Dec 26 – What does 70% really mean?
When folks ask me what was the most memorable part of the trip – I’m afraid that my response will likely bring on the yawns. Sure I’ve seen some incredible penguins:
And there has been no shortage of crabeater and ross seals:
Last night we really got to see the Oden in action as it broke through floes of second year ice that were almost three meters thick.
And the people – interacting with the crew and scientists has been a once in a lifetime experience, here we are out on the helipad for our group photo yesterday.
But my honest answer about the most memorable aspect of the trip will have to be just staring out at the seemingly never ending ocean on our quest for Antarctica – and the indelible impact that has had on my perception and understanding of our planet. There’s a standard earth science lesson we begin in first grade – talking about how the Earth is the water planet – 70% of its surface is covered by water and only 30% by land. I’ve probably thrown that fact out to kids fifty times and never really sensed the power of those numbers. But to have spent the last twelve days and seen nothing but water really puts it into perspective – this planet is all about water. 2 mile wide tabletop icebergs, sea-ice that stretches as far as the eye can see – but in the end it’s all just basic H2O. Looking at the map back home – I honestly had the impression we’d make a quick hop across the Drake and spend the weeks cruising Antarctica like the tourists on the inland passage to Juneau from Seattle. Instead it’s been more like Bering’s initial quest for Alaska through the Aleutians and across the Gulf.
So this afternoon we departed the ice for likely the last time on this expedition, and began our final push across the Ross Sea to finally encounter the continent of Antarctica. Our current position is:
Latitude: 74 degrees 7 minutes south
Longitude: 177 degrees 53 minutes east
Air temperature: -3.8 degrees celcius
Water temperature: -0.9 degrees celcius
Wind speed: 13 meters per second
No sunrise or sunset – just 24 hours of daylight
We expect to reach the fast ice (ice anchored to land) about 25 miles from Ross Island and McMurdo Station by tomorrow afternoon. The next day will be a quick helicopter transfer to the station in the morning, followed by a whirlwind tour of the station before departing for New Zealand in the afternoon. Hard to believe it is coming to a close.
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