On the Shelf

It's about two months until I leave, and this summer has been me slowly preparing for takeoff. This includes making packing lists and acquiring things I need to leave. I don't have unlimited baggage allowance: I need to keep all my personal belongings under 70 pounds, to leave room for the issued gear and clothing I'll get in Christchurch. I'm not too concerned about this yet - I was usually close to this when I packed for a summer in remote Alaska. But packing for Antarctica is turning out to be different than I thought it would be. Here are some things about packing for an Antarctic deployment that you might not expect: I'll get issued full ECW (extreme cold weather gear) that I have to return after my deployment, but I may only wear it twice in the entire time I'm there - on the planes to and from. We'll see. Yes, it gets REALLY cold there, but they do have indoors with actual heat, and my job is indoors. I'm mostly packing clothes for my work (l...

Today for my Antarctica blog post, I thought I'd post a bit about the different kinds of scientific research that is done at McMurdo, South Pole, and beyond. Of course I'm going to Antarctica for a fun adventure, to make some money, and meet some cool new people. But the entire reason anyone is down in Antarctica is because of the important research that is going on down there. What kind of research? Scientists are studying icebergs and land ice in Antarctica to understand the past of our planet and the effects of Antarctica on the rest of the globe, but also the effects of climate change on Antarctica. If all the ice in Antarctica were to melt, it would rise the sea level by 200 feet! Scientists are also studying the animal life to expand our understanding of the world and how the special animals in the Antarctic circle thrive in the most extreme conditions on the planet - the penguins, other birds, seals, whales, and other sea life - yes, there is life in the icy se...

Right now I'm in the process of getting my travel arrangements settled to get to Antarctica in just over 2 months! So many people ask me how I'm going to get there. Here's how. PC: www.af.mil Antarctica is usually accessed via two other continents: South America and Australia/New Zealand. South America is closest to the Antarctic Peninsula. There is a science base there, Palmer Station, and participants working at Palmer Station get there via Chile. Most cruises to Antarctica also start in South America. However, I won't be traveling to Palmer, so unfortunately, I will not be traveling through South America. McMurdo is closest to Australia and New Zealand, so that's the route I will take to get there. Christchurch is the Antarctic portal for several countries' Antarctic programs, so many participants from many places will be traveling through this airport. Antarctica is not all that far from the land down under. I will be flying on a military transport ...

Potently Questioning? Privatized  Quails?? Plywood Queen??? Actually, I just found out I'm Physically Qualified To deploy to Antarctica! This process took a lot longer than I'd hoped, and being in grad school while trying to get all my appointments done didn't help. I gave at least 5 vials of blood (maybe more...I lost count and was trying not to look), got my teeth x-rayed, got my lady parts examined, got up to date on all my vaccines, and even completed an eye exam, just to name a few procedures. Lots of needles. LOTS of doctors, and just as many waiting rooms! Thankfully it all resulted in a successful PQ. Why do participants need to be PQed? Resources, even at McMurdo, are limited. They don't have a hospital there, and flights to and from ice are limited and expensive! USAP and my contractors want to make sure all of us are in the best health possible and are at low risk for a medical emergency - if I had to leave the continent for medical treatm...