Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 12/09/2011 - 15:57
Forums
Human Impacts in Antarctica 2011

Hi Ms. Brown, its Emma Nelson. After you did the video chat with us I came up with some questions to ask you.

  • How thick is the ice that they have to drill through to reach the ocean? How thick does it need to be in order to support the structure?
  • How do they move that building/structure that goes around the ice hole?
  • How does the diver know where to return to the surface when he/she is coming up from a dive?
  • Do you send the dirt back to the US? Or do you store it somewhere and take it back when you leave?

Hope you are having a good time.

Emma Nelson

Fri, 12/09/2011 - 18:19

Michelle Brown

Hi Emma,Thank you so much for writing! I'm glad you have some questions!
The ice near the shore here is only 1 1/2 or 2 meters thick! You would
think that would be dangerous, but that's actually a lot of ice!
The ice should be at least 1.5 meters thick I would say to hold the dive
hut--but let me ask some others here to make sure I have that right.
When the ice gets too thin, they move the dive hut.
They move the dive hut (the structure that goes over the ice hole) by
attaching it to a tractor. (I have pictures and videos of this that I
can show you!). The tractor then drags the hut away! The hut has two
bars that it sits on, kind of like two ice skates, making it easier to move.
Another great question! The diver sends down a rope with strobe lights
and flash lights attached to it, allowing him/her to see where the hole
is for a pretty far distance. Also, divers can also where a helmet that
has a cord attached back to the dive hut. This allows the divers to talk
to the people in the dive hut, but also allows him/her to find his/her
way back. WHEN a diver should return is another interesting fact. The
diver has a really fancy dive watch that lets him or her know the depth
they are at, and the time they've been under, among other things.
Divers in Antarctica should only be under for about 45 minutes maximum.
Also, when they dive really far, they need to come up slowly and stop
for 3 minutes or so at each depth closer to the surface. This is because
the gasses in their blood get pressurized at the lower depths and if
they come up too quickly, the gas will bubble out of their blood cells,
much like how soda bubbles when you release the pressure, which isn't
good for you!
We are shipping the sediment samples back to the U.S. right now! They
will be shipped back on a boat though, rather than a plane, so they
won't arrive for a long time after we return!
I'm having a great time, but can't wait to see you all and share more
stories! Keep the questions coming--these are great!
Sincerely
Ms. Brown