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Frozen History Dispatches


A Day in the Life of the DISC Drill

WAIS DIVIDE, ANTARCTICA-- Here is a short video that summarizes all of the steps in collecting an ice core using the Deep Ice Sheet Coring (DISC) drill...



Ash Deposits and Ice

WAIS DIVIDE, ANTARCTICA-- Our primary goal here at WAIS Divide is to drill and collect ice cores and get it shipped back to the United States. Rarely do we see anything other than clear ice with some scratches and cracks, but around 1600 m deep we retrieved a core with a visible dark band in it. We think that this layer is a tephra layer, or a volcanic ash deposit!...



Up, Up, and Away: Weather at WAIS Divide

WAIS DIVIDE, ANTARCTICA-- With flights constantly coming and going with cargo, fuel and passengers, monitoring the weather conditions here at WAIS Divide is a critical and ongoing task...



Get That Heart Rate Up!

WAIS DIVIDE, ANTARCTICA-- In Antarctica, as I constantly work in this cold environment, I can sense my body working really hard. Staying warm is a primary challenge and keeping enough energy to complete my daily tasks is a tough. However, as with anywhere in the world, it is still important to get exercise...



Happy Holidays from West Antarctica

WAIS DIVIDE, ANTARCTICA-- We are certainly guaranteed a white holiday celebration here at WAIS Divide...



Tent Time

WAIS DIVIDE, ANTARCTICA: As I am learning first-hand, there is quite an adjustment period to life in the field in Antarctica...



You’ve Got Mail and a Birthday!

WAIS DIVIDE, ANTARCTICA-- Many of our crew will be celebrating birthdays while down on the ice so I thought I’d share what an ice sheet birthday looks like...



Packing Cores: A Critical Piece of the Puzzle

WAIS DIVIDE, ANTARCTICA: Before we start drilling again this season, we are shipping out about 1,000 meters of ice that overwintered here are WAIS Divide...



The Question Everyone Wants to Ask but Doesn’t….

WAIS DIVIDE, ANTARCTICA-- I know that I was curious before I got here about many of the in’s and out’s of Antarctic life. One basic aspect of life is using the restroom and I wasn’t exactly sure how that worked down south...



We’ve Landed in the Middle of an Ice Sheet!

WAIS DIVIDE, ANTARCTICA-- We finally arrived at WAIS Divide. Our flight departed as planned and now the crew is here learning the ropes and getting used to how to survive constantly cold temperatures...