Journal

Time to Recharge

Sunday is the one day each week where our team doesn't have a lot of science work to do. I was grateful for a day to sleep in, eat a late brunch, and catch up with my family on the telephone. When I stepped outside, McMurdo Station was covered in a blanket of snow. I also discovered a Skua outside my dorm building eating some pizza. I guess I wasn't the only one who enjoyed a nice meal today!

Skua eating pizza
A Skua eats some pizza outside a dorm building at McMurdo Station.

After brunch I spent some time in the Ob Tube, looking at fish, sea angels and divers!

Divers from the Ob Tube
Researchers dive to the seafloor near McMurdo Station to photograph and collect sea spiders for their work.

Observation Hill

After dinner, I took a walk to Observation Hill, or "Ob Hill" as it is known here. It is a 754 foot hill right next to McMurdo Station. There was a cross at the top of Ob Hill. It was erected in 1913 to commemorate Robert Falcon Scott and his party who died on a tragic trek back from the South Pole.

Ob Hill from below
Ob Hill overlooks McMurdo Station.

Although it snowed all morning, the skies did clear up and McMurdo Station could be easily seen from the top of Ob Hill.

McMurdo Station from above
A view of McMurdo Station from Ob Hill shows the blue galley building, dorm buildings behind it, fuel tanks and more.

It was a beautiful hike and I enjoyed having some time to myself.

Movie of Weddell Seals

I also had time to put together footage from my trip to Turtle Rock yesterday. Here are some clips of the Weddell Seals I was able to spend time with!

Life in Antarctica

There are signs of humor and creativity all around McMurdo Station. This was clear to me as I walked towards Ob Hill.

Don't STOP believing.
A motivational STOP sign is just one example of the quirkiness of McMurdo Station.

Brought to you by...

Today's journal is brought to you by a student from Ms. Seff's class at Springs School in East Hampton, New York. The picture was taken inside the dive hole. Thank you Ms. Seff's class for all your wonderful questions on "Ask the Team!"

Brought to you by a student from Ms. Seff's Class.
A penguin decorated by a student from Ms. Seff's Class at Springs School in East Hampton, New York poses over a dive hole.

Details
Author
Michelle Brown
Date
Location
Turtle Rock, Antarctica
Expedition
Human Impacts in Antarctica 2015
Weather Summary
Snowing then sunny
Temperature
23F
Wind Speed
7 knots
Wind Chill
14F

View Comments

Comments

Mon, 11/30/2015 - 05:54

Derk Ivy

ar yew kold?

Mon, 11/30/2015 - 07:38

Ryan Traves

Do mammals die year round from the cold or are they immune to the cold climate?

Mon, 11/30/2015 - 07:40

Ryan Traves

Do mammals die year round from the cold or are they immune to the cold climate?

Mon, 11/30/2015 - 12:10

Skylar Weum

Do you see a lot of polar bears, and if so, what is the biggest one that you've seen?

Mon, 11/30/2015 - 12:16

Azalia

How does it feel being in Antarctica

Mon, 11/30/2015 - 16:58

Michelle Brown

status: 1Hi Azalia,
There are so many feelings wrapped up in being here, which is quite
difficult to describe. Most of the time I am in awe of the beauty and the
cold! It is exciting to be part of important science projects. There are
also times where I feel homesick too though.

Mon, 11/30/2015 - 17:58

Michelle Brown

status: 1Hi Skylar,
This is a common question I get here--however, polar bears are found in the
Arctic, which is on the other side of the globe (around the North Pole). In
the Antarctic there are penguins--those are not found in the Arctic.
Although both of these animals can survive in cold temperatures, they stay
on either end of the globe.

Mon, 11/30/2015 - 19:58

Michelle Brown

status: 1Hi Ryan,
Mammals here, like the killer whale and Weddell Seals, do not die from the
cold. Over many, many years these organisms have evolved. Through
unintended processes, these mammals have gained adaptations that allow them
to survive in the cold successfully. What is worrisome is that adaptations
through evolution take a really long time, but climate change may result in
relatively quickly changes in temperature and environment that organisms
may not be able to adapt to.

Mon, 11/30/2015 - 19:58

Michelle Brown

status: 1Hi Derk!
No--luckily I'm not cold! Once in a while if I've been outside for a while,
I might need to jump around or put on an extra layer to warm up, but I pay
close attention to my temperature levels when I'm outside to make sure I
never get too cold. Before doing research we learn about hypothermia, which
is what happens when you get too cold. I always make sure to wear layers
and stay warm so that I never risk getting too cold!

Tue, 11/24/2015 - 04:44

Kaylynn Spring…

Thanks for answering my question Michelle

Tue, 11/24/2015 - 08:31

Carson Navas

How do the scuba Divers manage not to be cold by the water or are they cold??

Tue, 11/24/2015 - 08:33

Lucas Del Favero

My question to ask is how much human food a Suka eats? In the Photo, it say's that the bird is eating a slice of pizza? Do they do this often or is a rare sight to see? Also, my friend Kevins penguin was next to the banana's and I thought that was really funny.Thank you for taking your time to read this.

Tue, 11/24/2015 - 08:37

James McGuire

How large are the seals in Antarctica on average?

Wed, 11/25/2015 - 18:45

Michelle Brown

status: 1On average, Weddell Seals are about 10 feet long (3 meters). Females can
be even longer--3.3 meters! They can also be up to 1200 pounds in weight.
They are pretty big!

Wed, 11/25/2015 - 19:45

Michelle Brown

status: 1I don't know how much human food skuas eat--hopefully not too much. We try
to make sure food is not left outside for them to get. Also, everyone is
advised to conceal their food when they leave the dining hall with it. That
being said, some Skuas like to lurk around the area between the dining hall
and the dorms in hopes of stealing some food! I'm glad you liked that we
put the Banana Man penguin with bananas -- We all love banana man!

Thu, 11/26/2015 - 00:45

Michelle Brown

status: 1Hi Carson,
I'll ask Terry, our diver, and see what he says... stay posted!

Thu, 11/26/2015 - 11:47

Michelle Brown

status: 1Hi again Carson!
Here is what Terry said in response to your question:
Scuba divers still get cold but it takes longer because they wear dry suits
and thick insulating undergarments. They try to expose as little of their
body as possibly to the water because air is a much better insulator than
water. They wear dry gloves to keep their hands dry and a thick neoprene
hood to keep as warm as possible. The insulating undergarments vary
slightly amongst the divers but Terry’s includes thermal underwear
(long-sleeved and long-legged), a big puffy sleeping bag-like one-piece
suit, 3 pairs of socks, and two pairs of gloves.

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