Ice Stories
Exploratorium Home

Pages and Posts Tagged ‘Antarctica’


When an Icebreaker Meets Its Match

ABOARD THE RVIB N. B. PALMER, ON THE WEDDELL SEA-- As luck or fate would have it, the sea ice around Antarctica seems to be unusually persistent this year, reaching far beyond its usual summer extent, which makes moving forward a slow going process... {Read More »}



A Small Cork in a Big Ocean

ABOARD THE RVIB N. B. PALMER, ON THE SOUTHERN OCEAN-- After leaving Punta Arenas, Chile, on January 4th, 2010, and enjoying the calm waters of the Straits of Magellan and the coast of Argentina on our way to the Weddell Sea we have now reached the dreaded Drake Passage.... {Read More »}



Greywater and Waste

BEACON VALLEY, ANTARCTICA- One of the more common questions that I am asked regarding the field camping experience is how do we dispose of our waste in such an environmentally protected region of the world? Nothing can be released into the soil. Everything must be contained and returned to McMurdo... {Read More »}



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... {Read More »}



Climbing Castle Rock

MCMURDO STATION, ANTARCTICA-- After we arrived in McMurdo, the first thing we did was get checked out safety-wise to climb Castle Rock. Every time I go to McMurdo I have wanted to hike this famous spot, and this year I finally got my chance... {Read More »}



Pack Your Many Bags, We’re Off!

PUNTA ARENAS, CHILE-- After leaving the day after Christmas from San Diego, CA, we've finally made it to Punta Arenas, Chile, where our ship the RVIB (Research Vessel Ice Breaker) Nathaniel B. Palmer is waiting for us... {Read More »}



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... {Read More »}



Happy Holidays from West Antarctica

WAIS DIVIDE, ANTARCTICA-- We are certainly guaranteed a white holiday celebration here at WAIS Divide... {Read More »}



Sampling the Air at the South Pole

SOUTH POLE, ANTARCTICA-- Check out this video to see one of the methods we use to collect air samples out in the Clean Air Sector at the Atmospheric Research Observatory.... {Read More »}



What a Difference a Year Makes

CAPE ROYDS, ROSS ISLAND, ANTARCTICA-- Last year and this year the first penguins were seen the last week of October, so not much changed there, but there were fewer birds and nests being built during the first weeks this season. When we started looking for eggs the picture became even more surprising... {Read More »}