AntarcticDoctor

Yes, it’s been quiet here on the blog, but not due to my untimely demise (no matter what some people wish for, I have thus far resisted joining the Choir Invisible).  Rather, we have been very busy.  Most recently, we made a 6-day foray to the coast to assess conditions, equipment, and depot containers.  I’ll try to write something of our experiences, but here are some photos to whet the appetite:

Challengers heading northwards towards the coast.

A pair of Skuas on the ice shelf at Blaskimen Bukta.

Morgan in the old ramp cut into the ice shelf, with a large polynia (area of open water in the pack ice) visible behind.

Composite satellite image of the sea ice conditions north of Queen Maud Land, courtesy of the University of Bremen Institute of Environmental Physics.  The approxiomate edge of the ice shelf is marked in green.  The polynia visible in the previous photo can be seen at 70S 3W.

Yes, these are a little overdue.  Still worth it – beautiful sundogs and a 10-degree arc.  Enjoy!

Time flies by… especially in Antarctica, and especially when producing newsletters!  Our latest is now available for download from the newsletters page, or click the link below to view.  This one has a great article by Sanki about katabatic winds and how we recorded a wind gust of 222 km/h, some of the best aurora photos we’ve ever taken at SANAE IV, and plenty of other good fun and interesting content.  Enjoy!

SANAE 47 Newsletter – September 2008