Journal Entries

2005-06

 

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Click here to access journal entries by Giancarlo Lopez-Martinez or Luke Sandro.

 

January 22, 2006 — Palmer Station, Antarctica

Sunday morning is the most relaxing time at Palmer Station. The support staff has the day off, so people spend their day doing as they please. I was greeted on my way in from camping out by three offers for coffee — doesn't get better than that! Since science never stops neither do we, but we do slow down the pace a bit on Sunday mornings (which was perfect considering my night in the tent).

Have I gone into detail about how my night went? You know it was raining and very windy on my way to the campsite, but did I mention just how windy it was? Check this out:

High Temp.	Low Temp.	Humidity	Pressure	Visibility	Wind Direction	Wind Speed
46 °F (8 °C)	36 °F (2 °C)	59%	29.00 in (982 hPa)	9 miles (14 km)	NE	42.5 mph (68.4 kmh)

Had I known there was a major low pressure system coming, I might have postponed the overnight plans, but the weather changes very quickly here and it’s hard to keep track. To say the least, it was VERY windy! I could feel the tent lift and shift around as the wind gusts increased velocity by the minute. All I could think about was someone’s warning to tie the tent down well, or else, "...your tent just might end up being blown into the harbor — with you in it!" I began to fill the inside of the tent with rocks. The wind screamed in fury through the hills, growing louder and louder. I filled the tent with more and more rocks because it felt as if the tent and I were being tossed around like a toy by the wind. Did I mention that the tent flap zipper was broken? The unzipped door flaps smacked against the tent all night long as the entire tent shook in the wind. Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep but it was definitely worth the experience...and I'm sure I will do it again. I love adventure!

I spent most of the afternoon sorting specimens in the lab. There is a new experiment being set up as new questions arise from being here in the lab and also out in the field. The new experiment that is being set up will be related to the data collected by the HOBO temperature loggers. The HOBOs recorded the temperature every day for a whole year. As the information was being reviewed, this question arose: "What is the effect of daily temperature changes on the cold tolerance of the larvae?" Background information was reviewed and naturally occurring temperature fluctuations were discussed. Many factors were considered while designing this experiment. For example, photoperiod is the number of hours of daylight per day. See the chart below that illustrates how many hours of daylight we experience here at Palmer Station.

You can clearly see that as we move into February, we are beginning to get some darkness at night. Now, compare that chart with this one illustrating the same information from the South Pole:

As you can clearly see, the South Pole is quite different. Why do you suppose there are such drastic changes at the South Pole?

The thermoperiod, which is the 24-hour temperature cycle, also is considered. The sun naturally warms the Earth during daylight, which in turn warms the microhabitat of Belgica. What do you suppose the curve would look like if you were to make a line graph of the thermoperiod for Palmer? How would you expect it to differ from where you live?

As I write, Mike is setting up the experiment to simulate the temperature changes that exist in the larvae’s natural environment. He is using an isothermal bath, which is like a portable micro-environment where the temperature can be manually controlled. Each hour, the temperature will be adjusted to simulate the changes in Belgica’s habitat; during the night the temperature will decrease and during the day it will increase.

Returning to the lab to pack my work in for the night, I found something special. Back on my lab table was another gift given to me, not by nature, but by a friend. It made my day. I am grateful for being among so many good people I can call friends at Palmer Station. I will remember how even a small thank you gift makes the recipient feel...making it yet another great ending to an even better day.

 

- Kaput-on-Ice

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