Who we are and what we're doing!


Welcome to our project site! We are six National Science Foundation-funded researchers from Pacific Lutheran University, Berkeley Geochronology Center, University of Washington, and the University of Maine who are studying the glacial history of the Pensacola Mountains in West Antarctica.

Our 2011-2012 field season is almost underway! We will spend about two weeks in McMurdo equipping ourselves for another month in the Pensacola Mountains. We spent December 16th, 2010 through January 17th, 2011 in the Pensacola Mountains, where we mapped and sampled glacial deposits along the Foundation Ice Stream. This year, we will revisit last year's field sites, and map new regions of the mountain range.

Our work will track the thinning history of the Weddell Sea Sector of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, and will also provide insights into ice sheet dynamics, and the history of sea level contribution from this sector of the ice sheet.

In the coming weeks and months, we will use this site to show you our preparations for the 2011-2012 field season, and to share our initial results as they emerge. Please check back to catch up with our progress. Thanks for finding us!

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Trucks, Tracks, and Transport at McMurdo!

Hello again friends,


We've had a request from the audience to include more pictures of trucks. The travel surfaces and conditions in McMurdo warrant special vehicles to ensure the safety of passengers, drivers and cargo. Traveling around McMurdo requires navigation of icy, muddy and sometimes steep surfaces. To leave McMurdo can require transport across sea ice or the ice shelf.


*Note - on most computers, if you click on one of the images in a blog post, all of the pictures should pop-up in a larger, slideshow fashion!


These trucks are everywhere around McMurdo. 
Some of the trucks are outfitted with special wheels called "mattracks."
A common vehicle used for travel on snow and ice is the Pisten Bully seen above. Tracked vehicles can cross crevasses with widths one-third the length of the track.  
Most vehicles use engine warmers that need to be plugged in when the vehicle is parked.
Another common tracked vehicle is the Tucker. 
A newer model of the Tucker.


The Hagglund is also used for snow and ice travel. This one is named Hansel. Gretel's around here somewhere...
Gretel!
The Delta-88s are use to transport large groups of people. The large wheels minimize sinking into soft surfaces.
This Delta's name is Dawn. Prompting all of us to begin singing the Tanya Tucker song.
Another version of the Delta. This version has the cargo body instead of the passenger body. This Delta's name is Flipper (see the driver's door)!
Another shot of flipper
Meet Shelly Marie (name barely visible on the front bumper and passenger door).
Meet Wild Thang (name barely visible on the driver's door).
Reba!
Patsy!
Bubba!


An incredible amount of cargo moves through McMurdo. The entire station is abuzz with forklifts!
A friendly passer-by.
Of course, all of these vehicles rely on fossil fuels, so the edge of the station has many fuel tanks like the ones in this photo. The ball on the top of the hill in the background is an antenna! 
 Fuel is delivered to station once a year via a small oil tanker which arrives in February. When we return in January, an ice breaker will be breaking through the sea ice to create a passage for the oil tanker. More on this process later!
A McMurdo gas station!
Fill 'er up!
For the less tasking jobs around town - an electric alternative! 
The McMurdo Fire Department! High winds can make fires especially dangerous! 
Matt showing off one of the McMurdo fire trucks!
Walking back after a nice hour of touring McMurdo vehicles!
It was a beautiful, chilly day here today! I'll post an entry about our activities soon! Hope all is well back home,

Claire 
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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousDecember 5, 2011 at 3:47 PM

    Claire,
    I want one of the trucks with the mattracks! I know I could drive in the snow with that. Love all the pictures. In the 60's here. About to get 2-3 inches of rain over next 2 days.
    Love you,
    Aunt Cindy

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousDecember 6, 2011 at 4:37 PM

    Neat trucks! I want to see a snowmobile and a plane without a propeller.

    thanks!

    Max B.

    ReplyDelete

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