We think that the dark band in this ice core is a tephra layer, or a volcanic ash deposit.

It is very rare to see such layers with the naked eye in ice cores so we all feel very lucky. Enjoy this video with our ice chemistry expert Dr. Ryan Banta as he explains more about this layer and ice core chemistry.

While we have a weather station that records variables including temperature, wind speed, wind direction, visibility, and the height of the ceiling, we often have back-ups and different methodologies for crosschecking the output of the weather station. The video in this post summarizes one such check.

Often measuring the height of the ceiling, or clouds, can be difficult and the instrumentation can record improper information if snow is blowing or if there are high winds. Since the height of the ceiling is vital information for pilots, we often check our weather station readings against that of a weather balloon. Enjoy this video of me launching one of these balloons that we used to measure the height of the ceiling! I am now an honorary weatherwoman at WAIS Divide.

Well, many of us here at camp are use to very active lifestyles back at home and therefore planned ahead for some fun recreational activities that would help us to stay healthy. I personally enjoying running so I brought some warm, waterproof running shoes and some nice warm running clothing! Many of us also have cross-country skis that we can use out on the runway that is groomed for the C-130 airplanes. The primary challenges to exercise here are a) finding time b) braving the bitter winds and c) getting motivated to go outside and freeze! Once you have finally prepared yourself, the running and skiing are excellent!

This last week was our first week working 24 hours a day. Our crew and the drillers are all split into three different shifts. I am on shift 2 and am responsible for helping to receive and document the ice cores from 3:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. After work I typically do not get to sleep until about 3:00 a.m. The primary reason for my late bedtime is because I have discovered that the weather tends to be the best in the middle of the night and I have turned the middle of the night into my exercise time. It is a good thing the sun doesn’t set around here! Most people aren’t silly enough to be out skiing or running in the middle of the night, but I do have a few skiing buddies who are willing to recreate with me. With the camp well marked with flags for safety and to guide the airplanes, you can go over 3 miles out of camp in every direction! Within a mile, the landscape becomes even more overwhelming as the camp disappears into the horizon and there is nothing but white and an incredible silence. The silence is really amazing. Imagine no sounds around you. We have no ambient sound from the everyday things we are used to at home. There are no noises from cars, insects, sirens, blowing leaves, honking horns etc. It is truly a unique experience!

Enjoy this photo of what you can look like after a good run here at WAIS Divide.

Peter Neff, my running buddy, always manages to look like Santa Claus by the end of our runs! All of the moisture from his breath freezes and accumulates on his beard!

This is a hard time of year to be away from family and friends but our WAIS community is certainly like a second family. We will have a gift exchange and lots of mail has been pouring over the past few days so there will be some presents from home to open too!

We are singing carols and getting into the holiday spirit with a few decorations and our special wooden Christmas tree outside of our galley. Will there be presents under the tree? I hope that Santa can find his way to the South Pole!

Happy Holidays to you all! We are all sending many well wishes from chilly Antarctica!

The Christmas tree at WAIS Divide.

We sleep in tents called Arctic Ovens. These tents are made in Alaska and could be considered Antarctic Ovens…especially in the morning! The tents are incredible at heating up with just the one’s body heat and the sun. In the morning, I have had temperatures as high as 65°F! That is roasting considering outside it is around 5°F (on a warm day)!

Our WAIS Divide Tent City. The tents are outside of “town” so that the noise of the generators and movement around camp doesn’t keep people awake.

The Arctic Ovens in Tent City.

Many of the people at camp sleep in a tent, but there are some communal heated sleeping areas. The tents are really one’s only private space so almost all of the members of the camp community have opted for a space in “tent city”. I have decorated my tent with photos of my family and friends and right now, I have a few holiday decorations up. I also have some rope strung around my tent for drying my socks and hats.

Even though the tents can get warm when you are in them, going to bed usually starts in a cold tent, which means you get into a COLD sleeping bag. One trick for getting the cold out of your sleeping bag is bringing a hot water bottle to bed. A hot water bottle is really helpful and can keep you warm throughout the night. I brought my sleeping bag from home in addition to the cold weather sleeping bag that was provided to us so I am staying plenty warm and comfortable. I sleep with the clothes I plan to wear the next day so I can get into warm clothes when I wake up. I am growing to love my little yellow tent and find that no matter what the temperature is I am always ready to go to sleep when I finally make it to my tent!

Peter Neff and his birthday cake of cinnamon rolls.

Ryan was even lucky enough to have about 10 letters arrive on a flight the day before his birthday! That is quite impressive because all of our mail comes on airplanes from McMurdo and both weather and the mail sorting can prevent letters and packages from arriving in a timely manner. Based on the mail that people are receiving in camp, it takes about 2 weeks for a letter to arrive at WAIS Divide from the United States. That is quite incredible considering each letter travels thousands of miles and takes several airplane rides! It may not be FedEx but it is still impressive!

Ryan Banta with his pile of mail including a great birthday card from his son. It was certainly a highlight for Ryan!

Enjoy this video about the process, including the take-off of a C-130 full of ice from WAIS Divide.

In all, we are having no trouble staying busy! Next up, getting the core processing line set-up for the new ice cores that we will begin drilling next week!

For example, at McMurdo Station, where the buildings are heated and it is like any small city in the U.S., there are just regular flush toilets. There is a wastewater treatment plant that deals with all of the waste and keeps the environment healthy. In the field life is different and there isn’t a flushing toilet for about 1,000 miles! At WAIS Divide we have 6 outhouses for the ~40 people at camp. The outhouses sit over large holes in the snow and ice. The main “town” has four outhouses and “tent city”, where everyone sleeps, has one outhouse. Out by the ice core drill we also have one outhouse.

The outhouse near the ice core drill. The view is quite nice!

The set-up is pretty basic, kind of like camping back in the States. The biggest difference in Antarctic restrooms is that sometimes you can’t get to them because blowing snow and horrible weather prevent you from being able to even seen the outhouse! Also, when you are sleeping and you have the urge the last thing you want to do is put on a million layers and your boots to go to the bathroom. To remedy these two issues, everyone has “pee bottles”. These are just a typical one liter water bottles that are marked very clearly with the letter P. These are used in your tent or in a storm. It is actually quite convenient! At smaller camps, like those in the Dry Valleys, all of the waste gets flown out so that there is a very small human footprint.

So, if you wanted to ask, now you know! For the record, I do miss a warm bathroom with running water and flush toilet!

An ice core.

We work in shifts for the packaging because it is easy to get tired and cold in our working environment. Part of ensuring the ice cores do not get damaged, and that they maintain their utility for different chemical and physical analyses, is making sure that the ice cores get no warmer than -20°C. So, the building where the cores are stored and packaged is cooled to -25 °C! It is hard to believe but often the air temperature outside is around 10°C warmer than where we work!

The drilling and ice core handling facility at the start of the 2008/2009 field season.

As we learn the packing process (I will go into more detail in another blog), we are also learning all of the nuances of staying warm for extended periods of time at -25°C. My technique, that I learned from the veteran ice core handlers, is to keep the core of your body really warm and that way your fingers and toes get enough warm blood to not get too cold. On top I wear 2 wool tops, a wool sweater and two down jackets. On the bottom, I wear two pairs of wool longer underwear and insulated bib overalls. Thick socks and boot liners with my sturdy blue boots keep my toes warm. Surprisingly, with all of the layers keeping the core of my body warm, I can get by with some light gloves on my hands!

Heidi covered in frost after work in a -25ºC environment.

Another trick, and one that I like the best, is eating LOTS of food. Both the galley where we eat and the warming hut where we can take breaks are stocked with cookies, crackers, and candy bars! It is not uncommon to eat 3 candy bars a day! I rarely eat candy at home so it is quite a nice treat to eat so much candy and know that my body is using all of the calories just to stay warm!

I am off to work now but I hope to get more posted soon! There is so much to share! Stay tuned for how to sleep in a tent in Antarctica, the ins and outs of a hot shower at WAIS Divide and much, much more about ice cores and they story they can tell! I will do my best to get photos posted too but internet is a real luxury here and we only have 5 hours of satellite internet a day! Sending photos is against the rules but I will try to figure something out!