 |
The Antarctic Connection |
 |
Research Teams |
 |
Journal Entries |
 |
Lesson Plans |
 |
Study Sites |
 |
Science Digest |
 |
Antarctic Bestiary |
 |
 |
Frequently Asked Questions |
 |
Links to Antarctic Resources |
Current Weather Conditions for Palmer Station, Antarctica:
Journal Entries
2005-06
You will need QuickTime Player to view video clips. Please click here to download your free copy of QuickTime.
| Jump to a specific journal entry by Marianne Kaput: | ||
| August 2005 | 23 | |
| October 2005 | 31 | |
| December 2005 | 15 29 30 31 | |
| January 2006 | 1 3 4 5 7 9 10-11 12-14 15 16-17 18-19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 | |
| February 2006 | 1 2 5 6-8 10 | |
| Click here to access journal entries by Giancarlo Lopez-Martinez or Luke Sandro. | ||
January 26, 2006 — Palmer Station, Antarctica
Once again, I am out camping in the backyard at Palmer Station. I have spent the evening working with my laptop, overlooking the harbor. I couldn't get my wireless to connect — can you believe it?!
 |
Right now I am sitting on a rock, dark gray with a hint of green. I wonder what kind it is. Sedimentary? Mafic? Here's a picture of it. Compare it to the smaller rocks around me. What kind do you think they are? Don't let the orange lichens fool you.
 |
I am just above the water, watching a seal float. It's swimming toward me and looks hungry; I really don’t want to mess with it. The seal just disappeared under the water to hopefully catch some dinner. It's a pretty big elephant seal — I don’t care to have it too close because it must be around 6 feet long and weigh three times as much as me. This is the first time I've ever had to watch out for seals while I was writing — Antarctica sure is a unique place!
 |
This morning, just as I finished in the shower, a voice came on the PA system, "This is a fire drill! All personnel report immediately to the muster station location, the boathouse." Grrrrrrreat timing! Well, a drill is a drill and safety is BIG around here, so I followed the directions. OK — I did stop to throw on a pair of sweats and sweatshirt. The fire crew was jumping into their fire fighting gear as I rushed down the steps of my building.
 |
I arrived at the boathouse right on time — they called my name on the roll call just as I walked in the door. The entire base was there except for a couple of people. Then the alarm began to ring. It's just as loud here as it is at my school and people were plugging their ears with their fingers.
 |
The first day we arrived we knew that Palmer Station took safety seriously because our orientation meetings outlined of all the safety procedures — and there sure were a lot of them. Like right now, I am in the backyard and I have to have a radio with me. I also check out on a chalkboard, listing my location, what radio I have, time of departure and expected time of return.
 |
If I don't get back to the base on time in the morning and don't answer my radio when they call me, they will come searching for me like they did my friend (who shall remain nameless). Her watch battery stopped and it read the time as 4:00 am. Since this is Antarctica, 4:00 am has the same amount of sunlight as 9:00. Needless to say, they sent two people from the SAR (Search And Rescue) team to get her. She was fine, just a little embarrassed — but well rested. The high level of safety is comforting as we are so isolated from outside help.
A commitment to safety is evident everywhere. The glacier has signs up as barriers keeping people away from the crevasses, which are very deep and dangerous. The SAR team is trained to assist those who find themselves in a dangerous situation. They are trained in glacial rescue as well as first aid. They had some training and practice out on the glacier today.
 |
Did I mention there's even a doctor here? Dr. Greg is prepared with the latest equipment and can even perform surgery, if needed. He’s got lots of modern equipment including a stocked pharmacy. When Rick Lee was here in 1981, there was only a medic who had limited training. Polar stations have come a long way, baby!
We even had water and boating safety courses. We were taught how to properly operate the boat and safely drive it. Each boat is inspected daily for fuel, mechanical problems, and proper equipment which includes a map of the area and a GPS (Global Positioning System) so we know exactly where we are and how to get back to the station. Being so far away from home, it’s comforting to know that we are safe. Just like you feel when you are at school.
 |
With my radio at my side, the water gently rolling against the rocks, and the thunder of the glacial calving in the background, I’m going to crawl into my tent. I'll snuggle into my down sleeping bag with the many hand warming packets I brought and get a good night's sleep.
 |
Oh no — here comes another seal! This one is a Crabeater. Where's my camera when I need it????
- Kaput-on-Ice