Antarctic Weather Stations Journals
What is an AMOMFW?
Since the field season has been over for several months I dropped into Madison, WI to find out what the scientists have been doing. When do they look at their data, analyze what happened in the field, plan the next field season and communicate with other scientists about their projects. Actually I didn't just drop in, they invited me to attend and give a presentation at AMOMFW.
About 40 scientists from around the world attended the annual AMOMFW. There were researchers from Japan, Korea, England, Germany, Belgium, France, Australia, and the USA. For four days, presentations were given all day long, including a presentation which I gave about my PolarTREC experience. After the formal meetings we often got together for informal discussions. The scientists were very...
WATIZIT
I planned to write this final” report as I was flying north, but as you can see that didn’t happen.
I am not sure which was more disorienting and surreal; last week when I arrived back in Texas and walked through the San Antonio airport and out into the darkness to catch a shuttle out to my car in the back of a flat concrete parking lot, surrounded by skyscraper mountains lit with electronic daylight. Or, a month ago walking off the C-17 into the constant daylight and onto the flat featureless McMurdo Ice Shelf with the distant blackness of the Transantarctic Mountains.
Last week I left The Ice the same way I arrived, only backwards. The long slow commute out to Pegasus airstrip on Ivan the Terra Bus. (When George and I flew out to repair the Pegasus AWS it...
Have my room inspected, Pack everything, Haul it up the hill to be weighed, Leave half of it, Carry the other half back to my room, Wait for tomorrow's flight in the C-17.
Local Posting Day and Time- 1-27-08 9:40 AMCentral Standard Posting Day and Time- 1-26-08 2:40 PM
Today's WATIZIT
What Is This About?
Our First Full Day At WAIS
We are here to repair 5 weather stations and to install a new one. When we arrived it was late in the evening so we unload our gear (go to the galley and eat some dessert)
The cook always has dessert available in the Galley
The next day the Twin Otter airplane that is being sent out for us, is due to arrive in the afternoon and we would probably fly out to some stations once it gets here. So we packed our equipment and get ready to go into the field (after eating some dessert at the Galley). Once the plane arrives we go to the Galley with Jim and Louie, the pilot and copilot, they tell...
WAIS is literally in the middle of nowhere. About 700 miles to the South Pole, about 700 miles to McMurdo. The only solid “permanent” structure is the Arch, the recently built high tech drilling and ice core handling building.
WAIS Arch and Supplies
The camp is only occupied from late Oct until the beginning of Feb. It is a primarily a collection of large Quonset style tents similar to what you see in MASH TV reruns.
Sleeping James Ways.
The Galley (dining hall),
Galley and Kitchen
a medic tent, the science “lab” and the Rec. area are set up in some of these tents.
WAIS
There is also a “tent city” of mountaineering tents. A couple of the large tents are set up with cots for sleeping but most people (as did I) just pitch...
Local Posting Day and Time- 1-27-08 10:45 AMCentral Standard Posting Day and Time- 1-26-08 3:45 PM
Theresa's Weather 1-27-08
Temperature- 5 FWind Direction- EastWind Speed- 22 MPHWind Chill- -15 F
Today's WATIZIT
WATIZIT
Our First Flying Day At WAIS
After breakfast Jim, the Twin Otter pilot, checks the weather, ironically, partly based on the weather stations that we are going out to repair. We load our gear and Jim and Louie get into the cockpit and George and I buckle ourselves into the back of the plane.
Preparing to board the Twin Otter
Between us is our equipment and two 55 gallon drums of fuel which we will need to get back. It seemed a little strange to be sitting inside a plane, next to...
McMurdo Posting TIme 1-27-08 1:11 PMCentral Standard Posting Time 1-26-08 6:11 PM
Byrd AWS Weather Data
Temperature- 5 FWind Direction- East South EastWind Speed- 22 MPHWind Chill- -15 F
Today’s WATIZIT Picture
Why Is He Hitting The Plane With a Sledge Hammer?
Our Second, and Last, Day of Flying at WAIS Divide Camp
After breakfast, Jim again checks the weather data for our flight to two more weather stations. Due to cloudy weather he gives us a 70% chance of being able to land, but he says we will try it. We haul our gear down to the Twin Otter from the Science tent.
The Science Tent When We Left
It is only a 45 minute flight to the Byrd AWS so we all board the plane and give it a try. If...
If you had to shovel a barrel of snow and melt it first?
Antarctica Time: Friday, 25 January | 5:30AM
Good morning from WAIS divide. Imagine camping on top of 2 miles of snow and ice, that is what I am doing. I set up my tent two nights ago when we arrived. The temperature has been somewhere around 0 F. You can find out more about this field camp by Googling WAIS. It is the site of an ice core drilling project.
George and I had a quick tour of the drilling facilities. This was the first year of "real" drilling. The drillers reached back in time to about 300 B.C. The ice cores can be used to give a very detailed look at the past climate. George and I flew towards the pole yesterday to visit Teresa and Briana weather stations via a Twin Otter. If you look them up on the AWS website, which I...
Happy Birthday Krystal!!!
WAIS Divide 1-21&22- 08
Local Posting Day and Time- 1-26-08 7:28 PMCentral Standard Posting Day and Time- 1-26-08 12:28 AM
WAIS Divide Weather Temperature- 0 FWind Direction- East Wind Speed- 11 MPHWind Chill- -15 F
Answer to Previous WATIZIT
Congratulations to Jeff for figuring out that the whale is a Minke Whale!!!
Congratulations to Abby and the rest of 3W class for figuring out the solar panel WATIZIT. (I hope I didn't miss anyone else who figured it out.)
Today’s WATIZIT Picture
WATIZIT
The trip to WAIS Divide!!!! Where do I start???? So much has happened in just the past few days.
You can follow our routes from the past few days if you have a map of Antarctica with...
Local Posting Day and Time- 1-20-08 9:0PM
Central Standard Posting Day and Time- 1-20-08 2:00AM
McMurdo WeatherTemperature- 34FWind Direction- EastWind Speed- 7 MPHWind Chill- 28F
Answer to Yesterday’s WATIZIT
???????????????????????????
Today’s WATIZIT Picture
What species of whale is this sticking it’s nose straight out of the water?
WATIZIT
Today is Sunday and so it is a day off from most of the employees here in McMurdo.
Hikers Enjoying a Beautiful Day
It was a beautiful day and a lot of people were out hiking, skiing, watching the Oden or just lying out on the rocks catching some rays. It was after all in the mid 30s today. There was also a marathon here today, most of it was run out on the...
Good Morning 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Periods
GOod Luck (hopefully you studied and won't need luck) on your semester test this week and for those of you who are showing at the stock show, good luck there also.
George and I are scheduled to flyout to a remote field camp today, we should be back later in the week. I will have limited, if any, email access so I may not be posting messages or answering questions between now and when I get back. Feel free to ask questions though and I will answer them when I return.
We have our tents, sleeping bags and the rest of the gear packed and we sent it to air cargo, hopefully they remember to put it on the plane.
Mr. B.
Local Posting Day and Time- 1-19-08 8:35PM
Central Standard Posting Day and Time- 1-19-08 1:35AM
McMurdo Weather Temperature- 36FWind Direction- NoneWind Speed- 0Wind Chill- 36F
Answer to Yesterday’s WATIZIT
??????????????????????????????
Today’s WATIZIT Picture
WATIZIT
It was too far away to get a picture, but this morning I saw a killer whale in the path cleared by the Oden.
Oden's Progress
It was sticking its head straight up out of the water, probably looking for the seals that we have been seeing lounging on the edge of the ice.
Lounging seals and spectators
George and I boarded a Huey helicopter to fly out to Pegasus South weather station today.
We were dropped off...
Local Posting Day and Time- 1-18-08 8:37PM Central Standard Posting Day and Time- 1-18-08 1:37AM
McMurdo's Weather
Temperature- 36F Its a heat wave!!!Wind Direction- NortheastWind Speed- 12 MPHWind Chill- 27F
Answer to Yesterday’s WATIZIT.
Very good job from Mrs. Robert's 3D and 3R classes!!!They figured out that the tracks were from a penguin. As they pointed out it was difficult to tell the size and dimensions from the picture.
Today’s WATIZIT
George and I are scheduled to fly to a weather station via helicopter tomorrow. The station is at this location... 77.990 N and 166.568 S.
What is the name of the station? (Hint: It is not transmitting data.)
If you were going to measure the weather, what would you measure? Since weather is so...
Local Posting Day and Time 1-17-08 10:30PMCentral Standard Posting Day and Time- 1-17-08 3:30AM
McMurdo WeatherTemperature- 37FWind Direction- SoutheastWind Speed- 13MPHWind Chill 32F
Answer to Yesterday’s WATIZIT
Congratulations to Grant and to Erika!!!!!
They both knew that it is the New Zealand flag that is at half mast in the photo and they knew that it was because Sir Edmund Hillary died last week. He and Tenzing Norgay were the first to climb Mt. Everest. A follow up challenge is, so why would the flag be flying at half mast here in Antarctica
Today’s WATIZIT Picture
What made these tracks at Hut Point?
Yesterday Shelley and Jonathan were scheduled for the morning flight down to the South Pole...
Local Posting Day and Time-
Central Standard Posting Day and Time-
McMurdo WeatherTemperature- 34FWind Direction- SouthWind Speed- 15 MPHWindChill- 23F
Answer to Yesterday’s WATIZIT
Congratulations to Mrs. Robert's classes for knowing that the Mt Erebus is an active volcano!!!!
Today’s WATIZIT Picture
WATIZIT
After a number of days of bad weather last week, we were finally put on the schedule to fly to some weather stations that needed some work. We were put on the flight schedule for three days and got bumped off of each of the flights. Today we were listed as back up, about 7:00AM George received a phone call that said we were flying in about an hour and a half. We got suited up and caught a shuttle out to Willie Air...
Answer to Yesterday’s WATIZIT
Congratulations to a lot of you for knowing that the picture was of the Twin Otter's ski.
Today’s WATIZIT Picture
Which country's flag is flying at half mast and how come. (Hint: I took this photo last week.)
Here are a few follow up items to today's webinar...
George mentioned the Mt. Erebus website. Besides a lot of information about the volcano, there is also a live webcam on the summit. The website is... http://erebus.nmt.edu/index.html
Someone asked about the Oden and the channel it is making. I took this picture yesterday 1-15-08 (local time) from the Twin Otter. You can see how they are widening the channel near McMurdo, which is just to the right of the wide part of the channel.
As I mentioned during the webinar Shelley and Jonathan were headed to the South Pole today. They just walked back in. They left here for the Pegasus airstrip 3.5 hours ago, rode the shuttle out, boarded the plane, they sat there for awhile then the flight was canceled and the 45 minute shuttle ride...
Happy Birthday Mrs. Wheeler
Local Posting Day and Time- 1-13-08 11:14PM
Central Standard Posting Day and Time- 1-13-08 4:14AM
McMurdo WeatherTemperature- 28FWind Direction- EastWind Speed- 9 MPHWind Chill- 21F
Answer to Yesterday’s WATIZIT
Yes Mike, it is being developed as a possible lunar habitat. It is inflatable and will be left here at McMurdo over the winter. It will have numerous electronic sensors and cameras monitoring its condition.
Today’s WATIZIT Picture
What is the white foggy stuff above Mt. Erebus, and what is causing it?
Today's Events
Wow, what a gorgeous day!!!!
The weather is beautiful. Now that we have incredibly clear skies you would think we could fly out to some...
Happy Birthday Matt!!!
Today's Events
Yesterday I posted a quick challenge asking you to figure out which weather stations we were going to fly to. We were all getting suited up in our required ECW (Extreme Cold Weather) gear and were just about ready to go out to get on the Twin Otter airplane when....
I had one bunny boot to go.
.... George called the flight center to make sure everything was a go. It wasn't!!! Our trip was a back up flight and we got bumped. The reactions of the news was... well look for yourself....
Shelley and Jonathan react to being bumped off of our flight.
(more to come)
We are scheduled to catch a shuttle out Willie Field Airstrip in 45 minutes to fly in a Twin Otter plane (we are actually the backup flight) to two weather stations that are basically south of us at a latitude of about 80 degrees S.
Who can tell me which two stations we might be going to? What weather conditions are we likely to encounter if the flight actually happens. You can use the AWS website to find out.
http://uwamrc.ssec.wisc.edu/aws.html
Mr. B
McMurdo Weather Temperature- 34FWind Direction- SouthWind Speed- 20Wind Chill- 14
Answer to Yesterday’s WATIZIT
Congratulations to Karen Robert’s 3W class!!!! They looked through the Gallery pictures and figured out that the electrical circuit is part of the Automated Weather Stations, that we are here to work on.
Today’s WATIZIT Pictures
This inflatable structure just arrived at McMurdo. It will spend the winter here being tested. What do the scientists who designed it, think it could possibly be used for. (Hint: It is partly being developed by NASA.)
WATIZIT
Today's Events
Today’s pictures, and short journal entry, are for Lollie. She is another PolarTREC teacher who, just this week,...
Local Posting Day and Time- 1-11-08 12:11AMCentral Standard Posting Day and Time- 1-10-08 5:11AM
McMurdo WeatherTemperature- 32FWind Direction- SouthEastWind Speed- 16 MPHWind Chill- 14F
Answer to Yesterday’s WATIZIT
No, there were no ghost involved, only the wind blowing through the pipes, railings and roof of the porch on the Science Support Building here in McMurdo. I was standing on the steps of this building when I recorded yesterday's audio WATIZIT.
Today’s WATIZIT Picture-
WATIZIT
Today's Events
The low pressure weather system which has brought us this storm is still around. Although minor by Antarctic standards, it is still windy and snowy here. George says it looks like there...
Click below to hear some audio of a helo trip.
Local Posting Day and Time- 1-8-08 9:05PMCentral Standard Posting Day and Time- 1-8-08 2:05AM
McMurdo WeatherTemperature- 31FWind Direction- SoutheastWind Speed- 15 mphWind Chill- 21F
Answer to Yesterday’s WATIZIT
Congratulations to Travis, Ann Berne-Rannow's class, and Ms Nelson's class; Yes it was the Piston Bully's seat cushion.
Notice the seats, and that Shelley and Jonas talking to each other
Today’s WATIZIT Picture
WATIZIT
Today's Events
Ferrell and Laurie were feeling a little under the weather, so the three meteorologists hitched a ride on a helicopter and flew out to doctor them. Ferrell’s address is 77.871 S 170.819 E and Laurie’s address is 77.517 S 170.801 E. How does that compare to yours...
Local Posting Day and Time- 1-9-08 4:59PMCentral Standard Posting Day and Time- 1-8-08 9:59PM
McMurdo's WeatherTemperature- 30FWind Direction- SouthWind Speed- 30 mphWind Chill- 14FSnowing
Answer to Yesterday’s WATIZIT
So many of you were correct, that's great!!! As many of you said, the picture was of the controls on the side of the fire truck.
Today’s WATIZIT Picture Audio
What is making the sounds in the audio? (click on the file below)
George has scheduled time on one of the Twin Otter airplanes to go out to some weather stations later in the week. Paperwork and weather run things here in Antarctica. So to get ready for this future "trip" I...
To all of my students welcome back to school and to a new year. I hope you all had a great holiday. I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you in a few weeks.Mr. B.
Welcome back....
Travis Mayra Sarah Alex Forrest Micaela Caleb Zach Dakota Tina Kellam Tyler Shelby Elaina
Susannah Madelyn Maggie Garrett Kayla Tate Matthew Jeremy Tanner Presley Tim Maegan
Garrett Sophia Josh Trevor Candi Justin Crystal Janet Monica Marco Maira Zenaida Jorge Mason Bobby Jerrick Aric Abigael Camille
Emmalee Krystal Nathan James Micaela Byrun Mikey Andrea
Katelyn Pete Douglas Weston Lindsey Justin Steven Devon Quade Simbry Filberto Cody Felicia Natalie...
Below are two audio files from our trip out to Windless Bight on the 7th, McMurdo time.
Happy Birthday Jeremy!!!
Local Posting Day and Time- 1-7-08 7:16PM
Central Standard Posting Day and Time- 1-7-08 12:16AM
McMurdo WeatherTemperature- 30FWind Direction- EastWind Speed- 9 MPHWind Chill- 21F
WATIZIT Answers
Thanks to Becca, Ms. Nelsen’s student who reminded me that I haven’t told you what the skull was. Becca is right it is from a seal, specifically it is from a leopard seal.
Congratulations to my Dad and to Jimmy for noticing the Texas flag flying here at McMurdo. Rumor has it that one of the pilots is from Texas.
Today’s WATIZIT Picture
Today we traveled in a Piston Bully (a slow snowmobile on steroids) out to a weather station located at Latitude 77.728 S and Longitude 167.703 E.
...
Local Posting Day and Time- 1-6-08 8:30PM
Central Standard Posting Day and Time- 1-6-08 1:30AM
McMurdo WeatherTemperature- 34FWind Direction- variableWind Speed- 6MPHWind Chill- 28F
Answer to Yesterday’s WATIZIT
Congratulations Mike!!!! You again win the prize. The station had not been transmitting any wind data. If you look at yesterday’s picture you can see that the impeller is missing (George just told me that is the technical term), for most of us it would be called “the propeller looking thing”. George also said he thinks one of the penguins climbed up the tower and stole it. (He of course was kidding.) If you go to this website you can see when we repaired the station.
http://amrc.ssec.wisc.edu/~amrc/8901.GIF
Today’s WATIZIT Picture
What seems to be...
Happy Birthday James!!!
Local Posting Day and Time- 1-5-08Central Standard Posting Day and Time- 1-4-08
McMurdo WeatherTemperature- 25FWind Direction- EastWind Speed- 10 MPHWind Chill- 12F
Answer to Yesterday’s WATIZITCongratulations to Jeff and Matt a father and son team from New York. They gave a very impressive and thorough answer to the sundial question, that taught me several things. Here is their answer….
“Since the sun crosses the southern sky from east to west on our half of the Earth but crosses the Northern sky from east to west on your half we guessed that the midday sun would be in the northern sky. Actually, if it was 1pm the sun would be a little to the west of north. And, since a sundial needs to...
Local Posting Day and Time- 1-4-08 1:08PM
Central Standard Posting Day and Time- 1-3-08 6:08PM
McMurdo WeatherTemperature- 30FWind Direction- EastWind Speed- 5 mphWind Chill 23F
Today’s WATIZIT PictureWhat time was it when I took this picture?
Bonus In which direction is the top of the picture pointed?
WATIZIT
Learning how things are done here is important for safety as well as to protect the environment. Everything that is brought to Antarctica should leave Antarctica, even human waste. Recycling is a huge deal. Here you do not just throw things into the garbage. Items are seperated into many different containers to be recycled.
Do YOU Recycle everything that YOU can?
We went to...
Answer to Yesterday’s WATIZIT
Congratulations to Brandon for correctly guessing yesterday's WATIZIT!!!
Today’s WATIZIT Picture
Why is this person wearing a bucket over their head?
What an incredible way to start the new year!!! I spent the first night and the first two days camping in Antarctica.
At 9:30 in the morning Jonas and I met 10 other trainees and boarded a massive Delta transport vehicle along with our Happy Camper School instructor, Danny.
Loading onto the Delta
After a bit of indoor instruction, Danny had us load camping and survival gear onto a large sled, which he towed and unloaded on the McMurdo ice shelf, a large area of the frozen ocean.
Camping Gear
Through out the afternoon he gave us...
Answer to Yesterday’s WATIZIT
Congratulations to Mike for his correct quess that we are wearing buckets to simulate being in a whiteout and trying to find someone else who is lost.
Whiteout Rescue Training
Today’s WATIZIT Picture
What kind of animal is this skull from?(Hint- this picture was inspired by a question from Maren Nelsen's students).
When we crawled out of our tents, snow trenches and quinzees in the morning, the wind and snow had stopped, the sky was clear and the white featureless area was replaced by a scene of immense mountains jutting up from the flat sea ice. Steam was rising from Mt Erebus, the nearest mountain, which is an active volcano.
In the kitchen.
Camp, Castle Rock and Mt Erebus
Danny had told us the...
Happy New Year!!!!
Local Posting Day and Time- New Year’s Day 8:20AM
Central Standard Posting Day and Time- New Year’s Eve 1:20PM
McMurdo WeatherTemperature- 21FWind Direction- EastWind Speed- 7 mphWind Chill- 10FSnowing
Just a quick note and a few pictures. In a few minutes I leave for snow school where we will learn how to survive if we are stranded outside away from shelter.
Last night the AWS team and I had a small celebration.
George and Jonathan
and then at around midnight to start off the new year I hiked out to Discovery Hut, which was built as winter quarters for one of Robert Falcon Scott’s men.
Scott's Discovery Hut
From there I then hiked back to McMurdo and up Observation Point to have a view of...
12-31-07
Local Day and Time- New Year's Eve 7:45PMCentral Standard Day and Time- 12-31-07 12:45AM
McMurdo Weather Temperature 25Wind Direction NortheastWind Speed 9Wind Chill 14Snowing
Answer to Yesterday’s WATIZIT
Congratulations to Jeff for guessing this correctly.
Today’s WATIZIT Picture
In about 4 hours I will be a year ahead of you. It will be 2008 here and 2007 there.
One of the cool things about being here is meeting lots of interesting people. This morning I ate breakfast with a geologist who has spent 18 months (off and on) here on The Ice. He is working on projects both here and in Greenland. The research will help determine the changes in the amount of ice...
Happy Birthday Micaela, from McMurdo, Antarctica!!!!
McMurdo Posting Day and Time- 12-30-07 1:35PMCentral Standard Posting Day and Time- 12-29-07 6:35PM
MCMURDO WEATHER
Temperature 28FWind Chill 16FWind Direction SoutheastWind Speed 14mph
Answer to Yesterday’s WATIZIT Sound
Mr. Mike from Blanco wins the prize, the sound was an audible traffic signal in Christchurch, New Zealand.
This is a rather long report, but then, 12-29-07 was a long day.
HURRY UP!!! I tossed and turned trying to sleep for a few hours, but I was too excited to get much sleep. We were scheduled to fly from New Zealand to McMurdo Antarctica this morning at about 2:30AM. My alarm goes off at 1:15AM I grab my bags and go down stairs, everyone else is already in...
Local Posting Day and Time 12-30-07 5:11PM
Central Standard Posting Day and Time- 12-29-07 10:11PM
McMurdo Weather Conditions
Temperature 28FWind Chill 16FWind Direction SoutheastWind Speed 15 mph Snowing
Today’s WATIZIT Picture
What are these tracks attached to?
McMurdo Station has shut down for today and tomorrow.
Is it severe cold? Is it because of severe winds? Is it a white out? No, it is two days of holidays to celebrate the New Year. Part of the celebration is the IceStock music festival with it’s outdoor stage and chili and snack booths.
IceStock
None of the required training sessions are happening until the 1st. Since no services...
Here are just a few pictures of Christmas Eve- Southern Hemisphere Style.
Imagine how your Christmas holiday would be different if it was in the summer rather than the winter. Here in the Southern Hemisphere that is the case. It is now summer here. I left the Northern Hemisphere on Winter Solstice the first day of winter and arrived in NZ on Summer Solstice, the first day of summer.
In which direction will the sun be at noon in New Zealand? or as Mike S. asked which direction will your shadow be at noon.
Moon and Mars (for Mr.Mike M.)
Local NZT Posting Day and Time- 12-28-07 5:30PM
Central Standard Posting Day and Time- 12-27-07 10:30PM
Answer to 12-21-07’s WATIZIT Picture
United States Antarctic Program Luggage Tag
Today’s WATIZIT Sound
Click on the MP3 icon below to listen to today’s mystery sound.
Shelley and George, two of the meteorologist that I will be working with were due to arrive yesterday but due to bad weather in the MidWest, USA their flight was canceled. Jonathan and Jonas were scheduled to arrive today. I received word from Shelley that I was to go to the CDC (Clothing Distribution Center) here in Cheech- slang for Christchurch, today at 1:00 to be issued my ECW, (Extreme Cold Weather) gear. When I arrived at the CDC a few hours ago, all...
It is not unusual to wake up excited at 5:00AM on Christmas morning, which I did today. What woke me up wasn't visions of gifts or sugar plums, but rather a complex symphony of bird songs and calls (audio will be coming soon) and a brightening of the sky over the mountains. For a few minutes I lay in my sleeping bag on the front porch of Onuku Hiking Hut. Listening to the symphony expand in diversity and in intensity (Listen to the birds by clicking on the link below.) I watched the Akaroa Bay change from gray to blue in the changing light.
Onuku Farm Hiking Hut
The bird songs were not the normal background noises we hear in Texas (or anywhere else I have been) but more like your IPOD set to medium high volume blasting a complex mix of bird songs into your headset....
Posting Location- Christchurch, New Zealand
Local Posting Day and Time- Dec 23rd, 9:22 PM
Central Standard Posting Day and Time- Dec 23rd, 2:22AM
Today’s WATIZIT Picture
Answers to be provided in the future.
Today’s (or is it yesterday’s) math problem.
A science teacher arrives at the San Antonio airport at 11:00 AM. He travels for 28 hours. He arrives in New Zealand at 11:00AM- 48 hours after he left San Antonio. How can 28 = 48? Is he 28 hours tired or 48 hours tired?
I knew in my mind that it was going to be a long trip to get to New Zealand, not to mention getting to Antarctica, but a couple of times during my flights it really hit home how far it was.
The first time was when I was sitting on the floor of the crowded Dallas airport waiting for...
Posting Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
New Zealand Posting Date/Time: Dec 24th, 8:00AM
Blanco Posting Date/Time: Dec 23rd, 1:00PM
It is a few days before I meet the team from UW-Madison so...
Yesterday I walked around the downtown area of Christchurch enjoying the breezy sunny summer weather. Street musicians were playing, people were playing street chess in the town square, the summer breeze and sunlight filtered through leaves of eucalyptus and other foliage in the Botanical Gardens. Enjoying the warm summer day people played a game where they hit a ball with a large fat bat (sports' fans will have to tell me what game it was since I don't know) others lounged in the warm grass.
I will send pictures and some audio when I can. My computer has run out of power and the...
Monday I endured the stress test and echocardiogram that Raytheon ordered.
On Tuesday the dentist drilled out and filled in a couple of cavities. (It's a bummer the pics that the dental assistant took during the procedures didn't come out, she said she had one showing the needle going into my gum.)
First on Monday I went to the hospital for the echocardiogram where sound waves were used to look at and hear my heart. This is done in a very similar to the way a sonogram is used to look at a growing baby inside of its mother. Fortunately they found out that I was not pregnant… and that my heart is healthy.
Click on the MP3 file below to listen to part of my echocardiogram. You will hear my left ventricle and my aortic valve as the technician explains to me what we are hearing. No, its not...
The email that I just received says; Mr. Beckendorf, our doctors have examined your tests results and we now need for you to have an echocardiogram, a stress test and we also need additional explanations from your doctor.
I have already had an EKG, blood tests which looked at over thirty different things, urine tests- examining 16 different components, HIV test, blood type test, I completed an extensive family medical history form and I received several vaccinations. Not to mention that I endured a thorough physical examine by my doctor, including all of those embarrassing procedures which I won’t describe. Plus I have had a complete dental examine but I have to return to the dentist’s office next week to have a couple of cavities taken care of.
So why am I giving you my personal medical...
I don’t know about any of the other PolarTREC teachers, but meeting “my” science team for the first time was preceded by mild nervousness. I have been in email contact with them and have even talked to them on the phone, but still, being the lone middle school teacher riding up the elevator to the 9th floor of the 14 story Atmospheric and Space Science Building at the University of Wisconsin- Madison and then stepping into the middle of a group of research scientists is initially a bit intimidating.
Their building looms ahead as I approach.
It sems endless as I stare skyward.
What do I wear? What do I say? Will they like me? Will I like them? It’s kind of like going out on a blind date? But unlike the few blind dates that I have had, all went smoothly. It didn’t take long and we were...
Can’t a meteorologist do something about this weather? My plane has been delayed three times due to bad weather and I am still sitting on the floor of the Chicago airport. I thought a meteorologist’s job was to control the weather. Or at the least, tell us what it is going to do so people like flight controllers can schedule flights around bad weather. Or maybe meteorologists study meteors falling from the sky? What exactly does a meteorologist do anyway??? I will know soon- well if my plane ever gets off the ground. I am on my way to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to meet the meteorologists who will be taking me with them to Antarctica. Although many PolarTRECies have already headed into the field I don’t leave for The Ice until December.
My students will be returning to...
3-26-07
My head is spinning like Dorothy and Toto caught in a Kansas tornado. Just a few hours ago I was in Alaska, working in the ARCUS office with new found friends. Any question that came to mind was immediately answered by the phenomenally competent and patient ARCUS staff. Learning things like how to inset a picture into this web journal while in the field, how to digitally edit an audio interview and where to put a comma in a sentence.
2007 PolarTREC Teachers and Staff
Ronnie teaching the teachers
Now I am sitting alone on the floor in the Chicago airport. Well not exactly alone, the place is packed and my flight is overbooked. That’s a good thing it gives me some time to reflect on the past few days.
Wow!!!! So much information and...
A morning walk in the brisk -24 degrees F air, on top of the mostly frozen Chena River will certainly wake you up at 5:00 in the morning. Although mostly cloudy Ursa Major, the big dipper, shows me the compass direction as it peaks out from behind the clouds. The pockets of open water appear black against the white snow.
Truck driving on the Chena River
Soon the clouds part and were replaced by a spot light shining across the sky, the beam of light slowly dims and spreads, only to return, widening and slowly undulating. The aurora borealis, the northern lights!!!. I lay down in the snow on the bank of the river soaking in the north light show.
I am one of thirteen science teachers from around the country have converged on Fairbanks, to begin our...