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Week 6- December 5, 1999 to December 11, 1999
Date: 12/11/99
Latitude: 81.12 S
Longitude: 126.47 W
Temperature: −12°C
Wind speed: 13 knots (15 miles per hour)
Wind Chill: Not Given
Wind direction: NNE
Meters of ice collected: 175
Notes on daily life:
On the road again. The ITASE team has saddled up, packed up, and is on their way back to Byrd camp. Yesterday they drilled and collected another 30 meters (90 feet) of ice. Paul and team are very happy with their success this year which amounts to about 175 meters (540 feet) of ice core, about 500 snow samples, new meteorological data, and new ice radar data. After they finished drilling yesterday the team stayed up very late and packed all their gear to prepare for today's departure. The trip back to Byrd camp, which is about 180 kilometers (100 miles) away, will take them 2-3 days traveling at less than 10 kilometers (6 miles) an hour. At that rate they should arrive at Byrd camp by Monday.
The weather is overcast with blowing snow for the 180 kilometer (100 mile) trek. The plan is to camp at the first coring site, recover some ice cores that they buried in the snow, and then make the last push to Byrd camp the next day.
Date: 12/10/99
Latitude: 81.12 S
Longitude: 126.47 W
Temperature: −5°C
Wind speed: 10 knots
Wind Chill: Not Given
Wind direction: NNE
Meters of ice collected: 20 meters (60 ft) yesterday
Notes on daily life:
More good ice. The ITASE team is doing well as they complete drilling today at their present location. The big event today was a direct iridium phone interview with Av Harris at New Hampshire Public Radio's All Things Considered. The team will finish drilling today and prepare for the return trip to Byrd camp tomorrow. The 180 kilometers (approximately 100 miles) to Byrd camp will take about two full days traveling at less than 10 kilometers per hour (6 miles per hour). The weather remains great with partly sunny skies and only a slight breeze.
Date: 12/09/99
Latitude: 81.12 S
Longitude: 126.47 W
Temperature: −6°C
Wind speed: 12 knots
Wind Chill: Not Given
Wind direction: NNE
Meters of ice collected: 15 meters plus 55 more tomorrow
Notes on daily life:
Drill on! The team has now collected 92 meters of ice and many snow samples. Everyone remains in high spirits and excellent health as they prepare to drill another 50+ meters of ice today. The Automatic Weather Station (AWS) at their present location, which transmits weather data automatically everyday to the United States, sits in a small natural depression about 34 meters deep on the ice surface. Using the ice penetrating radar system, that Bert and Bob developed, the team has determined that beneath the AWS unit are 1,600 meters of ice and a 134 meters depression in the bedrock surface. That means that the shallow depression on the glacier's surface is caused by a depression in the land surface, 1,600 meters away under the glacier- amazing stuff!
Date: 12/08/99
Latitude: 81.12 S
Longitude: 126.47 W
Temperature: −8°C
Wind speed: 8 knots
Wind Chill: Not Given
Wind direction: NNE
Meters of ice collected: 16 meters, 92 meters total
Notes on daily life:
This location may be the last drilling site for US ITASE for this year. The weather is finally cooperating but the time is running short. Under partly cloud skies with a wind chill of −22, Mike, Paul, Mark, and Bob drilled 16 more meters of ice. Tyler and Joe also dug and sampled a new snow pit. Gordon continued to collect Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) system data while Bert continued collecting data with his radar.
The new location is "as flat and featureless as the last drill site." The team plans to stay at their present location for a few more days. The schedule has them home before Christmas so they are busy collecting all the data they can while they are in the field.
Date: 12/07/99
Latitude: 84 S
Longitude: 124 W
Temperature: 0°C
Wind speed: very slight
Wind Chill: Not Given
Wind direction: NE
Meters of ice collected: 76 total
Notes on daily life:
Arrived at Swithenbank: ice drilling location 2. After a long 16-hour travel day, during which they covered 90 kilometers, the team established camp. During the trip it was snowing big beautiful snow crystals. This morning it is sunny with little or no breeze. Tyler was able to stand around in his T-shirt while transmitting today's report. Everyone else is still asleep at 9 am after such a long trip yesterday.
Snow samples and ice cores will be collected at this location for the next few days. After that, it is on to the next location.
Date: 12/06/99
Latitude: 80.37 S
Longitude: 122.37 W
Temperature: Not given
Wind speed: Not given
Wind Chill: Not Given
Wind direction: Not given
Meters of ice collected: 76
Notes on daily life:
On the move to the next ice coring location. Information about the trip to follow.
Date: 12/05/99
Latitude: 80.37 S
Longitude: 122.37 W
Temperature: −3°C
Wind speed: 15-18 knots
Wind Chill: Not Given
Wind direction: NE
Meters of ice collected: 36 meters yesterday (52 total)
Notes on daily life:
Most members of the team were involved in drilling yesterday's additional 36 meters of ice which will be used for ice chemistry analysis. Steve and Bert continued to work on their radar system. They have recorded layers of ice that are continuous across the entire 90 kilometer distance from Byrd camp. Their ground radar system has provided additional information to that already gained from the satellite ice penetrating radar systems.