January 17, 1999

Published during the austral summer for the United States Antarctic Program at McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

Treaty Put to the Test/Page 5

Boy Scout Lends HelpingHands/ Page 14

Willy Road Willies/ Page8

IceTrek Journey Will Endat Pole/ Page 3

INSIDE

AMUNDSEN-SCOTT STATION -- Like a bright blue domespilling over the South Pole on all sides, the sky dominates thelandscape of this white, polar desert.

It also dominates the research being done here. The thin airand lack of moisture and heat in the atmosphere at the Pole makeit the ideal spot for looking deep within the universe.

“It’s the next best thing to putting up a satellite,” said GregGriffin, a research associate working with Viper, a 5-ton, three-story-tall submillimeter telescope. “It’s the best you can do on theground.”

Scientists, working with infrared and submillimeter tele-scopes at the Pole via the Center for Astrophysical Research inAntarctica, are taking full advantage of these ideal conditions.Under the common theme of “origins” astronomy, researchers aresearching for answers about the formation of stars, black holesand the age-old question of whether the universe will foreverexpand or eventually collapse on itself.

The Viper telescope, which tracks wavelengths below 1 mil-limeter at a frequency of 40 gigahertz, enables scientists to lookback in time as far as any frequency can go -- almost to the edgeof the visible universe, where objects are estimated to be 15 bil-lion years old.

“What we’re looking at is the afterglow of the Big Bang,”Griffin said of his work in determining the fate of the universe.

The photons streaming through time from about 300,000years after the Big Bang tell scientists what the universe was likewhen it started cooling. By measuring extremely slight tempera-ture differences in the heat radiated by condensed regions of gasin the cosmic microwave background, or CMB, Griffin and othermembers of the Carnegie Mellon University team are trying tounderstand the distribution of matter in the early universe.

“Mass tells the whole story in cosmology,” he said. “If youknow what the mass density is you can pretty much deriveeverything else about the universe. Is it going to expand foreveror is it going to crunch someday?”

...story continued on page 3

On the Web at http://www.asa.org

Story and photos by Ginny Figlar

Journey to the Edge of the Universe

Charlie Kaminski, awinter-over scientist,peers into SPIREX,the South PoleInfrared Explorer tele-scope. Located insidea white, canvasdome, the 24-inch-wide telescopeenables scientists tosee the center of thegalaxy.

In the last three years our work inAntarctica has won support from

high places -- the President's Science andTechnology Council,the Department of State and a ScienceFoundation externalpanel. Congress isshowing confidence inthe U.S. AntarcticProgram by fundinginvigorated science andmodernized facilities.

When I took thehelm of NSF's polaroffice three months ago,these renewals of the national commit-ment to Antarctica were much on mymind, as were comparable developmentsin the Arctic.

These important votes of confidencehave resulted, in no small measure, fromsuccesses in Antarctica. The field activitieshave long been recognized for their safetyand effectiveness. This season, the pro-gram is pulling off a 13-ring circus of sci-ence, operations and facilities upgradeswhile handling the transition of flying tothe Air Guard, the visit of bidders for thesupport contract renewal and, withAntarctica New Zealand, the visit ofdozens of ministers and officials fromAntarctic Treaty nations.

Worldwide attention has beenbrought to Antarctic accomplishments.The Viper telescope at South Pole made acrucial measurement of cosmic back-ground radiation that will help settlewhether the universe will expand forever

or collapse back on itself. The CapeRoberts project gave first evidence oflarge volcanic eruptions that shookAntarctica 25 million years ago. Amongmuch media attention, Science magazinedid a seven-page Antarctic cover story on

topics ranging fromastronomy to the hiddenlife of Weddell seals.

Some of this year’sparticipants are part of theTeachers Experiencing theArctic-Antarctic program,bringing back much toshare with students andother teachers. Othershave the critical role ofobservers -- from the pressand from the realm of lit-

erature and the arts -- helping citizens athome understand what we do with thepublic monies entrusted to us.

Research at the ends of the Earth isimportant in our interdependent world.Increasingly, its findings are contributingto fundamental advances in science andalso to the development of societal policy.

I am greatly encouraged by the wayAntarctica has provided opportunitiesboth in the forefront of disciplinaryresearch and in multidisciplinary studiesfocusing on global issues like the responseof the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to climatechange. Research integration is a big ini-tiative for NSF, which is blurring theboundaries between the traditional sci-ences by using increasing portions of itsbudget to fund research in areas likeknowledge management, biocomplexityand life in extreme environments, all ofwhich show relevance to polar science.

My task is to listen for, and act on,opportunities that the polar regions pre-sent for using science to respond tonational needs for knowledge.Investigators in the U.S. AntarcticProgram are a vital source of informationabout these opportunities. I will welcomeyour thoughts either directly(kerb@nsf.gov) or through my staff.Investigators might also channel com-ments through the facilities-users' com-mittees (see www.asa.org) or the Office ofPolar Programs Advisory Committee,chaired by Stephanie Pfirman (spfirman@barnard.columbia.edu).

NSF's role is not so much to see thefuture as to enable it. In Antarctica aselsewhere that means targeting funds andfacilities to excellent science. NSF's suc-cess in promoting research and scienceeducation will, as always, be measured byyours. ✹

The Antarctic Sun January 17, 1999 2

The Antarctic Sun, part of the United States AntarcticProgram, is funded by the National Science

Foundation. Opinions and conclusionsexpressed in The Sun are not neces-sarily those of the Foundation.Use: Reproduction and distributionis encouraged with acknowledgement

of source and author.Publisher: Valerie Carroll, ASASeniorEditor: Alexander ColhounEditor: Ginny FiglarContributing Editors:Ty Milford, Sarah OhlsonContributions are welcome. Contact The Sun at

sun_news@asa.org. In McMurdo, visit our office inBuilding 155 or dial 2407.

Web address: http://www.asa.org

Conveniently located just off Hwy. 1 at the busiest intersection in town!

Give the Store a New Name!Win $50 prize!

Visit the store for details on the contest and to fill out an end-of-the-season survey.

NSF News: Antarctic Science Turns Headsby Karl A. ErbDirector, Office of Polar Programs, NSF

Karl Erb, above, became the new direc-tor of the National Science Foundation’ sOffice of Polar Programs three monthsago.

Donna Aldrich-Hooker andRoger Hooker were married at 3 p.m.,Jan. 1, 1999, at the South Pole. Theyexchanged vows at the ceremonial polewith the station residents standinghand-in-hand around the flags in a cir-cle of unity.

After being engaged for a year anda half, the decision to be married at thePole was a spontaneous one. “Therewas no thought to it,” Aldrich-Hookersaid.

Aldrich-Hooker, a cook, andHooker, an electrician, are both fromWalden, Vt., and are new to Antarcticathis season.

With pizza as the main course fortheir reception dinner and their weddingnight spent in a jamesway, the coupleenjoyed an “all-expenses-paid honey-moon” in McMurdo -- R&R before theirupcoming winter at the Pole.

The Antarctic Sun January 17, 1999 3

This value of the mass density -- omega -- has been underquestion for years. But, Viper, tracking the same piece of sky 24hours a day, is starting to acquire preliminary results that arebeing used to “throw out models,” Griffin said. Data comparedto a few models seem to fit better with a value of one for omegaover other proposed values.

“We’ve seen a maximum (cosmic microwave backgroundradiation) that looks as if it fits with high omega models but wehave to do more work,” Griffin said. “It could be another monthor two before we can say ‘omega is plus or minus this.’”

Unlocking the Mystery of Black Holes

The Viper telescope is helping to unlock another mystery ofthe universe -- black holes.

Borrowing time on the Viper telescope beginning this month,the SPARO instrument, which measures the state of polarizationof light at the center of the galaxy, will help scientists understandwhy matter collects there.

Giles Novak, a physics and astronomy professor atNorthwestern University working on the project, said, “There isvery strong evidence for a black hole at the center of our galaxy.”

But, how they form and operate is what Novak and othersfrom Northwestern are trying to learn. “It is believed that theseblack holes are growing from interstellar gas,” he said. “This gassomehow collects itself in the center of the galaxy.”

Just like the Earth has a magnetic field, space has a magneticfield. And the magnetic field of the galactic center runs the wholegalaxy. “Right now no one knows what the shape of the magneticfield is in the center of the galaxy,” Novak said. “Within a year,we’ll know.

“We know there’s a lot of mass in the center,” he added.“Whatever it is, observations with SPARO should tell us how itgot there.”

A Star is Born

SPIREX, the South Pole Infrared Explorer, has the ability tocut through cocoons of clouds and dust that scatter and blocklight in optical telescopes to reveal how stars form within thesestellar nurseries. In essence, the infrared telescope measures theheat radiated from objects.

“As you collapse, you heat up,” said astrophysicist NigelSharp. This is the process Sharp is looking for as an indication of

star formation. “Do certain conditions give us lots of massive stars, very

small stars?” Sharp asked. “This sort of detail of looking at thesewavelengths will start to answer these sorts of questions.”

Just a few hundred yards away, another group of scientists,calling themselves “stellar pediatricians,” is using a submillime-ter telescope, AST/RO, to view stellar nurseries of other sorts.

The nurseries they’re viewing are within molecular clouds --clouds several times as large as the solar system. Within them,Roopesh Ojha and Jim Jackson are locking their search on the sig-nals emitted by carbon because it’s a good tracer for activity.

“People are studying stars, but there is so much locked up inthese molecular clouds about which people know so little,” saidJim Jackson, a co-investigator on the project.

In essence, the birth of stars is directly related to the exis-tence of human life. “You are made out of stuff that was insidestars,” Jackson said.

South Pole astronomy is enabling scientists to view theworld as it’s never been seen before. “It’s an exciting timebecause a lot of very fundamental things about the universearen’t known yet,” Griffin said. “This feels like the 20-year periodwhen cosmologists can really nail these things down.” ✹

Astronomy ...continued from page 1

Jim Jackson points out the technical components of AST/RO, the AntarcticSubmillimeter Telescope/Remote Observatory, at the South Pole.

Just as Robert F. Scott’s trek to theSouth Pole in 1911 fell short of its

mark, so too has the team that set out toduplicate his endeavor 87 years later.

Hindered by blizzards, snow driftsand a bout of food poisoning, the IceTrekteam of Peter Hillary, Eric Phillips and JonMuir has decided to end its journey at theSouth Pole and not ski back to NewZealand’s Scott Base as originally planned.Successfully carried out, the 1,875-miletrek would have been the longest unsup-ported polar expedition in history.

The decision to conclude the trip at

the halfway point came on Jan. 6, whenthe team was already three weeks behindschedule and tentbound due to blizzardconditions. Had they continued, their trekwould have lasted well into late February,putting them in danger of missing the lastflight out of Antarctica.

With just over 200 kilometers to go,the skiers are expected to reach the SouthPole around Jan. 21, according to a pressrelease issued by the team. Hillary,Phillips and Muir will then be airliftedback to Scott Base, where they startedtheir world-record attempt on Nov. 4.

“We had been expecting some bliz-

zards, but not the run of bad luck thatwe’ve had to date,” the team wrote in anonline journal entry dated Jan. 6.

Conditions at the beginning ofJanuary included temperatures of minus30 C, wind gusts of 30 to 50 knots, 2-metersnow drifts and visibility of just 5 meters.If bad weather continued, they may havebeen in danger of depleting their food. Toensure they had enough to make it to thePole, a food drop was made on Jan. 11,according to spokeswoman Rachel Bell.

As far as making another attempt athistory, Bell said, “Only Peter, Eric and Jonknow what their future plans are.” ✹

IceTrek Team Abandons Roundtrip Journeyby Ginny Figlar

AMUNDSEN-SCOTT STATION --Neutrinos are suspicious characters.

Fast, independent and powerful,they zip through the atmosphere at thespeed of light. Two hundred times heav-ier than an electron and born withextremely high energy, they emit light asthey travel in the same way a planeemits a sonic wave when it travels fasterthan the speed of sound.

And, like cosmic aliens in the night,they are nearly impossible to detect.

Catching these wily particles, whichtransform themselves into muons whenthey interact with other matter, is a jobthat has brought researchers fromAmerica, Sweden, Italy and Germany towork on AMANDA, the AntarcticMuon And Neutrino Detector Array sit-uated at the South Pole.

Walking into the AMANDA lab, housed in an elevated, space-age building within the ‘Dark Sector’ at the Pole, is to enter a seaof electrical cables, computers and contemplative researchers.Lights blink and monitors flash as the team tracks data collected 24hours a day from their array.

The array is composed of optical modules that look like a crossbetween a basketball and the eye of a science fiction monster. Thesemodules are set along a long cable that is strung through the icelike a fishing line, forming a kind of neutrino net. Combined asone, 13 of these lines form the first-ever neutrino telescope.

But a set line hardly entails a caught fish.Nick Starinsky, a researcher with the AMANDA project, is

first to agree that his prey is an elusive species. “(Neutrinos) arevery strange and difficult to detect,” Starinsky said. “They passthrough the Earth like a hot knife through butter. You’d need alead wall between the Sun and Earth to stop them.”

So unlikely is it that these scientists catch a neutrino, oneresearcher compared their plight to standing blindfolded in centerfield of Fenway Park with a baseball glove stretched in the air, wait-ing for a ball to land in the mitt. This Fenway Park, however,would be subjected to a nearly continual rain of baseballs.

Even so, with odds of winning the Colorado state lottery look-ing better than those of catching these charged particles, one won-ders why researchers bother at all. The answer lies in the clues theseparticles, once caught, will yield.

“This is a very direct method for mapping the universe,”

explained Starinsky. “Other particlesslike electrons, protons and regular lightdeflect off other material as they travel,but a neutrino will hold its course.” Andif the neutrino does hold its course as ittravels, it serves to reason that if this lineis traced backward, it will lead directlyto its origin. In time, as more and moreneutrinos are caught, a dynamic newmap of the universe will be created.

But first they need to catch theneutrinos.

Perhaps it is their intergalactic ori-gins that make them so hard to detect;but for all their sneakiness, neutrinos arenearly as common as the air we breathe.They bombard the Earth from aboveand below 24 hours a day. So whatgives? Why are these energized bits of

matter so tough to collect?The trouble with isolating neturinos can be traced in part to

the cosmic crowd of characters they travel with. According toStarinsky, neutrinos (in the form of muons) are mixed in an enor-mous soup of cosmic showers. “This is the most difficult part ofAMANDA’s work,” he explained. “To separate muons from thebackground showers, and then to separate muons that come fromabove with muons that come from below is tough.”

Low-energy muons dominate the showers from above but areof little use to the AMANDA researchers. Their origin is from thedecay of various particles as they enter the Earth’s atmosphere.

High-energy muons generally come from underground, havingtraveled through the Earth’s core. These muons have their originsin neutrinos, and these are the particles the team is after.

For now though, Starinsky, who will spend the winter moni-toring the telescope, has one thing in mind: catching more neutri-nos. “It’s like watching the sky for asteroids,” said Starinsky. “Youblink and you’ve missed the most beautiful event in the sky.”

Despite the challenges that face these researchers as they chasethe elusive neutrino, an overwhelming sense of exploration andexcitement seems to guide their work. “Every time you open a newwindow (to the universe), you find a new species,” said AdamBouchta, a post-doctoral student from Berlin, working on the pro-ject. “Now we’re opening a new window for neutrinos. If we arelucky, like those before us, we will find new sources that emit highenergy in the universe.” ✹

The Antarctic Sun January 17, 1999 4

by Alexander Colhoun

Fishing for NeutrinosCosmic Raiders of the Distant Past

The Antarctic Sun January 17, 1999 5

Mrs. Edith Ronne conceived herfirst child in Antarctica. Finn Ronnewas reluctant to radio for help inremoving the Beaumont from sea icevia the Burton Island and Edisto ice-breakers nearby. He had planned toleave in mid-March when scientificprograms were complete. Mrs.Ronne's pregnancy caused the RAREexpedition to depart on Feb. 20, 1948,three weeks ahead of schedule.

•The Adelie penguin is named forAdele, the wife of Jules-SebastianDumont d'Urville, France's earlyexplorer. Today's French station,Dumont d'Urville, is situated on theAdelie Coast, also named for Adele.

•The first duck-billed dinosaur foundoutside of the Americas was located in sands about 66-67 million years oldon Vega Island off the eastern side ofthe Antarctic Peninsula. The findingof this hadrosaur gives support to thetheory of a land bridge betweenAntarctica and South America duringthe Cretaceous period. It is assumedquantities of vegetation existed inAntarctica to support these large planteaters, some of whom may have stood20-feet tall.

•Paul Siple first came to Antarctica asa Boy Scout. He was 19 years oldduring Byrd’s 1928 expedition. Hisskills with dog handling persuadedByrd to allow him to join the winterteam.

•The biggest earthquake in theworld in 1998 was the March 25quake just off the Balleny Islands,which registered 8.1 on the RichterScale. By comparison, the 1995 quakein Kobe, Japan, measured only 7.2and killed 6,000 people and injured35,000.

•October 1998 was the coldest andstormiest summer in McMurdo since1973, breaking a 25-year old record.

Did You Know. . .by Brenda Joyce

It is an ugly fish. Its bulbous eyes and cav-ernous mouth lend themselves more to pre-

historic species than a modern-day candidate foroverfishing. Appearances, however, mean noth-ing to fishermen hunting the Dissostichus maw-soni -- the Antarctic toothfish -- all they want isits soft, white, lucrative meat.

The hunt for Mawsoni will enter new watersin coming weeks as commercial fishermen makepreparations for exploratory harvesting from theRoss Sea. Fisheries activities in this region areregulated by a commission known as CCAMLR,the Convention for the Conservation of AntarcticMarine Living Resources.

The Commission is responsible for the man-agement of marine living resources in theSouthern Ocean around Antarctica. Based on theAntarctic ecosystem, CCAMLR's boundary isdefined by the Antarctic Convergence, the zonewhere cold waters of the Antarctic mix with thewarmer waters of other oceans.

As the summer season of fishing gets under-way, two New Zealand ships licensed byCCAMLR will fish these waters legally, with per-mits. Any additional ships harvesting the Ross seathat hail from nations that have signed on to theconvention will fish in direct contravention to it.

"The information we have is that six to sevenlong liners, at least, have the intention to move tothe Ross Sea this summer," said Stuart Prior,Minister of Foreign Antarctic Affairs, NewZealand. There is a real possibility then, that ille-gal and unregulated activity will move to the areaSouth of New Zealand and the Ross Sea."

In recent years, illegal fishing of a relatedspecies, the Patagonian toothfish, has reached

alarmingly high levels. Tactics include flying flagsof different nations on fishing boats and trans-shipping product through intermediary nationsbefore moving it for sale, often as ‘Chilean SeaBass’in American markets.

The Patagonian toothfish fishery presents aparticular challenge for regulators. It is found notonly in the CCAMLR waters, but also in watersunder national jurisdiction of countries that borderthe Southern Ocean. Since legal and illegal fishingoccur both within and outside the CCAMLR area,regulation of this fishery is a complex, multilater-al issue.

Market sources indicated that about 60,000tons of Patagonian toothfish were traded last year.About 90 percent of this was exported to marketsin the U.S. and Japanese, both of which are signa-tories of CCAMLR. Less than half of this tradecould be attributed to legal fishing within theConvention area and nearby waters under nationaljurisdiction.

“The import of all Antarctic fisheryresources, including finfish, crab, squid and krill,from CCAMLR waters to the United States isstrictly regulated,” said Robin Tuttle, a NationalMarine Fisheries Service foreign affairs specialist.“No Antarctic fishery resource may legally enterthe U.S. market without an import permit.”

The toothfish are not the only losers.Seabirds, including the white-chinned petrel, grey-headed albatross and the giant petrel, are at risk aswell. Using catch rates of seabirds from legal ves-sels, researchers estimate between 50,000 and89,000 seabirds in the convention area were deci-mated during unregulated fishing last year alone --a level that, according to data submitted byCCAMLR's Scientific Committee, is unsustainable

Fishy Activity Moves into RossSea, Threatens Treaty

Fresh from McMurdo Soundand very much alive, anAntarctic Toothfish is exam-ined and measured byresearchers before beingtransfered to a holding tank.

Story and photo by Alexander Colhoun

...story continued on page 8

The Antarctic Sun January 17, 1999 6

“I’m going to go back to theStates to go skiing.”

“I’m going to Disneyland.”

Kim Vargo,Firefighter

Jose R.Garcia,Cook

TomKing,Paramedic

“Go to Australia. Go diving. Hope Idon’t get eaten by a great white.”

“Get a divorce.”

JoniEnglish,USAPCargoSupervisor

Views From Antarctica’s Main StreetQ:What’s the first thing you’re going to do when you get off the Ice?

The warning can be unnerving.Stepping up to a water tap or

fountain, your attention is caught by asign posted above. You read on tolearn that the water you rely on forsurvival may contain elevated levelsof lead. The ultimate question thenmust be, is the water safe to drink?

Environmental technicianCassandra Graber unequivocally saysyes. She has been bestowed theresponsibility of regularly monitoringthe purity of water sources for theentire U.S. Antarctic Program fromPalmer Station to the vessels, fromMcMurdo to the South Pole and all ofthe seasonal field camps in between.

Fulfilling its commitment to pro-viding all facilities with safe drinkingwater, the USAP has adopted theEnvironmental Protection Agency'sU.S. water quality criteria. "The EPAhas no jurisdiction in Antarctica, but we voluntarily adhere totheir criteria anyway," said Graber.

Maximum containment levels considered safe for long-termhuman consumption have been set at 15 parts per billion (ppb)and are aimed to protect even the most susceptible populations,such as pregnant women and growing children. Healthy adultsare reported to normally pass 95 percent of ingested lead withoutabsorbing it, thus levels in McMurdo would have to be muchhigher than 15 ppb to pose a threat to residents.

Warnings were posted around the station after a 1995 evalu-ation found elevated levels of lead in samples taken not from thelarge mains that flush frequently, but from smaller service linesrunning to individual buildings. Furthermore, the water wasallowed to sit in the pipes for at least eight hours before it wastested to represent a worst-case scenario.

The problem isn’t in the source of the water, which isn’t hardto believe looking out across McMurdo Sound at the crystalline

glaciers spilling out of the towering RoyalSociety Range. The problem is in the distribu-tion system, which prior to the 1991-1992 sea-son contained copper piping with lead-basedsolder.

"Over time very small amounts of lead areleached into the water, particularly when thewater has an extended residence time in thepipes," said senior construction coordinator J.B.Freeman adding that this situation can befound in many U.S. homes constructed withthese materials.

Since 1992 different materials have been inuse to eradicate this problem. "Today," saidFreeman, "we do not use any lead-containingsolder." In addition to installing lead-free sol-der in new systems, renovated systems receivethe updated treatment as well.

Water plant operators are also aiding inthe resolution of this problem by activelyadding corrosion-resistant materials to thewater before it reaches the distribution system.

The efforts seem to be working. "We haveseen lead levels decrease nearly every year since the monitoringprogram was implemented,” Graber said. “Last year there were15 suspect buildings in McMurdo and this year there are only10."

Buildings that are still under watchful eye are 63, 107, 125,137, 138, 155 first- and second-floor berthing areas only, 160, anddorms 203 and 204. Water used in the galley has been consistent-ly below the EPA standards.

"In the identified problem areas," noted Graber, "we ask thatpeople flush the taps for 90 seconds to ensure that the water iscoming from the mains." After 90 seconds of flushing, she said,lead levels have consistently been shown to be insignificant.

"What we recommend here in McMurdo is the same thingthat people can do to protect themselves back home,” Freemansaid. “The only difference here is that we are giving people awarning that they usually do not receive from their utility com-panies in the States." ✹

Is the Water Safe to Drink?by Ty Milford

Cassandra Graber takes samples from the McMurdowater plant. Photo by Ginny Figlar.

The second article in a two-part series on one of McMurdo’s most valued resources

The Antarctic Sun January 17, 1999 7

Ruben and theBohemian Painters’Top 10 Things to DoAfter Redeployment:

10. Go directly home to meet girlfriend’snew boyfriend

9. Swim naked in the ponds at the Botanic Gardens

8. Return to jail after “work-release program” at McMurdo

7. Pick up a new set of Carhartts

6. Watch the sunset, act like Chicken Little and scream, “The sky is falling.”

5. Open a fruit and vegetable stand.

4. Expose pasty, white flesh and scream, “I am a vampire.”

3. Start a T-shirt company that uses correct spellings

2. Buy a big orange truck

and the NUMBER ONE thing to do afterredeployment is...

Apply for job as Top 10 writer for theDavid Letterman show.

Strapped into safety harnesses, twoworkers remove snow and ice from atopthe Amundsen-Scott South Pole Stationdome. Completed in 1975 and designedto hold 18 workers in the winter and 33 inthe summer, the dome is an Antarcticlandmark in an otherwise barren polardesert. Photo by Alexander Colhoun.

As an “operational mete-orologist,” I don't often

dwell on minute details ofatmospheric processes takingplace all around me. I'm moreinterested in whether or not theflight coming in from SipleDome will have any problemlanding at Williams Field on itsreturn to McMurdo. But withmore snow falling recently thanwe've seen in a while, I findmyself recalling the complex,but common process that gener-ates a snowflake.

Snowflakes don't just pop into existence out of thin air. Neither dothey start life as frozen water droplets. In the vast majority of cases, theybegin to form around tiny airborne dust particles. But for that to happen,the relative humidity in the frigid air surrounding the dust particle has tobe between 110 and 140 percent. This is one of the rare instances in naturewhere relative humidity can far exceed 100 percent.

Under these conditions, water vapor (water in its gaseous state) isdeposited directly onto the surface of the tiny dust nucleus in the form ofice. The most difficult task in snowflake formation is now complete.From here snowflake growth can proceed surprisingly rapidly.

The shape of the initial ice crystal and resulting snowflake is dictatedby the temperature and humidity of the air in which they form. Shapesrange from columns to plates to dendrites (branched crystals) to combina-tions of these shapes. Dendritic flakes are the largest and individuals canreach one third inch in diameter. "Flakes" larger than this dimension areactually conglomerations of many flakes.

During most of the summer season in McMurdo, dendritic flakes andmoderately sized conglomerations are the most common. Throughoutthe season at South Pole, temperatures at cold enough for individual col-umn-shaped ice crystals to be most prevalent.

As complex as the process may be, we're fortunate snowflake forma-tion is common enough to provide us with plenty of material for fabricat-ing snowballs, snowmen and skiways. ✹

by George Howard

The Antarctic Sun January 17, 1999 8

The road ahead looked bleak.As four crewmembers stood staring

at their vehicle buried up to its axle onWilliams Road, drivers passed by withdiscouraged faces, knowing full welltheir vehicle could be next.

“We had four vehicles stuck outthere at one time,” said Rebecca Shoop,supervisor for Air Terminal Operations.

Unseasonably warm temperaturesand an abundance of sunny days haveturned Williams Road into a sea of pot-holes, ruts and stuck vehicles. As of Jan.6, the road had been limited, indefinitely,to travel only by Deltas and track vehi-cles, and a ‘travel when necessary’ warn-ing was issued.

But, with a surplus of aircraft pas-sengers and personnel still needing toreach Williams Field, ATO immediatelybegan transporting people to the airfieldvia helicopter.

“It was the fastest and easiest way toget the people out there. I don’t think thepassengers minded one bit,” Shoop saidwith a smile.

The soft snow has created what hasbeen called an ‘obstacle course’ by travel-ers on the road. “When we bring cargoout to Willy, it was becoming more of anadventure than a job,” said cargo handlerPaul Jolicoeur. “The Deltas are toughvehicles, but they too can get stuck.”

Traveling on the road was not onlydifficult, but it was becoming a safetyissue. On Jan.6 a passenger was injuredin a Delta while traveling on the road. “The poor definition of the road, ruts orcovered-up holes could have all attrib-uted to the accident on Wednesday,” saidsafety engineer James Thate.

Giving the road time to heal hasbeen the strategy for fleet operations.“We’ve seen it coming for a couple ofweeks now, and that’s all we can do,”said Kelly Hance, a supervisor for fleetoperations. “We are very dependent onMother Nature at this point. We drag theroads, fill in the holes and hope for coldtemperatures.”

While the population of McMurdohas been enjoying thewarm weather, theroad has been suffering. “The amount ofsunlight and limited cloud cover we’vehad this year has had a direct impact onthe hardness of the snow,” said MaryTutza, a weather observer at WilliamsField. “The radiation from the sunlighthits the ice crystals on the top layer of thesnow and creates a magnifying effect.This heats up the packed snow that’sunderneath the top layer and makes thesnow very soft.”

A high volume of vehicles on theroad only exacerbated the poor condi-tions. Traffic has been higher than normalthis year as the population of McMurdoincreases and major projects are under-way. “We’re experiencing 100 moreflights this year than last year, have twiceas many aircraft and are moving two mil-lion more pounds of cargo,” said RayGabriel, supervisor of Air TerminalOperations.

On Monday last week the WilliamsField Road opened once again, but BillHaals, ASA’s manager of operations, cau-tioned the community to travel wisely.“Traffic is restricted to essential airfieldvehicles only,” he said. “We stress thateveryone needs to ride the shuttle at allcosts.” ✹

Drivers Get Willies on Willy Road by Ryan Luedtke

for these bird species."The continued high level of illegal,

unregulated and unreported fishing forPatagonian toothfish threatens the viability ofthe species, and exacerbates the problem ofincidental mortality of albatrosses and otherseabirds which are killed through long-linefishing,” wrote NSF’s Polly Penhale.

"The Antarctic Treaty is a complex treatyof international law,” Prior said. “To work, itwill require time, effort and political energy tosolve the problems."

Prior's words are not empty threats. NewZealand's government has laid out plans todeploy surveillance aircraft over the Ross Seato search for signs of illicit fishing. If enoughevidence of illegal fishing is uncovered, a NewZealand naval vessel with CCAMLR inspectorswill be dispatched.

Once illegal fishing is confirmed, NewZealand will report its findings to CCAMLR.The only enforcement is national, which meansthe responsibility for curbing illegal fishing inAntarctic waters falls back to the signatorynations that fish, market and import the fish.

CCAMLR has developed measures tocombat illegal fishing including inspections ofvessels fishing in CCAMLR waters, compulso-ry identification markings on vessels and fish-ing fear, and the introduction of a satellite-based tracking system for finfish fisheries.

At the recent CCAMLR meeting, the U.S.proposed measures to establish a framework fortracking the landing and trade flows of tooth-fish through a certificate of origin system andto provide for CCAMLR nations to deny mar-ket access unless is was demonstrated that thefish were caught legally. CCAMLR endorsedthe urgency of developing such a catch certifi-cation scheme and will hold a special meetingin April 1999 to move this forward.

“Combating illegal, unreported and unreg-ulated fishing in CCAMLR waters has no sin-gle solution,” said R. Tucker Scully, director ofthe Office of Oceans Affairs at the U.S. StateDepartment and head of the U.S. Delegation toCCAMLR. “Due to the vast area of theSouthern Ocean, we need to go beyond the tra-ditional surveillance techniques to include mul-tilateral trade measures.”

As the commercial fishing pressure nowmoves to Mawsoni, nature may help protect thespecies. Although very little is known about thebiology and distribution of this fish, mostbelieve that it is found mainly below theAntarctic circle. Living in waters that are oftenice-covered, Mawsoni may escape the fate ofthe Patagonian toothfish if vessels can’t navi-gate through the ice to set their fishing gear. ✹

Treaty ...continued from page 5

Aircraft passengers and crew board a New Zealand helicopter Tuesday to be safely transported to WilliamsField. Photo by Ginny Figlar.

The Antarctic Sun January 17, 1999 9

http://scilib.ucsd.edu/sio/nsf/http://members.xoom.com/figlar/home.htmlhttp://www.cnn.com/TECH/science/ 9812/

24/southpole.ap/http://www.theice.org

SunSites of theWeek

Web sites for the inside scoop on ice life:

The Antarctic

Sun

It's tough being the new kid in the U.S. Antarctic Program'sfamily of ships.

The R/V Laurence M. Gould, which joined this family inJanuary of 1998, follows in a great tradition of Antarctic researchvessels. The Gould occupies a role once filled by the R/V Hero andmore recently by the Norwegian-flagged R/V Polar Duke. TheGould faced some serious operational problems early on, whichhad some folks dreaming of the Duke's triumphant return.However, the Gould has since won-over the hearts of many and hasproven itself as a first-class science platform, meeting virtually allthe contract's specifications.

"(The ship) is working great," said Mark Gisclair, NSF opera-tions manager for Edison Chouest Offshore, a worldwide shipbuilder and operator headquartered in Louisiana. "I was impressedwith some of the sit-reps and (other) reports coming back.”

The Gould is the second Antarctic research vessel built andoperated by ECO for the Antarctic program. Its older and largersister ship, the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer, has been operating pri-marily in Antarctica's Ross Sea since 1992. While the Palmer isbigger and more powerful than the Gould, the two vessels are verysimilar.

"There is not much science that the NBP can do that wecan't,” said Warren Sanamo, the captain of the Gould. “The bigdifference in the science between the two vessels is the differentwork areas that the vessels can operate in. The NBP can work any-where. We are limited by the ice conditions in the area."

In the Gould's short career, it has already supported nine sci-ence cruises and supply runs to Palmer Station, and each one hasseen improvements in the new ship's capabilities.

As with any new ship there have been kinks to straighten out.Right off the bat, a design flaw in its construction required theaddition of “ice reamers” to bring the Gould up to U.S. CoastGuard standards for stability. Without them, the vessel was likelyto roll enough that the safety of the ship would be at risk.

Another big hurdle during the Gould's tempestuous first yearwas its inability to collect depth data while underway. ScientificSolutions Inc. designed a sonar pod to be mounted at the base ofthe bow, and the ship now has full ocean-depth sonar capability atany speed.

While the Gould was thought of early on as "a Duke ship at aDuke price," the addition of new, enhanced technology made itmuch more than a replacement ship. "I don't believe anyone everbelieved it would just be another Duke. The opportunity was there

to replace antiquated equipment and we took advantage of it," saidJim Holik, ASA marine operations manager.

For example, the Gould has a new meteorological suite of sen-sors, new data acquisition systems running on both Unix andMacintosh platforms, a new network server and a faster, morerobust E-mail system. Also, a virtual clean sweep was done of theon-board PCs, replacing the Duke's machines with new Macintoshand IBM-compatible systems.

As the Gould was outfitted, systems that had performed wellon the Palmer were installed on the Gould. Likewise, equipmenton the Gould that have proved themselves over the last 12 monthsare now being considered for use on the Palmer.

For instance, the Knudsen sub-bottom profiling system andechosounder, a seismic research tool that allows scientists to viewocean-bottom sedimentary layers, has performed well enough onthe Gould that a duplicate unit is being considered for the Palmer.

All these changes are part of ASA's overall plan to make thesetwo vessels as compatible as possible. Compatibility will not onlyaid researchers who receive funding for work on both vessels, but itwill also enhance the science support that ASA can provide.

"Duplication of equipment between the two ships is very help-ful," said Paul Olsgaard, ASA senior marine electronics technician."The spare parts inventory can be reduced, the data from each shipbecomes identical, and the learning curve for technicians is cut inhalf."

Based on personal observations and grantee feedback, ASAsupport personnel and the ECO crew continue to add equipmentand correct existing problems as they arise. But the number ofthese instances is becoming less and less.

"In my opinion, the Gould is a great ship and we have provenin our first year of service that the Gould is very capable of meetingand actually exceeding the expectations of the scientific communi-ty," Sanamo said. "I am very proud to be the Master of theGould." ✹

Gould Provesits Worthby Tim Bjokne

The R/V Laurence M. Gould, which has served the U.S. Antarctic Program forjust over a year, rests quietly at Palmer Station. Photo courtesy of Tim Bjokne.

The Antarctic Sun January 17, 1999 10

UPDATESMcMurdo Station by Hope Stout

McMurdo Station has moved forwardquickly into 1999 with preparations under wayfor the resupply vessel offload around the firstof February. The Coast Guard cutter has madeit's way through the ice, slicing a path for theresupply vessel and the fuel tanker. This willbring a new view to the station, open water!Hopefully new wildlife will start to appearas well.

The recovery effort was completed forSkier 95. It was flown safely from UpstreamDelta to McMurdo on Jan. 4 and then on toChristchurch on Jan. 6.

Planning meetings are underway for theupcoming Ministerial visit arriving the lastweek in January. There are approximately 65people arriving with this group with delegaterepresentation from most signatory nations ofthe Antarctic Treaty. The overall aim is toleave the participants with an understanding ofthe global importance of Antarctica and theAntarctic Treaty System.

South Poleby David Fischer

During the past two weeks, South Polecelebrated the New Year with a party featuringthe station's band, and completed the annualmoving of the South Pole marker. Two sepa-rate solo skiers arrived in the first week ofJanuary, followed by a group of five Frenchskiers and two Dutch skiers arrived the nextweek. ASAcontinues work on the SPSE/SMconstruction projects. On the Fuel ArchProject, work on tank modules A, B, and C iscomplete. On the Garage/Shops Project, sum-mer work on Grids 7-2 is complete and workon Grid 1 is on schedule. New scientists beganto arrive at South Pole n the last few weeksand ASAhosted a media team CBS news anda reporter from the Washington Post.

R/V Nathaniel B. Palmerby Tim Bjokne

The Nathaniel B. Palmer continues itssouthbound transect line, with its ultimate des-tination McMurdo Station. The Palmer is sail-ing for the second consecutive year in supportof the Martin Jeffries/Marcia Gowing group.

Like the Gould grantees, scientists aboardthe Palmer are studying Antarctic sea ice aswell. The difference is that they are studyingthe makeup of the ice itself: snow depth, icethickness and infrared lightmeasurements are some of the principle tasksbeing undertaken by the current Palmer group

of grantees. Biological research has represen-tation as well, with co-PI Gowing's groupstudying viral effects on algae and otherbiological matter that thrive in the sea ice.

Weather that has been unusually mild andonly minor equipment problems have madethis cruise a success so far. The cruise ends onFeb. 7.

R/V Laurence M. Gouldby Tim Bjokne

The R/V Laurence M. Gould's firstannniversary has a touch of Deja-Vu to it.

On Jan. 2, the Gould sailed from PuntaArenas, Chile, in support of the Long-TermEcological Research group. The LTER cruisewas also the first science cruise for the newlyarrived Gould in January and February of1998.

Based out of Palmer Station and withcruises on both the Gould and the R/VNathaniel B. Palmer this year, the LTER cruiseis part of a multi-year study of the advanceand retreat of the Antarctic sea ice.

The Gould left Palmer Station on Jan. 8after embarking several LTER scientists.Working in the Bellinghausen Sea, ASAper-sonnel and grantees will perform net tows,conductivity and temperature measurements,both underway and on selected stations. LTERgrantees will also survey for krill using atowed sonar array.

The Gould returns to Punta Arenas onFeb. 18.

ASA, Denverby Eric Juergens

The Denver headquarters office is gettingback to normal after the holidays. The resultsof our Adopt-a-Family program showed thatthe Christmas spirit is alive and well. With thehelp of donations of $1,000 from McMurdo,ASAwas able to provide over $3,500 of pre-sents to the five families with a total of 18children. A sincere thanks to the estimated150 ASAemployees who participated in thisworthy program.

Engineering, purchasing and logistics per-sonnel, as well as the QA office, put in somelong hours to get all of the 800 tons of SouthPole Station Modernization steel inspected,accepted and delivered to Port Hueneme intime to make the M/V Greenwave. Along withthis critical cargo, material for Building 155upgrades and the annual rush of last minutesupplies kept both Denver and Port Huenemestaff busy. With logistics’dedication and com-mitment, the ship sailed on schedule with allplanned cargo aboard.

National Science Foundationby Guy Guthridge

The last of two workshops for representa-tives of firms expected to bid on NSF's

Request for Proposals 98-001, "AntarcticScience and Logistics Support," took place atNSF headquarters in Arlington, Va., on Friday,Jan. 15. The workshop focused on PalmerStation and the R/V Laurence M. Gould, thetwo major parts of the U.S. Antarctic Programthat bidders did not get to see firsthand during "job walks" that NSF provided over the lastseveral months. The first workshop, held inVirginia in September, had reviewed the entire U.S. Antarctic Program. Formal propos-als are due to NSF on March 1. The new con-tract is scheduled to be awarded on Oct.1.

NSF Planes in MothballsBy Mike Scheuermann, NSF

Consolidation of the U.S. fleet of ski-equipped Hercules, the LC-130, into one oper-ating unit -- the 109th Air Wing of the NewYork Air National Guard -- has made it possi-ble to slim the program from 14 to 10 air-planes. Because the six LC-130s owned by the109th are newer than eight NSF planes, flownby the Navy in the U.S. Antarctic Program, theFoundation, in March, will send four of itsolder F and R models to Davis-Monthan AirForce Base, the ‘mothball’facility nearTucson, Ariz.

The planes will be in inviolate storage,meaning they can't be raided for parts withoutNSF's written permission. Since the craft havean undefined future, external ports will besealed, windows will be covered to precludesun damage, and major surfaces including theskis will get a thick latex skin.

This so-called cocooning is somewhat ofa misnomer since some large surfaces remainuncovered. Some avionics will go into storage,and some will stay aboard. Fuel will bereplaced with oil to prevent corrosion. Flightcontrol surfaces will be immobilized usinggust locks to prevent wind damage. The planeswill be moored to the ground with attachmentsat the nose and the tail and under each wing.The tires will be on an inert surface andchecked periodically for rot and flattening.

Should the time come to put a ski-Hercback in service, Davis-Monthan's AerospaceMaintenance and Regeneration Center willstrip the sealants, drain the lubricants, do aninspection, incorporate any technical ordersissued since the plane was stored and generallymake it ready for the air. Then the new opera-tor will arrive, inspect the regenerated craftand approve it for flight. This process takesabout a week.

Christchurch, New ZealandNo report available.

Palmer StationNo report available. ✹

The Antarctic Sun January 17, 1999 11

It was a mixed-feelings thing. You wait for something like that to happen for 20

years. Then it happens for half an hour and is over.After the celestial show, I poured the film rolls on top

of my suitcase and found myself staring silently at the car-pet for five minutes. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t speak. Ihad waited so long and never really trusted in my heartthat I would capture on film even a display coming closeto such a thing that had just taken place.

About half an hour to one hour later, I met my col-leagues, Jarmo Moilanen and Marko Riikonen. Once wecompared our results, it was imminent that we would belooking for something between 23, 24 or 25 halos on thefilm rolls and in videos.

At that moment, blood circulation took a new turnsince we knew we had a better-than-good chance tobeat the former record claiming displays of 20 halo forms.That display, the Canada Resolute, took place on April 3,1998.

There were two gigantic displays of 19 halo forms atthe South Pole photographed by Professor Walt Tape in1986 and 1990. They were so filled with arcs that he foundone new halo in both of them. In the 1986 display, hecaptured Tape arcs (a completely new halo). In the 1990display, he went on to take the world’s first photographsof Hastings' anthelic arcs, which had been forecasted byAmerican scientist C.S. Hastings in 1920 but nobody hadreported or photographed since. The thing has still notbeen sighted outside South Pole station, regardless ofobservation periods in Alaska, Siberia, Northern

Scandinavia and Canada. All of the halos present on those historic displays were

present on Jan. 11 as well as a few more that came outof a blessed small extra stream of pyramidal crystals, giv-ing us some extra halos.

You can get a visually great display in the Antarcticinterior at least once every two years, if not once a year.But it’s really difficult to have, simultaneously, the rarepyramid crystal population good enough to raise theoverall number of halos so as to make a unique result.

We try to correlate the halos we see with the ice crys-tals we collect simultaneously from the air. After the dis-play we photograph the ice crystals through a micro-scope and model the halos by using the same crystalstructures in computer simulations. The computer simula-tion made by Riikonen of the great Jan. 11 display was soaccurate that passers-by in the computer room of theSouth Pole dome mistook it at first as an all-sky photo-graph. ✹

BEAKER NEWS • BEAKER VIEWS

by Marko Pekkola, project OO-208

Workers at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Stationgathered around the chrome-topped "barber pole," asymbolic marker at the South Pole, on Jan. 11 to witnessand photograph a very unusual display of atmospherichalos, caused by the reflection and refraction of sunlightby ice crystals in the atmosphere.

For roughly 30 minutes, beginning at 2 p.m. localtime, construction workers helping to rebuild the stationjoined researchers and other station personnel to observeand photograph at least 24 halos, or arcs that appeared.

Marko Pekkola, an expert on ice crystals stationedat the Pole, said that if all of the sighting claims are veri-fied by photographic evidence, the phenomenon couldset a new world record for the number of halos visiblefrom a particular spot.

For reasons that are currently unknown, theAntarctic interior experiences more frequent and betterdeveloped halos than any other location on Earth.

In his own words, Pekkola, a science journalist fromFinland who has become an expert in these atmosphericdisplays, describes the thrill of witnessing such an extra-ordinary event.

A possibleworld-recorddisplay ofhalos at theSouth Poledazzleresearchersand stationpersonnel.Photos by LisaBeal.

Dear Aunt Arctica,For the past several months, I have enjoyed an online chat-

room relationship with a Kiwi woman. She is clever and sweet andtells me that people say she resembles "Elaine" from Seinfeld. Shewants to meet up with me on the North Island when I get off theice. It sounds great, but I'm skeptical. I mean, how many of thesetypes of situations ever actually work out? What if she's nothinglike she is in the chat room? What if she's hideously ugly? What ifshe's a total psycho? What should I do?

Sincerely,Virtually Interested

Dear VI,What if she's an angel with endless ebony curls, milky skin, an

underwear model's body and a personality true to her online per-sona? What if she's all those things and she takes one look at youand becomes mortified by what she sees? What if she's the platoni-cally ideal woman and she hates your shoes and thinks you havebad hair? Just to give yourself a little perspective on the risk she'staking in inviting you to meet her, perhaps you should considerthese notions for awhile. Sure you're taking a chance, but then, so

is she, right?While I am unable to give you a psychic reading on whether

or not this woman is telling the truth, or if her friends tell her thatshe resembles "Elaine" only because she is a whiny, self-absorbedtwit, I can relay to you the result of a story similar in content. Mymother's friend from work, Juanita is a divorcee who likes to surfthe Net. Much like you, VI, she found herself in one of those per-sonal chatrooms pursuing a love connection with a fellow calledRauol. It seems that Raoul and Juanita found enough mutual inter-est to meet one another, and Juanita thought the perfect forumwould be the barbecue that she and some of her fellow tenantswere throwing at the poolside of their Florida apartment complex."We had so much in common," said Juanita. "He told me thatpeople say he looks like Phil Donahue. I love Phil."

Juanita is a woman without many pretenses or expectations.She did not flinch, then, when Raoul informed her that he washaving problems with his bridgework, and asked her if she wouldbe offended if he did not wear his dentures. "After all," saidJuanita, "I have some false teeth myself, I know what it's like.” SoRaoul arrived at the afternoon fete in his best pool wear, as tooth-less as a baby. "He was so ugly," said Juanita. As to his claim ofresembling Phil Donahue, Juanita said, "it's hard to say if he did orif he didn't. I stopped looking at him the minute he took off hisdang shirt."

So you see, VI, one can never tell, but at least you may comeaway from the experience with an amusing anecdote to tell at par-ties. Personally, I'm all in favor of pursuing that which makes onemore interesting.

Stay Solid,Auntie A.

You can send your questions for the preceptress of Antarctic advice tosun_news@asa.org.

The Antarctic Sun January 17, 1999 12

New domestic postage rates went intoeffect Jan. 10. Letter mail now requires a 33cent stamp and the priority mail, 2-pound flatrate is $3.20.

Don’t get stuck holding the box. The lastday to mail packages off the Ice is Feb. 4.

Put on your dancing shoes. BallroomDancing lessons are held every Thursday inJanuary at 7:30 p.m. in the Playhouse.

Calling all rock jocks. Sign up in the recre-ation office for a climbing competition -- bothbeginner and advanced -- to be heldSunday, Jan. 31.

Open House. Tour the Discovery Hut from 1to 5 p.m. today, Jan. 17.

Around Mactown

Ask Aunt Arctica

Jan. 18Slide Show by Allen Stone

8:30 p.m., e-side Galley

Jan. 19Poetry Reading, 8 p.m., Coffeehouse

Jan. 20Karaoke, 8:30 p.m., Gallagher ’s

Jan. 21Sarah Krall, acoustic and keyboard

8:30 p.m., Coffeehouse

Jan. 22Zim and the Goat

8:30 p.m., Coffeehouse

Jan. 23Kiwi Party

8 p.m.-1 a.m., Playhouse

Jan. 24Marathon, 11 a.m.; 1/2 Marathon, 1 p.m.

Jan. 25Slide Show on Alaska

8:30 p.m., e-side Galley

Jan. 26Open Mic Night, 8:30 p.m., Coffeehouse

Jan. 27David Harris, acoustic

Jan. 29Casino Night, 8 p.m., Gallagher’s

Jan. 30End-of-Season Party, 7 p.m., Playhouse

Jan. 31End-of-Season Art Show, Library

Calendar

The Antarctic Sun January 17, 1999 13

With less than two weeks left inAntarctica last year, the

hike to Castle Rock was a quiet, con-templative walk. Sitting near the edgeoverlooking Mount Erebus andRazorback Island, I reflected on theseason that was winding down whileabsorbing the view, for perhaps the lasttime, and locking it into my memory.

Little did I know that a specialconnection with the past was about tobe made.

As I was rising to leave, some-thing golden yellow peered out frombehind some rocks nearby. I reachedout and grasped an old yellow andorange tin Kodak film canister.

With anticipation I opened it anddiscovered a rock with two bits ofpaper inside. Five names and theirhome towns were jotted down onthe paper.

It was dated Dec. 9, 1962.1962 - 36 years ago!

Butterflies fluttered in my stom-ach and goose bumps quivered allover my body.

One piece had the name DavidPeterson from White Lake, Wisc., onit. He noted that it was a clear daywith no wind and four ships in thebay. On the other bit of paper werethe four other names: Lt. JGBernhardt, D.E. from Kansas; Voss,CE from Illinois; Colin Fearon from Christchurch, New Zealand;and Bill King from Townsend, Mass.

Having studied anthropology in college and worked on severalarcheology digs, the past has always intrigued me. However noth-ing found on any of those digs has ever affected me as much as thisgolden cannister. Although this golden treasure was unlike artifactsthousands of years old, and it only contained a paper and a rock,the discovery exhilirated and rejuvenated me. Here was a uniquechance to interact with those who left it.

At once, the Agatha Christie in me came to the surface and Idecided to investigate the names. I began the search in McMurdo,but with the summer season coming to an end, I found only vacantoffices and locked doors.

After five months of travel, I returned home and got down tobusiness. I started with a Yahoo internet people search. I had luckwith two of the names, finding David Peterson in White Lake,Wisc., and three ‘B. Kings’ in the Townsend, West Townsend,Mass., area.

I wanted to call them right away, but I thought this might betoo intrusive, and perhaps awkward, so I decided to send a letter tolet them respond if they so desired.

Soon after returning to the Ice, Iopened a dilapidated fortune cookie andlearned that “good news will be brought toyou by mail.” Sure enough, a few weeks laterI wandered up to the mailroom where I washanded a single letter. It was from DavidPeterson, and I opened it right there andthen. Inside were pictures of him on top ofCastle Rock in 1962, and a few from theSouth Pole. He had summered in McMurdoand then wintered at the Pole. Returning fivetimes in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.

“I have often wondered if anyone everfound the canister,” wrote Peterson in his let-ter. “My recollection is that there were someothers upon Castle Rock at the same time.They may have seen me put the canister thereand added their names.”

He also wrote about his work as anelectronic technician, installingcommunication equipment thatallowed him to travel to severalremote field camps including theSouth Pole, Byrd, Hallett and SipleDome.

In recent weeks another letterarrived in McMurdo. It was fromBill King, a dairy farmer and loggerin Massachusetts and cousin of theBill King I had been searching for.It was then I learned of the Kingfamily’s tragedy.

“On March 1st, 1967, (Bill)died in a tractor trailer accident. I

was born and named after him in 1968,” wrote the cousin. Alongwith his letter, he sent a copy of a letter that Bill had written to hisgrandparents while he was in Antarctica.

“Boy I think that in the last few days I probably matured asmuch as I had in the past year,” wrote Bill, describing a plane crashthat had occurred. “You know what it’s like for a bunch of guys sit-ting around talking, laughing just having a good time and then thenext thing you know they’re dead. It really makes you realize justhow wonderful this life really is.”

Bill goes on to reveal a small taste of McMurdo three decadesago. “This afternoon I’m going to try and call home we’ve got aham shack on the strip so now I can get a chance to call,” hewrote. “Have a Happy Thanksgiving and do pray. Love always,Bill.”

King’s letter makes me appreciate the luxuries of a more mod-ern McMurdo. It doesn’t seem so frustrating now when the linesare busy when all I have to do is wait in the comfort of my roomfor the lines to open again.

Finding this Golden Treasure atop Castle Rock from 36 yearsago was a special moment. It has given me a more tangible, person-al and unique connection with McMurdo’s past. ✹

Perspectives

by Kristy Carney

A Golden Treasure in Every Way

ABOVE:DavidPeterson of WhiteLake, Wisc., standsby the old SouthPole marker in aphoto taken in1962.

RIGHT: One of twobits of paper thatthe author found ina tin Kodak filmcanister atopCastle Rock.

The Antarctic Sun January 17, 1999 14

Happy Camper School was a homecoming of sortsfor 20-year-old Ben Hasse.

Chosen as this year’s Antarctic Boy Scout, Hasse arrivedin McMurdo in late October and was whisked away withindays to the Ross Ice Shelf to learn survival skills, set up tentsand cook with camp stoves -- activities similar to what he’sdone with scouting for nearly 10 years.

“What does this remind me of? Everything I’ve everdone in Boy Scouts,” he said laughing. “It’s almost exactlythe same as snow school. And then they gave us a patch.

“That actually made me feel pretty much at home.”Every three years, Boy Scouts of America selects an Eagle

Scout, the highest merit of scouting, to participate in the U.S.Antarctic Program. Following in the footsteps of Paul Siple, thefirst U.S. Boy Scout to come to Antarctica as part of Adm.Richard Byrd’s 1928 expedition, Hasse traveled to field camps andvigorously assisted science projects throughout the continent.

“The last thing I wanted to be was a tourist,” Hasse said. “Ifigured my goal was to be as helpful as possible. That was my num-ber one priority.”

With the work ethic of a work horse, he had no problem ful-filling that goal. “The harder I’m working the happier I am,” hesaid.

Bright-eyed and bushy-bearded, Hasse never seems to run outof steam. It’s a rare occasion for him to be down, he said, only ifhe’s “extremely sick.”

“My mom got real frustrated with me when I was a little kidbecause I was a little fireball. She said ‘go to your room or go runaround the house,’” he said, meanwhile fidgeting with a peppershaker for close to 45 minutes.

His hyperactiveness as a child didn’t equate to self confidence,however. That’s something he developed through Boy Scouts. “Iwas real reclusive when I was a little kid,” he said. “(Scouting) real-ly gave me a lot of confidence in trying new things.

“It gave me a chance to establish my own identity,” he added.“I was out on my own hiking and building trails. I wasn’t establish-ing my identity by joining a gang.”

Instead, he joined the gang of boys of Troop 510 in Kingsford,Mich., when he was 11 years old and has been a part of the BoyScouts ever since, even during the height of peer pressure.

“In general, Boy Scouting in high school isn’t something that’scool,” he said. “Plus, they say the two biggest things that keep you

from getting Eagle Scout are cars and girls.”But Hasse resisted the distractions and is now proving that

being a Boy Scout is indeed cool. Simply known as “The BoyScout” in and around Antarctica, he knew he had a chance toinfluence people’s views on the all-boys club.

“It’s great,” Hasse said of his nickname. “I have this identity,and, in general, Boy Scouts carries a positive connotation. I actual-ly thought it was a great opportunity to try and meet people’sexpectations and exceed them.”

Indeed, he made quite an impression wherever he went. WhileHasse said his reputation of having a big appetite preceded him atmost field camps, many remember him more for his neverendinginitiative.

“Within minutes of landing at Lake Hoare on Christmas Eve,he had helped break down a slingload, carried the gear down to thelab and was in the hut rolling out Christmas cookies,” said glaciol-ogist Karen Lewis.

New Zealand diver Ian Hawe, who met Hasse while he washelping service a stream gauge on the Onyx River, said, “Ben’senthusiasm certainly won the hearts and minds of the NewZealanders at Lake Vanda. It seemed nothing could stop him frombeing ready to help when needed.”

Most people who come to Antarctica don’t get to visit lakesHoare and Vanda, and experience all that Hasse has during his twoand a half months on the Ice. Days before heading back to PurdueUniversity to continue undergraduate work in forestry and Spanish,he gracefully acknowledged that he was given quite a privilege.

“I had an Alice in Wonderland trip to Antarctica,” he said.“Part of my work didn’t include chipping (the old yellow ice) outfrom under (Building) 155.

“I definitely got the best of Antarctica.” ✹

Story and photo by Ginny Figlar

P r o f i l e

The BoyBehind the

Badges

Ben Hasse, the ninth Eagle Scout chosen by Boy Scouts of America to come to Antarctica,holds the entire continent in his hands.