All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go!, January 5, 2006 Options

[Dena_Rosenberger]

All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go!
January 5, 2006

For those interested in things Antarctic and some fine journalism, check out the weekly Antarctic newspaper at http://AntarcticSun.usap.gov

Hello from the Ice!
For additional Antarctic pics, check out the Gallery.

Where’s Rosenberger?
Ross Island, Antarctica

Finally! We started getting ready for our field camp at Pony Lake! So the plan is to take five people out to set up the camp with tents and everything to stay for a week or so while we pump out eleven 55-gallon drums of Pony Lake water. It must be filtered while we are there so we are taking massive amounts of filters and all of the stuff you need for that. We had to get special permission to use power stuff because Pony Lake is in an Antarctic Specially Managed Area (ASMA) due to the penguin rookery. Permission was granted but we have to have the gas-powered generator a certain distance away from the rookery on the other side of the lake (350 feet away). Then, the water we pull out of the melted side of the lake must be filtered then pumped up and over the ridge (800 feet) to the waiting 55-gallon drums. All of this water will be pumped out using half-inch tubing (1150 feet of it!). From this distance away and over a ridge, the helicopters can airlift the filled 55-gallon drums back to McMurdo Station for further processing. Apparently, this is far away enough that they feel the penguins won’t be disturbed by the helicopters.

Our drums, rinsed and waiting at Crary Lab in McMurdo:


Filters and other equipment for the Pony Lake water:


The first step in getting ready for the field camp was to go to the Byrd Field Center (BFC) to get tents, shovels, water, buckets, tarps, kitchen stuff, sleeping bags, and food for a week for three people. For sleeping, each person gets their own North Face Mountain Tent. We also have a Scott Tent for storing stuff, and an Endurance Tent for our kitchen and storing more stuff. The Mountain Tents and Scott Tent we had to set up during our Outdoor Survival course the first week in Antarctica, but the Endurance tent was something new. So we decided to set it up right there in the BFC to practice before we take it to the field camp.

> At the BFC. How do you set this up?


> Endurance tent all set up:


This week has been getting everything together for this lake operation (called the “Big Pull” by the scientists). Because of the ASMA restrictions, only three people may stay overnight at the camp at one time. We were going to take five people out by helicopter today with all of the necessary equipment to set up everything, then two of them would come back to McMurdo and three would stay at Pony Lake to begin the filtering process. I was very happy to learn that I would be one of the five to go out for the set-up AND I would get to go back out to stay for two nights this weekend! (I should make a movie entitled, "Dances with Penguins," you know, kind of like "Dances with Wolves.")

Field Camp Set-up Day: To Pony Lake
We awakened this morning to snow falling from the sky! Beautiful BUT not good flying weather.



We waited anxiously this morning for word from Helicopter Operations (Helo Ops) to see if we would be flying as the snow blanketed the town and surroundings. First they called and said we are on stand-by, then a little while later, called and said all flights are cancelled for the day. Well! Here we are all ready to go and now we wait for tomorrow. Oh well, I have lot’s of samples to run in the lab. We’ll wait and see what kind of weather tomorrow brings. As they say here, it is a harsh continent!

I did walk down to the ice pier (Journal, December 29, Break On Through to the Other Side) to see what it looks like in the snow and had a friend take some photos with McMurdo Sound in the background, all chewed up by the Russian icebreaker.

Playing around at the Ice Pier:


Did you know?
As the sea ice breaks up, whales follow the cracks that form in the ice in McMurdo Sound. Eight species of whale are found in the Southern Ocean. One type, the killer whale, or orca, is the most wide-spread (non-human) animal in the world, and inhabits all of the world’s oceans. Scientists are here from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) using DNA to try to determine if there are actually more than one species of orca. They are also using hydrophones to record orca sounds, dorsal fin measurements, and satellite tracking tags to help them compare data with orcas in other oceans of the world.

Orcas in a crack in Antarctic ice (NOT this year yet):


Current Conditions at McMurdo Station
A weak low pressure ridge combined with moist air flow down McMurdo Sound brings snow and cloudy slies

Right now:
Winds from the east at 7 knots
Pressure: 29.285 inHg
Temperature: 18 oF/-8 oC with wind chill: 5 F/ - 15 C
Sunset: February 20 at 1:38 am

[Guest]

Rosen,
I have no idea if you will be able to read this, but you information is so wonderful. You look like a major dork in the ice, so I guess you havnt changed. Dont have too much fun, we want you to come back. I am so proud of you, you seem to be having such dorky fun!
I love and miss you Rosen...
One of you Favs- Shelby
Ps I hope you enjoyed you enjoyed your christmas!

[megan blakey and savannah herrin]

AHHHH thats sooo cool ms. Rburger!
i saw some killer whales too!(megan)
we cant wait till you get back!

[Haley Rice]

[SIZE=7][COLOR=purple]
Hey Mrs. Rosenberger it's Haley from second period...I don't know whether you remember me or not since I haven't seen you in like eight weeks. But you probably do since I have been in your class for two years now! We seriously miss you here at El Cap, and I still can't believe that you are in Antarctica. Dang! But I can't wait to hear all your stories and sweet jokes when you get back. Just wanted to write you to say hi and to tell you how cool and interseting you page is. I love all your pictures! But I can't wait until you get home! Have a fun, warm and safe time in Antarctica!
Love,
Haley

[Dena_Rosenberger]

Of course I read these! And hey, who are YOU calling a DORK????

Rosen

Rosen,
I have no idea if you will be able to read this, but you information is so wonderful.  You look like  a major dork in the ice, so I guess you havnt changed.  Dont have too much fun, we want you to come back.  I am so proud of you, you seem to be having such dorky fun!
I love and miss you Rosen...
One of you Favs- Shelby
Ps I hope you enjoyed you enjoyed your christmas!

[Guest]

Ms. Rosen!!!!!!! What an amazing experience you're having! I'm so excited for you to come back and share all the korky and fun things that happened... I'm sure there's plenty... after all you're there, haha!:P Well I so glad you got this opportunity, you deserve it... even if that means you leaving me, haha. Well you'll be home soon! I hope you continue to have fun and hope that you get home as safe as possible. I miss you!

-Lauren Roberts

[Guest]

Of course I read these! And hey, who are YOU calling a DORK????

Uhhh.. I think their pointing at you D

A-