Notes on Antarctic research stations

Notes to: 

• "A day in the life of an Antarctic scientist", by Jessica McGovern
• "Life in the polar regions"
• "Daily Life in Antarctica"
• "Living and working in Antarctica"
• "Cool Antarctica"

Also: 

• Check out Jeffrey Donenfield's "Getting a Job in Antarctica: My Long Journey 2009-2012" if the job search end becomes relevant. 

"A day in the life of an Antarctic scientist"

A dorm

• "Alex Gaffikin was just 22 when she boarded a ship destine for the Halley research station on the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica. It was to be her home for the next two and a half years." 
• Gaffikin: "With 24 hours of darkness my body clock had gone haywire and I'd usually wake up feeling quite lethargic." 
• "As part of an experiment, she sat in front of a bright light for half an hour every morning which was designed to affect her melatonin levels and make her feel more awake." 
• Gaffikin: "The usual procedure [for showers] was tap on, tap off, soap up, rinse off. [...] Later on I'd join a team to dig ice for over half an hour to melt down for water." 

Dorm hallway

• "Staff at base all fix their own breakfast. The person on night shift usually makes fresh bread, but when Gaffikin worked nights she made doughnuts, 'which made me megapopular,' she said." 
• Gaffikin: "A typical day would start with me putting on my doo suit which is like being swaddled in a duvet and trudging across the snow to the meteorology building." 
• "Her favorite job was launching the weather balloon. 'I'd fill a large balloon full of helium and then release it. Sometimes it was quite a battle against the wind to get it out of the shed. But once it was up I'd track it up into the sky as it measured temperature, wind and pressure."
• "The average temperature in winter is about minus 35 Celsius, but the coldest day Gaffikin remembers was minus 53 degrees." 
• "The chef was the most popular person on the base as food is so important in the cold. Though the station's chef does have to get inventive with rations of dried meat and vegetables, Gaffikin said it is weird eating lunch while it's pitch black outside." 
• Gaffikin: "Monday evenings we listened to audio books in the library, Tuesdays I taught Spanish, Wednesdays was video nights. [...] I used to spend my evenings knitting presents or making cards. My favorite fancy-dress party was the beach party." 
• Gaffikin: "Sometimes the person on the night shift would wake us at two in the morning. This was a magical moment. We'd wrap up warm, grab our cameras and head outside to see the aurora. The Southern Lights are amazing but eerie. White, green and orange lights would flicker across the sky. And with no light pollution the Milky Way was stretched out in a white band." 
• "Her dream is to open an Antarctica Museum." 

"Life in the polar regions"

The Crary Lab

• "Field parties[...] use specially designed pyramid tents made to withstand high winds and wind-driven ice particles. To insulate them from the ground they use a butyl ground sheet, inflatable airbed and a sheepskin. A comfortable night's sleep is ensured by using high quality down-filled sleeping bags." 
• "Field parties may camp up a hundred days in an Antarctic summer." 
• "The most demanding conditions are associated with high winds or with whiteout conditions. In whiteout nobody moves far from the camp. Whiteout is a time of complete cloud cover at low altitude (or fog) with possibly rain or snow. In whiteout there is no detail in the snow or cloud, and is well likened to living on the inside of a 'Ping-Pong' ball." 
• "Crevasses and the horizon are both invisible, so it is dangerous to be moving into unknown territory. By contrast in high winds, snow drifts near the ground, and a combination of wind-driven snow and wind-chill can make it difficult to collect scientific data accurately. Such days are best spent 'lying up' and working within the safety of the tent. In periods of good weather during the continuous daylight of midsummer field parties may work around the clock to compensate for time spent lying up." 
• "Stations either melt their water from the surrounding snow or extract fresh water from the sea. Rothera has a modern desalination plant which removes salt from seawater. Each station also runs its own bar facilities with a limited supply of alcoholic drinks." 
• "In summer the frequency of fresh food deliveries may be every few weeks at Rothera (using free cargo space on the Dash 7) to only twice at Halley (Ernest Shackleton delivery first and last call). Obviously, in winter there [are] no opportunities to deliver fresh food--a period of nearly 10 months at Halley." 
• "BAS has standard sledging ration boxes to last for twenty person-days. They contain food for a balanced and varied diet providing around 3500 kilocalories for each person daily."
• "The supplies consist principally of freeze-dried or dried main meals, several varieties of dried soup, dried vegetables, rice, tea, coffee, drinking chocolate, orange drink, biscuits, chocolate, butter, sugar, porridge, and dried milk. Field parties supplement the food with a 'goodies' box which may well contain herbs, spices and even tomato ketchup! [...] Cooking is done over paraffin fired primus stoves." 
• "The sub-Antarctic is cool and wet whilst the Antarctic continent is drier and very cold."
• "In most circumstances several layers of lightweight clothes are better than one or two layers of thick, heavy clothes. The layers allow good ventilation, and at the same time the trapped air acts as good insulation against the cold." 
• "Footwear epitomises the variety of Antarctic activities and conditions. Double insulated mountaineering boots are used for skiing and work on rock. Knee-length 'mukluk's provide very high thermal insulation in a layered range of materials that are efficient only when used on cold dry snow and which require drying out overnight, often in the apex of your tent. Steel-toed work boots are used around the stations where melting snow is a problem." 
• "Each larger station has a doctor on the staff. Personnel on the smaller stations or operating in the field are fully trained in first aid." 
• "All stations (and ships) have permanent satellite links to the outside world providing broadband internet and a sophisticated telephone network. Radios and portable satellite phones provide communication with field parties, ships and aircraft. Within the stations themselves, there are telephones and walkie-talkie systems." 

"Daily Life in Antarctica"

"Dragon ice"

• Pictures in above sections are from this web page.
• "The last WinFly flight of the season arrived 2 nights ago and now we won't see another flight arrive until October 1st. It is always a strange feeling knowing that you are cut off from the rest of the world when the last plane leaves." 
• "The rooms are relatively small and are typically shared by 2 people. [...] We've split our room into 3 parts. We have a communal living area with a couple of chairs and then 2 sleeping areas that are separated by large wardrobes. I've made my sleeping space a bit more private by also hanging a blanket across the front of my bed to separate it from the rest of my room." 
• "The food is all self serve and there are usually 2 or 3 choices for main dishes, several side dishes, and lots of dessert options at each meal. [...] There is an all you can eat soft serve ice cream machine in the galley that serves Frosty Boy ice cream and there are several topping available (chocolate sauce, M&Ms, sprinkles)." 
• "Meals are served at set times--breakfast from 6 to 7:30am, lunch from 11am to 1pm, and dinner from 5 to 7pm."
• "There are 3 bars in town, although one hasn't opened yet for the summer season, one is open as a lounge but isn't serving alcohol (although you can bring your own in), and one is fully operational." 
• "The thing I most like to do for recreation when I'm here is walk on the various trails around town." 
• Condition 3: Winds less than 48 knots/55mph, wind chill temperature above -75 F, and visibility greater than 1/4 miles. 
• Condition 2: Winds between 48-55 knots/55-63mph, wind chill temperature is between -75 and -100 F, and/or visibility is less than 100 feet. 
• Condition 1: Winds greater than 55 knots/63mph, wind chill temperature lower than -100 F, or visibility less than 100 feet. "No one is allowed to leave the building that they are in when condition 1 weather occurs." 

"Living and working in Antarctica"

• "The Antarctic Family and Friends Association is a support and social group for families and friends of expeditioners working on Australian Antarctic stations. There are branches of the Association in all states and members meet each month for informal social get-togethers. Each state has an annual Midwinter event to celebrate the half-way mark for wintering expeditioners." 
• "There are a number of long term field huts and remote refuges accessible from all four Australian stations. All are equipped with emergency food rations, cookers and lighting. Not all field huts are wired for 240 volt equipment." 
• Food ration packs may be called rat packs and include freeze dried meat and vegetables, rice, pasta, biscuits, dried fruit, soups, muesli bars, desserts, chocolate, tea and coffee. Poultry products may not be taken into the field. "They are packed in plastic 'nally' binds and are marked as 12 or 15 day packs for one person. They may be supplemented by additional goodies from a 'supplementary' ration pack. They are sealed with plastic bands when new and marked by date."
• "When you are out in the field you will normally be required to make twice-daily radio scheds."
• "All long term huts are fitted with VHF radios, and in some cases, HF antennas, for communications to the main station. Portable VHF and HF radios for use in the field are available from the station, or in the case of long-term field parties, from AAD Head Office. [...] Certain longer term field groups may be allocated Iridium or INMARSAT M suitcase satellite phones prior to departure from Australia. Again, these are allocated on a priority basis by the AAD Telecommunications Section." 
• "The AAD issues all the clothing you will need to carry out your work. [...] Sewing machines, zip-fasteners, cobbler's kits and darning materials are available at the stations and everyone is expected to carry out basic repairs to their clothing. Clothing represents one of the greatest items of expenditue for the AAD. There is a small clothing store at each station with a limited range of items to replace lost or damaged articles. Replacements of worn items will be permitted when the station leader is convinced that the worn articles have suffered reasonable wear and are beyond normal repair. Toiletries[...] are freely available to all on station from a central store." 
• "Fire is a constant threat on Antarctic stations. The dry atmospheric conditions, the isolation and lack of alternative facilities make expeditioners especially vulnerable. A specially trained fire team, the leader of which is known as Station Fire Chief, is chosen for each station. The fire team is trained prior to departure in fire fighting techniques and the use of breathing apparatus. In all circumstances, when the station fire chief is absent from station, a deputy fire officer must be appointed. All expeditioners undergo regular fire drill training throughout the year."
• "All stations have clothing, tents and food rations in separate buildings for emergencies." 
• "To help mark the passage of time, there are many celebrations throughout the Antarctic year." "Food at the stations is prepared by a qualified chef, traditionally one of the most important people on station and each station has a standard commercially equipped kitchen with gas cooking facilities." 
• "The food quantities are based on [...] how much food each person consumes on average in one year: approximately 780 kilos of food as well as 380 litres of liquids such as juices, soft drink, oils and sauces. This is called the person entitlement." 
• "Eggs and fresh vegetables are available for the first few months after resupply and limited hydroponics produce is also grown on each station. If eggs are stored at optimum tempratures, about +4 C, they should keep for about 8 months. The shells are oiled to prevent the air [from] getting to them, which increases the ageing process, and they are turned weekly to stop the yolk [from] keeping in contact with the membrane/shell." 
• "Once the fresh food is used up, the expeditioners live mostly on frozen and canned food, supplemented to a small degree with hydroponically grown salad vegetables." 
• "Soft drinks (post-mix), sweets, chocolates and nuts are also supplied. To discourage pilfering of favourite supplies, some chefs have been known to hide delicacies, such as lobster for special occasions, in Brussels sprouts packets in the freezer!" 
• "All expeditioners take their turn to help in the kitchen, working the slushy roster." 
• "All our stations have productive hydroponics facilities. [...] Working in a brightly lit room surrounded by greenery provides psychological benefit for those who endure very short days in a landscape dominated by muted whites, greys and blues of the snow and ice." 
• "Typical hydroponics crops include tomatoes, lettuces, cucumbers, capsicums, beans, zucchinis, spinach, snow peas, fennel, coriander and basil. Expeditioners germinate seedlings on a regular basis to ensure continuous cropping. The risk of alien introduction and disease is much greater on Macquarie Island than on the continent as it is much warmer and home to many local species." 
• "Prohibited seeds on Macquarie Island include all members of the brassica family such as broccoli and cabbage, and a large number of herbs such as watercress, parsley, mints, dill, mustard and cress. All mushroom cultures are prohibited as are lettuce salad mixes, although single variety lettuce seeds are permitted." 
• "The [Davis dorm] building can accommodate up to 120 expeditioners and contains a kitchen, dining room and common areas such as lounges, cinema and a library. The lounge and dining facilities[...] take advantage of the northerly sun to greatly enhance natural lighting within the building." 
• "Medical facilities include a consulting and examination room, a small operating theatre and dental suite, a well stocked pharmacy and small diagnostic laboratory. The station medical practitioner is assisted by expeditioners who have trained in Hobart to act as lay surgical assistants. AAD Polar Medicine staff and a network of medical specialists around Australia are on call to provide medical advice if needed." 
• "All stations have wireless internet access, an extensive library (including eBooks), a cinema and a wide selection of music and movies. Stations have a small spa and sauna, a gymnasium, billiards, table tennis, volley ball, board games and darts. There is communal band and stage equipment[...] and performances are regular events. All stations have outdoor sports equipment, such as bikes and cross country skies, and a small ski loop. Davis and Mawson stations have climbing walls.[...] Expeditioners may also take materials to use in the hobby huts; sheds that are set up so that art, craft and wood work can be carried out without having to use station workshops." 
• "The AAD has now established two wind turbines at Mawson, which can provide up to 95% of the station's energy requirements. At the height of summer, Antarctica experiences 24 hours of daylight, a valuable source of renewable energy. The AAD has used solar power for a number of years to power automatic weather stations[...]"
• "[The] pipe system is situated above ground for ease of maintenance, and heat traced to prevent freezing." 
• "All those in the station communities are expected to participate in station duties, which include various routine and other maintenance tasks. [...] Generally, jobs such as household cleaning, blizz line maintenance and removal (known as the 'gash run') are done on Saturdays, while kitchen slushies work throughout the week." 
• Volunteer station positions: 
• Anaesthetists and theatre nurses
• Beach coordinator
• Boating officer
• Cane line database/GPS officer
• Clothing store manager
• Deputy station leader
• DVD editors
• Electoral returning officers
• Environment officers
• Field equipment officer
• Fire chief and deputy and team members
• Flag officer
• Fort Knox and 'bottle shop' manager
• Gymnasium officer
• Hairdresser
• Head brewer
• Hydroponics coordinator
• Station News coordinator
• Librarian
• Work health and safety officer
• Postal agent
• Projectionist
• Search and rescue leader and team members
• Sewing officer
• Social club treasurer
• Waste management officer
• Web coordinator
• Year book editor
• "Rubbish is sorted regularly for incineration on station, or return to Australia (RTA) for disposal or recycling." 

"Cool Antarctica"

• "Most bases are small with around 15 people in winter and 50 in summer[...]"
• "As a part of the environmental protection, no non-native species are allowed to be taken to Antarctica, [and] the last huskies were taken out in 1994." 
• "There are schools however at the Argentinian Esperanza Base and also the Chilean Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva Base, both on the Antarctic Peninsula. The parents of these children work at these bases. Up to 2009, there were eleven children born in Antarctica at either an Argentine or Chilean base. In both cases, they were part of a deliberate attempt to strengthen national territorial claims."