SOUTH POLE, ANTARCTICA-- Preparation for an ozonesonde launch takes place in the Balloon Inflation Facility (BIF) and begins about 7-10 days prior to launch day...

SOUTH POLE, ANTARCTICA-- Now we have the sun well above the horizon and it's great to see again. Not only has it made my walk to ARO (Atmospheric Research Observatory) easier, being outside in the sun sparks a bit of energy and helps motivate to get some work done as we get ready to turn over to next year's crew...

SOUTH POLE, ANTARCTICA-- With the arrival of mid-August, comes our first glimpse of dawn on the horizon. Not only is this a welcome sight to us “Polies”, but it brings upon us initiation of the destruction of ozone in the stratosphere (location of the “ozone layer”)...

SOUTH POLE, ANTARCTICA-- At the South Pole, carbon dioxide has been measured for just over 50 years now and there are a few different methods of obtaining a CO2 value...

SOUTH POLE, ANTARCTICA-- Station Manager Mel MacMahon leads the toast before midwinter meal at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole station. The occasion is in celebration of reaching the half way point of the long six months without seeing the sun.

SOUTH POLE, ANTARCTICA-- This was a question that I was just asked the other day. It was a friend of mine down here that has wintered-over previous years and was wondering what my opinion was having being my first winter here...

SOUTH POLE, ANTARCTICA-- Here are some photos of the night skies at the South Pole...

SOUTH POLE, ANTARCTICA-- We are nearly 2 months into the Antarctic winter now and it’s hard to believe that we only have just a little over a month until we are at mid-winter...

SOUTH POLE, ANTARCTICA-- Several weeks ago, I explained how solar radiation is the main driver of the Earth's climate. When solar radiation passes through the atmosphere and makes its way towards Earth, it can get absorbed, reflected, refracted, or scattered. One of those substances in the atmosphere that can either absorb or scatter solar radiation are aerosols...

SOUTH POLE, ANTARCTICA-- Time does pass quickly down here at the South Pole. I’ve been at the Pole for five months now (it’s hard to believe), and I have another seven or so left to go. Having the sun circle around you for the whole summer almost makes the actual sunset seem to come in slow motion....