October 12, 2012: Active Ice

Background: Mount Erebus (Antarctica's second highest volcano) Foreground: A snow covered crack in the sea ice

Although the sea ice seems still and lifeless, it is constantly moving. Much like tectonic plates, the ice converges creating violent rifts--small, frozen mountain ranges. There are many types of cracks: working, tidal, straight-edge, and proximal--just to name a few. Needless to say, these breeches in the frozen surface have a potential to create trouble for those of us who work and travel here.

Since arriving, our days have consisted mostly of training--survival training, GPS training, altitude training, helicopter training, scaffold training, OSHA training, and the list goes on and on. The latest information imparted on us in order to mitigate danger, was sea-ice training--a class dedicated to teaching us techniques to measure the depth and danger of a thinning sea and how to traverse it safely.

After spending the morning trying to stay awake through power points and lectures, we were loaded into a hagglund and driven out onto the sea ice for some hands-on training. An hour later we arrived at our destination--Main Body Crack--a working crack that is being closely monitored by the USAP.

Our small team examining the Main Body Crack

The wind was fierce, but we were prepared. Equipped with our ECW gear and hand warmers, we investigated the snow-covered crack. The hagglund acted as a wind breaker while we worked; however, the moment we left its protection we found ourselves in a linebacker stance and trying to catch our breath. It is moments like these that make my heart flutter. Standing on a frozen ocean in Antarctica; surrounded by mountains and like-minded people; listening to the wind whip around my hooded head, with drafts of snow blowing past my boots; it is times like these that I laugh and shake my head in complete awe of my good-fortune.

After examining the crack and finding it safe to work on, we started clearing away the snow to expose the ice surface. In order to evaluate whether a crack is safe to pass over in a large vehicle, the ice around and through the crack must be drilled and the depth measured. We used a motor-powered drill to make this process easier. We drilled until we hit the sea water, and at points we had to use an extended drill bit (two meters long) to achieve this. A linear line of eight holes, six inches apart, were made and intersected the crack--spanning on either sides.

Dave about to go deep with an extended drill bit

Here I am drilling through the ice

After we had finished drilling, we lowered a measuring tape with a cylindrical weight down the holes until it reached water. The weight caught at the bottom of the ice hole and allowed us to take an accurate measurement. The deepest spot we measured was eighty-nine centimeters--safe enough for a pisten bully and most heavy machinery to cross.

Dave taking depth measurements

In this picture I am hand drilling a v anchor. It's surprisingly strong and is used to combat the high winds that like to carry away tents and equipment

Another awesome day in Antarctica.



I'll be heading to Lake Fryxell for an over night trip on Tuesday--my first helicopter ride! Dave will be heading to WAIS Field Camp soon for a duration of three to four weeks. He'll be missing our anniversary and possibly Thanksgiving, but I'm excited for him. He'll be roughing it in a mountain tent on a polar plateau--a place very similar to the South Pole. 

I am getting behind with my records--there's just not enough time in a day/week. I'll try to be more regular with my blogs and have a few extra stories/pictures posted every week. Thanks for reading.