEDjH43BP-9NCDLhqzxLqisHkbRl-zBLqqBptbKzRXxTZinVVExlnztlUM6npcbjUe0i8_vcNdDf6Xx7tlxPq5FND3soPnbwmMavk/s1600/KITCHEN_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="201" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixaFCRzqhy8YW9mWNtPN-qeJYG8ICPBIV7ZS0YCncEDjH43BP-9NCDLhqzxLqisHkbRl-zBLqqBptbKzRXxTZinVVExlnztlUM6npcbjUe0i8_vcNdDf6Xx7tlxPq5FND3soPnbwmMavk/s320/KITCHEN_4.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Last Sunday, April 10, I saw that nobody was using the kitchen, so I turned on some Italian opera sung by Pavarotti and jumped in to make some pasta again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here I am cooking a sauce made with diced tomatoes from a can, frozen brown mushrooms, fresh basil from our greenhouse, garlic and olive oil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mushrooms come straight from our outside deck at -60 C and take a long time to defrost, so I have learnt to start the sauce well ahead of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The range is electric, as we do not allow open flames in the station for reasons of fire safety.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLln4KvDWjUM9GQytfD6TGv_bf0F2dicIJzLTg6rhUS1c6zklU8k1C-3glvVvpZP3hSAcEK1Ypi_d5QeUZ8ymVPIMpQUOG7CGMh8kEW3_i4QABUafQ2LKlsyONtuq_WQRq73v8XtbHIs/s1600/KITCHEN_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="264" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLln4KvDWjUM9GQytfD6TGv_bf0F2dicIJzLTg6rhUS1c6zklU8k1C-3glvVvpZP3hSAcEK1Ypi_d5QeUZ8ymVPIMpQUOG7CGMh8kEW3_i4QABUafQ2LKlsyONtuq_WQRq73v8XtbHIs/s320/KITCHEN_5.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One of the most convenient features in the kitchen is an electric kettle for boiling the pasta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is fed water by a faucet right above it, seen on the far left in the photo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even 2 or 3 gallons of water will come to a boil in about 5 minutes, and when the pasta is ready to drain, all we have to do is to tilt the kettle directly into a strainer, whose effluent is directly piped to a sink in the floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How convenient!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only caveat is that cooking the pasta at our 10,500 ft (3,200 mt) of physiological altitude takes about three times longer than at sea level.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuubqBqYph8t3bnPbk0MKArmgZObHn3OxNHu0LSWuGQGp-gxgBCj-1MXdZ5IYjONjz0WpjM_MBx9xVEO1JUtXISvRjpJekZputfrqfYNIqvvHDWiU8cEWImgcfFq7zSrBx-4xOywki1CM/s1600/KITCHEN_8_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuubqBqYph8t3bnPbk0MKArmgZObHn3OxNHu0LSWuGQGp-gxgBCj-1MXdZ5IYjONjz0WpjM_MBx9xVEO1JUtXISvRjpJekZputfrqfYNIqvvHDWiU8cEWImgcfFq7zSrBx-4xOywki1CM/s320/KITCHEN_8_1.jpg" width="186" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is Joselyn ready to enjoy a bowl of pasta with freshly baked 100% whole wheat bread (I was told that it would be difficult to make bread at the South Pole because of the elevation, but I found that it is not true).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joselyn is one of my oldest acquaintances here at the South Pole, having met her for the first time at fire school in Denver back in September.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the summer she was our greenhouse caretaker; in winter she is our waste specialist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In real life she is a Park Ranger for the National Park Service, most recently at Big Bend National Park in Texas, where she leads Ranger walks and talks, and where she also did field study for her Master in Biology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She loves classical music.</span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZgLXq63-8aLw2sIfZ9A-_is78xyC9y7fn40FpG1Vn969a3v5Bxc0D1fafFv1GpAYqcv9DuOv5dJblm7mZ0L1u4haZ3ASik8pIU_2Orbpo4nRslrrFgnKR94_sT2H5FRYp4q2FXdmR45A/s1600/KITCHEN_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZgLXq63-8aLw2sIfZ9A-_is78xyC9y7fn40FpG1Vn969a3v5Bxc0D1fafFv1GpAYqcv9DuOv5dJblm7mZ0L1u4haZ3ASik8pIU_2Orbpo4nRslrrFgnKR94_sT2H5FRYp4q2FXdmR45A/s320/KITCHEN_10.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is Dale, serving Mexican food on March 26. I also met him for the first time for fire school in Denver back in September. He is one of our two meteorologists. He writes the South Pole weather forecast every morning for our internal website. His dream job, if he weren't a meteorologist, is to be a sous-chef. Well, here at the South Pole he can have both. This weekend he will be serving an Italian dinner to the entire station.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5Hc8F-Lclx7Z16VtXoRP7KZWBxNKxXu5fWeLYKvhxskDOjfZpFwI0eKITMtcqGz7Lyq4Kzf_OxCrVPQtKNqxwX982eyvF6V6H7iCA_tIbBzusddTKY7rJO_KBz6EvP4vP5xmyI-n8Js/s1600/KITCHEN_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="245" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5Hc8F-Lclx7Z16VtXoRP7KZWBxNKxXu5fWeLYKvhxskDOjfZpFwI0eKITMtcqGz7Lyq4Kzf_OxCrVPQtKNqxwX982eyvF6V6H7iCA_tIbBzusddTKY7rJO_KBz6EvP4vP5xmyI-n8Js/s320/KITCHEN_7.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Before I close this blog I wanted to give you an idea of what things look like outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This photo was taken 13 days after sunset, on Apr 5, right at the end of civil twilight, with the sun 6 degrees below the horizon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is still plenty of light to see the buildings and still some orange color in the sky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The building to the very far left is the station, seen a half mile away from the 10-mt telescope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzkPxERe3G6wtu3fLsuUogm-HJhMHL6sALTjdtkGZ1SXYV8Pp0DtZuxxt09cGMDIcj0o3_Wj7NP1gIVxw2f79S5qckoAOCFzV9d_VuWFPoScWdPOogGCVTGJeB6cI-ok12sonb1eaeRg/s1600/KITCHEN_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzkPxERe3G6wtu3fLsuUogm-HJhMHL6sALTjdtkGZ1SXYV8Pp0DtZuxxt09cGMDIcj0o3_Wj7NP1gIVxw2f79S5qckoAOCFzV9d_VuWFPoScWdPOogGCVTGJeB6cI-ok12sonb1eaeRg/s320/KITCHEN_8.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In this photo taken on Apr 12, there is still some orange color in the sky, and the features on the snow are still clearly visible, although it is getting darker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On this date we could see about 20 stars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On April 13, it was dark enough that I was able to see my first aurora, although in the twilight it appeared grey as opposed to green and red, as they will appear when it gets really dark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On April 15 the moon will rise and will circle around us continuously for two weeks before setting on April 29, so we expect the sky to brighten up again.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;"><u>Latest weather report and forecast as of April 15</u>: a storm coming from the Transantarctic mountains has been hitting us for the past 24 hours. It has been blowing a 20-knot wind, and the forecast is for it to continue at least 4 or 5 days, with wind gusts exceeding 30 knots. The temperature is -56C (-69 F), but could rise up to -45 C (-49 F). Visibility has been less than 100 ft, and massive snow drifts are forming all over. This storm may put an end to my South Pole running ambitions. We'll see what is left of my running paths after the storm abates. Meanwhile, I have been taking advantage of the time indoor to study to become a Ham Radio Operator.</div></div></div></div></div></div>Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-82052052875005104132011-04-02T02:44:00.000-07:002011-04-02T02:45:04.551-07:00Polar TwilightsWe often hear that at the pole there are six months of day and six months of night, but I can now attest that this is far from the truth. We have loooong twilights.<br />
Before we can really call it night we get to experience and enjoy civil twilight, then nautical twilight, and finally astronomical twilight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Civil twilight starts at sunset and ends when the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At medium latitudes it lasts about a half hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here at the pole it lasts 13 days, until April 5. During civil twilight there is still plenty of light to move around outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The brightest planets and stars will appear by the end of civil twilight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has now been 10 days since sunset, and I have still been able to enjoy running and skiing outside without any impairment, except for the wind. <br />
Nautical twilight is the period when the sun is 6 to 12 degrees below the horizon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end of nautical twilight the horizon is still visible, and most of the stars are visible, too. It is during this period that we turn on our cameras to observe and record the auroras. This period at the pole lasts 17 days, until April 22.<br />
The last one, astronomical twilight, is defined by the sun being between 12 and 18 degrees below the horizon. The horizon is no longer visible. It does not get any darker after the end of astronomical twilight, so that is when the night really starts. Astronomical twilight will last 20 days, until May 12. At that point there will only be 6 weeks left to the winter solstice, so the polar night should really only last about 3 months.<br />
I look forward to observing the slow evolution of lights, from twilight to the night sky, with the appearance of the stars and of the auroras. I look forward to the next moon rise, and to the lunar eclipse, which we will experience around mid-June. Meanwhile, I am enjoying civil twilight. On March 30 I took my camera with me on a 6.7-mile ski tour to document what the South Pole looks like at this very special time.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQHdSTUxKkMNqrx0L0IrBQcLPXVcpJfGPexyHSkIXtumVAXngnbHZiY_EGo3VjilVmMFz7ilZ_jENrGWg8fg_4n438A1ZgnmISmRSYN9-yuRr_ysGLBrZ7i0gyTYrUnAHplTwSjeC-9EA/s1600/TWILIGHT_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQHdSTUxKkMNqrx0L0IrBQcLPXVcpJfGPexyHSkIXtumVAXngnbHZiY_EGo3VjilVmMFz7ilZ_jENrGWg8fg_4n438A1ZgnmISmRSYN9-yuRr_ysGLBrZ7i0gyTYrUnAHplTwSjeC-9EA/s320/TWILIGHT_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">View towards the sun on March 30: 7 days after sunset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The sun is about 3 degrees below the horizon.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-X3sBFsOzA3SYJqEyQ4iC-f7q2xnh-W6iUqNpmKxe4WldR6K5HCFfOZTS4hw-fCJ8pcmmriRfixEv2MyhBgz9-oQ5nEWLoIX66Gt9Pq1-8Ius4fiJDCQazjJ7QUYGyx_F-IYE4PdH3Q/s1600/TWILIGHT_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-X3sBFsOzA3SYJqEyQ4iC-f7q2xnh-W6iUqNpmKxe4WldR6K5HCFfOZTS4hw-fCJ8pcmmriRfixEv2MyhBgz9-oQ5nEWLoIX66Gt9Pq1-8Ius4fiJDCQazjJ7QUYGyx_F-IYE4PdH3Q/s320/TWILIGHT_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">View of the station on March 30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is still plenty of light to see the buildings and the features on the snow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On this day the wind was very light, less than 5 knots, and the smoke out of our power plant created a slender and compact plume slowly drifting away.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0rtKNcIW-5t2ko8THgDj01LxxoXbMB8_GJQrwZqa4WDKMSBMOHFeYFlj-CpzDDIdMQGu8lczQHwgL2LAim_ELlM-gDz5BCqhhWLhQIkZo-ndUsWm-ctp9YBsWhnGlgPI7w0g-h91JhQ/s1600/TWILIGHT_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0rtKNcIW-5t2ko8THgDj01LxxoXbMB8_GJQrwZqa4WDKMSBMOHFeYFlj-CpzDDIdMQGu8lczQHwgL2LAim_ELlM-gDz5BCqhhWLhQIkZo-ndUsWm-ctp9YBsWhnGlgPI7w0g-h91JhQ/s320/TWILIGHT_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">This is a view of our beautiful 10-mt telescope against the sky opposite the sun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the sky was pinkish in the direction of the sun, it was of an intense blue in this direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Note the crust of ice on the sides of the building, produced by ice fog and wind in the preceding days.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPta60DR8SRA5rETTJESynbzuhKs-_awlBn-zrlYeeAA1FBcd54RHgL483jJuqqhQAdKUH2XVvgZur88ECggLiGquUQxFRwWxx-HodAXyaP25V6gUrUYS9nWjxgOGcmkII-dyTkFeK8Ug/s1600/TWILIGHT_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPta60DR8SRA5rETTJESynbzuhKs-_awlBn-zrlYeeAA1FBcd54RHgL483jJuqqhQAdKUH2XVvgZur88ECggLiGquUQxFRwWxx-HodAXyaP25V6gUrUYS9nWjxgOGcmkII-dyTkFeK8Ug/s320/TWILIGHT_4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">I skied all the way out to one of the three wind turbines that were installed last summer and are being tested to support remote science experiments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This one is located 1.5 miles away from the station, in the direction opposite to the skiway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The path to the wind turbine is well marked with flags.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzSRGLnTrVC6f8wlUiYY8uxKLlMgvZYF1mB-wR6I1Eyq7Xal72MJZ-dVmUm0jw8J87_f-A5D_DLORwpKbAj5lpe2n8BTIl0JcuWfAl1f1es_AZ6mNVkqAu3ObWQFmX-LmadRh_U4kbuoQ/s1600/TWILIGHT_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzSRGLnTrVC6f8wlUiYY8uxKLlMgvZYF1mB-wR6I1Eyq7Xal72MJZ-dVmUm0jw8J87_f-A5D_DLORwpKbAj5lpe2n8BTIl0JcuWfAl1f1es_AZ6mNVkqAu3ObWQFmX-LmadRh_U4kbuoQ/s320/TWILIGHT_5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">On the way back from the wind turbine I met my friend Robert, who was walking back to the station from the telescope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He took this photo of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With a wind of less than 5 knots (6 mph) the -63 C (-81 F) temperature felt very comfortable.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpIcZlVVBmB9uqzk4lrDwk6VyFPgwA5qcZ7WYcowN9X5RQu8SBL3pBA-Ga4u_4vvCfQ17Olucd2XClezQI1SeEv7ZtiQuk2kEDM4eliTr2DRijlpvYwmCkA3_JRuvIeQth6YUNIJjQ_0/s1600/TWILIGHT_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpIcZlVVBmB9uqzk4lrDwk6VyFPgwA5qcZ7WYcowN9X5RQu8SBL3pBA-Ga4u_4vvCfQ17Olucd2XClezQI1SeEv7ZtiQuk2kEDM4eliTr2DRijlpvYwmCkA3_JRuvIeQth6YUNIJjQ_0/s320/TWILIGHT_6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Loving it here at the South Pole!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCjRgA9Dw44HSaXpfpxPJQeIrNdPnPnPPc3a4oTDK31TeCJWnAV_wNLMZZS7Xr81h0f4txrOCJBzxbhrCimzAEW0BHwxAs4VqoCfhFD4NRLoljAITmZGdliPrL8Owj-ZHfdRoNmsDAZM/s1600/TWILIGHT_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCjRgA9Dw44HSaXpfpxPJQeIrNdPnPnPPc3a4oTDK31TeCJWnAV_wNLMZZS7Xr81h0f4txrOCJBzxbhrCimzAEW0BHwxAs4VqoCfhFD4NRLoljAITmZGdliPrL8Owj-ZHfdRoNmsDAZM/s320/TWILIGHT_7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Robert is an astronomer, or, I should rather say, a polar astronomer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has already spent 6 winters here at the South Pole operating a variety of different microwave telescopes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When not on the ice, he lives in the lovely town of Garmisch, in the Bavarian Alps (the site of one of the most famous downhill courses in the world cup ski circuit), or teaches nature classes on board cruise ships around the world. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is also teaching an 11-hour college-level astronomy class here at the South Pole, every Monday after dinner.</div>Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-12230788282364681262011-03-24T15:35:00.000-07:002011-03-24T15:35:16.474-07:00SunsetWe were so lucky this year to be able to see a long and beautiful sunset at the South Pole! The official sunset occurred at 2:54 PM on March 23 local time. If the earth did not have an atmosphere, sunset would have occurred about a day earlier, but because of the refraction of light when it hits the atmosphere, we enjoyed one extra day of sunlight, and we will get another extra day of sunlight at sunrise in about six months. In the days preceding the sunset a thick ice fog shrouded the area, visibility dropped to less than 1/4 mile, and our hopes of seeing the sunset appeared doomed, but then, miraculously, the fog dissolved and cleared the air for a view of a spectacular sunset, my first one since I left New Zealand on Oct 19, and likely my longest ever, lasting a good couple of days.<br />
We set up a 12" telescope in the galley and took turns at the eyepiece to try and see the very elusive green flash. The green flash is produced by the refraction of light against the atmosphere. Just like the color of the sun changes to red at sunset, in a phenomenon of reverse mirage, a green band of light can become visible at the top of the setting sun, when the atmospheric conditions are right. It occurs at all latitudes. Sailors on the ocean are the most likely to see one. It is called a flash because it lasts a fraction of a second at mid-latitudes. Here at the pole, with a sunset lasting days, under the right conditions, the flash lasts several seconds, and it comes and goes for hours at a time. The right conditions at the South Pole this year occurred in the evening of March 22, and then again in the morning on March 23. I was lucky to be in the galley for a late dinner around 9 PM on March 22, after spending the afternoon skiing, right at the time when the sun decided to display the green. I could not see it with my naked eye, but could clearly see it through the telescope.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhesee5NtutqHCtjDSQ0BwEfLDD_81Liy2kq_tFxALPwXv4DAH9GFRFsbxlJPVuEd4B5qDCk-vNmiSvHPARVHzIqUwlH6V1h3-RlE8qnSkWXJakTfJv907tOJ3G2h1G12NDT5Bx0Qz9dzs/s1600/SUNSET_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhesee5NtutqHCtjDSQ0BwEfLDD_81Liy2kq_tFxALPwXv4DAH9GFRFsbxlJPVuEd4B5qDCk-vNmiSvHPARVHzIqUwlH6V1h3-RlE8qnSkWXJakTfJv907tOJ3G2h1G12NDT5Bx0Qz9dzs/s320/SUNSET_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Christy was able to record the green flash with her camera in the morning of March 23.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-jfnp_WkmVR3EXIiUcvAjsUn2lASw9vrzL8IsYMeuqcoApEeZ25bbZaRrXe7Iw-62pWudC9bstvNspagJqyMBMs_4fFTHAuvb4OiuBbFf5HPU38bg3AVHKgouHYkutDnU7CXJEZSUf0Y/s1600/IMG_0962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-jfnp_WkmVR3EXIiUcvAjsUn2lASw9vrzL8IsYMeuqcoApEeZ25bbZaRrXe7Iw-62pWudC9bstvNspagJqyMBMs_4fFTHAuvb4OiuBbFf5HPU38bg3AVHKgouHYkutDnU7CXJEZSUf0Y/s320/IMG_0962.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In the days preceding the sunset, as the sun revolves lower and lower on the horizon, the shadows get longer and longer, and the plateau changes its appearance hour by hour. On March 17, it looked like an ocean, with just the top of the sastrugi lightening up like the crest of the waves on rough seas. As a reference, the tower in the picture is 100 ft (30 mt) tall.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0XiFWhaFmtwcf7SkcJLDRBbPGZ_F96nIHD88jI1VLCq36B58La88I19tWizsPHCP866OMifYPWT3Z0vwDSsoLfFrJMdFiO80ehLgplDD_RocXkulyWKQxKhLB4uA2Zg1qkBi2ju0LeI/s1600/SUNSET_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0XiFWhaFmtwcf7SkcJLDRBbPGZ_F96nIHD88jI1VLCq36B58La88I19tWizsPHCP866OMifYPWT3Z0vwDSsoLfFrJMdFiO80ehLgplDD_RocXkulyWKQxKhLB4uA2Zg1qkBi2ju0LeI/s320/SUNSET_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is the last photo of the sun before a dense ice fog came down and reduced the visibility to less than 1/4 mile threatening to deprive us of the only sunset we were entitled to in more than one year. I took this photo on March 19 at the end of the skiway, 2.5 miles from the station, where I went on skis.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUPj3wUro_0Sv8VFUkGWi5EzaZEk383euvnm5NaAJgBred_J6kc2GVZDTEGWkFm8YBg_4uY7-fMrfWgzu9zxRYqUS0VXy291lIgrLUly_0WPcHPAJpc3hUeUvI4vUJVZB-Msv1joF5AXI/s1600/SUNSET_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUPj3wUro_0Sv8VFUkGWi5EzaZEk383euvnm5NaAJgBred_J6kc2GVZDTEGWkFm8YBg_4uY7-fMrfWgzu9zxRYqUS0VXy291lIgrLUly_0WPcHPAJpc3hUeUvI4vUJVZB-Msv1joF5AXI/s320/SUNSET_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A steady wind during the following two days blew the ice fog against anything that would stand up against it on the plateau. This is what the station looked like when the fog started to disappear on March 22. It looks very wintry, even though, astronomically, this is still summer down here.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1M7H-w-QgCjQYf1PSWRO4NSvmc0qqnncbMjfqQ89RUNODLOEVgxxm48PNGEP_aGy-qF9x1aPpM_1zfgBi-pK7W0fcmCgwUrTY5lWtvVS7m3pZI89arjh8oI8q9jfvgT1OMhUxYGGNPaw/s1600/SUNSET_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1M7H-w-QgCjQYf1PSWRO4NSvmc0qqnncbMjfqQ89RUNODLOEVgxxm48PNGEP_aGy-qF9x1aPpM_1zfgBi-pK7W0fcmCgwUrTY5lWtvVS7m3pZI89arjh8oI8q9jfvgT1OMhUxYGGNPaw/s320/SUNSET_4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There has been a lot of activity in the station around sunset, as we are trying to catch the last few days of daylight and twilight to complete outdoor work, before darkness sets in and makes things much more difficult. Six of us have been going out to the wasteyard all week long to sort a large amount of construction materials left behind at the end of the summer. Everything needs to be sorted into what can be re-used, what is recyclable (and we have 22 categories of recycling materials) and what is not recyclable. In the end everything needs to be taken off the continent, in full respect of the Antarctic Treaty. We have been working two hours every day in -60 C (-76 F) temperatures before the cold has been forcing us back inside for hot drinks. We should be able to finish today. In this photo, taken on March 22, the sun appears as a shade of orange behind the dissolving fog.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJDrTRVjozMADjqgaWeZuPWgmgrahYSggWTnoJHptkT1FnHNnPqd3fEAjeHpxsABqb3stO5RK_foLa8KQ7Q1IuPzKFzPtpWylVBMcnXUaxixGE7wADn8bTuMwDlryBf6yjeww6geB_I3I/s1600/SUNSET_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJDrTRVjozMADjqgaWeZuPWgmgrahYSggWTnoJHptkT1FnHNnPqd3fEAjeHpxsABqb3stO5RK_foLa8KQ7Q1IuPzKFzPtpWylVBMcnXUaxixGE7wADn8bTuMwDlryBf6yjeww6geB_I3I/s320/SUNSET_5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As the sun reappeared out of the fog in the evening of March 22, I put on my skis,turned on my MP3 player, and to the tune of Bach's Brandenburg Concert I went back to the end of the skiway for a shot at the sun disappearing beneath the sastrugi. The orange circle in this photo is sunlight diffused by the remaining fog. The actual sun is the very brightest last sliver of light right up against the snow. I will not be able to listen to the Brandenburg concert again without thinking back to this fabulous ski trip.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHkfZKg0iShMTBNJQNnyTgHd-W98rGjzwxECxldVQOy0nu9S3D5uVbzdY7hfog7k8f0oGV1r75_9Hpze3KEc9urhdloqtPvz038P5l0kENC-hLHb_upGJHCR6E8qwwSThenKbY_dKYuK4/s1600/SUNSET_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHkfZKg0iShMTBNJQNnyTgHd-W98rGjzwxECxldVQOy0nu9S3D5uVbzdY7hfog7k8f0oGV1r75_9Hpze3KEc9urhdloqtPvz038P5l0kENC-hLHb_upGJHCR6E8qwwSThenKbY_dKYuK4/s320/SUNSET_6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On March 23, to the tune of Spyro Gyra, a CD that had accompanied me all the way to the AGO site when the sun was the brightest, I went on my last run of the summer to wave good-bye to the sun for the next six months, but at -61 C (-78 F), and with a windchill of -84 C (-120 F), it was a short one: only 2 miles. A little later, at 1 PM, and just two hours before the official sunset, I went on the roof of the station to take the last photo of the sunset. Here again, the actual sun is the thin line of bright light closest to the horizon. The cloud of smoke seen in this photo is from our nearby power plant.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7i51vEEK_uyJcpSwoLYwV0E0OfFnKf4PQM3kQotAW8KYz7vBumGH8oJbHivrz1n-eQlseHxVDBBhTexRx8yTHeTB4O7LOZyNzu_4_brb9I6PzexoCGUSBntWCPOOzo1RObqKltUS1Wwc/s1600/SUNSET_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7i51vEEK_uyJcpSwoLYwV0E0OfFnKf4PQM3kQotAW8KYz7vBumGH8oJbHivrz1n-eQlseHxVDBBhTexRx8yTHeTB4O7LOZyNzu_4_brb9I6PzexoCGUSBntWCPOOzo1RObqKltUS1Wwc/s320/SUNSET_8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As tradition obliges, we celebrated the sunset with a sumptuous dinner on March 19, the Saturday before sunset. The menu included Crostini and Baked Shrimp Wrapped in Bacon and Cream Cheese as appetizers, Duck Breast with Mixed Green, Lobster Tail and Beef Tenderloin with a Jack Daniels Demi-Glaze as the entree, three different desserts, and Australian wines. We set up a long table for the 49 of us, we played some old Billie Holiday songs, and watched the fireplace on large LCD screens while the sun shone its last rays into the room (photo courtesy of Susan).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAqkAu5lT8kjKGzSJ1V-7TCcMyrmBQpKznoZIhAVmYjIbsK6Q5rxsI8ZHogeQmecF6OZmQY12Jiu0WW7l0_W-PkBcpNY9ErTLtQLPPUlhGn_IJLuKtVG7wg4PTy6GynRUSKb3edZUTmm4/s1600/SUNSET_9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAqkAu5lT8kjKGzSJ1V-7TCcMyrmBQpKznoZIhAVmYjIbsK6Q5rxsI8ZHogeQmecF6OZmQY12Jiu0WW7l0_W-PkBcpNY9ErTLtQLPPUlhGn_IJLuKtVG7wg4PTy6GynRUSKb3edZUTmm4/s320/SUNSET_9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My contribution to the sunset dinner was the ironing of all the table cloths. Susan took this photo as I was hard at work in the laundry room.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6aN-d_9Spwaoxs1Wwwr_QDiUR1_Xrzyzk9JmhOgpA5c_PWeH2BZaS0sVH50FXsYP_k3XTe7nNtL2TsdShksfvtwU9IDn5byhpgBdyPrRlxsHXAxVwrV0-dIryVBR6I5gFOBBI2jVeLA/s1600/SUNSET_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6aN-d_9Spwaoxs1Wwwr_QDiUR1_Xrzyzk9JmhOgpA5c_PWeH2BZaS0sVH50FXsYP_k3XTe7nNtL2TsdShksfvtwU9IDn5byhpgBdyPrRlxsHXAxVwrV0-dIryVBR6I5gFOBBI2jVeLA/s320/SUNSET_7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Now that the sun is down, the science work will take on a new pace. We have to shut down the solar observations and, in a couple of weeks, at the end of the period of civil twilight, which will occur when the sun reaches 6 degrees below the horizon, we will start turning on the instruments that look at the night sky. For me this includes two all-sky cameras that record auroras and two high resolution interferometers that measure wind speeds in the mesosphere (that is 100 km above the earth) by Doppler shift of oxygen molecule emissions. The pyranometer in this photo on the roof of the Atmospheric Research Observatory has been measuring the bightness of the sky all summer long. The arm on the right of the instrument roates to shadow the sun and remove its contribution from the measurement. Seen in this picture is also the full moon, which occurred at the same time as the sun was setting. Yesterday, March 24, we saw Venus for the first time, and we expect the sky to start turning on its stars one at a time over the next few weeks. The moon and the stars will be the only lights to guide us for the next six months, as we will continue to venture outside for work and for recreation.</div>Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-10484699615654446892011-03-16T16:16:00.000-07:002011-03-16T16:16:57.361-07:00Extreme Cold Weather RunningThe South Pole is one of the most special places where I have had the pleasure to run and, much to my surprise, extreme cold temperature are easily overcome with not-so-extreme gear.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43QxP5X31vL7D6JvrXPzZ8krs7zgZ0BznS4GGPoxAhC5cPX16cVgve2dDoyW7xFj9ddikxtcSGw1l02D9BGh3ReqEvF-zWoRWyrPJNS_B6KQGcFh19SVRT0rfodTST89wGeGfUNs5oY8/s1600/ECWR_00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43QxP5X31vL7D6JvrXPzZ8krs7zgZ0BznS4GGPoxAhC5cPX16cVgve2dDoyW7xFj9ddikxtcSGw1l02D9BGh3ReqEvF-zWoRWyrPJNS_B6KQGcFh19SVRT0rfodTST89wGeGfUNs5oY8/s320/ECWR_00.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">My friend Nick was outside for work on March 2nd, when he saw me running in the distance. He was quick with his camera to take a photo of my silhouette against the setting sun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The temperature was -52 C (-62F), the wind about 10 mph, and the sun 8 degrees above the horizon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>When I first arrived at the South Pole on November 2nd, with temperatures around -44 C (-48 F), it felt very cold and inhospitable. Within a few days a fierce storm broke wind speed records for the month of November at close to 50 mph. I thought that I had made a big mistake committing to spending one whole year here at the South Pole, imagining that I would never be able to go out and exercise. The reality has been quite different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have never run as much since my years in college. In the last month I have averaged 32 miles/wk, going out an average of 6 days a week, not to mention the marathon that a bunch of us ran in January. A couple of days ago, on March 14, the temperature dropped down to -64.6 C (-84.3 F), and I still enjoyed a nice 5-mile run on the skiway in light winds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All it takes is a little bit of warm gear, or maybe a lot of it, depending on how you look at it: 12 lbs (5.4 kg), as I weighed mine. Here is what I wear:<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiexl-quR5znkqDUjhyphenhyphenjKUyEGF74zQhgsxK8QRWCjJOeaun4yzTv1BUIWYXNpO_xcgIMK8Al-YOP1SCVVNFlfQ0SIbaUyaI6fhpexvkW1_fLfE4lQSL4-g83xJ3DQDmt91b12D4rvwbbas/s1600/ECWR_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiexl-quR5znkqDUjhyphenhyphenjKUyEGF74zQhgsxK8QRWCjJOeaun4yzTv1BUIWYXNpO_xcgIMK8Al-YOP1SCVVNFlfQ0SIbaUyaI6fhpexvkW1_fLfE4lQSL4-g83xJ3DQDmt91b12D4rvwbbas/s320/ECWR_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">I start with a basic layer of cotton socks, spandex legwear, a long sleeve shirt, and a cotton shirt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is what I would wear in the coldest mornings at home, in California, when temperatures approach the freezing point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Running shorts are probably not necessary here, but I like them because they have a small internal pocket to hold my MP3 player.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is important to choose the music before starting the run, because taking off the gloves to tweak the volume or change the songs during the run would cause the hands to become dangerously cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have tried it at -45 C (-49 F), and I do not recommend it, both for the fingers and for the MP3 player itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I run the wires inside my cotton shirt because, if exposed to cold temperature, they become as rigid as steel.</div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqbALfbA1Yu4A-Zj45Qp6_q3zflbpmdTr3C8Z4cABWjGCWwqXXiJB0vEjljtYXP7hMGihVFrMlbOfP1zZAXK3kuEMa6YRFYB5NsRIMxmq35fnZPlLcKaitHRHBCO9ZL9wbLLErb8mrdbI/s1600/ECWR_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqbALfbA1Yu4A-Zj45Qp6_q3zflbpmdTr3C8Z4cABWjGCWwqXXiJB0vEjljtYXP7hMGihVFrMlbOfP1zZAXK3kuEMa6YRFYB5NsRIMxmq35fnZPlLcKaitHRHBCO9ZL9wbLLErb8mrdbI/s320/ECWR_03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">The next layer of clothing is a pair of heavy wool socks and a 100% Polyester thermal top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I only started using the thermal top at temperatures below -55 C (-67 F).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8vjamM5Qh6SV1OwOxFY5kx_0GdpxAkxMCdoD6mE63URXDkWB2ML9TKZhMdlA0R90lTvSJKEfNfJc2Ll2B8mJyc0n1wwWUjrKa7ctHz547ab2ZrOBigM4DSF-sS0bXTFOzkCbmtpKDXA/s1600/ECWR_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8vjamM5Qh6SV1OwOxFY5kx_0GdpxAkxMCdoD6mE63URXDkWB2ML9TKZhMdlA0R90lTvSJKEfNfJc2Ll2B8mJyc0n1wwWUjrKa7ctHz547ab2ZrOBigM4DSF-sS0bXTFOzkCbmtpKDXA/s320/ECWR_04.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Then I wear a 100% polypropylene thermal bottom. I started using this layer below -50C (-58 F).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09OX0TkgIr1f-GIh7KIoMnk3scn7XogxboFPyP56G5tttkD1zu4ixvFy5H4Bih5SfMX62uKZOp6bRjgr_7haytli_3k_rHgldQwSgX84nIRObGM_jiyg9Yfe2Lc6yyw96s57xthJu8DE/s1600/ECWR_05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09OX0TkgIr1f-GIh7KIoMnk3scn7XogxboFPyP56G5tttkD1zu4ixvFy5H4Bih5SfMX62uKZOp6bRjgr_7haytli_3k_rHgldQwSgX84nIRObGM_jiyg9Yfe2Lc6yyw96s57xthJu8DE/s320/ECWR_05.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Next is a 300-weight fleece bottom, this one made by The North Face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have owned these pants for more than 10 years and they have kept me warm in so many different circumstances that would be too long to list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never thought they would prove useful all the way down to the South Pole.</div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHF4dZouNDYwn4HQOfPYT1ArgyMC1wh0tYx7j6vTfsQ-lHflj6B7d6vR0-TfuJe11FjtZcILSDLU40Cti2T0LHRDvJ8zjtAiEznivqeBBMy2Hxh7t3jSxxoN_NzXncKP2i6LWpWe8I5w/s1600/ECWR_06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHF4dZouNDYwn4HQOfPYT1ArgyMC1wh0tYx7j6vTfsQ-lHflj6B7d6vR0-TfuJe11FjtZcILSDLU40Cti2T0LHRDvJ8zjtAiEznivqeBBMy2Hxh7t3jSxxoN_NzXncKP2i6LWpWe8I5w/s320/ECWR_06.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Next the UHF radio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a very important piece of safety equipment, as it would allow me to call for help if for any reason I ran into some difficulty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before I leave I make sure that the battery has been freshly charged, that the radio is set on the proper channel, so that I can make an emergency call by pressing a single button, and that the radio is somewhat close to the body so that it does not get too cold and inoperable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the summer, when temperatures were above -40C (-40 F), I would hold the radio in my hands, but as temperatures got colder, holding the radio would make my hands cold even through two pairs of gloves, so our radio Engineer, Mike, gave me a shoulder strap, which works very well.</div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">For shoes I use an old pair of Adidas Boston.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would not use them on asphalt any longer, as they have probably lost most of their cushioning, but here at the South Pole, the cushioning is provided by the soft ice and snow on the ground more than by the engineered layers of materials in the shoes -running at the South Pole is a little bit like running on partially wet sand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In any case, the soles of the shoes become very rigid in cold temperatures, particularly below -50 C (-58 F), which defeats the purpose of any cushioning built into the shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I bought a new pair of running shoes (Adidas Glide) through Zappos -which delivered free of charge all the way to the South Pole before station closing- but I would not want to use them in such cold temperatures for fear of causing long term damage to the rubber in the soles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In any case, my old Adidas Boston have done great so far down to -64.6 C.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPHc3_VmhCadUYstzHaSscOIZBIt3PTy_1RJs5xJgLrvwYYlH0kXDxDFkV1qyd6WoYv34KJ25K6eUw4bRZ1GtOkuMRVuSY1BdyBQjK-I6MwbXYKhZzi5fJQ0r42xmlkzVSBe6HHPXM3Y/s1600/ECWR_07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPHc3_VmhCadUYstzHaSscOIZBIt3PTy_1RJs5xJgLrvwYYlH0kXDxDFkV1qyd6WoYv34KJ25K6eUw4bRZ1GtOkuMRVuSY1BdyBQjK-I6MwbXYKhZzi5fJQ0r42xmlkzVSBe6HHPXM3Y/s320/ECWR_07.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Next is the balaclava, a piece of equipment that covers the entire head, leaving just an opening for the eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Breathing is through a mesh woven in correspondence of where the mouth is, and there is a small opening to breathe through the nose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The one I use is made by Outdoor Research.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxR33ppJz_HqhHKZ7LSAM64soJ0OzAMHxP6fRs5HRUpqnpW-9LblbAcvPH9c7DucbUK7NdjIqU4XtjrUUu10CHxcrra1PR2Nn1P1q2_5mWVSpp56M-hqds7b75UGPaEsubKYpVWKTEW-c/s1600/ECWR_08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxR33ppJz_HqhHKZ7LSAM64soJ0OzAMHxP6fRs5HRUpqnpW-9LblbAcvPH9c7DucbUK7NdjIqU4XtjrUUu10CHxcrra1PR2Nn1P1q2_5mWVSpp56M-hqds7b75UGPaEsubKYpVWKTEW-c/s320/ECWR_08.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">The balaclava leaves dangerously exposed a spot on the temple, close to the eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found that out when one day, with temperatures around -48 C (-54 F) I caught some wind on the way back to the station and it caused a little windburn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I secure it by tying a double knot under my chin, so that it stays nice and tight.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXDyRI53mc8cvrFNU-Q0Y16ytD0YqU7WEs5qDn3QavP7YG4l0d71JhbDr0sDvSNVYIGO_LNeAYeldMJ-52nOAO7RgnaCNiAdmRJ4QGR9vOR6g6X9K3h8xP1bF9o_L-9uCEMWRG2Gill0/s1600/ECWR_08_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXDyRI53mc8cvrFNU-Q0Y16ytD0YqU7WEs5qDn3QavP7YG4l0d71JhbDr0sDvSNVYIGO_LNeAYeldMJ-52nOAO7RgnaCNiAdmRJ4QGR9vOR6g6X9K3h8xP1bF9o_L-9uCEMWRG2Gill0/s320/ECWR_08_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Next I wear a fleece top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is part of the gear that we are issued for the South Pole, and is equivalent to any good quality 300-weight fleece on the market.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3TkDi64JjOyDSiVM_osQmex_Fol6RT2bGYYYW_3fdwCVEL-vlRrtvkEjVJVxgMjLcIv0KD_ezdcOE-2Ohb5fhi3zQT23G1pOrQ_Se2azX8a8QkXZKmyblS9SOm-rrv3jtfw73AoiAKeM/s1600/ECWR_09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3TkDi64JjOyDSiVM_osQmex_Fol6RT2bGYYYW_3fdwCVEL-vlRrtvkEjVJVxgMjLcIv0KD_ezdcOE-2Ohb5fhi3zQT23G1pOrQ_Se2azX8a8QkXZKmyblS9SOm-rrv3jtfw73AoiAKeM/s320/ECWR_09.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">The last piece of head protection is the neck gaiter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I only use it when temperatures fall below -40 C (-40 F), mostly as an emergency piece of clothing, in case the wind picked up unexpectedly, and found its way into my nose or mouth through the mesh in the balaclava.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have not had to lift the neck gaiter over my face so far, but I like to know that I have at least a little bit of extra gear along with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another technique that I found very effective against headwind, which was taught to me by my friend Healy, who was here in the summer, is to run backwards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is because the face is typically more exposed than the back of the head so sometimes, if it gets a little windy, I alternate running forward and backwards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is fun, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, this works well here at the South Pole where the terrain is flat with absolutely no obstacles in any directions for miles and miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At home I would not want to do this, unless I were maybe on a track.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEWLlEHOwO72fAKSKBmtDieiGc2mUO5aRKHEH7DTKx92Kaapr81LpGRoCunb6UVzOASpt2trtmeB_8Zu_9cVyCDlzrCmyRkAULNFD1OpS_uaTj1YZy8LZ5A5YgcRYZFOy80fQkAh5bdY/s1600/ECWR_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEWLlEHOwO72fAKSKBmtDieiGc2mUO5aRKHEH7DTKx92Kaapr81LpGRoCunb6UVzOASpt2trtmeB_8Zu_9cVyCDlzrCmyRkAULNFD1OpS_uaTj1YZy8LZ5A5YgcRYZFOy80fQkAh5bdY/s320/ECWR_10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">All is left to wear is gloves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first layer is a pair of wool glove liners, just like the ones we would wear in cold weather at home.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizX3DNK33z_pgSI_7ey7wbAUufjDlGqeO3Ehy1B8Gy8j8YFEQ0f45GgaZdB0w4fsYGusPiRAlh8qLPgqGN2V9FdzqEr57tA96o88zWTtERA9htGjDdJyAdDYhwjLdqEY9n4gDiBeXj-oQ/s1600/ECWR_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizX3DNK33z_pgSI_7ey7wbAUufjDlGqeO3Ehy1B8Gy8j8YFEQ0f45GgaZdB0w4fsYGusPiRAlh8qLPgqGN2V9FdzqEr57tA96o88zWTtERA9htGjDdJyAdDYhwjLdqEY9n4gDiBeXj-oQ/s320/ECWR_11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">The second layer is a pair of leather mittens lined with insulation inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These work very well for temperatures down to -45 C (-49 F) and for exposures up to a couple of hours.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjDnYZq3bcfuo3vByaVMpTP_RvvFgJuZu-jkMjoSSqEKVLTYeiq_WY5jYmV8Emt6PeccF2JwaQTT3HI34EODtljDloQjCFqpvA46VFtG5tquUWPFoiZDBvlpfFPdEkJSYWerekxfnXMZ8/s1600/ECWR_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjDnYZq3bcfuo3vByaVMpTP_RvvFgJuZu-jkMjoSSqEKVLTYeiq_WY5jYmV8Emt6PeccF2JwaQTT3HI34EODtljDloQjCFqpvA46VFtG5tquUWPFoiZDBvlpfFPdEkJSYWerekxfnXMZ8/s320/ECWR_12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Below -45 C (-49 F), I use gauntlets on top of the mittens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They consist of two pairs of gloves one inside the other: an inner layer of synthetic insulation, and an outer layer of leather, further covered with synthetic fur on the outside of the hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The gauntlets also protect the arm almost to the elbow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is difficult to use the hands for any type of work with all these gloves on but, just for running, this combination is excellent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before putting on the gauntlets I lower my Smith goggles onto my eyes, making sure I seal any possible gaps that could leave an entryway for the wind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The objective here is to have enough layers to provide an air pocket around the body, and to make sure that no skin is exposed.</div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_DdcL9VOoW-_gYRyvQc7PTbrMkHdTCdpu-IXbZayKlaZHfY7gZceJucvuVkcFDAMXGOMhj2yS-pMtlv2Xq6ChE9YoWWmEZvri5F7MdD15dRyIooyBuTUhAGebmGDERk57H0S-oiEJ4XU/s1600/ECWR_13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_DdcL9VOoW-_gYRyvQc7PTbrMkHdTCdpu-IXbZayKlaZHfY7gZceJucvuVkcFDAMXGOMhj2yS-pMtlv2Xq6ChE9YoWWmEZvri5F7MdD15dRyIooyBuTUhAGebmGDERk57H0S-oiEJ4XU/s320/ECWR_13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wonderful South Pole! The last layer of insulation is provided by nature itself! While the ice mask that forms after running for 1 hr outside may look a little macabre, it actually conceals warmth inside. The ice is the result of breathing, which condenses and freezes immediately upon contact with the air. In turn, the layer of ice provides excellent thermal insulation and extra protection against the wind. It is remarkable how warm one can be inside, after the ice has formed, which only takes a few minutes. As I said in a previous blog, it is a little bit like being inside an igloo. This photo was taken on March 17, only 5 days before sunset, with a temperature of -52 C (-62 F) and an average wind of 12 mph. High clouds in the sky made the sun invisible, so I lifted the goggles over my forehead about halfway through my run. On the left on this picture in the far background is the South Pole Telescope.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Now, you may think that all this gear would make running cumbersome, but I found instead that it still allows plenty of freedom for movement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What limits my speed is not the amount of clothing that I wear, but the soft surface of the snow and ice on which I run on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While at home I typically run an 8-minute/mile pace, here I run more of a 10~11 minute/mile pace, regardless of how cold it is and how many layers of insulation I wear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, I should make a point that here at the South Pole we live at an average barometric pressure of 681 mbar, which is equivalent to a physiological altitude of 10,591 ft (3,228 mt).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is one third less air than at sea level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, with less air and humidity to conduct the heat away from the body, temperatures here at the South Pole may not feel as cold as they would at sea level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is one of the few rational explanations that I can give on how it is possible to have fun and feel comfortable running at these extreme temperatures.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It actually does not get much colder than this here at the South Pole. Although the coldest temperature ever recorded here is -82.8 C (-117.0 F) on June 23, 1982, the average temperature in July, which is the coldest month is -59.8 C (-75.6 F), which is warmer than the coldest temperature that I have run in. Nevertheless, I am afraid that my happy days of outdoor running at the South Pole are counted for two reasons: first, it is soon going to be dark for six months; and second, snowdrift is starting to accumulate on the skiway, making it more and more difficult to find firm ground to run on. I hope I can still run a few more days until sunset. We'll see.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-76707819306025899422011-03-09T13:37:00.000-08:002011-03-09T13:37:28.859-08:00The South Pole Greenhouse<div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Last night I enjoyed a delicious and abundant plate of fresh mixed greens, dressed in olive oil, and accompanied with freshly baked bread - one of my favorite dishes. All summer long we have had loads of fresh fruits and vegetables brought to us on a regular schedule by airplanes, but since station closing three weeks ago, with no more flights coming our way for the next eight months, we are eating produce from our own hydroponic greenhouse: a marvel of technology that allows us to grow fresh vegetables in a location where there is no soil, no sunlight for 6 months, and where the temperature never rises above freezing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2pcHGwyxGZi23wK2MtRB6Cshv6TPAFhDhjowl8j_iwBgJoBW-057oeCRX0ORKp1wtRlHEtCOEEmkW8pqJmihyphenhyphenD9RLfWjaBeWtwIEq0u3ejZaFa3IvYzM7jLWmr8Tg4X-s7zmgnCxCfw/s1600/Greenhouse_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2pcHGwyxGZi23wK2MtRB6Cshv6TPAFhDhjowl8j_iwBgJoBW-057oeCRX0ORKp1wtRlHEtCOEEmkW8pqJmihyphenhyphenD9RLfWjaBeWtwIEq0u3ejZaFa3IvYzM7jLWmr8Tg4X-s7zmgnCxCfw/s320/Greenhouse_0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My dinner salad on March 9 at the South Pole!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span id="goog_474494398"></span><span id="goog_474494399"></span><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The Antarctic Treaty prohibits us from bringing soil to the Continent, so the National Science Foundation turned its attention to the University of Arizona: the same institution that is developing greenhouses for a possible human settlement on the moon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With no settlement on the moon, yet, the South Pole greenhouse is probably the most extreme environment where plants have been grown. </div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The hydroponic chamber is a closed and controlled environment where all the inputs (water, minerals, carbon dioxide, and light) are precisely administered to the plants; all the critical parameters (temperature, humidity, PH) are controlled, and all the outputs (liquid and gaseous efflluents, and weight and type of the produce) are accurately measured. Seeds are planted in a sponge-like material, germinated, pollinated, and transferred into larger trays where they can grow to their normal size.</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The rate at which the plants grow is phenomenal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Intuitively I would have thought it difficult for plants to grow outside of their natural environment, but, as Lane, the researcher from the University of Arizona who visited us in the summer, explained to me, it is just the opposite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the greenhouse we can give the plants exactly what they want: the right amount of light, the right temperature, the right amount of nutrients, the right air composition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, we could make plants grow even better if we only could optimize the parameters for a single crop, but because we have a great variety of vegetables that we grow, we have to make compromises.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, strawberries like 15 hrs of sunlight every day, but that would not be good for other plants, so our strawberries do not grow as fast and as large as they could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another reason why plants grow so well here is because there are no bugs, no birds, or other extraneous living organisms trying to go at them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, we do not use any pesticides, which makes all of our vegetables organic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do have to be careful about mold, which has developed occasionally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So a big part of the job of the greenhouse caretaker is to thoroughly clean the trays with bleach before planting a new crop, and constantly inspecting the roots of the plants<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">. </span>If there is mold, the plant must be removed, the mold must be observed under a microscope for identification, the information is shared with the experts at the University of Arizona, and an appropriate course of action is taken.</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Although we are nowhere close to space, the cost of producing these vegetables is astronomical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have estimates, which include the cost of melting ice to produce water, the cost of transporting fuel by airplane to produce electricity, the cost of transporting all the nutrients, including the cylinders of carbon dioxide, etc., and I do not even want to venture publishing that figure in a public blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just try to savor and appreciate my delicious fresh greens every day knowing how much study, research, and care has gone into bringing them to the table, and knowing that through all this work we are advancing science.</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0tmIO6I_1wqZjQ3XQno1oPaBNcpSDEdnBvGyTUyTI2OS72VNRJgrgrYIot2pk7fDYrHARO41MWXXmObZR36LnaxQX8mi-fPt7m6OxmmZISBIte2M3-p4JTJrx1h9nSP5laPOeRv8_BF0/s1600/Greenhouse_0_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0tmIO6I_1wqZjQ3XQno1oPaBNcpSDEdnBvGyTUyTI2OS72VNRJgrgrYIot2pk7fDYrHARO41MWXXmObZR36LnaxQX8mi-fPt7m6OxmmZISBIte2M3-p4JTJrx1h9nSP5laPOeRv8_BF0/s320/Greenhouse_0_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">It doesn't take a Ph. D. to run the South Pole Greenhouse, but it doesn’t hurt. Susan, our greenhouse caretaker, holds one in Chemistry and has spent most of her life as an Analytical Chemist before coming to spend the winter with us at the South Pole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides her job in Colorado, she left her lovely dog George.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Antarctic Treaty prohibited George from following her this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Susan’s dream job is to run an analytical chemistry lab on board a sailing ship on an around-the-world sampling cruise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRT4tRp2mVnDxs-KghDatH_Kn7-CRJ873nIyz-ISH3QPpCgOSpCEmlKWMv5N3SaBSbzUUiWwR-DBYcgnKWr5cWyGpAJiCOJ2iA-piZOq9OrM3Im0z8DzRXsK0VKRXDqfmj6JZwqRfliGc/s1600/Greenhouse_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRT4tRp2mVnDxs-KghDatH_Kn7-CRJ873nIyz-ISH3QPpCgOSpCEmlKWMv5N3SaBSbzUUiWwR-DBYcgnKWr5cWyGpAJiCOJ2iA-piZOq9OrM3Im0z8DzRXsK0VKRXDqfmj6JZwqRfliGc/s320/Greenhouse_1.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Plants grow in plastic trays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The root system develops in a sponge, which is fed with water and nutrients through a complex computer-controlled hydraulic system of pumps, mixers, tubes, valves, and measurement sensors, hidden under the plastic trays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trays are built on rails and can be moved in and out to expose different plants to different amounts of light.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-Ok9Vrl5bd5WGRsqs3K1qIa157c_3kgdPJIzi8fzZYMc0YMnbefEFK8Mp2AdvvnNRD0AU8y4H1Ublhuqf02SAMZ8t3zRQqshvI1L7VgN4GhL01nX4n62SlzGaHxd-ZbUNigLLTyRWQs/s1600/Greenhouse_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-Ok9Vrl5bd5WGRsqs3K1qIa157c_3kgdPJIzi8fzZYMc0YMnbefEFK8Mp2AdvvnNRD0AU8y4H1Ublhuqf02SAMZ8t3zRQqshvI1L7VgN4GhL01nX4n62SlzGaHxd-ZbUNigLLTyRWQs/s320/Greenhouse_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Green lettuce is my favorite vegetable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We harvest the larger leaves and let the plant continue to grow until the following harvest.</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagULmn476YCKZabK0CUQ7TN0J2igcorEM97AfD8dYSmr7JrLmqIenZkr5C0ZiIu4ca12vfPa7jMb8ONs-5sObK2m5f0Ir3u0LWvxseCZyzJJjvUR8gINd1A6YjXtDoOIwCxGqqyXN338/s1600/Greenhouse_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagULmn476YCKZabK0CUQ7TN0J2igcorEM97AfD8dYSmr7JrLmqIenZkr5C0ZiIu4ca12vfPa7jMb8ONs-5sObK2m5f0Ir3u0LWvxseCZyzJJjvUR8gINd1A6YjXtDoOIwCxGqqyXN338/s320/Greenhouse_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We also grow excellent red leaf lettuce.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_Ww7LteWIs4pEz285rRUaC27QhtQIekpLU_OLUZTxhYNgDR2p4lrsWWVFbZlq40yXoJbvsTQxU2dj3frntVisRbr1LrCOvqBi0DjQiRi6dKB-pqsWHufA232aEeT5uRYb6ifbXDyMbs/s1600/Greenhouse_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_Ww7LteWIs4pEz285rRUaC27QhtQIekpLU_OLUZTxhYNgDR2p4lrsWWVFbZlq40yXoJbvsTQxU2dj3frntVisRbr1LrCOvqBi0DjQiRi6dKB-pqsWHufA232aEeT5uRYb6ifbXDyMbs/s320/Greenhouse_4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Our basil does very well …</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ojSVTvHGEtwimP5e3LQNmE68-rmIcRxUAufu-8oDE1rW4du1RuFrJmTLSDNb62m-XoP38AUa9yCTutix8jbULhro8B8rYGMh7g3UAcEX56IwL-KLeehVhL1CvOUL1i3LvsBryjgSRns/s1600/Greenhouse_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ojSVTvHGEtwimP5e3LQNmE68-rmIcRxUAufu-8oDE1rW4du1RuFrJmTLSDNb62m-XoP38AUa9yCTutix8jbULhro8B8rYGMh7g3UAcEX56IwL-KLeehVhL1CvOUL1i3LvsBryjgSRns/s320/Greenhouse_5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">… as do our tomatoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too bad we have not yet figured out how to make fresh mozzarella, because I do miss Caprese salad every now and then.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqaSLEf9N3kX4jCWw0ODKE1mGhxTR699rF9612WTCW7pwDRoQhofVS1FflJj__pCQONVcg1-DvayxaoWvHkVhvaSIUtELf2_B_Fi6nNxDwvkA_QCq7vKpWWPwrKqXH6cFHBzcAKtjZco/s1600/Greenhouse_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqaSLEf9N3kX4jCWw0ODKE1mGhxTR699rF9612WTCW7pwDRoQhofVS1FflJj__pCQONVcg1-DvayxaoWvHkVhvaSIUtELf2_B_Fi6nNxDwvkA_QCq7vKpWWPwrKqXH6cFHBzcAKtjZco/s320/Greenhouse_6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This is Bok Choi, a green that I did not know about until I came here at the South Pole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is of Asian origin, and grows very well in our greenhouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also very good.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOGOgEq05G5XEmXkIUDj622daRK02do7Zss8MdmZyKbcaDsnDPNYlhYnFoCqz6ZG4tUkZeUbAEUaa18x4G5_Z24jz4CT9iys9EeG_3vhuknrRUa28k5VS7YEasM4ES1YTH2ZXfVW2LTY/s1600/Greenhouse_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOGOgEq05G5XEmXkIUDj622daRK02do7Zss8MdmZyKbcaDsnDPNYlhYnFoCqz6ZG4tUkZeUbAEUaa18x4G5_Z24jz4CT9iys9EeG_3vhuknrRUa28k5VS7YEasM4ES1YTH2ZXfVW2LTY/s320/Greenhouse_7.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Beets and Swiss chard.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLPd7bq1ewyGJLZvJ1hYmWQpIB2kU6BeW2yO9Hmb4AQMG-DRsP9R1IaIckVRaNU7zvnLVpGThyYNRulEAf10NwcSnR-6qmhyphenhyphen2K89GfJda-JpEFTl1x7CQnTG5eARppGhv1nr0KkQT_j20/s1600/Greenhouse_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLPd7bq1ewyGJLZvJ1hYmWQpIB2kU6BeW2yO9Hmb4AQMG-DRsP9R1IaIckVRaNU7zvnLVpGThyYNRulEAf10NwcSnR-6qmhyphenhyphen2K89GfJda-JpEFTl1x7CQnTG5eARppGhv1nr0KkQT_j20/s320/Greenhouse_8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My favorite vegetable to eat steamed is kale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily, we have lots of it here at the South Pole.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7hfnRoSEWINOz4yuPQNl_-jyb4Z2t0ZB6AKge0jwPOO3R2w50bH5JZa58RuJtDqHiTWbP_88SbCmJ8mvlnpQa5nP2rX6s5Z2dZ6THdnt40xyjkG5zYdO8NiKh6azr4EUEgsSM1NvBUU/s1600/Greenhouse_9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7hfnRoSEWINOz4yuPQNl_-jyb4Z2t0ZB6AKge0jwPOO3R2w50bH5JZa58RuJtDqHiTWbP_88SbCmJ8mvlnpQa5nP2rX6s5Z2dZ6THdnt40xyjkG5zYdO8NiKh6azr4EUEgsSM1NvBUU/s320/Greenhouse_9.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Leeks</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcGPcVxuzZknq4J1SVTaH0jBSN98GxWfquZ2Kmj0x6KaajdwsKHMVqvww0Joh6WOUtWKdOnWSHD_wcJg0j7yBLCSwzPGsGrJYAHTCrhND4dcdEnaK4HNhP6UTchh7XPJyKq0xR95RE_E/s1600/Greenhouse_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcGPcVxuzZknq4J1SVTaH0jBSN98GxWfquZ2Kmj0x6KaajdwsKHMVqvww0Joh6WOUtWKdOnWSHD_wcJg0j7yBLCSwzPGsGrJYAHTCrhND4dcdEnaK4HNhP6UTchh7XPJyKq0xR95RE_E/s320/Greenhouse_10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Besides vegetables, we also grow flowers, not for eating them, but for reminding us of the world we left behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to sunflowers, we also grow chamomile flowers, which we use to make soothing evening drinks as a fresh complement to the variety of teas that we already have on station.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPiUnwJxp0NNVhbNUusR4R_mey8SmpWDu7zNKVHSmdUIQ9IpxitOZ2_A5DWq49B3s32yTAwqPSbO6YlEfUeur3iZrGv62yCRs2cGme3PPDKkaYfcrgm7jX_sCAO6pchiyYklka-TCKcE/s1600/Greenhouse_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPiUnwJxp0NNVhbNUusR4R_mey8SmpWDu7zNKVHSmdUIQ9IpxitOZ2_A5DWq49B3s32yTAwqPSbO6YlEfUeur3iZrGv62yCRs2cGme3PPDKkaYfcrgm7jX_sCAO6pchiyYklka-TCKcE/s320/Greenhouse_11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">On February 23 we had the first harvest party of this winter season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is Shannon holding a large bag of fresh lettuce, Rico, enjoying his work, and John and Joselyn hard at work in the back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On that day we harvested more than 100 lbs (more than 45 kg) of fresh vegetables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Working in the greenhouse brings back the memory of smells that we do not get to experience here at the South Pole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The humid air feels thick, when compared to the 3% of relative humidity in which we live inside the station (Photo courtesy SP).</span></div>Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-73231430746722354082011-03-07T15:01:00.000-08:002011-03-08T12:05:15.503-08:00My winter roomNow that the station population has gone down to 49 people, we have been able to enjoy some more elbow room. At the beginning of February I moved into a new, larger room. Not only is the room larger, but I have an unobstructed view over the plateau from the window. <br />
It is now March 8, less than two weeks away from the only sunset that we will get to see this year. The shadows are getting longer and longer, as seen in these photos. The weather has been very stable for the last couple of weeks, meaning blue skies with very little wind. The temperature has been dropping steadily a few degrees every day. Today we have reached -57 C (-71 F), but when there is no wind it is still very nice out. In fact, last week I logged the most distance ever covered since I got here at the Pole: 63 miles equally split between running and skiing. I am trying to get the most out of these last few days of summer before the next storm will likely cover the skiway with snowdrift and put an end to my running. This morning, after I finished my usual 5-mile run on the skiway, I felt so nice and warm under my layers of fleece, my two hats, and my three pairs of gloves, that I kept going 3 more miles. On Saturday I did my last field work for the season, so, unless some of the instruments break, I should not have to work outside until at least the next sunrise.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhciokxhfn_KmMtcQhiUKSui1zJA6C9uOByPAyd15UQNdd7Nnx88_8Jg78KIG3Ml6FYmEfVtniet-s3zlK006rA2Lyj1CxzIWO6Wg0uTVTUDgS3VYmZkJXBYCi5lxsp_kauk_UDBSHMgSE/s1600/Room_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhciokxhfn_KmMtcQhiUKSui1zJA6C9uOByPAyd15UQNdd7Nnx88_8Jg78KIG3Ml6FYmEfVtniet-s3zlK006rA2Lyj1CxzIWO6Wg0uTVTUDgS3VYmZkJXBYCi5lxsp_kauk_UDBSHMgSE/s320/Room_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My new room, circled in red, is situated in the outermost wing of the station. At the far right, denoted by flags, is the ceremonial south Pole. At the right, but still attached to the building is what we call the beer can: a metal structure connecting the elevated station to the service and utilities tunnels under the ice.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSD2MwGxXBqJs_u2qRYgzK9wftoCktLWN4hc-3QlejSXzn0VNQTwZezzWGYwpLGe9bakZJnJaV2UL8j_vauOuVaxFNlfMx1JjaY5WXtX6pCW2GnvLcjgm4yC3zHDGgfPnSYaYuosWg6A/s1600/Room_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSD2MwGxXBqJs_u2qRYgzK9wftoCktLWN4hc-3QlejSXzn0VNQTwZezzWGYwpLGe9bakZJnJaV2UL8j_vauOuVaxFNlfMx1JjaY5WXtX6pCW2GnvLcjgm4yC3zHDGgfPnSYaYuosWg6A/s320/Room_2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A look inside my room shows an architecture very similar to my summer room, but the additional 10 square feet of space make room for a 6-ft desk.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqjOAiuG4zlbn2HR_oIrWmtTJjWzRa-V3REi-ZppvCSgX5jWtxTQbKUULMDC9iqnBcfMDqcyrnL0aR_83vh3M5iKzO2Z0kUuJ3G16PySP0EGE7OlOAD82tgzf5Zv7bplApucCVRRYAFI8/s1600/Room_3+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="117" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqjOAiuG4zlbn2HR_oIrWmtTJjWzRa-V3REi-ZppvCSgX5jWtxTQbKUULMDC9iqnBcfMDqcyrnL0aR_83vh3M5iKzO2Z0kUuJ3G16PySP0EGE7OlOAD82tgzf5Zv7bplApucCVRRYAFI8/s320/Room_3+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The view from my window is spectacular. Nothing but ice for 1,400 miles in this direction, until we get to the ocean, except for the Russian station of Vostok half way in between. At the far left and in the background are the Atmospheric Research Observatory, then the Cosmic Ray Detector platform. Closer up are vent pipes from the utilities tunnels under the ice.</div>Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-66742207513545807502011-02-23T14:59:00.000-08:002011-02-23T14:59:09.939-08:00South Pole MeteorologyA significant percentage of the station personnel is dedicated to meteorology: 4 people in the summer and 2 in the winter. That is about 3~4% of the population. Now think about how many meteorologists you know back home and you will realize that meteorology at the South Pole is a big and important deal. It is important because we are one of the few stations on the continent able to provide measurements year-round; it is a big deal because we maintain a skiway in the summer and need to provide accurate weather observations for air operation. Short-term local weather forecasting is part of the job as well, as is the launch of balloons, twice a day. <br />
In addition to the meteorologists, we have two full-time employees from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). They do atmospheric measurements, including cloud coverage, air quality, analysis of particulates, carbon dioxide, concentration of ozone and ozone-depleting CFC gases, UV radiation, solar irradiance, albedo, and other parameters. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskrl0EHlm5jR7dS44LNFtkNmFbfihtlfZv5rFliqtzTN822jqbljsKcs3t_XAJpV4hjn5heMenjo2wV62JildHvV61E-NvmjlQcfCZMn7Rd9zRJSZiSuWAti5A_4gxENMQS1bFgpC5h4/s1600/Meteo_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskrl0EHlm5jR7dS44LNFtkNmFbfihtlfZv5rFliqtzTN822jqbljsKcs3t_XAJpV4hjn5heMenjo2wV62JildHvV61E-NvmjlQcfCZMn7Rd9zRJSZiSuWAti5A_4gxENMQS1bFgpC5h4/s320/Meteo_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Many measurements, such as temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed, etc, are automated but, much to my surprise, several critical measurements are still performed by humans and are fairly subjective and qualitative. Every hour during the summer the meteorologist on shift climbs on the roof, looks over the horizon, and checks visibility, horizon definition, and surface definition. Visibility is defined by the ability of the meteorologist to discern black boards positioned at half mile intervals from each other in different directions on the ice. Horizon and surface definition are reported as good, fair, poor, or nil. There are standardized criteria to follow, but I am sure there still is some subjectivity in the observations - surprising in the age of computers and image processing. All of these observations are critical, as they are reported to aircrafts and form the basis for decisions on whether it is safe to land. I went on the roof with Rolf on Feb 3 to see how well matched my eyes were to his, and discovered that I can use some eye calibration.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgXprNX7t6yZGxvK4QQKxbp8f1E3Z72U9mAlsv-KwTNxvJ4-FFclTycz4clORpj7wsBVszT1zONiyV7JcLOxzWiLDYIo9o7UW7nh2nLcdiFUI6LwvzTMOZMJ_Ic93hnA8u3jOvNcOnns/s1600/Meteo_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgXprNX7t6yZGxvK4QQKxbp8f1E3Z72U9mAlsv-KwTNxvJ4-FFclTycz4clORpj7wsBVszT1zONiyV7JcLOxzWiLDYIo9o7UW7nh2nLcdiFUI6LwvzTMOZMJ_Ic93hnA8u3jOvNcOnns/s320/Meteo_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Phil, another one of our summer meteorologists, prepares a balloon launch at our Balloon Inflation Facility (BIF) on Feb 4. The BIF is adjacent to the cryogenic facility, so the balloons can be inflated with the Helium that evaporates from the storage dewars, which would otherwise be wasted.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3hBRhKlRKLFXM6767x3tzARLih7g0GuqIbkLD0BWi_UrvnkfyG8v0riA5bGQUn8T1y_KtwNnJhcqanLTBuLn0PNzRyItnhabkeixp10HBN_G88BH5_tpvO4sMqOhWlVTGDkNzQ2WE-c/s1600/Meteo_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3hBRhKlRKLFXM6767x3tzARLih7g0GuqIbkLD0BWi_UrvnkfyG8v0riA5bGQUn8T1y_KtwNnJhcqanLTBuLn0PNzRyItnhabkeixp10HBN_G88BH5_tpvO4sMqOhWlVTGDkNzQ2WE-c/s320/Meteo_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Phil checking the proper inflation of the balloon by measuring its lift force. The balloon must provide enough upwards force to lift the weight of the measurement instruments attached to it.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9BLBDunD8kCtYpSBah6oMAbZL90jCA_W-m10es5ZSzbWFgawT8invnyW8iccDQCsH5SBJrJ5euVHaWb2jcVhnm9j-0jicPu-Ux-9CEUdOj9CLTSdcw58urvklFUUxjV8yL4s1OemvyV8/s1600/Meteo_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9BLBDunD8kCtYpSBah6oMAbZL90jCA_W-m10es5ZSzbWFgawT8invnyW8iccDQCsH5SBJrJ5euVHaWb2jcVhnm9j-0jicPu-Ux-9CEUdOj9CLTSdcw58urvklFUUxjV8yL4s1OemvyV8/s320/Meteo_4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lindsay, who was visiting the science projects at the South Pole for just a few days, is given the privilege of releasing the balloon to the skies.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtXoCn5YVyoa8ladxYpFoV0ZmIfwzKBbSLZIZQmeMoZU9DVdyAIZN3Z7p6z_aXT6tHEZP-zjuRGhq5DV8o8gngG16bA4LfnKs4i0VQLpg3nORAOQ0-iqZALYfmzwAs19H_V1zM12oq5Dk/s1600/Meteo_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtXoCn5YVyoa8ladxYpFoV0ZmIfwzKBbSLZIZQmeMoZU9DVdyAIZN3Z7p6z_aXT6tHEZP-zjuRGhq5DV8o8gngG16bA4LfnKs4i0VQLpg3nORAOQ0-iqZALYfmzwAs19H_V1zM12oq5Dk/s320/Meteo_5.jpg" width="234" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The balloon climbs at a rate of ascent of about 1,000 ft per minute, or about 12 mph. It expands as it climbs up to 100,000 ft of elevation, until it bursts and falls back down to earth. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXMTQQm4x-cm3jOCK2FeWKZAjPcOuPGKw9wvzHI4MrU4UC1YKItxOeAYA2JQ7PIWYt8xpdXE_ZCZ0n15PX3jJf3Sd7eb-Npp077dznlcAU12szXaR82cTsY2PaPw3Clmy9bMVb7DSRwwM/s1600/Meteo_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXMTQQm4x-cm3jOCK2FeWKZAjPcOuPGKw9wvzHI4MrU4UC1YKItxOeAYA2JQ7PIWYt8xpdXE_ZCZ0n15PX3jJf3Sd7eb-Npp077dznlcAU12szXaR82cTsY2PaPw3Clmy9bMVb7DSRwwM/s320/Meteo_6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As soon as the balloon is released, Phil comes back into the BIF and checks in real time the data transmitted by the on-board instruments to make sure that the launch is successful. The data is recorded and then transmitted to meteorological centers around the world, where it becomes an input to complex weather forecasting models.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmuADKTtkeSTBjzultWQ9-x6af5i3Zfy-pwVw0Op_oi9_2mbS3fHPpEx_kM01x50_fHZ9tQHiRTLEJZvLZj-K7BS_b2_JTz2dimnHsBszBHZxN4W6S9T2ybgz9qom7bj2fKkCJ3nafQnk/s1600/Meteo_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmuADKTtkeSTBjzultWQ9-x6af5i3Zfy-pwVw0Op_oi9_2mbS3fHPpEx_kM01x50_fHZ9tQHiRTLEJZvLZj-K7BS_b2_JTz2dimnHsBszBHZxN4W6S9T2ybgz9qom7bj2fKkCJ3nafQnk/s320/Meteo_7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here Christy, one of the two NOAA scientists, is about to release the NOAA balloon on Feb 2. This is a much bigger balloon than the one launched by the meteorologists, because it carries a much heavier payload, consisting of instruments used to measure ozone concentrations.</div>Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-62678122283243804152011-02-17T16:59:00.000-08:002011-02-18T08:55:20.177-08:00The last planeThe winter season at the South Pole station starts the day the last Hercules C-130 leaves the station, taking on board the last of the summer support personnel, and leaving the station isolated until the next summer crew shows up towards the end of October. This year this happened on February 15. The temperature had been dropping in the previous days down to -40 F (-40 C), quickly approaching the -59 F (-50.5 C) limit at which the Hercs can no longer land. <br />
The day of the last plane is an important date, full of anticipations and emotions. On the one hand we are sad to see our summer friends leave; on the other we are eager to move on with the new rhythm and the perks afforded by the smaller population. <br />
One of the nicest perks is that we have more room. The station is built to house 150 people, so there is plenty of space now for the 49 of us, 35 men and 14 women. The wing were I was sleeping before is being closed down to save energy and it is being turned into our cold storage (for food, etc). So, I moved into a new wing, with an unobstructed view over the plateau. My winter room is a formidable 12 sq ft (1 square meter) larger than the summer room, bringing my personal space up to 72 sq ft, or 7 square meters. It does not look like much, but the extra room allows me to fit a 6 ft desk, so now I can comfortably work on my computer from my room.<br />
Another perk is that we have more free time, at least for us in science. The summer has been a very busy period, as many scientists came from the mainland to bring new equipment and start new science projects. I had about a dozen professors, researchers, and graduate students to assist and to learn from, every one staying about one week or so, with just a few days between the departure of one group and the arrival of the next. I also had to perform a number of tasks in the summer, primarily calibrations and maintenance, which cannot be done in the winter, when the cold temperatures make access to some of the equipment on the ice very difficult or impossible. We were also busy receiving, inspecting, and sorting a large amount of new laboratory supplies for the winter, from new power supplies, oscilloscopes, computer spare parts and consumables, to gloves, headlights, helmets, batteries, nuts and bolts and tool sets, to paper clips, tapes, adhesives, chemicals, and the list goes on and on. In addition, as I have described in earlier blogs, we had numerous training sessions to attend with the fire brigade, the air drop, the emergency power plant operation, etc, all to be as prepared as we could for the winter in isolation.<br />
Now things are slowly getting less busy, as we are primarily practicing the skills that we learnt and operating the science equipment and the station. We still have a number of chores to do, such as closing the summer quarters, preparing our emergency gear (ready to use in case we lose the station to some calamity), moving stuff around, but that should be accomplished within the next two weeks. Due to our limited staff, we also take turns to work in the kitchen once a month. One new skill for winter that I recently learnt is flight following, so I occasionally get to work in the control tower. Although no planes land at the South Pole, we still follow flights to and from Antarctica to provide emergency radio communications to airplanes. I learnt how to relay information from air traffic control to an airplane and vice-versa, how to decipher and read a weather report, how to interpret the location of an aircraft, all in the proper lingo.<br />
With the approaching sunset, due in just 32 days, the sun is decidedly lower on the horizon and less warm. The temperatures started to drop down to -45 C (-49.9 F was our lowest a few days ago), with windchills down into the -70s F. However there has been a warming trend that started yesterday, as moist air has arrived and, condensing into fog, has raised the temperature into the -30 C (-22 F). Fog can form at temperatures down to -40 C, which is the typical limit for supercooled water. This means that, although water freezes at 0 C, it can remain in liquid form down to -40 C, if left undisturbed. When this fog hits a surface, however, it is no longer undisturbed, and solidifies instantaneously into frost. So, yesterday we had a very unique and rare phenomenon, where the ground and all the surfaces were covered by an extra layer of ice crystals. Skiing in the dense fog was a treat, even though I had to bring along the GPS, in addition to the radio, to make sure I could find my way back to the station, which became invisible less than one mile away (I didn't have to use either). Today, Feb 18, it is a fine day, overcast, but with unrestricted visibility, low winds, and temperatures still up in the -28 C (-18 F), so I plan on going on one more bike ride (probably my last one, as the grease in the drive train freezes at lower temperatures, and I have found it impossible to ride in temperatures below -35 C (-30 F).<br />
As winter approaches, there are many uncertainties and expectations. What will the sunset be like? How long will the twilight last before it gets pitch black? How bright will the full moon and auroras be? Will we really have beautiful auroras this winter, as we are approaching a solar maximum? Hopefully I will be able to satisfy this curiosity and describe the upcoming changes in future blogs ... stay tuned.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibSd9TQ0gCstCGPUPPPSbY2hPZnzXMmbHJr1Er5GVkuzVwBplRq4jxnPo6BagmTd5Lz0EB9nbiF6ptV2FsrLZjweNtYTPAcoVOe9cwuIivj8WvGWgcnItatlU84BiUC1TPWQN8w8yJFLw/s1600/Last_Plane_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibSd9TQ0gCstCGPUPPPSbY2hPZnzXMmbHJr1Er5GVkuzVwBplRq4jxnPo6BagmTd5Lz0EB9nbiF6ptV2FsrLZjweNtYTPAcoVOe9cwuIivj8WvGWgcnItatlU84BiUC1TPWQN8w8yJFLw/s320/Last_Plane_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The last Hercules on the ground at the South Pole, delivering the last load of fuel that will keep us warm for the winter. We now have more than enough fuel in storage for the winter. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqcOe554tbS5ABii21VyHtnn7vQ1ReBPC-Yzu-C3EP0GURkVmbWTHAhROk-0Y4t7GlNbmXbzEtkes2fnjQAwpGS9K7gYeQ5jbQh8dM5wyleHeywS3nAPeV6uQnVEM4TuUybm_MzwkLmSo/s1600/Last_Plane_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqcOe554tbS5ABii21VyHtnn7vQ1ReBPC-Yzu-C3EP0GURkVmbWTHAhROk-0Y4t7GlNbmXbzEtkes2fnjQAwpGS9K7gYeQ5jbQh8dM5wyleHeywS3nAPeV6uQnVEM4TuUybm_MzwkLmSo/s320/Last_Plane_02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Most of the winterovers came out to the skiway to say the last good-byes to the summer people leaving.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-LZlYxwY1N0_09zn79oIggeISWvvK9pbN00aHsQf2RpZMQbVp9JVSzk45HdJEsL0kAzYJL4Vt3Q3dKG4qigTlLVt57rWY0cPTvBJJSXvS-ImVs2Wkur2dNx8IqzLbWlS_k3X5TkHhOo/s1600/Last_Plane_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-LZlYxwY1N0_09zn79oIggeISWvvK9pbN00aHsQf2RpZMQbVp9JVSzk45HdJEsL0kAzYJL4Vt3Q3dKG4qigTlLVt57rWY0cPTvBJJSXvS-ImVs2Wkur2dNx8IqzLbWlS_k3X5TkHhOo/s320/Last_Plane_03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After the fuel is unloaded the flight engineer invites the passengers to board, and the population splits: the summer people walking in a line to the airplane, with the winterover remaining behind the flag line, facing the next 8 months of winter isolation.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDOJLmtVX79F1AuX22sa4IHnxAzcBuOi_OcfQe8eLY4-z2Ixs_2pmHMxg0-RsRxGRYZfj8-pvnpJ37Po-Y1MBNM8BsSZPxJo0oduu9WPh6td_HB_1uoarn7f6ieZC-eEjWw-UCuU8_A4/s1600/Last_Plane_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDOJLmtVX79F1AuX22sa4IHnxAzcBuOi_OcfQe8eLY4-z2Ixs_2pmHMxg0-RsRxGRYZfj8-pvnpJ37Po-Y1MBNM8BsSZPxJo0oduu9WPh6td_HB_1uoarn7f6ieZC-eEjWw-UCuU8_A4/s320/Last_Plane_04.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The last plane on the ground, ready to take off, with a few winterorovers watching. I walked back to the station to take some photos of this emotional moment from the second floor deck.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0O3IN660ronAIbqHkMPUohT6K0ZKbX7NDKSrE6l_Is6XuXn7kFUsyj6RmG4sHCk59NIVw_MJCGwjx3KRLPlwwvbzlXdoQSVo7-ICLJxFPTPGER25i_I5cvmV90FvD_V_PdNgW-WvnDGw/s1600/Last_Plane_05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0O3IN660ronAIbqHkMPUohT6K0ZKbX7NDKSrE6l_Is6XuXn7kFUsyj6RmG4sHCk59NIVw_MJCGwjx3KRLPlwwvbzlXdoQSVo7-ICLJxFPTPGER25i_I5cvmV90FvD_V_PdNgW-WvnDGw/s320/Last_Plane_05.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As tradition goes, the last plane performs a flyover on the station upon departure and tips its wings to signal a good bye. We will not see another Hercules until October, and there will be no way out of here until then. The closest people to us are now the dozen or so winterovers in the Russian station of Vostok, several hundred miles away, or, at the right time of day, the astronauts circling the earth in the International Space Station.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWjr1b0seVu86CQLXCfRjAMCqYrodLfrkbi6H3wexmkFw74SEvLApW2N2F5Eu-UDz7vBAKWq2t4iAUWLmzea2N761eDHGvz5BwcqJtaWDFxaIHJNTu1-iOI8XJKg-wGw1gZESwrOunaOw/s1600/Valentine_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWjr1b0seVu86CQLXCfRjAMCqYrodLfrkbi6H3wexmkFw74SEvLApW2N2F5Eu-UDz7vBAKWq2t4iAUWLmzea2N761eDHGvz5BwcqJtaWDFxaIHJNTu1-iOI8XJKg-wGw1gZESwrOunaOw/s320/Valentine_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I took this photo in the afternoon of Feb 15, and sent it to the University of Colorado to be part of a project to document in photos the world weather on one particular day. They were looking for photos from Antarctica. They wanted the photo to show land and sky. Well, it was not that hard here. It looks pretty much the same here, anywhere you look, just white ice and blue skies ... nothing else.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHRgB-UUbXQ5CxXHZpJXBG3PoVf8saFQ133LAAwZJ9wO_gx_k66NJnUZS9_852bI4frcq9P_YZIlO0ZTe4ljQc8LO8O9SaKJhRY7mbQO7rbKqNM2fGy5C37tPyfPdCRVpQ5hL3UF43OMg/s1600/Frost_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHRgB-UUbXQ5CxXHZpJXBG3PoVf8saFQ133LAAwZJ9wO_gx_k66NJnUZS9_852bI4frcq9P_YZIlO0ZTe4ljQc8LO8O9SaKJhRY7mbQO7rbKqNM2fGy5C37tPyfPdCRVpQ5hL3UF43OMg/s320/Frost_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The weather changed dramatically a couple of days later, as we got the rare phenomenon of fog at the South Pole, which covered everything in frost. Here are some of our meteorological instruments on the roof of the Atmospheric Research Observatory. The station, only 1/4-mile away is invisible, with the Cosmic Ray Platform barely visible on the ice 1/10 of a mile away. It looks cold, but it is actually not, at -28 C (-18 F).</div>Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-34327782293689451962011-02-12T10:06:00.000-08:002011-02-14T13:55:51.838-08:00How do you get to the South Pole?Several of my friends have been asking me, so, with the "tourist" season now officially over, I figured I would answer with a blog. The short answer is that there are several ways, but none of them is easy, each requiring lots of time, or lots of money, or both.<br />
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The way I came here requires no money, but lots of time - almost two years, to be exact. You have to apply for a job, go through interviews, then go through medical, dental, and psychological exams (yes, they check that you are a little crazy to be wanting to do this, but not too much, just the right balance), then you have to go through several weeks of training, and finally you get to fly to the South Pole. This is also the only way to experience a winter at the South Pole. The nice thing is that all is provided free of charge (from airfare to top-of-the-line clothing, to recreational equipment, to food and lodging), and you get paid on top of that: a great deal if you can leave a house, or a family, or a job, all at the same time, for the 13-month deployment.<br />
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Everyone else who shows up at the South Pole, either as part of an organized tour, or as an adventurer whose stories end up in magazines and books, is called a "tourist". This year we had about 200 of them.<br />
Most of them came with an organized trip. There are two tour operators that fly to the South Pole: The Antarctic Company (TAC) flies out of Cape Town in South Africa to the Russian station at Novo, at the edge of Antarctica, using a Russian-built jet plane, then on to the South Pole with a Basler DC-3; Adventure Network International (ANI) flies out of Punta Arenas in Chile to Union Glacier in Antarctica and on to the South Pole using Twin Otter airplanes.<br />
The most popular tour, for about $40,000, is a 1-week trip to Antarctica with a 4-hour stop at the South Pole. 55 people chose this option this year. Most of them are wealthy entrepreneurs and their families. Some of them, besides being wealthy, have personal goals to reach unusual destinations. In this group of people some had already been at the North Pole, and were now stamping their passports with the South Pole emblem. We also had the youngest person ever to attain both the North and the South Pole (an 11-yr old, if you can believe it). One drawback of these trips, in my opinion, is that they are short. There is no time to acclimatize to the 10,000 ft of physiological altitude of the pole, and, because airplanes will only fly in good weather, the people who choose this option will not be able to experience the harshest conditions of strong winds and whiteouts that make the Pole such an extreme environment. But if you do not have a lot of time, or do not want to be exposed to the elements, and want to have a photo at the South Pole and see Antarctica, this is a great way to do it, and everyone who came seemed to have a great time.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTHf7rbFCzek06CW_RHlQQWay7UGqyeNapSvO-UxlsmNyKzxqIqhoG_KPWDF14z_j1teVhDzC-9P_sBlU-oLP9thhcS5LLeMUpkH5yP8IHuB8BIgyK5GP7xQoIb5A-BVMxxh5QyfRQgA/s1600/Sharpened.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTHf7rbFCzek06CW_RHlQQWay7UGqyeNapSvO-UxlsmNyKzxqIqhoG_KPWDF14z_j1teVhDzC-9P_sBlU-oLP9thhcS5LLeMUpkH5yP8IHuB8BIgyK5GP7xQoIb5A-BVMxxh5QyfRQgA/s320/Sharpened.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I was giving a tour of the station to a group of 12 tourists on Jan 3, when I heard someone speak Italian. It turned out to be a father and son from my native city of Rome: Mauro and Alex Sentinelli. We exchanged email and, who knows, maybe we'll be able to get together again in more temperate climates. Here we are enjoying cookies and soft drinks in the station lounge before the welcome message from the station manager. Even the tourists who show up at the pole for just 4 hours may get a 90-minute tour of the station, if they pre-arrange their visit.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>The next most popular tour option, for $50,000, is to ski the last degree. An airplane drops you off at 89 degrees of latitude, and you have one week to ski to the Pole dragging a sled and camping along the way, before being picked up again at the Pole. I think this is a great way to explore the South Pole, because you will experience the cold, the wind, the whiteout, but you do not need to be a superathlete or experienced adventurer. 38 people this year chose this route.<br />
A smaller version of the last degree option is the 1/4 degree option, offered by TAC, which maintains a fuel cache 17 miles from the South Pole. The airplane will drop you off at the fuel cache and you have one day to ski the last 17 miles to the Pole. 21 people chose this option this year.<br />
12 people this year chose to camp at the Pole for 24 hours. They arrived, camped out, and flew out the next day.<br />
The highest tier of "tourism" is to ski all the way from the coast to the South Pole. 11 people this year accomplished this feat. 8 of them were a group of Indian militaries, with 1 additional person joining them, and two of them went solo. Nobody this year did the crossing of the continent or the roundtrip from the coast to the pole and back, although one of the solo skiers attempted the coast-to-coast trip, but ran out of time. He will try again next year. I did not see anyone this year skiing with the aid of sails, a technique pioneered by Reinhold Messner and Arved Fuchs in their 1989 crossing of the continent, although several people travelling by vehicles brought sails along and were practicing at the South Pole.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMafcSbMjRNIqyLDuJi1hAD0ehw2ulNkIxvJilnVC1zi3RmsHAKOMswRPhTmCO1LINcALtBwDKNjutnxyTlpx0ycT1gHa9RwWXD6QUzuE5AUS4_1-T1MXXUooEIlI0VqVQ2NIrNhZkoLo/s1600/IMG_0502_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMafcSbMjRNIqyLDuJi1hAD0ehw2ulNkIxvJilnVC1zi3RmsHAKOMswRPhTmCO1LINcALtBwDKNjutnxyTlpx0ycT1gHa9RwWXD6QUzuE5AUS4_1-T1MXXUooEIlI0VqVQ2NIrNhZkoLo/s320/IMG_0502_small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A group of three skiers celebrates their arrival at the South Pole on Dec 15 after skiing the last degree. I was coming back to the station after my morning run when I saw them coming in the distance, so I extended my run to go meet them and welcome them to the South Pole. Here they are, with their sleds in the background, setting up their tent at the campground that we prepare for the tourists every year, about a half mile away from the station. They would enjoy the South Pole for a whole day before the ANI airplane would pick them up the next day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>A completely different way to reach the Pole is by vehicle. This is probably the most expensive way of doing it, and there are no commercial outfitters that will organize such exploits. Five groups this year came by vehicle, for a total of about 60 people. They came in Toyota trucks, Ford Econolines, solar-powered electric snowmobile, and home made experimental vehicles. I already blogged on the Indian Traverse and on the reality TV show about the German/Austrian ski race. There was also another expedition from the Kazakhstan National Geographic Society that arrived by Toyota Arctic Trucks on Dec 10 and stayed less than a day before driving back to Novo, where they had come from. The other two quite unique vehicle expeditions were the Moon-Regan expedition and the Park-Yeong-Seok expedition.<br />
The Moon Regan takes its name from the expedition leaders: Andrew Moon and Andrew Regan. They had two unique objectives: the first was to cross the continent from coast to coast in two modified Ford Econoline vehicles; the second was to drive an experimental biodiesel vehicle from the coast to the Pole. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERzcK9-ln3rhKaXH3lfKOb2FhWKJvGAlB1EQkJIqDTfZ7bYv8apJRxAyjVp2cNVJMHmEfifCvuhXfNltt2BX0FYBi0QM7mG4LirwNj7pPlb0QiKlb3uoWZbimOe5Qkw4fM73nq3n4bHE/s1600/IMG_0435_cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERzcK9-ln3rhKaXH3lfKOb2FhWKJvGAlB1EQkJIqDTfZ7bYv8apJRxAyjVp2cNVJMHmEfifCvuhXfNltt2BX0FYBi0QM7mG4LirwNj7pPlb0QiKlb3uoWZbimOe5Qkw4fM73nq3n4bHE/s320/IMG_0435_cropped.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The two modified Ford Econoline vehicles made it to the Pole from Union Glacier on Dec 4. They would then drive another 600 km to the edge of the continent on the Ross Ice Shelf before coming back to the Pole to pick up the mystery bug and drive all the way back to Union Glacier.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYz91lZyIBfOlz9Kq_-hxsh8s3Ih9iduPM0HNcnIWjEBoGlUtOLT7FX5j5ediJ91ECGhIHAV1pZdQYPnsIs_wiljPVBB6ZCh18vrm4IyETVTUqU8Vc5SH3CffLdNv0nWR2WXE2hkCsoSA/s1600/IMG_0440_cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYz91lZyIBfOlz9Kq_-hxsh8s3Ih9iduPM0HNcnIWjEBoGlUtOLT7FX5j5ediJ91ECGhIHAV1pZdQYPnsIs_wiljPVBB6ZCh18vrm4IyETVTUqU8Vc5SH3CffLdNv0nWR2WXE2hkCsoSA/s320/IMG_0440_cropped.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">At the station we called this the Mystery Bug. It came with the Moon Regan expedition. It is propelled like an airplane, it uses biodiesel, and slides on the snow on skis. It was supposed to be the fastest land vehicle at the South Pole. We were hoping to see it break a world record, and some of us were hoping that we would be able to take it for a test ride, but we never saw it moving on its own power. It stayed with us for several days while the Moon Regan expedition went to the Ross Ice shelf and back. We never figured out the real deal: did it make it to the South Pole on its own, or did it break down and had to be towed?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>The Park Yeong-Seok expedition had as an objective to drive solar-powered snowmobiles from the coast to the South Pole. They made it in 60 days. They could only travel two hours before their batteries would need recharging, and it would tale 10 hours of sunshine to recharge. They were stopped for extended periods of time in overcast conditions. This was a very noble and successful efforts, although not a zero-carbon trip, when you account for all the logistics involved, with lots of room left for improvement.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-gHHc_GQbcMDm7WMmjRuOaReg317p0UPbsDtS7Wbug6MPxLFk_H7X5UJApCgRq9rGcrIh3EmnIXN0yTWyKbKGoM1OxGsdD4Bek6iQ_qjA39A110oT7kS1uIBC0rndjH2-Wjb7NGp3vh8/s1600/IMG_0774_cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-gHHc_GQbcMDm7WMmjRuOaReg317p0UPbsDtS7Wbug6MPxLFk_H7X5UJApCgRq9rGcrIh3EmnIXN0yTWyKbKGoM1OxGsdD4Bek6iQ_qjA39A110oT7kS1uIBC0rndjH2-Wjb7NGp3vh8/s320/IMG_0774_cropped.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Park Yeong-Seok expedition camping at the tourist campground with their electric snowmobile, charging their batteries in the pale sun of Jan 29. To compensate for the low solar irradiance at these high latitudes, they used the most efficient solar panels on the market, from SunPower. The station can be seen in the far background.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>So, there are many ways to get to the South Pole, given enough money or enough time. But why get here in the first place? As Reinhold Messner wrote in his book "Antarctica Both Heaven and Hell", getting to the South Pole is not like climbing a mountain. The top of a mountain is a unique feature on the landscape, very different from the surrounding terrain; but when one reaches the South Pole, there is nothing to indicate that it is a special place. All the meridians converge here, but you cannot see them. You can stand on the axis of rotation of the earth, but you can't tell that anything is moving. You could be standing a few miles away from the South Pole and you could not tell the difference, except for the station buildings. Everything is absolutely flat. There is only the white ice and the blue sky. Nothing else. If the weather is bad you cannot even tell the difference between the ice and the sky, and you feel like you are inside a ping pong ball. So why spend all this time and money to get here? I can't tell you why. All I can say is that this is the purest and most wonderful place on earth. I just hope that if you decide to swing by you can spend as much time as possible, because it gets better every day.Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-21719616865750445042011-01-29T16:12:00.000-08:002011-01-29T16:37:38.576-08:00South Pole Triathlon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We walk on water here at the South Pole: a 2-mile thick layer of water molecule, and we don't even make a big deal out of it. We can also ride a bicycle on water. But we cannot swim in it. This water has been frozen for thousands of years and it is likely to stay frozen for thousands more. So, for us to have a triathlon at the South Pole, we substituted skiing for swimming.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have already mentioned our triathlon in a previous blog on the polympics, but I wanted to add a little detail here to serve as a historical record, and to help future generations of polies who might be interested in organizing another one. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, let's start with the course. We chose the skiway because it provides the best surface for all three events. The start, finish, and transition areas were located in the pax (short for passenger) terminal, which has a small heater. In the pax terminal we also set up an aid station with hot chocolate, cookies, hand warmers, and foot warmers. We used an orange bag stuffed with bubble wrap to designate the point where we would turn right from the apron towards the skiway proper. All the other corners were already well marked with existing flags.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzf9xTIqS0emKtB-Ksf8m3PhP8Y092LkyCP85tmOvhZC69seJRzL_0yIPiV2QyUE8YoCxeF9JGgk0jxxfOq0Y_QKn8NhEGTaDo0fR82LL6Yt6wo_xeTmmQb_INyqd2yGiQ1FLas14T54/s1600/Triathlon_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="139" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzf9xTIqS0emKtB-Ksf8m3PhP8Y092LkyCP85tmOvhZC69seJRzL_0yIPiV2QyUE8YoCxeF9JGgk0jxxfOq0Y_QKn8NhEGTaDo0fR82LL6Yt6wo_xeTmmQb_INyqd2yGiQ1FLas14T54/s320/Triathlon_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I measured the course at 1.26 miles using the odometer feature on a Garmin GPS. We went around the loop three times, first by bicycle, then running, and finally on skis, for a total distance of 3.78 miles.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_GqLuytWAPXeLiCzS2H13Zeg5_9AK9oyf3m3hkqozYO4u9UGWQpOWy1sCUjHErBAh6OEcM9CIsMB3F8o6WQ5uJ4zINshe8vDUbA8ChytPj1Gd-4ItFAxs6mDIy5A70D-XRgSce7-tKI/s1600/Triathlon_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_GqLuytWAPXeLiCzS2H13Zeg5_9AK9oyf3m3hkqozYO4u9UGWQpOWy1sCUjHErBAh6OEcM9CIsMB3F8o6WQ5uJ4zINshe8vDUbA8ChytPj1Gd-4ItFAxs6mDIy5A70D-XRgSce7-tKI/s320/Triathlon_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here Jamie is making the right turn at the orange bag.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Iqoz41YqUed1aIVlrqPL0NfvfAQl73LuekUx4dGhyDnZX30MSPWLu_mc8TQJATfL_v0BqPiJtrFfjrK8dhbKqbRHeNsZh8XQtTcnLBmbqahXjHeLQPUkeEz7vGt54012I5MbEX8-m-Q/s1600/Triathlon_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Iqoz41YqUed1aIVlrqPL0NfvfAQl73LuekUx4dGhyDnZX30MSPWLu_mc8TQJATfL_v0BqPiJtrFfjrK8dhbKqbRHeNsZh8XQtTcnLBmbqahXjHeLQPUkeEz7vGt54012I5MbEX8-m-Q/s320/Triathlon_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There is only one bicycle on station, and there were four of us, so we could not start all at the same time. So, when the first person was finished with the bicycle, the second person would start, and so on. The winner would be determined by the clock. At some point there were three of us on the course, each doing a different sport. Here I am riding the bicycle on the skiway, with Jamie running in the background.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5udBW6xJhWuK7mFmA24h-sBlNvQxYXbw34UFPbV_EEjV4iT3SS3ecvkfd1UdGJPKksIDwtv-fHaFkS_B3-AJ0aaj2RJL9l75V4rJrHNEZQj26kaNdWdqDz50Bby4XExEax4Q-i4c0w-o/s1600/Triathlon_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5udBW6xJhWuK7mFmA24h-sBlNvQxYXbw34UFPbV_EEjV4iT3SS3ecvkfd1UdGJPKksIDwtv-fHaFkS_B3-AJ0aaj2RJL9l75V4rJrHNEZQj26kaNdWdqDz50Bby4XExEax4Q-i4c0w-o/s320/Triathlon_4.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Linda was our timekeeper. She could watch the start/finish line from the window. When Jamie finished the race Linda started and Jamie timed her.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb75tr-VewNzRkINdjzQlxIJVpf-0StNTTrAGms6JYFivoRmBl9tGF_MeVUNN_-8ppKO31848f3VPUstAvIrXq43cmI78tpNr8Tp76RFrGTbzd5Zr806O5bVK74O9alFjIwka3wDxw6OA/s1600/Triathlon_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb75tr-VewNzRkINdjzQlxIJVpf-0StNTTrAGms6JYFivoRmBl9tGF_MeVUNN_-8ppKO31848f3VPUstAvIrXq43cmI78tpNr8Tp76RFrGTbzd5Zr806O5bVK74O9alFjIwka3wDxw6OA/s320/Triathlon_5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The bike-to-run transition only took a few seconds, as we all ran with the same shoes that we used for the bicycle. For the run-to-ski transition we would go into the pax terminal to change our shoes. I put some footwarmers in the ski boots before the start of the race, and it was nice to find them warm to start the last leg of the race. It took us about 3 or 4 minutes to transition from running to skiing.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4h-lw68JyP5S-eeabTyioiPoNk05HnNaSSTplh9hR_iW8T11PFWHRxvUhprQcbNXiiuupx1fix56IzeozhkjNwJTyurwPCWnK6CgRktBBF2O6JTpPYlZkJrTlRDVC4erXhJINDjB-WU/s1600/Triathlon_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4h-lw68JyP5S-eeabTyioiPoNk05HnNaSSTplh9hR_iW8T11PFWHRxvUhprQcbNXiiuupx1fix56IzeozhkjNwJTyurwPCWnK6CgRktBBF2O6JTpPYlZkJrTlRDVC4erXhJINDjB-WU/s320/Triathlon_6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here is Jamie finishing the race,with Sarah about to complete the run portion.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And now, for the course historical records, the temperature was -12 F (-24 C), the wind was 9 knots (~10 mph), and here are our times:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMFW9wgHuJamZkkToI9PgJF6x0diokXHEsEnAVLsn19BCvVohKm6SZtAF06x216QELW2gNZJ-MWXO7NZ5ZJoc3qdgh59u5uaN_nZcROvNj_8X6QXl63Xibd-Ddm8-NzKc0vAevOBA4jg/s1600/Tri_results.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMFW9wgHuJamZkkToI9PgJF6x0diokXHEsEnAVLsn19BCvVohKm6SZtAF06x216QELW2gNZJ-MWXO7NZ5ZJoc3qdgh59u5uaN_nZcROvNj_8X6QXl63Xibd-Ddm8-NzKc0vAevOBA4jg/s320/Tri_results.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I want to thank Reinhart Piuk for documenting this event with his camera (all the photos in this blog are his), and all the participants who made it possible. Jamie and Sarah are both experienced triathletes, but neither had skied before (they checked out their skis the night before), and neither had ridden a bicycle on the ice before. Linda came out as a judge, but decided to participate and completed her first ever triathlon. Congratulations!</div>Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-65431595224410583202011-01-25T17:08:00.000-08:002011-01-25T17:29:39.183-08:00The Polympics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We did two new firsts last Sunday at the South Pole: the first ever Polympics, and the first ever outdoor triathlon. We had a total of 35 participants in 5 disciplines which tested endurance, speed, balance, strength, and agility. The idea of a triathlon came on Dec 14, after six of us went out to test the bicycle and found out that it was possible to ride on the ice. When we started discussing the possibility of having a triathlon, Elissa, our volunteer events coordinator suggested that we make it part of the upcoming Polympics. I thought the Polympics were an established South Pole tradition, and I volunteered to organize the triathlon event as part of it. It wasn't until a couple of weeks ago that I found out that the Polympics was just a name and an idea and that no, they had never been done before. With so many activities going on (ice sculpture contest, film festival contest, marathon, etc.) everyone was stretched thin and starting to get tired, and it looked like even this year the Polympics would remain on the drawing board. But I really wanted to have a South Pole triathlon, so we put together a small team of coordinators and gave it a try. We solicited ideas from the entire station and came up with a list of 10 events (see the full list here <a href="http://duvernois.blogspot.com/2011/01/pole-olympics.html">http://duvernois.blogspot.com/2011/01/pole-olympics.html</a> ). We put sign up sheets in the dining room, requesting a minimum of 6 people to sign up for every event to take place (three participants, two judges, and a photographer), and that is how our 5 events were selected.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlwmbLnKlmmW6xRtIE4DSIrJIFGw_FsEbdLIgCUDOzdb1HSPtj6oU1-UQJuqCZ_xKRhOQLuNu2BGXVizsupLXe4p6kNjg32fs1dZn_zNdXpcM6rXDYAc0Mn1rQK0cJ_tNoQBbXAjhWSk/s1600/Polympics_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlwmbLnKlmmW6xRtIE4DSIrJIFGw_FsEbdLIgCUDOzdb1HSPtj6oU1-UQJuqCZ_xKRhOQLuNu2BGXVizsupLXe4p6kNjg32fs1dZn_zNdXpcM6rXDYAc0Mn1rQK0cJ_tNoQBbXAjhWSk/s320/Polympics_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The triathlon, at 9 AM, was the first event, consisting of a 1.26-mile loop to be repeated 3 times, first on the bicycle, then on foot, and last on skis, for a total distance of 3.78 miles. We only had one bicycle, so when the first competitor had finished the bike course, the next one would get on the bicycle and start the race. In this photo I am starting the run after dropping the bicycle, with Sarah coming behind to pick up the bicycle and get started.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_QzJWd8FA8VMCHAFbWNcY6o7r2L_pXCb-pZMaOfNmZdrKiDcWNJtdVUKXyoGXd8jHGgpKdVAE75sbwu2IW8pyn-dGk6kT1Gkq9Pz85lsEl4wofe1uRKr9E98anU2CnvXqHID261qMm8/s1600/Polympics_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_QzJWd8FA8VMCHAFbWNcY6o7r2L_pXCb-pZMaOfNmZdrKiDcWNJtdVUKXyoGXd8jHGgpKdVAE75sbwu2IW8pyn-dGk6kT1Gkq9Pz85lsEl4wofe1uRKr9E98anU2CnvXqHID261qMm8/s320/Polympics_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The second event, at 11 AM, was the "Beer Can Race". The beer can is a structure built to the side of the station with stairs connecting the two floors of the station to some tunnels buried under the ice that are used as our garages for materials storage, vehicle storage, vehicle maintenance, and other facilities. We call it the beer can because it resembles a giant beer can from the outside. Although the beer can is an enclosed structure and is therefore protected from the wind, it is not heated like the rest of the station, and the temperature this time of year hovers around -25 F (-32 C). There are 92 steps from the bottom to the top. We timed each of the 11 participants in this race to see who could climb the stairs the fastest. To limit our speed, in the interest of safety, we had a rule this year that we could not skip steps. In this photo Kiwi Dave is reaching the top of the stairs, quite remarkably, in just a t-shirt.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdEmsxvrD1ObKrZVmC_YDNaAfQOBe5nRRK6zB9TO8Vl2jYzf4RbDJWMDC1_1hodF9XLHxY93alXh3pYFF0L8we5Xs7IAfgZz8z0eRYowZ6othAV4pstn7DfDWmW1bmzJJu48g1oWRxui4/s1600/Polympics_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdEmsxvrD1ObKrZVmC_YDNaAfQOBe5nRRK6zB9TO8Vl2jYzf4RbDJWMDC1_1hodF9XLHxY93alXh3pYFF0L8we5Xs7IAfgZz8z0eRYowZ6othAV4pstn7DfDWmW1bmzJJu48g1oWRxui4/s400/Polympics_3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The third event, "The last one pedaling", was invented by the Austrian and German teams who visited us around New Year's eve. In this event we would start riding the bicycle on a groomed surface, pick up as much speed as we could, then we would enter the soft snow of the sastrugi at a location designated by bamboo sticks. The winner would be the one who could go the farthest in the sastrugi. The photo shows Jesse picking up speed, then entering the sastrugi, and finally falling off. We had some spectacular falls and hysterical laughs. The winning distance was a mere 33 ft and 3 in, or 10.15 mt. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCZ8ppp-fl89Df4vcX97uzxYSEEtZXpeSzAJkcgZOQ1bZsilvoEWhmzdJDex7oYuQ6PlEXOxriWbpnutPaJtMMhLFnvdnu_YxRlaizGJyOtoOaR2fKgOexz5kZxOAW7dTU12Hq2RZ0pQ/s1600/Polympics_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCZ8ppp-fl89Df4vcX97uzxYSEEtZXpeSzAJkcgZOQ1bZsilvoEWhmzdJDex7oYuQ6PlEXOxriWbpnutPaJtMMhLFnvdnu_YxRlaizGJyOtoOaR2fKgOexz5kZxOAW7dTU12Hq2RZ0pQ/s320/Polympics_4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The fourth event "The Last One Pulling" tested our strength. We brought out some spent batteries, each weighing 65 lbs, and loaded them on a sled one at a time. Each participant had 30 seconds to pull the sled a distance of 25 yards. As more weight was added, contestants started to drop from the competition. We ran out of batteries, when two contestants were still pulling, so we started adding people. Phil won this event, pulling an incredible 1,175 lbs.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIwOvR9HTlNImzUs4GoP1XWG4sntFTok_m8eCgGYH-vf7YN_O3qK3ERTzJUrBQ21l5z1mWzr6gq719aN11MdU_v039HN4peIQ2RCwW8IIKiglpZwbUjUbkSBTTCawXGRVf9_3zjudHMi4/s1600/Polympics_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIwOvR9HTlNImzUs4GoP1XWG4sntFTok_m8eCgGYH-vf7YN_O3qK3ERTzJUrBQ21l5z1mWzr6gq719aN11MdU_v039HN4peIQ2RCwW8IIKiglpZwbUjUbkSBTTCawXGRVf9_3zjudHMi4/s320/Polympics_5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The last event, "Fastest in ECW" took place in the dining room. ECW is our Extreme Cold Weather gear. It is the equipment issued to each of us to stay warm outside. It consists of heavy socks, boots, fleeces, jackets, gloves, hats, goggles, worn in layers, one on top of the other. The winner of this contest would be the one who could put on all this gear, properly buttoned, tied, and fastened, in the fastest time, starting from longjohns. Here is Abram finishing in third place in 1'57". Cricket won this event in the lightspeed time of 1'18".</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhoHYEBqQM90cdK2cBrkkY4-TL4y5fSlr8s2u7qYiZFGFj6NXD0_11Zy_OW6igNiEMFqOtCtd0DdwKAJL1ogkVsMvRxIb1gL17NInEFPDalvGTZEwF_06LIenh4bRyGS4FPRGwj90BG8/s1600/Polympics_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhoHYEBqQM90cdK2cBrkkY4-TL4y5fSlr8s2u7qYiZFGFj6NXD0_11Zy_OW6igNiEMFqOtCtd0DdwKAJL1ogkVsMvRxIb1gL17NInEFPDalvGTZEwF_06LIenh4bRyGS4FPRGwj90BG8/s320/Polympics_6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">At the end of the day, after dinner, and before the science lecture, Martin, our station manager, awarded medals and prizes to the first top three finishers in each event category, while a slide show of more than 500 photographs from the events was shown on the screen. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wgUCsMBbQQn0E8yPafw3ovkYrLZmf8KnEa2eEolqnAZjKBnD4fM5ErhpFfFlI0vbFSF2w8ahSW3sh-E1K8Q1tCPZDp3a2RpDpTKpMi8pi39wLa_-ekvoNyOeMkDSPAjPN66XnWZhHZ8/s1600/Polympics_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wgUCsMBbQQn0E8yPafw3ovkYrLZmf8KnEa2eEolqnAZjKBnD4fM5ErhpFfFlI0vbFSF2w8ahSW3sh-E1K8Q1tCPZDp3a2RpDpTKpMi8pi39wLa_-ekvoNyOeMkDSPAjPN66XnWZhHZ8/s320/Polympics_7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The High Sierra team, Cricket and Dan, wife and husband, swept the field in the team competition with three gold medals, two silver, and a bronze.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Photo credits: All the photos in this blog were taken by Reinhart Piuk. Thank you, Reinhart, for braving the cold all day long, and for putting together the great slide show for the award ceremony. Had we had a contest on who could shoot the best photos the fastest, you would have won gold.</div>Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-55921250214396652011-01-19T10:56:00.000-08:002011-01-20T15:52:22.530-08:00The South Pole Contingency MarathonThere were three of us. We had earned a spot to go to McMurdo and represent the South Pole Station in the McMurdo Ice Marathon by winning the Race Around the World here at the South Pole on Christmas Day in our respective categories: Rickey in the men, Christina in the women, and I in the Masters (age 40+). No women over age 40 had participated, so the three of us made up the South Pole contingent. The winners of the Masters do not typically get to go to McMurdo, but I was able to make arrangements to have people cover for my work, and I traded in some vacation time to get a special permission to go. <br />
We had trained hard, and were psyched up and ready to go. We were supposed to leave on Saturday after lunch on a C-130 flight and come back on Monday. I was looking forward to the trip with my running friends Rickey and Christina, and was looking forward to the possibility of seeing penguins, seals, or whales in McMurdo, the only life forms that I would get to see during my 13-month residence in Antarctica. We had checked the weather forecast and it looked good, both for the flight and for the race. Our bags were ready the night before in all the minute details of what is needed for a 26.2 mile run on the ice.<br />
<br />
We got up in the morning to find out that all the Saturday flights had been cancelled. We were puzzled. Had the weather suddenly turned bad in McMurdo? did all the planes coincidentally experience mechanical failures? or was there some other kind of mistake? This could not be true. We rushed into comms, our communication center and control tower (they always know everything), and they were puzzled, too. They had just received word of the flight cancellation, but didn't know why. Later in the morning we found out that the flights had been diverted to a field camp in West Antarctica. We, piggy backer athletes, had no say in the matter. Luckily, Curtis, who had come in second place in the Race Around the World, had left on Friday to go back home in the US, as he had just finished his work as an ice cube driller here at Pole, and was staying a couple of days in McMurdo before flying over to New Zealand, just enough time to run the marathon. He would be the only South Pole representative this year, and would win the 2011 McMurdo Ice Marathon in 3hrs 15 min.<br />
Back at Pole, following our great disappointment, and after coming to terms with the fact that we were indeed stuck here, we figured we had to do something about it. What if we were to run our own marathon here at Pole instead? Oh, yeah, great idea, but none of us had ever organized a race before. How would we measure the course, and how about timing (we wanted it to be a certified, or certifiable, marathon), and could we run 26.2 miles in the harsh conditions at Pole, and what aid station would we need, to make sure we would remain safe for the several hours it would take us to complete the course? All these were unknown.<br />
Once again we rushed into comms. It was now 3:30 PM on Saturday, and we started brainstorming with Tina, who was managing operations at that time of the day. So, while I was writing a list of what we would need at the aid stations, Rickey started drawing a course, Christina started composing an email to solicit volunteers to help us on the course, and Tina contacted our surveyors, Kurt and Tim, to get the most accurate distances. We needed a name. Rickey threw out a "South Pole Contingency Marathon", and we all agreed. That was what it would be: a contingency marathon.<br />
Finally the time: when should we start? We would have liked to start at 9 AM, the same time as the McMurdo marathon, but Rickey had to work in the morning, and there was a DC-3 flight scheduled to pick up some skiers who had arrived a couple of days earlier after skiing all the way from the coast, and who were camped out on the ice. We didn't know when that flight would come, but we had to make sure no flights would need to land or take off while we were racing because most of the race course would take place on the skiway. So we picked a tentative start time of 1 PM, hoping that the DC-3 would be gone by then. With the email sent out to all South Pole residents at 4:30 in the afternoon, the race had been sanctioned. There was no turn around. We were committed. We just had a litttle more to do in the morning to get the aid stations positioned on the course.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7dxigEOLaqf6qvc6WMmZZMofZNWyFs55JlhhIO1rZnZIhV24Z4SK_xmFKc-qtKvx7BqQl9rSlGIUlPofQAlkSFcnRyf-43SUiExWsD9dA0dVqowbWcys4kpP3aoOnigrpRLaVWcuc8Bs/s1600/Marathon_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7dxigEOLaqf6qvc6WMmZZMofZNWyFs55JlhhIO1rZnZIhV24Z4SK_xmFKc-qtKvx7BqQl9rSlGIUlPofQAlkSFcnRyf-43SUiExWsD9dA0dVqowbWcys4kpP3aoOnigrpRLaVWcuc8Bs/s320/Marathon_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sitting in Comms at 4 PM on Saturday afternoon, as Tina put it, hmmm ... it's not easy figuring out exactly 26.2 miles! (Photo by Tina)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz3WWcxIXv4pSh76qONcLQ1q7RrENd_2EqmWiTr1raZoWFRTcTNb65vr7xNWUYvwHaNeP_4PxCIujzrRlxfENNABrRy8QeWcxOlsndGgw3E4gDlYd_KD000C-u6_u_2of05lVep9NNLH8/s1600/Marathon_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz3WWcxIXv4pSh76qONcLQ1q7RrENd_2EqmWiTr1raZoWFRTcTNb65vr7xNWUYvwHaNeP_4PxCIujzrRlxfENNABrRy8QeWcxOlsndGgw3E4gDlYd_KD000C-u6_u_2of05lVep9NNLH8/s320/Marathon_02.jpg" width="237" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rickey drew this map of the course on a piece of scratch paper, and it became the official course. The course distance was certified by our surveyors, Kurt and Tim. Thank you, Kurt and Tim! We couldn't have made it without you!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29PF1sUhxGX0ld2AaU9JvbcSWCiRNJE3Sm2GPkS32tHwKpsU08D8wZZtU7Ebnh34sjsyuI3336azjU4DAMbodULL22FnsRH8nTjVFEVPNm583bagO0qnTQHDBLMh5YDln-PMH5YYDx-Q/s1600/Marathon_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29PF1sUhxGX0ld2AaU9JvbcSWCiRNJE3Sm2GPkS32tHwKpsU08D8wZZtU7Ebnh34sjsyuI3336azjU4DAMbodULL22FnsRH8nTjVFEVPNm583bagO0qnTQHDBLMh5YDln-PMH5YYDx-Q/s320/Marathon_03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And so we were, the three of us committed marathoners, at the start line at the Geographic South Pole, at 1 PM on Sunday, Jan 16, in -19 F (-28 C) temperature and about 10 mph of wind. The windchill factor brought the temperature down to -40 F (-40 C), and we were going to race at a physiological altitude of 9,900 ft (physical altitude of 9,300 ft). Comms had been able to contact the DC-3 pilots, and had asked them to come in as early as possible so we could have the skiway to ourselves. And so it was: plane and skiers were gone by 9 AM. The skiway was ours for the day. Thank you, comms! We couldn't have done it without you!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uwaV4Hk9DKIPKWf0SFmDRrbnakI-mEuuvCI0y296RuPnn1ZkysRUVtP-2MzOCiY4Ie66TVejbfZnVuFC6We2cheGUXvDHJ3HVpI71aHbqFiKMhLpwWJJCokhDW50l5a8RDpzRiHxLZs/s1600/Marathon_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uwaV4Hk9DKIPKWf0SFmDRrbnakI-mEuuvCI0y296RuPnn1ZkysRUVtP-2MzOCiY4Ie66TVejbfZnVuFC6We2cheGUXvDHJ3HVpI71aHbqFiKMhLpwWJJCokhDW50l5a8RDpzRiHxLZs/s320/Marathon_04.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Much to our surprise, 10 runners showed up at the start, and many more came out to show their support. Keith, who had a commitment in the afternoon, had started 2 hours ahead of us, bringing the total to 11 participants. Some of the runners entered in the 1/2 marathon, as the course lends itself well to a 13.1 mile distance by reducing the number of skiway roundtrips from five to two.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrEX04lPqw-q8l2krR2gKk49uNoHD477INrDMqKANKnVCN7G_-t_vAyCzVrbvvHWVhWYYjdNfNz1nFNEheVnsWgphRiHrVkbSYpkzbBJcf8PyhhpV4tqo1TbasDb7lKSE-boxy9T3O3Y/s1600/Marathon_07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrEX04lPqw-q8l2krR2gKk49uNoHD477INrDMqKANKnVCN7G_-t_vAyCzVrbvvHWVhWYYjdNfNz1nFNEheVnsWgphRiHrVkbSYpkzbBJcf8PyhhpV4tqo1TbasDb7lKSE-boxy9T3O3Y/s320/Marathon_07.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The initial 2.1 miles of the course used the trail of the race around the world. Here is the leading group coming back to the pole after this first loop: left to right Jamie, who would win the 1/2 marathon, Rickey, and me. It was a bit of a fast pace for me, but I wanted to stay at the front while we were running around the station. I would let Rickey and Jamie go once we hit the skiway.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSffbuvG4iypY4LVUq0tyBLTbDxQOPtAkffTx4WIQagrhUiPUiKAcuVGrZxk2q_zUWwXvWEGgo0kSiNbpNS3llRihZHQPdE_pll5l0N9H8BOscS2BIXH74ZT8y-rHJVC-j1BZGp7RLxPY/s1600/Marathon_08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSffbuvG4iypY4LVUq0tyBLTbDxQOPtAkffTx4WIQagrhUiPUiKAcuVGrZxk2q_zUWwXvWEGgo0kSiNbpNS3llRihZHQPdE_pll5l0N9H8BOscS2BIXH74ZT8y-rHJVC-j1BZGp7RLxPY/s320/Marathon_08.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The skiway is 12,000 ft long between two sets of red flags. At the set of red flags closest to the station we placed our first aid station, with hot cider, hot chocolate, hot broth, cookies, peanut butter and nutella sandwiches.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZQDD7NPiz5YJklZraRNwu46zs3T3Y22_5jUuj-52avUGAN38Sap37y6oIYCpaz22Y1SdvU3jRG70acs5JjL0S_vnOubSBWjQE2UD5dx1K8Rim4gwSUxMLMOyI8jU0g24sTVSUFaAEQU/s1600/Marathon_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZQDD7NPiz5YJklZraRNwu46zs3T3Y22_5jUuj-52avUGAN38Sap37y6oIYCpaz22Y1SdvU3jRG70acs5JjL0S_vnOubSBWjQE2UD5dx1K8Rim4gwSUxMLMOyI8jU0g24sTVSUFaAEQU/s320/Marathon_10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rickey and Jamie took the lead on the skiway and ran together for the first 10 miles, before Rickey took off on his own. We did not have an official timer at the end of the 1/2, but Jamie timed himself for an unofficial finish of 2 hrs 00 min.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlsVtCsyxHeF4itPBvf1PbXAByuCWLvEJT7RyOHthOlrA7SwZQ3e7ReENH-jKw36ogha6d60dyv7LmE5peDrB2rNIB7AS8AQMThZjDL3G2IrqunaaOw9CTd8GYPv6iPWSCKo-c3XncU4/s1600/Marathon_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlsVtCsyxHeF4itPBvf1PbXAByuCWLvEJT7RyOHthOlrA7SwZQ3e7ReENH-jKw36ogha6d60dyv7LmE5peDrB2rNIB7AS8AQMThZjDL3G2IrqunaaOw9CTd8GYPv6iPWSCKo-c3XncU4/s320/Marathon_11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">At the far end of the skiway we had the second aid station. This was just an orange bag containing the same items as on the first aid station, plus a radio with spare batteries, a sleeping bag, a pee bottle, and toilet paper. The bag was positioned 243 feet away from the last set of red flags, so as to make the course exactly 26.2 miles.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUv0wyMB8CQdD3IJBWtGCPgh5xBUk_UGfD6t0W2F1c-TzDTrp42wLo1DEHGbRp8yarBYOo28SV_6T6Oh806vNXIAZP6EsPg6NRIbQowIeoG52BfMsNur23Np4zkCSJ9IatzqZgdZe6-uc/s1600/Marathon_13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUv0wyMB8CQdD3IJBWtGCPgh5xBUk_UGfD6t0W2F1c-TzDTrp42wLo1DEHGbRp8yarBYOo28SV_6T6Oh806vNXIAZP6EsPg6NRIbQowIeoG52BfMsNur23Np4zkCSJ9IatzqZgdZe6-uc/s320/Marathon_13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sarah, a graduate student from Stanford working here on one of the telescopes for just a few weeks, was a complete revelation. With no training, she decided the day before the race to run the 1/2 marathon. She felt good on race day and kept going to run a total of 22 miles! We found out that she is engaged and plans on having her wedding ceremony after completing an ultramarathon (that is a 100 mile race) with her beau.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinkRIl584Bx54imScJQuBkV3LHalkcmZOBJDkphx6ME_q7Be5e2nHnZk-hqkRSxNzVtiMUlJeXMX_mDwZS7TIgacZLpaENOG2TBJqagAKhkUt4gC8HXNcqG2YkSxKBfVXDsEakOIJGqHY/s1600/Marathon_14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinkRIl584Bx54imScJQuBkV3LHalkcmZOBJDkphx6ME_q7Be5e2nHnZk-hqkRSxNzVtiMUlJeXMX_mDwZS7TIgacZLpaENOG2TBJqagAKhkUt4gC8HXNcqG2YkSxKBfVXDsEakOIJGqHY/s320/Marathon_14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mark, our station Doctor, ran a whopping 9 miles! He is a world class rower, but he is also a runner in his spare time. He recently finished the Boston marathon hand-in-hand with his 20-yr old daughter.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2L72H8ffxnaAEBi8vmc2hPzAlbIf9wGUfBHjCux5iYRQi65Lyt9ztKtGb8wyhLQ0bzwGMrqRzqsxZLolYrNASRexsIkpNydDOuFEQijnYpQhvF0jsbA89hWf6dKDCF-mS_jcWluBOmbU/s1600/Marathon_15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2L72H8ffxnaAEBi8vmc2hPzAlbIf9wGUfBHjCux5iYRQi65Lyt9ztKtGb8wyhLQ0bzwGMrqRzqsxZLolYrNASRexsIkpNydDOuFEQijnYpQhvF0jsbA89hWf6dKDCF-mS_jcWluBOmbU/s320/Marathon_15.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Anne, a graduate student from Aachen University in Germany, and here for two weeks working on the Ice Cube project, ran 7.7 miles. She is also a member of our ski club.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcZMz-_po1nVJa0Vvah-cc2OGmcrP5u1-TuDNopc_mdL7DnEVX82sRNYX7t_C_IYBEbWyANPdg4CvKd0RzU8ohmX-xWo_Z7DOY-TdwsjC8RlRKm1wSSDKSmkWDbaNbNqt-QDHr3HTpV8/s1600/Marathon_16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcZMz-_po1nVJa0Vvah-cc2OGmcrP5u1-TuDNopc_mdL7DnEVX82sRNYX7t_C_IYBEbWyANPdg4CvKd0RzU8ohmX-xWo_Z7DOY-TdwsjC8RlRKm1wSSDKSmkWDbaNbNqt-QDHr3HTpV8/s320/Marathon_16.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Keith left two hours ahead of us because he had an afternoon commitment. He completed the marathon, despite running the first two hours alone and with no aid stations.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgk7QqdeQ8v1Fk8_aHcV_SzW4pVtVDyxvARtic1KtB6gD7GhtvGU06tq_mfx65eeDBCDDP7qmE5uPIsUoMb_xC29Iiu6KmytibtXVt_n3AFQFTW3WXB3I9eutra5dOmuumtfLFnqmzEQ/s1600/Marathon_16_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgk7QqdeQ8v1Fk8_aHcV_SzW4pVtVDyxvARtic1KtB6gD7GhtvGU06tq_mfx65eeDBCDDP7qmE5uPIsUoMb_xC29Iiu6KmytibtXVt_n3AFQFTW3WXB3I9eutra5dOmuumtfLFnqmzEQ/s320/Marathon_16_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Allan (right) was another revelation of the day. He had just arrived less than a week ago, and, with no acclimatization, ran 7.7 miles. He had started with the intention of running just the first 2.1 mi loop, but felt good and kept going. He is a Professor at Siena College, in the state of New York, and the principal investigator for the space weather science at the South Pole (with his instruments he can see the Auroras even in the brightness of the summer daylight). He had such a great time that he will start training for a full marathon. On the left is Martin, our station manager. Martin was out on the ice most of the time, at the aid stations and at the finish line, giving us words of encouragement, offering us a hot drink, and making sure we were warm enough. We could not have made this marathon happen without Martin and the support of the station management. Thank you, Martin! (Photo by Steven)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHv_M5q_25VuAcN9I9nYqrbS30qSKrDNC3cbzjQ62lwEx_dY0sc46Ul8Us4YCv-unb08TawTVUXMvb4EMBmPO0oETaa3Jvumv6drHY9EZZ_sf9DZlbnp_lEFA1JFDtaY1ccEergh5Xwkc/s1600/Marathon_17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHv_M5q_25VuAcN9I9nYqrbS30qSKrDNC3cbzjQ62lwEx_dY0sc46Ul8Us4YCv-unb08TawTVUXMvb4EMBmPO0oETaa3Jvumv6drHY9EZZ_sf9DZlbnp_lEFA1JFDtaY1ccEergh5Xwkc/s320/Marathon_17.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It is lonely to run 26.2 miles when there are only 11 runners on the course, but because we had to run the skiway a total of 10 times (5 times down and 5 times back up), we had frequent encounters with our fellow marathoners. Here Sarah gives a high five to Rickey and Jamie.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz90RcYG9wFhpm4IcXJcaqzLDmOr0RM64QLvZPjZDJWbQ9t_q43x3yDWNW3KDM2Je_X-0GGn2TbECVkQTZiUrVnKbBkEDe-wK_Qo7qsvMHTxM63S60EJLNCpFR6QgiQQ0w6lROpcDNiyo/s1600/Marathon_18_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz90RcYG9wFhpm4IcXJcaqzLDmOr0RM64QLvZPjZDJWbQ9t_q43x3yDWNW3KDM2Je_X-0GGn2TbECVkQTZiUrVnKbBkEDe-wK_Qo7qsvMHTxM63S60EJLNCpFR6QgiQQ0w6lROpcDNiyo/s320/Marathon_18_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Many people came out in the -19 F and 10 mph wind to encourage and support us. At any one time there would be as many as 10 people at the aid station taking photos, giving us a quick massage, offering a drink, and words of encouragement. Some people even came out on skis or in their running shoes to accompany us for short stretches. Haley ran a total of 6 miles with several of us. Many thanks to all of you who came out (too many to name). We couldn't have made it without your support! (Photo by sjb)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gwWa88Z0Yrk2pALpdBueOX8npleikAfAT26zVrJCpGmTinO-j5wc73FXshOfkRHMi5ny7jz05ucmYhDTPTIu5SIdcRmJfN_GeIMFL61zuXTQ0WfmZYnO3Gz1z5TC_1w7DJo6_MEf8cc/s1600/Marathon_19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gwWa88Z0Yrk2pALpdBueOX8npleikAfAT26zVrJCpGmTinO-j5wc73FXshOfkRHMi5ny7jz05ucmYhDTPTIu5SIdcRmJfN_GeIMFL61zuXTQ0WfmZYnO3Gz1z5TC_1w7DJo6_MEf8cc/s320/Marathon_19.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">At the second pass on the skiway a sign appeared at the aid station. It made us runner feel really good. Thank you, polies!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPoGRZJBwuih0AaIIUJ6z-H5FX3znmsz2mOi9qk7U7oz2-PKHL7JYv__xIxVu3eu9tTZhVleYXLTPC7g5A9EBvDxK98o7ldq1fT1xF_Krd_hW72_MIBSv9t04AzyAn7RXJbJaJF-KKWw/s1600/Marathon_20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPoGRZJBwuih0AaIIUJ6z-H5FX3znmsz2mOi9qk7U7oz2-PKHL7JYv__xIxVu3eu9tTZhVleYXLTPC7g5A9EBvDxK98o7ldq1fT1xF_Krd_hW72_MIBSv9t04AzyAn7RXJbJaJF-KKWw/s320/Marathon_20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Some people, seeing our faces and clothes coated with a layer of ice soon after we started, were concerned that we were cold. This is me about halfway into the race. In reality we were very warm. Our transpiration and breath would go through our clothes and instantly freeze upon contact with the cold air. The ice makes a good thermal insulation, and we felt really warm inside, as if we were inside an igloo. We had a side wind of about 10 mph, so our breath would drift and deposit as frost on just one side of our goggles, and we could only see with one eye. When we turned around to run the opposite side of the skiway, however, we were facing the sun and the ice on the dark goggles would slowly melt, or maybe sublimate, the ice, and we would regain full vision.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZ5lerj1tebQAjwbMFIvudaDgIgKmo_zMV_srjVxrzLnk3YK2HxJYfGAibwlo_dbcqCeitVK2J111fAuoxW1n2iDRICi-8qRHXaSXK19-H9bFsWuiAYRyQQF4OtFDgYO_Y-QMuN92bY0/s1600/Marathon_20_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZ5lerj1tebQAjwbMFIvudaDgIgKmo_zMV_srjVxrzLnk3YK2HxJYfGAibwlo_dbcqCeitVK2J111fAuoxW1n2iDRICi-8qRHXaSXK19-H9bFsWuiAYRyQQF4OtFDgYO_Y-QMuN92bY0/s320/Marathon_20_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In this photo, taken from the roof of the station, Rickey is running solo on the infinity of the Antarctic plateau to winning the marathon in the fastest time for any marathon ever run at the South Pole. (Photo by sjb)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcGXl1yqtnKs7e_FmTOYQbkcKZ_0XnaEKsq-1_Q1eijrPTiK_XaHSbq7xWV6JcnmyTPhht2deLLDVGvultWUx4QuCPH0R3cnHBriDpqkLPhgpAzlTszDay1Rw1XbqSI_DIpWnc6NU1Ik/s1600/Marathon_20_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcGXl1yqtnKs7e_FmTOYQbkcKZ_0XnaEKsq-1_Q1eijrPTiK_XaHSbq7xWV6JcnmyTPhht2deLLDVGvultWUx4QuCPH0R3cnHBriDpqkLPhgpAzlTszDay1Rw1XbqSI_DIpWnc6NU1Ik/s320/Marathon_20_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Many people came out facing the cold at the finish line. In the last 0.2 miles the course turned into the wind for the finish at the geographical South Pole. That was the hardest part of the race, and I might have wanted to slow down, if it weren't for the encouragement of the people waiting for us at the finish. Comms took the initiative to scout us from their control post as we were approaching the station, and announcing our arrivals on the station intercom, so people would be able to come out in time to the finish line, or watch the finish from the windows in the dining room. (Photo by sjb)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIlSukMhecETVRJiEMnEIiSVOUTjCtV3tGL6-PfTAMP3qUWbpAuuSoDN_2wz4bm3B6NTiN5hKLm0BTacnyXOUxOUELvQDHOiB-nG4QySONgQYertuUWAEXuoAL1AHQIiE2EMW4DV6NFSM/s1600/Marathon_21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIlSukMhecETVRJiEMnEIiSVOUTjCtV3tGL6-PfTAMP3qUWbpAuuSoDN_2wz4bm3B6NTiN5hKLm0BTacnyXOUxOUELvQDHOiB-nG4QySONgQYertuUWAEXuoAL1AHQIiE2EMW4DV6NFSM/s320/Marathon_21.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rickey came in first in 4:02:15</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhijxJj65qmF1dsyEcmqr530D9E8naUOoCw6deM5WBfsfHRqMEQqt5lv4rDznyJ9pw83k2MKv5Wrc0ljh967rJJWkJYe9MdBXBEtBbNUuf3UJU0nwF-MonCC7MUsjBgSntbhZD6q8Hno/s1600/Marathon_24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhijxJj65qmF1dsyEcmqr530D9E8naUOoCw6deM5WBfsfHRqMEQqt5lv4rDznyJ9pw83k2MKv5Wrc0ljh967rJJWkJYe9MdBXBEtBbNUuf3UJU0nwF-MonCC7MUsjBgSntbhZD6q8Hno/s320/Marathon_24.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here is Keith, coming to the finish line in 6:16:04. He had started two hours ahead of us.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJMjJdzm6o1ezsuah5Fo5psHpQQ-V1S7IvKl6QSL0N7Mmza53W1PGOOiZLvA3BsViU-CZaz3XPor5oMA8XalYo10V3v4FdC7LikBmfz6QSymy7B-KxB9pVQRD42_bl9HNnq7HZYmntI2M/s1600/Marathon_25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJMjJdzm6o1ezsuah5Fo5psHpQQ-V1S7IvKl6QSL0N7Mmza53W1PGOOiZLvA3BsViU-CZaz3XPor5oMA8XalYo10V3v4FdC7LikBmfz6QSymy7B-KxB9pVQRD42_bl9HNnq7HZYmntI2M/s320/Marathon_25.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is my second place finish in 4:32:42.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSs7ue7BsYi7t9g-gsETPV_KJaT8XnzxisuZ4Nc4pbcoIklxPnrjn6nrPGy0IQXxvfImj6YVcJBuu-D2f3fBkoC7j2fM1K_N-LY_sLFqkH77Wv6xq9uDr5N32-Rh0qL2CP8Cbn7Lij2Xg/s1600/Marathon_28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSs7ue7BsYi7t9g-gsETPV_KJaT8XnzxisuZ4Nc4pbcoIklxPnrjn6nrPGy0IQXxvfImj6YVcJBuu-D2f3fBkoC7j2fM1K_N-LY_sLFqkH77Wv6xq9uDr5N32-Rh0qL2CP8Cbn7Lij2Xg/s320/Marathon_28.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And this is Christina, making history as the first woman ever to finish a marathon at the South Pole, in the very respectable time of 4:53:30</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivl_MA0KISqE5F3B3qiXsKCMs5Fii1iJi9yGj_GHYCsRCmhZUdZw7ZWwf0L6PwcGN0jpG_Clfxpdu2mh_2SgW-lzY-oDemVJGKYzL25-O-KrW-AiX60qTQ84skiaeCzuJawuJmmJXXcOU/s1600/Marathon_29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivl_MA0KISqE5F3B3qiXsKCMs5Fii1iJi9yGj_GHYCsRCmhZUdZw7ZWwf0L6PwcGN0jpG_Clfxpdu2mh_2SgW-lzY-oDemVJGKYzL25-O-KrW-AiX60qTQ84skiaeCzuJawuJmmJXXcOU/s320/Marathon_29.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Some of our fellow polies made a congratulatory sign for us, another sign of what a creative and supportive community we live in, and so we were, less than 36 hrs after being denied our trip to McMurdo, celebrating the conclusion of our own South Pole marathon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the frenzy of organizing our own race in such a short time, we did not even think or worry about whether or not a marathon had ever been run at the South Pole before, and it wasn't until dinner time in the galley that someone raised the possibility that we may have broken some historical records. So we did some internet research and found out that, to the best of our knowledge, this was the second marathon ever run here. As reported in a Sports Illustrated article of Apr 23, 2002 (<a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/siadventure/14/south_pole/">http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/siadventure/14/south_pole/</a>) the first one occurred on Jan 22, 2002. Five people were flown to the South Pole, they spent three days camped out to acclimatize to the altitude, then were driven by snowmobile 26.2 miles north and ran back to the pole. Two of them ran a 1/2 marathon, while three of them completed the entire distance. They ran on the sastrugi, and two of the marathoners used snowshoes, so their times are understandably much slower than our times. The three finishers were Richard Donovan, age 36, in 8:51:55; Dean Karnazes, age 38 or 39, in 9:18:55, and Brent Weigner, age 52, in 9:20:05. So, it looks like we broke at least three records: Christina is the first and fastest woman ever to complete a marathon at the South Pole; Rickey has the fastest ever time; and I can claim the fastest time in the Masters (age 40+) category. Some people suggested that we apply for an entry in the Guinness Book of Records ... I don't know about that. First I don't think South Pole marathons should be encouraged, except for station personnel, because flying people to the South Pole causes a lot of pollution; in addition, our records would be hard, but not impossible, for outsiders to challenge, because we had the privilege of running on a well packed skiway, unless visitors to the South Pole groomed their own tracks, which would cause even more pollution.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Overall this was and will probably remain for a long time the most sensational race I ever ran, not only for its location, but first and foremost for the great support that we received from all our friends in the station. Thank you, fellow polies, we couldn't have done it without you!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Photo credits: all photos used in this blog were taken by Robert Schwartz, except where noted. Thank you to all the photographers who went out in the cold to document this historic event and posted their photos on our common drive.</div>Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-22513449268712034032011-01-13T18:53:00.000-08:002011-01-15T11:31:40.561-08:00The South Pole Ski ClubMembership is free. Ski, boots, poles, groomed tracks, and a warming hut are provided, also free of charge. Club trips, twice a week, go out on some of the most unique terrain on the planet, and are also gratis. It all comes with being a citizen of the South Pole Station. <br />
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The idea came about back in November, when the mercury first rose above the -40 F level. Mark (the station doctor) and I decided to check out some of the ski equipment that Raytheon generously provides, some of it brand new, still in the original package. We went out for about one hour and we had such a great time that we figured we had to make it a routine and get more people involved. So we talked to Elissa, our Recreation coordinator, and the ski club was born. Linda made a sign for the club, so it is now official.<br />
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We go out twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays, for one hour at a time. The extreme cold temperatures here at the South Pole make the skis stick to the ice, but with temperatures warming up in the last few weeks we have been able to get a little bit of a glide. Still, we move fairly slow, at average speeds of about 3.5 mph (5~6 km/h). We have a significant turnover, as many people come to the South Pole only for a short few weeks to get their science work done, then they go back home. <br />
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Here are some of the people and some of the sights.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTO11Us_o1HCSFZFCcCP9v1ebOk9cPI6saA7RtJzcC7InC5d6KUeWa8SaOG_iu4zEHObRyCEFMgMMbS4InYzdkW9-qnc4t9JyDzExLDAVjI9y6Do_OzBEUdDj-adDSM7T1Yefw7xMymg/s1600/SKI_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTO11Us_o1HCSFZFCcCP9v1ebOk9cPI6saA7RtJzcC7InC5d6KUeWa8SaOG_iu4zEHObRyCEFMgMMbS4InYzdkW9-qnc4t9JyDzExLDAVjI9y6Do_OzBEUdDj-adDSM7T1Yefw7xMymg/s320/SKI_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Left to right Mandi , Mark, Marcopolie, Joselyn, Linda, and Charles, on Jan 2.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitq-w1IblfgA2fH6Qp8hiXNzi7Pmf-csR3XpGwl9kTnEIochnTg34ve4SGyF1w6Y9k-bEsxMVRNvIRwwajGLdTrlsaeIYwmOsaQecueqRxoczaR7zrP2Wa1H4bjqne4920H4kqwU9iw1o/s1600/SKI_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitq-w1IblfgA2fH6Qp8hiXNzi7Pmf-csR3XpGwl9kTnEIochnTg34ve4SGyF1w6Y9k-bEsxMVRNvIRwwajGLdTrlsaeIYwmOsaQecueqRxoczaR7zrP2Wa1H4bjqne4920H4kqwU9iw1o/s320/SKI_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our first outing was on Nov 24, still in -38 F (-39 C) temperatures, our breath and transpiration turning into an insulating layer of ice on our clothes. Here we are in front of the station, on our way back from a trip. Notice a C-130 on the skiway in the back. From left to right Marcopolie, Zoe, and Katherine.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9-xxC0In5qt1UJaoX5svavnuvYiKUdjE0iO4KG-WWBn002qZvyebjXl1KHM99UubJ6LFW16Z0kiHVc8KU4CWWCyjBMwhymmHyazl10OP4PqndxLDeG-4fI1SyK3bTq7cbWA-p6Vokx8/s1600/SKI_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9-xxC0In5qt1UJaoX5svavnuvYiKUdjE0iO4KG-WWBn002qZvyebjXl1KHM99UubJ6LFW16Z0kiHVc8KU4CWWCyjBMwhymmHyazl10OP4PqndxLDeG-4fI1SyK3bTq7cbWA-p6Vokx8/s320/SKI_3.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Zoe and Aron on the ski loop on Dec 1, with a sundog in background.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkPrVEp1prnqdneX74LKg1YdY589Wy6RjylW8gndYtNbcZ8f-Kq1kgTLWkxHkqXOyQZaSqb-xdQAH4R3POgO-UunnMsRx2M06-qM8VVNVGOGNhHDLFo0HBMrHCdLleuWfo9KNhdqZmRY/s1600/SKI_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkPrVEp1prnqdneX74LKg1YdY589Wy6RjylW8gndYtNbcZ8f-Kq1kgTLWkxHkqXOyQZaSqb-xdQAH4R3POgO-UunnMsRx2M06-qM8VVNVGOGNhHDLFo0HBMrHCdLleuWfo9KNhdqZmRY/s320/SKI_4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Linda pointing out to one of the orange flags denoting the location of a neutrino detector down in the ice during our science tour on Dec 19. The science tour is a 2.5 mile loop that we have created, which takes us from the station to the BICEP telescope, then to the 10-mt telescope, on to the Ice Cube Laboratory, the Ice Cube Drill Camp, and back to the station.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwFbDcfoz5r41OYLMhWPYEnKguRa91QsL6o_irQPsIZMamVRQmvP8kF_7ZhMxcEDs4MmiQCkQuDYoS0CmiDz4JllgkIw6aWvl39mG_Y0GYxXqHDk5szFyuGHuLKKY7td8Ujnt7eZEyO0/s1600/SKI_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwFbDcfoz5r41OYLMhWPYEnKguRa91QsL6o_irQPsIZMamVRQmvP8kF_7ZhMxcEDs4MmiQCkQuDYoS0CmiDz4JllgkIw6aWvl39mG_Y0GYxXqHDk5szFyuGHuLKKY7td8Ujnt7eZEyO0/s320/SKI_5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The heavy equipment operators have groomed a ski loop with several options, for a total of about 5 miles of groomed terrain. In the middle of it they have brought a warming hut where we can take refuge if we needed to. In the hut there are blankets, a bed, and a stove. We have not had the need to use it, but I hope that, before the end of the season, I find the time to go spend a night out there.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcbuJ0h3T8Es6zpiRaAjof-IgvTt-tRpvbS0mT0OhvxYQ0b0-d0CiMcyc-BNBXExJNEu6XDJBjcVLNDu0vNKjgc-6b3XjgyuGq-k_7zTo62bgJcKNTlBjTRcQfNS_z3bxpYKnVLaUHVo0/s1600/SKI_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcbuJ0h3T8Es6zpiRaAjof-IgvTt-tRpvbS0mT0OhvxYQ0b0-d0CiMcyc-BNBXExJNEu6XDJBjcVLNDu0vNKjgc-6b3XjgyuGq-k_7zTo62bgJcKNTlBjTRcQfNS_z3bxpYKnVLaUHVo0/s320/SKI_6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On January 2 we skied over the sastrugi to the tourist camp site. Adventurers who ski all the way to the pole are not allowed in the station, except in case of emergency. However, we do set up a campsite for them where they can stay without interfering with the station activities.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWbJYeasAUmrUJLmh91PhaEC-cGqWt0yZkS3yuK3qQlQffxbIT0yvG048BYuupCIkXiXO7p8J48PI8K7V0ukgk9b8tvTiO0A9zHPN6BSogwLYX8Hef3ITb2snPjAQ-hXVzIaIVkOmDhs/s1600/SKI_6_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWbJYeasAUmrUJLmh91PhaEC-cGqWt0yZkS3yuK3qQlQffxbIT0yvG048BYuupCIkXiXO7p8J48PI8K7V0ukgk9b8tvTiO0A9zHPN6BSogwLYX8Hef3ITb2snPjAQ-hXVzIaIVkOmDhs/s320/SKI_6_5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mark and Anne on the ski loop on Jan 12.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONDMWS2q-KnlpZCVd6sc3N5-G05qVTT6EFyDalFlKYq71-z_UO0bAL6fLhOMe5huWYZB2Sc6YzbDm18mLltPLx86qmzLyiYRlUoKwXw72qIjGTI23qmnTG6bsiVn7zkBNd6Ea4xhML5k/s1600/SKI_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONDMWS2q-KnlpZCVd6sc3N5-G05qVTT6EFyDalFlKYq71-z_UO0bAL6fLhOMe5huWYZB2Sc6YzbDm18mLltPLx86qmzLyiYRlUoKwXw72qIjGTI23qmnTG6bsiVn7zkBNd6Ea4xhML5k/s320/SKI_7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sometimes it is just nice to go wander away from the groomed track, alone on the sastrugi, turn the back to the station, look at the immensity of nothingness, and ponder what it must have felt like to be the first person at the pole 100 years ago. Here is Linda taking a meditative detour on Dec 26.</div>Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-75576400162099141112011-01-07T19:13:00.000-08:002011-01-08T10:30:48.226-08:00Reality TV shows up at the South PoleIt came in the form of a ski race, one country against another: Germany vs. Austria. Two team leads: a television comedian for the German team and a pluri-decorated Olympic skier for the Austrian team. The team leaders selected their three other team members out of ordinary people who had applied in their respective countries. They all went training in Norway for some time, then they flew to Antarctica, where a plane dropped them 250 miles from the South Pole. The winner would be the first team to reach the pole. They would need to choose the route and select the strategy, particularly when and how long to rest. A TV crew would follow them by car and film them about 3 hours every day, leaving them on their own for the rest of the day. A 6-hr reality TV show will result and will be aired later this year on German and Austrian TVs. <br />
At the end of the race they spent a few days camped out near the station, so we had plenty of opportunities to go meet with them and socialize. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjezNsNvyE3EQ51NRwVRK8kxVBRg_BeptnUxC9p5k4tO9MRpeNDDJ3fuinnFrL4_zayHxG8Us2J2g5ieGGL0YeA-GQN8-1KilFXWuR-qhyst4-DdeUrkXVHG7AjNy1K-Q29loF15L5vZ-c/s1600/RACE_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjezNsNvyE3EQ51NRwVRK8kxVBRg_BeptnUxC9p5k4tO9MRpeNDDJ3fuinnFrL4_zayHxG8Us2J2g5ieGGL0YeA-GQN8-1KilFXWuR-qhyst4-DdeUrkXVHG7AjNy1K-Q29loF15L5vZ-c/s320/RACE_2.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We learnt a little bit about what it takes to ski across the plateau. The skis get skins instead of wax. The sleds are lightweight, but can still weigh 40 kg when fully loaded, and are hauled with a harness that is part of a backpack. Food, according to one of the German team members, was hard to swallow. They said they were cold most of the time, and the landscape was obsessively monotonous. After talking with them I realized how different their experience is from our's. They endured harsh conditions to enjoy the outdoors in Antarctica. We at the station get to enjoy the outdoors, but are never far away from a good meal, a hot cup of tea, or a private room with centralized heating. As Reinhold Messner put it in his book about crossing the white continent by ski, Antarctica is heaven and hell; for us in the station it is just heaven.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNoEcMxmleJ15L6jEYIWPrh7dOmdeZlJbkMeTfaYWBAz1EWry_6KdNtjbMcXeJkNlxzOwzdRdeBRsm7KFMSgd1W_IqAeRan9kmBN7HiUw0L3n5N3C7xl_NSag9nVYekEs7jucCHxwj1s/s1600/RACE_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNoEcMxmleJ15L6jEYIWPrh7dOmdeZlJbkMeTfaYWBAz1EWry_6KdNtjbMcXeJkNlxzOwzdRdeBRsm7KFMSgd1W_IqAeRan9kmBN7HiUw0L3n5N3C7xl_NSag9nVYekEs7jucCHxwj1s/s320/RACE_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Austrian team posed for us. At the far right is team leader Hermann Maier, gold medalist in Nagano (1998) in the Super-G and Giant Slalom, medalist again in Turin (2006), and world champion multiple times.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLE79pvGPrNT2N-T3MhHKsBuXB4xiGQy-YQ8rYZn6KRqk-owzajJLDNs1W6qe83teFyXFxLITimKUrOrQYzw5cBzERoJBgDrTfEi90z5LK-akWYMlBFXmAUodxYux1XE05pss8mSjNiEk/s1600/RACE_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLE79pvGPrNT2N-T3MhHKsBuXB4xiGQy-YQ8rYZn6KRqk-owzajJLDNs1W6qe83teFyXFxLITimKUrOrQYzw5cBzERoJBgDrTfEi90z5LK-akWYMlBFXmAUodxYux1XE05pss8mSjNiEk/s320/RACE_4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Arctic Trucks, the modified Toyotas from Iceland, were once again here at the South Pole. One of them was equipped with a boom for a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). It is a device that rides on the snow ahead of the car and can detect the presence of crevasses. As it turns out, the crew selected a route that had minimal glacial movements and did not encounter a single crevasse.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdCXYuN-WDEn_3Ss3K2IxeLklCO_CU8MXN_rYDxDBkOzLQMpBGxy2UhRifGIWv7pYoV8IeG2V6LKNxW3rney0cNckOxUeYmTPBKky9stp8o88uRl7316K47ELeuuCu7mjZbHoJWgkc3o/s1600/RACE_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdCXYuN-WDEn_3Ss3K2IxeLklCO_CU8MXN_rYDxDBkOzLQMpBGxy2UhRifGIWv7pYoV8IeG2V6LKNxW3rney0cNckOxUeYmTPBKky9stp8o88uRl7316K47ELeuuCu7mjZbHoJWgkc3o/s320/RACE_5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I left them the bicycle to enjoy for a day. When I went back to pick it up they told me they had great fun with it, and they even invented a new sport. I call it "The last one pedaling". Here is how it works: one starts pedaling on a groomed surface, then launches on the sastrugi, where the bicycle wheels will start sinking. The winner is the one who can go the farthest before falling down. The ride does not last more than 100 ft. We love the sport and we decided to include it in our upcoming Polympics.</div>Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6951773844656169971.post-60134496796556608762011-01-04T17:57:00.000-08:002011-01-04T17:57:41.483-08:00South Pole - Jan 1, 2011It was another spectacular summer day at the South Pole, the start of a special year, marking the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the first people here at 90S. We celebrated the beginning of the year with solemnity, dignity, respect, and a great party.<br />
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There was no official party on Dec 31st. Some people spent the midnight with a group of Austrians, Germans, and Icelanders camped out a half mile from the station, visiting the Pole on a reality TV show (more on this later); other folks went out at midnight to take photos at the Pole. I opted to go to sleep early so I wouldn't miss my early morning run before the Pole Marker ceremony at 10 AM the next morning.<br />
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As tradition obliges, at 10 AM on Jan 1 we all gathered outside for the Pole Marker ceremony. The immense glacier that we live on drifts at a speed of 10 meters per year, moving, along with it, all of our buildings, and even our pole marker. Therefore, every year, on Jan 1, we reposition the pole marker to the most current location of the Geographical South Pole. This position is determined by our surveyors with sophisticated GPS equipment provided by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The new pole marker itself is a piece of art designed by the winterover crew who spent the last year at the Pole, and is produced by the winterover machinist, while the old pole marker is taken back into the station and added to the collection of pole markers which is displayed in the hall. The new pole marker will sit out on the ice for the next 365 days, until it will be replaced next year by the one that we will design and build this coming winter.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMtgfg5yxVkqqY4L0fv3m7xuROsmcsr4GpAFDH7SMA6atocyMzkL_JP6NksEC3N65hWvskE1vm5a0RoVu-BEftmQHm894RI-9eqg_euzesI8ZpoBG6yDiYSFbu564Wf1jPwEhVvruavU/s1600/NY1_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMtgfg5yxVkqqY4L0fv3m7xuROsmcsr4GpAFDH7SMA6atocyMzkL_JP6NksEC3N65hWvskE1vm5a0RoVu-BEftmQHm894RI-9eqg_euzesI8ZpoBG6yDiYSFbu564Wf1jPwEhVvruavU/s320/NY1_small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">At 10 AM we all gathered in a big circle around the Geographic South Pole. Renee, our winterover station manager, in the green coat, holding the new pole marker in her left hand, wrote and delivered a short speech, then unveiled the pole marker and started passing it around the circle.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1u4mnWaFoMdCn5W3zHlvDGmINzKxB0nkei1Dhe_9RzhoQJRcsjnw1o7rV0Fqeu83SsVR84x_9-QzHca7fnk1P48EDevc9aqrK8dKnMmvwMPdi0geOYOepSpMZUhw3wIw5UXQTpspw6CQ/s1600/NY2_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1u4mnWaFoMdCn5W3zHlvDGmINzKxB0nkei1Dhe_9RzhoQJRcsjnw1o7rV0Fqeu83SsVR84x_9-QzHca7fnk1P48EDevc9aqrK8dKnMmvwMPdi0geOYOepSpMZUhw3wIw5UXQTpspw6CQ/s320/NY2_small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The new pole marker going around the circle from hand to hand. Here it is being held my Mike, one of our firefighters. Most of what I learnt about firefighting, I learnt it from Mike.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXVTu_S4TJBw0d4_ZUN7TXRbKjFXw-sIvk8KozJyvmCynRo9J92Or2Dsl8153nYnUcZ0Qg8bXfehKWNQ2idxq5egLOQDUJViaiEMUg0ztMff0Vxo4GtV0G81q0FUUpej0CoMMSl0oSYQ/s1600/NY3_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXVTu_S4TJBw0d4_ZUN7TXRbKjFXw-sIvk8KozJyvmCynRo9J92Or2Dsl8153nYnUcZ0Qg8bXfehKWNQ2idxq5egLOQDUJViaiEMUg0ztMff0Vxo4GtV0G81q0FUUpej0CoMMSl0oSYQ/s320/NY3_small.jpg" width="314" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The 2011 pole marker. If you happen to visit the pole this calendar year you will see it. The 47 degrees on the sextant represent the 47 people who wintered at the Pole last year.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8JgGu0ENKWh_CJOwG0ULiN_1cmrpfasczauGz_qNRogTYx3YazTMgtnujO_TZzAHlWsXgOQIvstWzn8XyNwgKIbwbvvoA5CrTlWfzfUJVdVG7jieWXOB98umYSrKPtbMxNAjFv12ZCM/s1600/Marco+smiling%2521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8JgGu0ENKWh_CJOwG0ULiN_1cmrpfasczauGz_qNRogTYx3YazTMgtnujO_TZzAHlWsXgOQIvstWzn8XyNwgKIbwbvvoA5CrTlWfzfUJVdVG7jieWXOB98umYSrKPtbMxNAjFv12ZCM/s320/Marco+smiling%2521.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I volunteered in the dish pit again on Jan 1, with Mandi, our Physical Therapist, and Mark, our Doctor, to give the kitchen people a break so they, too, could get ready for the party. Gloves and hat are a requirement to step into the kitchen area. Working in the dish pit is a very social activity: we get to meet all the station personnel passing through and handing us their dishes over a window. With every one we have some small talk. Many had nice comments about my joker hat.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUWnbJQldK4XJ1gdrcRSLrS6_RFGNbX5iTPuoxC_4GmJ17t7wOBosPhN36_aXGXNMeHLbhKeqUv7-6vX_i6ypzeibae8qKH55l569U5KgvyRQxEoV-bmnVyxexbBsgtJRIWVXGRoG0pIE/s1600/NY5_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUWnbJQldK4XJ1gdrcRSLrS6_RFGNbX5iTPuoxC_4GmJ17t7wOBosPhN36_aXGXNMeHLbhKeqUv7-6vX_i6ypzeibae8qKH55l569U5KgvyRQxEoV-bmnVyxexbBsgtJRIWVXGRoG0pIE/s320/NY5_small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The party started at 8:30 in the gym. We had three bands to entertain us: country, bluegrass, and rock. I find it remarkable that out of a population of 240 people, who did not even know each other just two months ago, we were able to come up with as many as three very good bands. It speaks to the talent and teamwork that is assembled here at the South Pole. All of this happens thanks to volunteers who set up and break down the venue, and take time after work to practice and plan. It also helps that the United States Antarctic Program provides us with excellent equipment, and that ... well, there isn't much more to do at night after the work is done.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBllOdQJDBxK9ksjw6JLRlxlP4afBmhbAk0ThmcSDqcUWROvyeA-yWDwcGaSeFilEBVgpYcvXp4LUIR9bX3KqrTJ4XuqrIE2UMLVivW6P9L6f5PxAVmRupmPcSLXvGMcbvcJ2tuUm870/s1600/NY6_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBllOdQJDBxK9ksjw6JLRlxlP4afBmhbAk0ThmcSDqcUWROvyeA-yWDwcGaSeFilEBVgpYcvXp4LUIR9bX3KqrTJ4XuqrIE2UMLVivW6P9L6f5PxAVmRupmPcSLXvGMcbvcJ2tuUm870/s320/NY6_small.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Some people participated in a costume contest. Here are John, our baker, and Tina, who works in comms. Tina's costume is made out of bubble wrap, while John made his suit out of bags of the Italian polenta that we eat here at the Pole. I owe John for making me panettone over the holidays, a request I had put in when I met him for fire training in Denver back in September. It was very good, just like the one we eat in Italy, except fresher.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrT-u33bGTO5LvdP_I_EmKgc6bTR1Mp_5u_tzL4uxFGMiUnq_kihDi9-fy3X3XBrGFTdqjfp0SoThdu3CZBcbhXzpVLLGGcR7Ozm52ptzCGztUtuKanAL-17auLwgbl9FSqydxrpxy4zw/s1600/NY7_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrT-u33bGTO5LvdP_I_EmKgc6bTR1Mp_5u_tzL4uxFGMiUnq_kihDi9-fy3X3XBrGFTdqjfp0SoThdu3CZBcbhXzpVLLGGcR7Ozm52ptzCGztUtuKanAL-17auLwgbl9FSqydxrpxy4zw/s320/NY7_small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We were up past midnight dancing and partying. I went to sleep at 1 am, but some people stayed up until 3 am, dancing to DJ music after the last band had finished playing.</div>Marco Poliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06336613807963221282noreply@blogger.com0