Date: November 20, 2006
Location: Taylor Dome
Latitude: 77 degrees, 47 minutes South
Longitude: 158 degrees, 43 minutes East
Temperature: −25°C (−13°F)
Wind Speed: 15 knots
Wind Chill: −39°C (−37°F)
Elevation: 2,365 meters (7,759 feet)
Written by: Joe
Last night, after we returned home from sampling the snowpit at the drill site, the weather took a drastic turn for the worse. We were experiencing blizzard conditions with visibility at roughly 25 ft., and winds gusting to around 30 knots. Our plans for starting the drilling of the ice core the following day were looking bleak.
Sure enough when we awoke this morning the weather was still not done with us. We decided to call it a “snow day” today, just like the days of elementary school, and wait for the weather to clear before starting the core. This was a welcome development to some as taking a day off hasn’t been an option since their arrival to The Ice. After another delicious breakfast conjured up by Cathy, the team used the morning to catch up on neglected digital photo organization, conversation, and even sleep – all very important tasks!
After lunch we launched the inaugural showing of a matinee movie in the “Galley Theater”, an impromptu movie theater consisting of a laptop computer hooked into some small computer speakers. Eat your heart out THX sound! After the film, the weather started to relax its grip a bit, and we were able to start digging out our gear, which had been drifted over by the blowing snow.
Brian used the time to do the final touches on his radar sled that he will use to collect data as we traverse across this vast continent. Also news of a “herc” (a US Air Force LC-130 “Hercules” airplane) making a stop here on its way from South Pole to McMurdo tomorrow kept people busy as pallets of retro materials (stuff being sent back to McMurdo) needed to be organized before the flight arrives. Incoming flights to Taylor Dome have been on weather delay for the last several days, and if all is clear tomorrow, we may be having 5 different flights arriving throughout the course of the day. Drilling of the ice core will also begin tomorrow if all is clear. Should be busy!
Date: November 21, 2006
Location: Taylor Dome
Latitude: 77 degrees, 47 minutes South
Longitude: 158 degrees, 43 minutes East
Temperature: −28°C (−13°F)
Wind Speed: 17 knots
Wind Chill: −39°C (−39°F)
Elevation: 2,365 meters (7,759 feet)
Written by: Lora
Snow Day Number 2
We woke up again this morning to winds and white out conditions. At times we could hardly see the other buildings in camp which were only about 30 feet away. We spent the days indoors. Brian made a radar box to protect the 35 Ghz radar from the blowing snow. Mike and Andrei made shelves for their bunks to store their books and iPods.
We filled all the water jugs. It was difficult to pour the water into the jugs in the wind. Even with a funnel you had to pour about 10 inches away from where you wanted the water to end up.
The afternoon was spent watching movies. The planes were canceled again so we are still waiting for people and parts to arrive.