What Are We Doing Here? (A Refresher)
Our research team travels all the way to Antarctica every year to monitor the levels of pollution at major research stations. You can read a summary of the work we are doing and the reasons behind it here.
Carefully Selected Seafloor Sites
Before we can collect sediment samples from the land and seafloor, we first need to identify the sites' locations. The sampling sites for the seafloor are based on the history of the area. In McMurdo Sound, we will be collecting seafloor sediment samples from three key sites: Winter Quarters Bay, the sewage outfall and at a control site where there has not been a strong history of pollution.
This map illustrates where we will collect seafloor sediment. The three dots at each location represent different depths. A marks Winter Quarters Bay, D marks the sewage outfall and E marks the control site. Map created by Andrew Klein.
Winter Quarters Bay: A Polluted Past
People have visited Ross Island and the area near McMurdo Station for over a hundred years. In 1955 McMurdo Station was established as a camp for the International Geophysical Year (IGY). IGY hosted scientific research and collaboration between scientists from across the globe. Since 1955, McMurdo Station has grown and now has over 100 buildings and structures. Along with that growth has come waste, some of which has been deposited in Winter Quarters Bay.
Winter Quarters Bay was once a pollution site and now is used as a harbor for cargo ships.
Winter Quarters Bay (WQB) sits between Hut Point and McMurdo Station. Before 1980, waste from the station went out directly into the bay. When the bay was frozen, waste was dumped out onto the sea ice. For four years in 1970, the sea ice failed to break away in the summer and waste accumulated. A significant portion of waste froze and remained on the shore, becoming a source of pollution as it later melted and was released into the water.
One of many old, empty oil barrels that sit on the floor of McMurdo Sound. Photo by Rob Robbins.
The sediment in WQB is highly polluted. It contains high concentrations of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), Polychlorinated Terphenyls (PCTs), and other pollutants. Luckily the contamination in WQB is isolated from the rest of McMurdo Sound. Contamination drops off away from the bay and it is considered the most well-defined sediment contamination in the world (Chiang, et al.,).
Sewage Outflow
We will also be collecting sediment from an area near the sewage outfall of the Waste Water Treatment Plant which overlooks McMurdo Sound. Up until 2003, sewage from the station flowed directly into McMurdo Sound. This affected the fauna in the location, although some organisms like polychaete worms could still tolerate the conditions.
Sewage that once flowed into McMurdo Sound. Photo by Rob Robbins.
A Flag Marks the Spot
Before our research team can dive down to collect sediment from the sea floor, we first have to locate the sampling sites. Today we used a GPS to identify the sampling locations in Winter Quarters Bay, the sewage outflow and the control site. We marked the locations with flags and will later drill holes through the sea ice at these spots so divers can access the seafloor below.
Andrew Klein, at right, locates the sampling sites with the GPS while Terry Palmer, at left, and Michelle Brown (not pictured) drill holes in the location and mark them with flags.
Although it was sunny outside, the wind was strong and the wind chill made it feel like -14 degrees Fahrenheit! Luckily we were wearing warm gear and were not too far from the warmth of our lab in McMurdo Station.
Picture of the Day
Today's picture of the day takes a closer look at the pollution in Winter Quarters Bay and the sewage outflow. How would pollution affect the environment? Write your response in the "Ask the Team" section of this page.
To download the Ice POD PowerPoint Slide, click here: 7_icepod.pptx
The Ice Picture of the Day shows pollution in McMurdo Sound.
References:
Chiang, Erick, Shih-Cheng Chang, and Arthur J. Brown. "Pollution abatement at McMurdo Station, Antarctica." The Seventh International Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference. International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers, 1997.
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