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Today instead of sampling rocks for dating with cosmogenic isotopes, we ventured to the bottom of the mountain to where the Beardmore Glacier meets the Ross Ice Shelf. Our destination was a small lake that receives water both from melt water from snow/ice fields on Mt. Hope and from the Ross Sea

"Antarctica: It's a Harsh Continent", so the popular saying says. This phrase can be heard and seen everywhere down here. About half of the time, people say it in jest; but, when the weather turns bad, they mean it. There are bumper stickers for sale with phrase, and when the credit card machine at

Laying down on my comfortable bed on a windy night I think about why have I decided to spend 67 days aboard a research vessel sailing on the harshest waters of the world around Antarctica. My bed is completely steady, and the only sound I hear is the purring of Momo between my wife and me. In some

Camp life in the field has been more comfortable than I expected. The Scott tents are quite warm - they have been as warm as 45F (you might not think that's very warm, but when the ambient outdoor temperature is below freezing, it seems warm). The tents are made of two, thick canvas walls and are

What a way to spend New Year's Day! Today, Maurice and I hiked to the summit of Mt. Hope. (We are currently camped on the northeast ridge of the mountain.) John and Perry had set off around 9 a.m. to collect samples along the east ridge on their way to the summit. Maurice and I left camp at about 10

One of the most amazing aspects of this expedition has been the abundant wildlife I've been able to observe from the Oden, as well as from the sea ice when we are off the ship at an ice station. I thought I'd tell you about one type of animal we see everyday - seals. I'll also tell you about the

John Stone is the principle investigator (PI) for our project, I-414. The National Science Foundation (NSF) grant was awarded under his name and proposal. John has nine seasons in Antarctica under his belt. He has been down here just nine seasons because he is so busy with dating projects all over

Cold seems to be what most people think when asked about the idea of going to Antarctica, but how cold will it be in reality? I decided to look at historical data for McMurdo Station for the months of February, March and April and compare it to our local temperatures here in Madison Wisconsin. To my

Happy new Year to all of you! May your 2011 be full of great experiences that help you grow! As 2010 reaches its end, I received great news related to this PolarTREC expedition. I got the medical clearance for the trip to Antarctica and have finally fulfilled the most important requirements for the

Perry Spector is a newcomer to Antarctica. He has this incredible opportunity because he has just begun a Ph.D. program with John Stone as his advisor. He had almost declared himself an art major upon entering college, but then took a geology class and was "hooked". Perry recieved his bachelor's in