Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 06:05
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Human Impacts in Antarctica 2011

Hi Michelle, I am very jealous of you! Looks like a life changing trip. I do have one delicate question though. What happens when you have to...you know...go? When you are wearing all those layers, it must make bathroom breaks a little challenging. Are there quick release hatches on all those clothes or do you have to take them all off to go to the bathroom?

Also, Do you snack a lot on the ice, or are you too busy mapping out the route? I've heard that skittles are good, but strawberry candies are the best snack food ever for strenuous activity! Here's to more great posts! Have a great time.

Your friend Steve.

Wed, 11/16/2011 - 18:19

Michelle Brown

Hello Steve,Yes--a great question, and I've noticed that down here such politeness
vanishes. Using the restroom in McMurdo station is luxurious--there are
restrooms everywhere. However, when you are out on the ice, it isn't as
easy. At Happy Camper school there was an out house that was a bit of a
walk to get to, but I preferred it to the other method, so I made the
trek multiple times (including at 1 a.m. despite being warm and cozy in
my tent). However, when there isn't a restroom or outhouse nearby, you
can use a pee bottle, which is what you might expect it to be. There is
also a human waste bucket, which at more advanced campsites has a seat
over it.
At a sea ice training yesterday, we were all told to bring our pee
bottles since we would be out on the ice and you are not allowed to
urinate on the ice. I have to say, it was not as difficult or
uncomfortable as I was expecting. Snow pants have some pretty useful
zips as well as Carharts, but I've also heard that there is some new
long underwear which makes using devices such as this very easy! Old
hands in the field are able to use the bottles without having to remove
too many layers.
I hope that answers your delicate question and thanks for asking (I'm
sure others are curious!).
Snacking is huge in Antarctica! We are encouraged to always have snacks
and hand/toe warmers on us. We are told when we feel tired or hungry (a
fellow researcher calls it "hangry" because being hungry leads to
crankiness or anger), we should stop and eat. Taking care of yourself
comes before anything else, including research. I've had more chocolate
and GORP, but yes, skittles and strawberry candies have a soft spot in
my heart.
Thanks for writing and I hope to hear from you again!!
Sincerely,
Michelle

Fri, 11/18/2011 - 07:21

Anonymous

What does your typical day consist of?

Fri, 11/18/2011 - 13:04

Michelle Brown

Hello!My typical day is not so typical yet! I have been here a week, and for
4 of those days I've been doing trainings. Today finally feels typical.
Even though it's Saturday, we still work. We get Sundays off though!
I wake up around 6 or 7 and make sure to get to the cafeteria by 7:30
a.m. for breakfast. Then I head to Crary Lab, where I share an office
with my research team. I check email and my journal (answering
questions like yours!), and start thinking about what I will write about
that day.
Today my research team and I went out on the ice to find the locations
that we are going to sample. I think we'll be doing that often. We
marked the locations and then came back to the lab. I am going to do a
short training next, and then eat lunch in the cafeteria. After lunch we
will go back out on the ice and Terry, one of our researchers, will dive
down to take a sediment sample. Then we'll collect the sample and label
it, and come back to the lab. Dinner is around 5 or 6, and then we
usually spend one or two more hours back in the lab before bed! I try
to write the journals after lunch or dinner, but that changes.
I'll have a better sense of what my typical day is like next week when
we really start having a routine!
Thanks for the great question and keep them coming!
Sincerely,
Michelle