Sea Ice Safety

November 8, 2008

For my first full day in Antarctica, I was enrolled in a “Sea Ice Safety” training. Nine of us took a Hagglund (tracked vehicle) about 20 miles out on the frozen surface on McMurdo Sound and drilled holes in the ice to measure depth, looked at cracks in the ice, and evaluated the safety of ice travel. Along the way, we did some sightseeing.

The sea ice was about six feet thick, more than enough to land a jet (much less walk around). It tasted salty. A couple of old icebergs, broken off nearby glaciers, were frozen in place on the ocean’s surface, looming above the flat icy plain. Cracks form around obstructions like icebergs and islands, so it’s best to be careful poking around them. A few years ago, some Australians sunk their vehicle when it broke through. The water beneath is a chilly 28 degrees F.

Some seals basked by openwater cracks, and a couple South Polar Skuas flew by. Then, I spotted a speck in the distance, which grew closer and closer as we drilled a hole. Soon, it was identifiable as an Adelie Penguin – my first one! The penguin, miles from any open water, came toward us at a waddling run, evidently curious. As it approached, we stopped work. The penguin stopped about 10 feet away, stared at us for a while, then lay on its belly and took a short snooze. Soon, though, it was moving on, wandering away and lost among a field of pressure ridges.

Nearby, a crew from the BBC were busy diving underneath the sea ice to film for the TV show, Planet Earth. Their little dive huts looked uncomfortable.

In the evening, a showing of movies from the Banff Film Festival commenced after dinner at McMurdo Station. The short adventure films showcasing mountaineering, biking, skiing, speedflying, and rock climbing were popular among this crowd. Afterward, at 11pm, the sun shone outside as bright as ever.

A front is predicted to come in later this week. Our helicopter flight to Cape Crozier is scheduled for Saturday (a week from now), but weather might keep us in McMurdo a little longer than that.