Happy Birthday James!!!
Local Posting Day and Time- 1-5-08 Central Standard Posting Day and Time- 1-4-08
McMurdo Weather
Temperature- 25F Wind Direction- East Wind Speed- 10 MPH Wind Chill- 12F
Answer to Yesterday’s WATIZIT
Congratulations to Jeff and Matt a father and son team from New York. They gave a very impressive and thorough answer to the sundial question, that taught me several things. Here is their answer….
"Since the sun crosses the southern sky from east to west on our half of the Earth but crosses the Northern sky from east to west on your half we guessed that the midday sun would be in the northern sky. Actually, if it was 1pm the sun would be a little to the west of north. And, since a sundial needs to have the midnight hour facing toward the noon sun but the stick in the center of your sundial is pointing between the 1st and 2nd hour on the sundial, AND each hour the sun appears to move 15 degrees, we are estimating (OK guessing!) that the photo is aligned about 17 degrees west of north. "
Today’s WATIZIT Picture
Cape Bird Automated Weather Station
Look at this picture and figure out what was wrong with the weather station.
Today we were scheduled to board a helicopter (helo- in local lingo) at 11:30 this morning to fly out to a weather station which needed some repairs. Things often don’t happen on schedule, and today was no exception. At about 9:00 we received a phone call asking us to report to the helo pad in 20 minutes. I ran back to my room to get suited up in my ECW (cold weather gear), which is required if you fly anywhere. Mike, the pilot checked out the helo. After we and out gear was all weighed and we received our helmets, George, Jonathan and boarded the helicopter.
Waiting for the helo
Mike started and reved the engines and we lifted off. It was a rather odd feeling when a after we were just a few feet off the ground we started flying backwards. Then we turned and were off.
Liftoff
Soon we were flying north over the sea ice of McMurdo Sound. The rocky cliffs, full of glaciers, of Ross Island were off to our right.
McMurdo Sound and TransAntarctic Mountains
To our left the Sound extended for miles where eventually the TransAntarctic Mountains jutted skyward. Way off in the distance we could see a small dark speck in the sea ice. Mike told us it was the Swedish icebreaker the Oden, which is on its way to McMurdo.
Oden Icebreaker and McMurdo Sound Sea Ice
Soon we reached the edge of the sea ice where penguins scurried into the water which was being patrolled by a killer whale. Unfortunately I did not get a good picture of it but I am posting it anyway.
Orca and Sea Ice edge
Once we reached the edge of the ice Mike headed for the edge of the island since the helos are not allowed to fly over open water. Winds buffeted the helicopter and whipped snow across the glacier.
Wind off of glacier
After we flew north of the edge of the sea ice we reached an are which had many icebergs which had broken off of the sea ice and now just drifted in the ocean.
Coast of Ross Island
The weather station that needed repair was at Cape Bird, which is right beside a protected adelie penguin rookery. If you can imagine the smell of several thousand birds you will have an idea of what it was like.
Adelie penguin rookery
Jonathan quickly repaired the station.
Repairing the automated weather station.
George then checked to make sure it was transmitting the correct signal.
George checking the signal.
On our way back to the helo we had to stop and wait as a number of penguins passed by us.
Adelie penguins
Penguins and meteorologist
Flying back to McMurdo Mike asked if we wanted to fly over to the Oden, which I enthusiastically said yes. We circled twice as it was backing up to take another run at the ice. Lollie, another PolarTREC teacher, has been onboard the Oden for about 6 weeks. You can read about her expedition on the PolarTREC website.
Oden breaking ice
Oden breaking ice