Antarctica

I’ve been at the South Pole for about a week now. As far as work goes, 8 other GA’s and I have been moving a lot of snow. We shoveled off the fire escapes and walk ways, we dug out a bunch of cables needed for the Ice Cube Project (a huge study of neutrinos in the Antarctic), we cleaned out the LO arch of drift snow, etc. We also went out to Ice Cube drill camp one morning and helped the sparkies (electricians) string out huge cables for the 3 generators out there. Wrestling the HUGE black cables was not easy and took about 6-8 people to roll them out. We were in Condition 2 for weather, the wind moving over 20 knots, and blowing snow reducing visibility. The temp was actually pretty warm that morning, about -18. Later that day we set a new temperature record high of -12.6F for 11/12/09; blew the old record out of the water by 5 degrees.

I haven’t heard much on my trip out to AGAP field camp. My supervisor, Shaggy, is stuck in McMurdo because the weather got really bad there. Apparently they are having 50 knot winds in town, and condition 1 (whiteout) all over the place. So, no flights for a while out of there. But when those planes do come in, they will be carrying almost the entire AGAP camp staff, and our 10^th and final GA. So when they come in, I’m sure I’ll know a lot more and things will get rolling.

Yesterday, I was on fire-watch for the pipefitter/welder. Besides helping out string the welding lead and ground through the arches, my job was to stand there and make sure that the station didn’t burn down. The worst part about it was the getting cold from just standing there.

To get to the arches you have to descend 71 steps down the “beer can” which is a big metal tower that reaches from the top floor of the station to quite a ways under the snow. It connects to some under-snow tunnels that lead down to the power plant, carpentry shop, and heavy machinery shop. The temperature in the arches is usually colder than outside. It was only -35 or so the few days we were down there, but it can easily reach -60. The nice thing is the lack of wind.

The LO arch is a huge Quonset style structure that is connected to the tunnel. It’s still under construction, but will be used for storage. Yesterday in the afternoon, we were assembling the shelving that goes in there. Trying to assemble small nuts and bolts at -35 is pretty hard. I had to have just my glove liners on with hand warmers in them. My palms were sweating but my fingertips were getting numb. It wasn’t too bad though.

There is also the Ice Tunnels, which run from the main station clear out to summer camp, some 2500 feet. Back in there the temp is always around -65. The tunnels are used to get piping out to summer camp and back. There are a few odd monuments back in the tunnels. I haven’t been back there, but I’ve heard stories of a full size frozen sturgeon that was a gift from the Russians back in the 70’s in exchange for blue jeans and other needed items. I think the Russians intended on the South Pole people to eat it, but they made it a mascot instead. There is also a frozen pig head monument back in there that is all decorated with various items. And of course the rumors of aliens living somewhere back those tunnels.

One more cool thing about working in the arches is the potential for sweet ice beards. With the lack of wind, the moisture from your breath just hangs around you and adheres to all of your hair. I’m constantly working on better and better ice beards.

P.S. I changed the blog so people can make comments now. So please do! Just click on the little comments link below a certain blog and then go to the bottom of the page.

Have a good weekend!