2005-2006: Aventures au Pole Sud

Frequently Asked Questions

Reponses a tous

Movies (updated July 25th )

Links

BICEP experiement public website
The Antartic Sun: Weekly newspaper on the Antartic continent
US Antartic Program photo gallery
www.southpolestation.com : Bill Splinder's comprehensive South Pole website
www.arcticphoto.co.uk/
Atmospheric Optics
NOAA South Pole Live webcam
Where is the Sun right now

Other Blogs

Summer 2005 Folks
2005-2006 Winter-overs
- Jeff DeRosa fine blog with photos and perky comments by Jeff DeRosa, the local meteorologist.
- Neal Sheibe a fellow beaker and winter-over working at ARO
- Robert Schwarz: spending his 5th winter at the South Pole and still enjoying it.
- Brien Barnett a fellow polie and friend I met here.
- Patrick McClure one of the two IT guy and a heck of a 3-point basket ball shooter.
- Michael Rehm our amazing breakfast cook, not as often grouchy as he is funny.
- Heidi Lim rookie but colorful bloggerette. She spend the 05-06 winter with me, as the physician assistant.
- Eric Aristidi , un des hivernants a la base franco-italienne, Dome C (Concordia).

George's Series of Unfortunate Events.

May 25, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

It all started with an innocuous fire drill near the Cryo barn. Happy and glimmering , George head our hero cook donned his fire gear and with heroic rescue thoughts all over his head, he rushed to the howling cold outside to go rescue the princess. When he arrived on the scene, he first noticed there was no princess to be saved. How unfortunate, but unimpressed, unharmed, and fearless he accepted his solemn duty as the temporary On Scene Commander. At this very instant in time, he realized the dram which was unveiling before his very eyes, he was responsible for the orgainzation of the fire response but he could not understand any radio traffic because all the radios around him were cranked at maximum volume. Oh the horror, oh the infamy. He wasted no time and took the action that needed to be taken; He reached under his helmut and removed his bright red hood, doubtlessly thinking: " man's gotta do what man's gotta do". And he continued his work with his face innocently loosing joules and calories of heat to the prevailing wind. And you guessed it. What happened is that he froze his ear off. Although we feel bad for him, and sincerely hope it gets better soon, it only made our delight and I think Jeff still has stomach cramps from laughing so hard about it.

Delires abscons et neophytes dans l'amas zonie locale.

May 20, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Cette photo se passe sans doute de commentaire. Certes, mais pour les non inities qui negligeraient de comprendre le sens profond et non-negligable, l'erreur d'interpretation serait possible. Nous voic donc, Lane, Victoria, et moi meme dans la serre. Lane , fier de nous montrer sont premier melon demande a un quidam passanr par la qu'il en prenne la photo. Victoria sourit gaiement et c'est normal elle n'a pas de secret a cacher ( hahaha). Quant a moi, j'eprouve le desir soudain de grimacer goulument. Ce qui est comprehensible selon mon pere puisque les melon ayant pousse a proximite des courgettes et de concombres en auront par la meme le gout, d'ou ma grimace grimacantes. Qu'on se le tienne pour dit.

The Admiral at the South Pole: YARGHHHH.

May 16, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Some time ago, Cynthia pulled a "Yuki" stunt and actually contacted the makers of the awesome Loot pirate game which we all enjoyed this summer. Well, it turns out she got an answer and they seemed to be really happy to see their game in such a remote place. So I thought they would get a kick out of see the Admiral ( one of the powerful cards which admitteldy everyone agrees looks like Darren) at the actual South Pole. SO on a moonlit night, Robert and I headed to the SOuth Pole marker and I stood there steadily for a long exposure photo with the admiral in my hands. I then sent the photo to George Percy one of the makers of the game, and here is what he answered: " Hi Denis. What a riot!! Wonderful. It's a bounty. I never imagined that the Admiral will one day be visiting the South Pole. Was he the first pirate ever to visit the South Pole? Thanks for making it happen. Everyone at our company loved it and were thrilled. Thanks to Cynthia and her effort in making this happen. Thanks to you Denis for going out in moonlight to get this picture. I still can't believe it. You guys are great and keep warm !! Thanks, Regards, George Percy " What a riot!!! I think we should pull Yuki stunts like this more often.

Demolition derby et recyclage.

May 12, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

J'en profite de cette mise a jour pour vous parler du programme de recyclage intensif au Pole Sud. Tout ce qui repart d'ici repart dans des grand carton recycle et trie. Et quand je dis tout,c'est absolument tout. AUjourd'hui, j'ai propose a Scotty, l'un des kiwi qui travaille dans le garage de reparation des engins lourds de l'aider. Il m'a donne une enorme massue qui pesait la moitie de mon poids, un pied de biche et m'a montre uune enorme armoire en bois, solide et bien batie, et m'a dit: "Vas y defoule toi, demolis moi ca et tu mets les morecaeux de bois casse dans ce grand carton." Je me suis dit: Bingo, J evais pouvoir le demolir a fond avec quelques coups de massues. Que nenni!!! Erreur fatale. L'armoire etait bougrement solide et j'ai due une peu reflechir aux forces en questions et aux directions dans lesquelques appliques mes efforts pour etre plus efficace. Finalement en utilisant son cerveau ca marche bien mieux. Apres 1 heure d'effort intensifs, j'etais quand meme bien transpirant (meme si il faisait -50C dans le garage) et j'ai ete voir Scotty pour lui dire que j'avais fini. Il me regarde et me dis quelque chose que je comprends pas comme d'ahbitude mais je le suis quand meme et il me repete : " Now we are going to do the Emu parade" me repete il avec son grand sourire. OK, la j'ai compris les mots mais le sens m'echappe encore. Alors il m'explque que comme ces oiseaux ( les Emus) qui on un long cou et se baissent pour ramasser leur nourrirture, nous allons faire de meme et nous baisser pour ramasser tous les detritus et dechets qui se sont accumules sous les armoires. Ah, kapish!. Voila, on recycle et on nettoie encore. LEs verres, les cartons, le bois, les metaux fins et les metaux lourds, la nourriture, le plastique, les brulables, les piles. Bref, on a des gros cartons pour tout recycler.

Stolen moments in the new station at the South Pole.

May 10, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Here and there, now and then, in the station, I come across odd visions and sceneries. Here they are in random order as I walk through the station.

BF5K: 5km a pied, ca use.

May 06, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Oui ca use, surtout a 3400 metres d'altitude dans un air aussi sec que le souffle du sirroco. C'est BFK ( Il s'appelle Kevin mais tout le monde l'appelle BFK) qui a eu l'idee d'organiser cette course. 5km a l'interieur de la station. 18 tours du meme parcours. Depart dans la salle a manger, descente de l'escalier, ligne droite jusqu'au bout de la station, remonte de l'escalier, re-ligne droite , et retour dans la salle a manger qui fait aussi office de stand. Certains font la course en equipe , donc en relais. Moi j'ai decide de la faire seule. A, et aussi, petit detail non negligeant, pour faire la course, il faut etre deguise. Et comme personne n'a vraiment amene de costume avec soi, chacun improvide comme il peut. Et lorsqu'on decrouvre tout les deguisements, c'est un delire de foule bariole et colore. Quant a la course, mais si elle n'etait pas tres fair-play et que je me suis fait tacle par un bouseux du cerveaux alors que j'etais en pole-position a 3 tour de l'arrivee, je me suis amuse avec force et intensite. Mlagre le poumons en feu a la fin de la course. Mon deguisement ??? Voyez vous meme.

Cinco de Mayo: Nothing to do with mayonnaise.

May 05, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Tonight, we celebrate the cinco de mayo: Pinatas, mexican food, and music.

Pression atomospherique degringolante.

May 03, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Ce qui me surprend toujours et qui surement surpendra les lecteurs avides, c'est que le Pole Sud est situe sur le plateau polare a plus de 3000metres d'altitude. Mais encore plus etonnant est le fait que du jour au lendemain, notre altitude peut passer de 2900 at 3500metres. Comment est-ce possible vous demandez vous ? Evidemment, notre altitude geographique ne change pas, c'est l'altitude physiologique, celle que le corps ressent due a la pression atmospherique qui change. Mais les 2 sont completement equivalent. Comme la pression en quelques jours peut passer de 690 mB ( rappelons nous que la pression atmospherique au niveau de la mer est d'environ 1015 millibar) at 660mB, cela equivaut a avoir gravi ~500m en quelques jours. Cela semble peu, mais c'est assez pour que je ressente l'effet. En me levant le matin, je respire plus fort; en montant les escaliers en bonds marsupilamien, j'arrive en haut, tout hebete de devoir reprendre mon souffle.

Aurora dynamics and colors.

May 02, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

These sets of photos show some very particular aspects of auroras. Their colors and their dynamics. Robert Schwarz took these photos. Many of them come in sets of 3 or 4 taken a few seconds apart ( 10 seconds exposure). These mini time lapse allow you to get a sense of the speed at which the shape and form of these southern lights change. Many of the photos also contain staight lines in the sky in addition to the stars. Those are lights from satellites which stream across the photo during the long exposure. In addition to the variations in shapes, many of these auroras display an playful array of unusual colors: horror purple, magnetic blue, liquid pink, and stupendous red.

D'autres sublimes aurores.

April 28, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Voici pelles-melles des nouvelles photo d'aures prises au alentour de la station. Pour le plaisir des papilles occulaires, les lumieres du ciel, insolites et incogrues, fascinantes et remanentes, glauques et rutilentes, gustatives et insonores, fremissantes et trepidantes, dynamiques et glaciales, poetiques et mathematqiues, les aurores austalis dans leur elements.

Comment construire un batiment sur la glace?

April 26, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Un des aspets qui semble surprendre les gens, c'est que tous les batiments ici sont construits directement sur la glace. Evidemment, on ne peut pas creuser la glace pour pouvoir mettre les fondation des batiment sur la roche du continent puisque celle ci se toruve a plus de 3km sous la glace. Alors, le seul moyen de construire une batiment stable c'est de former une fondation a partir de neige compacte. Avant de construire une batiment, 6 mois auparavent, des buldozzers passent des semaines entieres a compacter des couches successives de 20cm de neiges qui au fur et a mesure durcissent. Malgre ca, les batiment sont auand meme construit sur une surface qui est non seulement en mouvement ( et oui, la glace au Pole Sud se deplace en direction de la cote de l'Antarctique a une vitesse de 10 metres par an), mais aussi sur une surface plus ou moins plastique. Meme si elle semble dur comme du roc, la glace n'a pas les meme proprietes que le beton. En consequences, les ingenieurs sont oblige de faire des mesures permanentes pour determiner de combien les differentes parties de la station se sont affaisse et si ces mouvements constituent ou pas un danger pour l'integrite du batiment. En plus d'etre construit sur des pilotis sur-eleves pour eviter l'accumulation de neiges autour de la station, la nouvelle station elevee a la propriete qu'elle peut eetre sur-eleve grace a des verrins hydrauliques de plus de 10 metres additionels au cours des 30 annees de vie prevue. Pas mal. Donc la phot d'aujoud'hui, c'est celle de Barry un des aides ingenieurs qui fait une mesures dans ma chambre ( il se trouve que ma chambre possede un des point de references de la station).

Aurora Autralis: it's in the north they are Borealis.

April 25, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

One of the many reasons I wanted to winter over at the South Pole was to see auroras, real and bright ones, first hand. As beautiful as photos of auroras might be, they do not come anywhere close to describing the fascinating sensation you get when you see them overhead. Auroras are the light which is emitted when high-energy particles from the Sun strike atoms in our upper atmosphere and excite them. When those excited atoms de-excite ( loose their energy), they emit this array of colors which we see as auroras. Why do auroras happen primarily around the Northern and Southern poles. Because the high-energy particles emitted by the Sun ( high energy protons and electrons also called the solar wind) are charged particles. Wheat happens when those charged particles arrive close to the Earth is that they encounter the Earth's magnetic field. When they do, instead of continuing their journey in a straight path, they feel the force of this magnetic field and get trapped long the field lines. The Earth's magnetic field resembles a dipole which exits at the North Pole and re-enters at the South Pole. So the charged particles have no choice but to follow these magnetic field lines and they eventually re-enter the atmosphere at one of the two Poles of the Earth which is why auroras happen there as opposed to everywhere. Enough physics now, a little poetry. The first auroras I saw absolutely took me by surprise. I was waiting for Cryo Mark on the snowmobile, about to head out for a cryogen delivery to the Dark Sector. And suddenly I look up to see this bright intense green light burst in part of the sky. It turns out that first aurora was a very bright one. It was moving very fast, and within seconds had changed shapes, snaking across the sky, growing and stretching. I was so shocked I did not realize I was screaming like a little kid in front of fireworks. When Mark came out, instead of thinking I had lost it, he also looked up to exclame : "Wow those are really powerful today". I felt I could almost see the progression of the particles, coming down from the sky and depositing their energy deeper and deeper in the atmosphere. Like a handful of san you though down in water, the auroras rain down the sky sometimes seeming to fall in spears towards you, sometimes drapping like fabric in the distance, sometimes swirling like rings and arcs of smoke. The colors are most often green, although with long exposure photos, you can discern shades of yellow, purple, red. And the coolest apr of all is that you can see from the orientation of the rays of light the direction of the south magnetic pole. I think thats' really cool.

South Pole Bingo: "Wear a dress theme night"

April 23, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Weird bingo games seems to be a South Pole custom. Already this summer, when the Bingo were organized by the famous cook, James Brown, attendance was high because the games, instead of being the usual calling out of numbers was a high octane, intense and odd game with abundance of fruitful and hilarious commentaries by James Brown. Now that James Brown has left, bingo games continue, probably less explosive (especially when the fatefull number 69 is called out), but still a fun community event where you get a chance to win gift-certificates to the unique Christchurch gondola. Anyway tonight, Heidi thought to add a twist to the bingo game and announced that it would be a "wear a dress bingo night". So we all showed up, men and women, in our dressiest attire. Sexy or not, here we come. It was a fun evening, and even though I did not wind anything, got to wear my tahitien pareo.

Les lueurs d'une fin d'avril

April 21, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

C'est la fin du mois d'avril. Dehors, les dernieres lueurs du soleil donnent au ciel cette couleur bleu profond, le bleu de l'espace. La luminosite dehors diminuent de facon sensible chaque jour. Chaque jour on discerne de moins en moins bien les contour. L'obscurite gagne mais en meme temps rend le paysage plus fascinant et plus extraterrestre. L'heure en chien et loup approche. Deja les premieres aurores australes sont visbles, meme si elles se fondent encore dans le crepuscule.

Encore une canicule!

April 20, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Encore une aberration du Pole Sud. Ca peut paraitre absurde mais la meteo nous offre des fluctuations de temperatures soudaines et extremes. Il y a 1 jour, il faisait -65 Celcius, et en aujourd'hui, il fait -37 C. Bon, je vois bien que vous me regardez d'un air espiegle. -37C , une canicule. Il se fout de nous. Mais non, Imaginez, que lundi matin vous vous reveillez, et dehors, il fait 0 C et ca gele, et le lendemain matin, au petit matin, il fasse 30 degree. La vous vous dites, la meteo est deregle, c'est incroyable. Et bien, c'est comme ca tous le temps ici. La temperature fluctue enormement et meme si en fin de compte il faist toujours -37C, la me parait vraiment chaud.

Welcome to the Jungle!!!

April 19, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

When seen from outside, what exuberance, what extravagant sauvage growth. It looks more like a rain forest than a tepid green house. I think we can thank Lane Patterson for this abondance of fresh vegetables. He's been turing this mere growth chamber into a bountiful production of daily salads, cucombers and maybe if we are lucky, some fruits. Take a tour inside to see, despite the orange lights, the green explosion of life. He's also set up a lounge where not only plants but also humands can bask in the heat and humidity of the greenhouse environment.

Mi-avril: le ciel s'obscurcit serieusement, sensiblement, sauvagement.

April 16, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Derriere le dome, la clarte remanente du soleil se devine plus que se voit. Evidemment, ca semple encore bien clair, mais on decouvre facilement les premieres etoiles. Et une fois que la lune se sera couche, il fera nuit noire. Le soleil est desormais 14 degrees en dessous de l'horizon et nous sommes deja dans le crepuscule nautique. IL y a 3 crepuscules. Le crepuscule civil, defini par le moment ou le soleil passe a 6 degree sous l'horizon. A ce moment, la il fait trop nuit pour operer sans lumiere artificielle, mais l'horizon est encore clairement defini. Le deuxieme est le crepuscule nautique, defini par le moment ou le soleil passe en dessous de 12 degree sous l'horizon. A ce moment la, on ne peut distinguer que la forme generale de certains objects, mais plus la ligne de l'horizon. C'est l'heure entre chien et loup. Finalement vient le crepuscule astronomique quand le soleil passe la barre des 18 degrees sous l'horizon. A ce moment la, l'illumination du ciel venant du soleil est a peine perceptible et n'offre plus aucune clarete sur le sol. Les observations astronomiques en lumiere visible commencent a ce moment la. Peu me chault les conventions crepusculaires definies, moi c'est le bleu intense du ciel qui est mon favori.

April's birthdays costume party.

April 15, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

To celebrate all the April Birthdays ( and there were a few, 6?: Denis, Fat Bob, Skinny Bob, Liesl, Craig, Suzy), we are throwing a big costumed dance party. It turned out nice. Many came in constume, sometimes so strange or involved that it took a while to recognize the individuals behind. Lots of music, and dancing. It was a lot of fun. All I can say that it was very hard to convince myself to get dressed at 1AM after the party and head over to the telescope for work. Here, the pictures show all the variety of costumes which showed up at the party. I'll spare you the after party craziness.

Yuri's night gathering on the 7th continent.

April 12, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

I would not call this a party but a few people just gathered together next to some pictures to celebrate the first incursion of humans in space: Yuri Gagarin space flight on April 12th 1960 marks the first human space flight and has been celebrated on earth by Yuri night parties. To hear more about the Yuri nights party check out the following web site (http://www.yurisnight.net)

Un autre Vendredi, une autre partie de flechettes-radio.

April 10, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

En fait, les parties de flechettes ou on joue a la radio contre des equipes a McMurdo et la base Scott ne sont vraiment qu'une excuse pour se retrouver entre amis et faire les idiots. Parce qu'il faut etre honnete, on ne joue pas tres bien aux flechettes.

Galley Window Art Contest

April 08, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

A great idea organized by Brien Barnet, the famous Cargo guy whose name forms the double B. As I said in an earlier posting, we need to cover ALL the windows of the station to keep light ( visible light) pollution outside to a minimum so sensitive aurora experiment can operate at their best. The largest windows in the station are the big 1.5 meter square in the galley. In past years, I heard those windows were just covered with large thick and brown cardboard slabs. You can hear it hissing: BORING!!!!!!!. SO Brien thought we should organize an art contest to have colorful and eclectic window coverings. And today is the big opening day. Although we've seen glimpses of the other projects, we are all excited to see what others have come up with. This will be done in the spirit a real art museum opening day, with little food cocktails prepared by the galley, and big white drape falling down to discover the chef-d'ouvre. As for my window, I finished it last week, and I can say that I am proud of myself for having made that drawing. When I see it, I can hardly believe it came from me.

HAppy Birthday dB

April 07, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

How nice, today, the galley crew baked this delicious cake for my birthday, part chocolate, part hazelnut-- how did they know I loved Nutella so much. I also got a few unexpected and colorful gifts. So silly puddy, a few flowers including this sunny sunflower from the green house, and oh marvel of hilariousness, as virtual story where I am my own hero ( by Cynthia): A summer day at the South Pole in the life of Dr. Barkats. ( http://bicep.caltech.edu/~dbarkats/spblog05/video/20060407_happy_birthday) try it and see how you would do. Many strange parts are inside jokes that you might not get if you were not here last summer, sorry . Thanks Cynthia, my stomach still hurts from laughing so hard.

Randonnee insolite a 10 pieds sous terre.

April 06, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Aujourd'hui j'attrape Craig au vol avant qu'il ne descende pour faire sa ronde journaliere dans les plusieurs kilometres de tunnel de glace. Ces tunnels on ete contruit directement dans la glace entre 3 et 10 metres sous la surface et sont utilise pour acheminer les tuyaux d'eau uses, d'eau potable et d'electricite. Il y fait toujours la meme temperature, ete comme hiver, -55C. Il y fait donc plus chaud en hiver qu'a la surface, mais grand avantage, il n'y a pas le moindre pet de vent. Ils on ete contruit avec un machine qui rape la glace. On se crorait dans un vaisseau spacial du future. Et on y trouve des scupltures et des exposition insolites au detours des tournants: un esturgeon beluga arrive direct de Russie avec sa boite de caviar (vide), un musee dedie au pop-corn.... Je sais, ces tunnels n'ont vraiment rien d'extraordinaire ni de particulierement fantastique, mais il y a si peu d'endroits nouveaux a decouvrir que meme le moindre nouveau recoin de la station semble une nouveaute alarmante. La visite est termine, n'oubliez pas le guide.

Crayons Pasetels and Crayolas!!!

April 02, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

This is what I produced with them. It's called technicolor sunset. On April 8th, the galley windows need to be blocked out to limit outside light pollution for experiments which needs dark skies, so instead of just blocking them with plain old boring pieces of cardboard, Brien thought we should have an Galley window art contest. And here is my submission. I still can't believe I made it. It's too cool.

Journee porte ouverte dans le secteur noir.

April 01, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Aujourd'hui samedi premier avril, Robert Schwarz et moi avons organise une journee porte ouverte a nos 2 experiences: BICEP et QUAD. PAs de blague. EN tout, on eu une 20aine de personnes, les plus braves qui se sont deplaces jusqu'a secteur noir pour venir apprendre ce que nous faisions ici, et quel genre d'observation nous conduisions avec nos telescopes. Il faut dire peu de gens prennent le temps de se deplacer jusqu'a secteur noir parce qu'il considerent que c'est beaucoup trop eloigne. Alors Robert en moi faisons le trajet aller-retour tous les jours. Tous ceux qui sont venu ont apprecie la description de la manip et du telescope, les demonstration avec les lasers polarises et l'azote liquide, et la vue imprenable que nous nous offrons du toit de nos batiments respectifs. On estait tous d'accord la dessus, nous avons la meilleur vue de la station.

"Chez Denis": Come admire the sunset at the cafe du bout du monde.

March 28, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

The best view in town in on top of DSL. Chez Denis, you get an unobstructed view from horizon to horizon. The fresh winds will brighten your spirits and color your cheeks. The blowing snow will sharpen your eyelashes. Like no other place on earth, come enjoy the sights and sounds of a mirabulous, of a gynourmous, of a spendincedible sunset. African red bush tea will be served at 4PM.

Le pays du soleil couchant

March 27, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Le japon etant le pays du soleil levant, on pourrait dire que nous sommes au pays du soleil couchant pusique le soleil ne fait que ca depuis 2 semaines. Il resiste encore et toujours a l'envahisseur, la nuit qui pourtant va inexorablement gagner la bataille.

FIRE DRILL in ASTRO

March 25, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

This Saturday afternoon, Robert Schwarz has planned a really neat fire drill. The plan is to use the empty and cold ASTRO building to stage a real , yet controlled, trash can fire that the fire teams could exercise extinguishing with old fire extinguishers which will be retroed next summer. Al Day, Robert, and myself prepare the scene and will remain in the building with our full fire bunker gear on to keep the fire under control. Al Day lights the fire in a small trash can while Robert uses a smoke machine to smoke out the whole building. The building immediately becomes very very smoky. I can't even see my hand. I also know Allan is trying to say something to me but with the SCBA masks on and his thickest australian accent, I can't understand anything. Eventually, he comes towards me and points to the wood behind me. Ahhhh that's what " hmmmmeemeem mmeeem mee foegeehmemem mmeeheh" meant. It meant put some more wood in the fire. Eventually the firefighter team 1 and 2 arrive on scene. They enter in the back door and we can hear them make their way though the smoke, and through the radios They finally arrive, all I see is flashlights, hear a loud windy fart and the fire is out. After they leave the building, sneaky Allan decides to reignite the fire to allow other teams to extinguish it but the fuel bottle he uses has leaked in the cold and he managed to also ignite his hand which I can't see but I hear him walking outside wailing his hand on fire and I hear some on blow a CO2 extinguisher on it. Hilarious. By this time, It's been 30 mn and I have not exhausted my air yet. My hands are getting really cold, so I remove my gloves and stick them in the fire. We may be in a burning building but it's still -40C inside. Eventually the drill is over. That was exciting. And the best part is that all my clothes and hair have this thick smell of smoke. Why is that exciting you may ask. Well, there are so few physical sensation to be had down here, the outside being so sterile, that I somehow really enjoy that smell of smoke.

Radio Darts: A winter tradition

March 24, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

It has become a winter tradition to play radio Darts. What is radio darts? No it's not a game of darts where you throw radio receivers at a dart board. It's a game of darts where teams at South Pole station play against teams at other stations in Antarctica . This year we've managed to contact Scott base ( the kiwi base) where McMurdo folks go to play darts. It's fun and it's strange to play darts and then exchange scores over radio. Sometimes it's radio darts, sometimes it's radio farts ( the odd and magical noises the radio makes when it receives an unexpected signal).

Vue imprenable du haut du dome.

March 23, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

D'habitude, le sommet du dome est hors limite. Il est "streng verbotten" d'y grimper, meme si c'est chose faisable et meme tres facile a faire a cause des grosses accumulations de neiges du cote sous le vent. Or aujoud'hui , j'ai la chance d'accompagner Greg, le heros des drapeau, qui a le courageause tache de changer le patriotique drapeau americain qui s'agite sur le sommet du dome. Quant a moi, j'admire la vue de ce promontoire avantageux et lorsque c'est le moment de redescendre, Greg croit me snober en me montrant qu'il peut redescendre en gliassade sur l'arriere train. Que neni m'ecriais-je, point me snober tu peux. Et du haut du dome, je m'elance droit comme un I, tel un pinguin qui plongeant dans l'eau, en criant " Que trepasse si je faiblis", pour les 15 metres de glissade a l'etat le plus pur vers la neige amortissante en bas de la pente. A ce prix la, je changerais le drapeau tous les jours.

We live in a pastel painting!!!

March 22, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

As the sun slides down below the horizon, slowly but with stubborn persistence, the sky, clear and cristal crisp like a bite in a gala apple, reveals pastel colors which do not even exist in a the 164 crayola color set. In the sun direction, the sky shows off a regime of white to clear blue while in the anti-sun direction, the palette ranges from mauve blue to purple black. As a matter of fact, new color names should be invented for these colors. The cold does not prevent me from staying outside much longer than is needed on my daily walks from the station to DSL. There is a art gallery contest for covering the galley windows. I think I have decided what I will place on my window. I will pastelize a sunset in shades bright colors.

Le coucher du soleil en direct live du Pole-Sud-les-bains.

March 21, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Nous y voila donc. En theorie, le soleil se couche aujourd'hui, mais en pratique, il va glisser subtilement sur les moultes couches refractives de l'atmosphere et batailler dur pour ne pas tomber dans l'abime. POur se battre, il va gonfler, mincir, devenir elliptique, et changer de couleur jusqu'a ce qu'a la fin, dans 2 our 3 jours, las de ce combat sisyphien, il abandonne la partie et sombre dans le gouffre de l'autre cote du monde. Comme dirait Papa:" tout est sujet a faire la fete". Et il aurait raison. Tout ici, est sujet a faire la fete, et par defaut, l'evenement le plus sigificatif dans cet hemisphere, le coucher du soleil. Alors ce soir, la cuisine nous aconcote une superbe menu iberique de tapas et de sangria. On a decore la salle a manger pour l'occasion. J'ai mis en place le telescope avec projection du disque solaire sur le mur pour l'admiration du peuple. bref, c'est une bonne soiree et chacun se fait festif pour celebrer le depart du soleil qu'on ne verra plus pendant 6 mois. Comme j'ai mis un platree de photos pour cette mise a jour, les commentaires photogeniques seront mi-francais, mi-molette. Amis du jour bonjour, amis du soir bonsoir.

Sunset minus 1 day.

March 20, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Let me be lazy here and simply reproduce a very descriptive email by Johan Booth (a scientist at Atmopspheric Reseach Observatoy) regarding sunset timing. Johan says:" Predicting the time of sunset at South Pole is essentially impossible, but there are a few parameters, and then past experience, that let one make at least an estimate of the last time we might see some direct sunlight. The start of any reckoning is the moment of the equinox, which is: 13:26 EST 20 March 2006, 18:26 UTC 20 March 2006, 07:26 NZDT (aka South Pole local time) 21 March 2006. This is the moment when, absent any atmospheric impact, and presuming a perfectly spherical earth, and presuming that you are looking from right at the surface of that perfect earth (ie you have no height or elevation), the sun would be exactly halfway below the horizon as viewed from either Pole. Of course, sunSET is when the last of the sun vanishes below the horizon, not when the sun is split by the horizon. The sun is a little over 30 arc-minutes (about half a degree) wide, and at the equinoxes it's moving north or south at a little less than one arc-minute per hour, so figure about 16 hours for it to go from split to gone. The atmosphere bends any light that passes through it, and the more atmosphere the light has to pass through, the more the light is bent. By the time an object *appears* to be on the horizon, it is in fact well below. The amount of this "lifting" that a well-mixed atmosphere does depends on the density of the air, which in turn can be expressed as a function of the temperature and pressure of the air. Curiously enough, in theory the coldness of the air at South Pole almost exactly cancels out the thinness due to the elevation, and the refractive impact is about the same as for a normal temperate sea-level site, which, for an object apparently on the horizon, is approximately 34 arc-minutes. Again, figuring that the sun is moving slightly under one arc-minute per hour, this refractive lifting might produce a delay of about 36 hours. The final semi-predictable factor in the disappearance of the sun is the height of the observer. A person viewing from six feet up commands a horizon that is about three miles distant; from 35 feet (say, standing in galley) you can see about seven miles. Each mile that you can push the apparent horizon to the north allows you to see objects in the sky that are just under an arc-minute further north, and again with the sun's speed, this means that each mile is worth about an hour's delay in losing the solar image. Unfortunately (for the purposes of this exercise), although at a glance it sure looks flat out there, it turns out that it's not: within a ten mile radius of station there are places that are as many as 30-50 feet higher or lower than station. Since it's impossible to predict accurately enough in which direction the sun will be when it vanishes, it's impossible to determine if this topographic variation will delay or accelerate the sunset. If the sun sets behind a low point, there might be another few hours of delay; if it goes down beyond a high point, then the delay gained by gaining elevation here will be pretty much cancelled. So this is a wild card, ranging from maybe 0 to 10 hours of extra delay. So that gives us a sum estimated total of 52-62 hours after the equinox for the solar disc to vanish.

Coucher du soleil moins 3 jours.

March 19, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Ca y est. Pour chacun de nous au Pole Sud, le decompte du coucher du soleil a commence. Dans 3 jours, plus ou moins bien sur, le soleil devrait passer sous l'horizon. Je dis plus ou moins parce que bien sur personne ne peut predire le moment exact ou le soleil passera sous l'horizon. C'est meme un concept absurde puisque, a cause des effect conjuges des la refraction de l'atmosphere, de la variation de l'altitude de l'horizon, et de la couche nuageuse plus ou moins dense a l'horizon, le soleil va pendant quelques jours, jouer a cache cache avec l'horizon. Il va disparaitre, reapparaitre, cligner des yeux, et nous envoyer ses celbres fulgoropoing- alias le rayon vert. Et pendant tout ce temps, c'est une ballet de couleurs limpides et rutilantes qui pastellisent le ciel, la glace, et la station. POur le moment, le soleil est encore a quelques degres au dessus de l'horizon, et il n'est pas encore trop deforme par le prisme de l'atmosphere. Il ressemble encore a une boule de feu bien ronde. Jusqu'ici tout va bien. Je dis ca parce que selon les dires des anciens, c'est tres rare d'avoir une ciel bleu et un horizon degage lors du coucher du soleil. Alors tout le monde est tres enthousiste de pourvoir voir peut etre le coucher du soleil en entier.

The tale of what happens to Beer and soda when the freeze?

March 18, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

This, let me preface, is not a fairy tale but a real story that happened on Sunday a couple weeks ago. Sundays are usually a day to be lazy, stay late in bed, relax watching one or even two movies. Today was not such a Sunday. The new elevated station is composed of 4 separate wings. Two of them are currently used for winter berthing (That means people live in there), one consists of the gym and the basketball court, and the third one, being currently unused, is used a storage for food and drinks-soda and alcohol. Today, as Heidi was walking in there to resupply the store with various items, she first noticed that her breath was condensing and showing a white panache. Hmm she thought, and being the Jedi that she is, she immediately concluded that something was wrong. Just as she stepped into one of the rooms full of beer, she heard the unmistakeble sound of battle. Pshhhht, Pshhhht, Ptttt: You guessed it: exploding beer cans. Something wrong had happened in this particular pod and a lot of the drinks had frozen. What came next, was an awesome show of the South Pole community spirit. All hands which were available to help, came in to help evacuate the wounded cans and sort through the broken bottles. Then lots of us stayed in the rooms with the most damage--frozen root beer and frozen diet pepsi-- to clean the messes. All is now in order and the cleaning too most of the rest of the Sunday afternoon. Talk about a restful day. But the honor of the Speights was safe and that's what is important.

A raging contrast:

March 17, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

There is nothing more relative than temperatures. Down here, I keep my room at 60F it it feels like a raging warmth when I come back from my 25 minute walk from the Dark Sector. That's normal, now that winter is approaching, the outside temperatures flirts with -86F. That's a pretty large temperture contrast. Even when the temperature outside rises back to -45F, which may seem cold to you cozy mid-lattituders, it feels nice and balmy and summery outside. You can definitely tell the difference between -50, -60, and -80F. Of course, none of these contrast come close to the historically famous 300F club, where the sauna temperature is cranked to a roasting 200F and then the polies rush outside when the outside temperature has gone beyond the humanly thinkable -100F which mathematically calculated the a 300F temperature difference. I can calculate it, but I cannot imagine what it is like. I guess I'll have to experience it.

Travail a l'exterieur par -65 degree celcius. Faut faire fissa!

March 16, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Aujourd'hui, je dois installer une camera video juste a cote de la fenetre par laquelle nos detecteurs guettent les photons cosmiques. Cette camera a pour but de verifier si de la neige ne s'est pas accumule sur la fenetre. Il fait -65 dehors. Et c'est , si rien ne casse dans la manip, la derniere tache a faire pour l'instrument soit fin pret pour l'hiver. Robert Schwarz vient m'aider. Malgre le froid, je dois enlever mes enormes mouffles pour installer les vis parce que c'est comme jouer du violons avec des gants de boxes. C'est impossible et je ne suis pas Coluche. L'installation termine avec success et toujours avec mes 4 .. non cinq doigts par main, Robert en profite pour prendre les photos de heros avec la lune en arriere plan.

Moonrise over the dark sector laboratory.

March 15, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Sounds like the title of a science fiction movie. Today, we were treated to the delightful spectacle of the full moon rising. I took photos of it while it was just above the BICEP ground screen. Well folks, looks like we have to stop our CMB observations, we've got a vanilla ice cream scoop over our sugar cone.!!!!!

Sastrugi et basquetball

March 14, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Il faut que je vous parle un peu de sastrugi. Qu'est ce qu'un sastrugi. Ce nom bizarre designe un sorte de vaguellette, dune de neige, sculpte par le vent. Telle une rose des vents fabrique de sable, le satrugi ( mais est ce masculin ?) est faite de neige et sculpte par le vent. Des que la temperature tombe dessous les -50C, la neige acquiert cette prodigieuse propriete qu'elle adhere a elle mem et forme des sculptures etonnantes. Il parait qu'en hiver, les sastrugi se developpe tellement qu'ils montent jusqu'a 1 metres de haut. Pourquoi un sastrugi se form ici plutot qu'ailleurs. Ici, il y avait deja une minuscule deformation, une asperitre particuliere sur laquelle le sastrugi s'est ancree pour grandir. ALors parfois, on voit des multitude de sastrugis alignes l'un a cote de l'autre: ce sont des sastrugis formes sur les marques de pas de quelqu'un. Et puis quel invention ce mot: sastrugi. Dites les 20 fois en accelere. Ca vous rechauffe le moulin a parole, non

Dish Dog, Dining Assistant, jack of the Dust, Kitchen slave

March 13, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Those are all the names you will hold for one day, when it's your turn to help the galley all day. Tasks are simple: The galley staff prepares food for 3 meals ( breakfast, lunch and dinner). You get to clean the dirty pots an pans they generate as well as all the dishes from the 64 winter over crew. You get to also clean the dining hall in between lunch and dinner, refill the juices, fill the bread box, make coffee... And today is my day. And oh yes, I forgot to mention, you also get to control the Jukebox which plays in the whole kitchen and dish area. That makes it worth it. Getting to listen whatever music I want for 10 hours. It was a fun day after all and with 64 people on station, each one only has to endure it only thrice. Luckily, there is a mighty speedy tiny washing machine to help you. You load it up with dirty dishes and it spits out sparkling dishes 45 seconds later. I want the same at home!!!

Les teintes rutilantes du coucher de soleil et des salades dans la serre

March 12, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Et oui, la similitude entre les nuances des premieres couleurs du coucher du soleil et les teintes criantes qui illuminent les salades dans la serre: Le rouge, le rougoyant, le rougatre. Bientot, dans 10 jours pour etre exacte, le 22 mars pour etre precis, le soleil va basculer dans de l'autre cote de l'horizon, et nous allons nous tourner vers le cote obscur de la force. POur etre plus clair, il va faire nuit. Mais avant la nuit, nous allons avoir droit a un coucher de soleil spectaculaire, a un crepsuscule en technicolor. Alors , lentement, les teintes de couleurs s'insatllent, les pastels prennent leur place, les nuanges entre le ciel et le la terrer s'estompent pour devenir un degrade subtile et changeant de jour en jour. Mais pour ceux qui veulent du rouge et de l'orange pure et dure, il suffit d'ouvrir la porte de la serre et bonjour les lumieres brutes de lampes a sodium.

Fata morgana

March 09, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Today at lunch, we had the chance to see a very cool atmospheric optical effect at the horizon called "fata morgana". Here is a historical explanation of where the name comes from. "Fata Morgana is Italian for "Fairy Morgan", and as legend goes was the half-sister of King Arthur. She was said to live beneath the water and had magical powers capable of building huge cities out of thin air and the make them disappear. There's a certain place in Italy, when in Reggio looking across the Straits of Messina, where this legend has staying power in the eyes of numerous witnesses." This optical illusion is the result of refraction of light though the atmosphere. It happens when a layer of cold air is just above the ground and a layer of warmer air is above it. This causes a mirage which makes an object ( here just snow at the horizon) appear larger or more elevated than it really is. In this case, it appears as a cliff at the horizon, as if a giant iceberg had suddenly moved it. It is quite amazing. Even with binoculars, you see it an you think it real.

Le vent fripon, le vent maraud.

March 06, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Il ne faut pas croire que le vent ici est aussi espiegle que dans la chanson de Brassens: "Si par hasard sur l'pont du Gard, tu vois le vent le vent maraud surtout prend garde a ton chapeau, si par hasard, sur l'pont du gard, tu vois le vent le vent fripon surtout prends garde a ton jupon." Au Pole, par -55C, si il faut prendre garde a quelque chose quand le vent se met a souffler, ce serait plutot a ses doits, a son nez, a ses orteils, et a la moidre parcelle de peau expose en general. Aujourd'hui le vent souffle a quelques 30 km/h, ce qui n'est pas tres fort dans l'absolu mais ca rend les conditions exterieurs bien plus extremes que il faisait plus froid mais sans vent. Deja, de la station le vent faisant virevolter jusqua' 100m d'altitude des la poussiere de neige, on ne voit plus le telescope qui n'est qu'a 100m. Ensuite quand je sors, je sens par les orifices minuscules de mon manteau la morsure aigre du froid qui me poursuit jusque sous la 4 ieme couche d'habit. Mais le vent sculpte aussi des belles et grandioses dunnes et sculpture de neiges, sorte de roses des neiges mais en forme de vagues sur le point de deferler. Il parit que pendant l'hiver ces vagues se forment et montent jusqu'a 50 cm de haut.

Long and Skinny.

March 05, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Why is this party called Long and skinny. Well because the whole party takes place in the very narrow and skinny hallway of the upper berthing area under the Dome. This is the last time you can enjoy the sight of this historic building. In a couple of days, just like all the other buildings under the Dome, it is going cold and will soon be demolished. Indeed, the new station being almost fully complete, this is the first winter where no one will actually live under the dome. A very nostalgic moment for the Old timers who have known the life under the Dome. Just another reason to party for others. The geometry of the narrow hallway makes for an interesting dynamics. Anyway, this is you last chance to see where the living quarters under the Dome. It will not b there in a couple months anymore.

Wine tasting night.

March 04, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Heidi organized a wine tasting night. The whole thing with 6 different wines to be tasted. It was a nice - civilized - evening. I cleaned up, took a shower, combed my hair, and put on a white shirt. It felt good and refreshing not to be in carhart for a while. The wines were mostly from New Zealand and Autralia. I am still seeking the tantalizing chocolate finish in the red Chiraz.

Soiree Sushi et Samurai

March 03, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Ce soir, c'est une autre anniversaire. Et oui avec 64 personnes a bord, ce n'est pas etonnant d'avoir un anniversaire presque tous les soirs. Ce soir c'est l'anniversaire de Georges, un des 4 chefs. Il a decide de faire des suchi pour ce soir et de regarder des films de samurai. Chacun son truc. Le plus grand plaisir, c'est que tout le monde peut participer a la fabrication des suchi. Bien sur, nous sommes au Pole Sud et il n'est pas question d'avoir du poisson frais. C'est un rude continent mais quand meme. Alors ce sera saumon fume, imitation crabe, et crevette grille. Personnelement , je me suis bien debrouille pour une premiere fois. C'est pas si facile que ca de les rouler serre. Il faut etre Japonais. Kaninio Ninio Jima!! Tokyo Yodi , ohayo Gozaimas.

Robert Schwartz's birthday

March 02, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Robert Schwartz is the QuaD winter-over scientist. This is his 5th winterover season I think and his third in a row. And don't think he is completely weird and strange and weird from all these winters. He is actually a nice and adapted person. Being German, he loves German chocolate cakes and the awesome galley crew made him one for his birthday.

Snow level measurement with Jeff DeRosa, the meteorologist.

March 01, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

How do you measure the amount of snow fall at the South Pole ? Well that's a good question and it is actually a pretty hard task since a lot of snow actually does not fall but just drifts being blown by the wind. The standard method for measuring snow accumulation (weather from drift of snow fall) is to go out of the station to a remote site, where no one walks and no machine disturbs the snow, and measure the height above snow of a field of bamboo sticks and compare it to the previous measurement. This is done once a month by the meteorologist, and today I volunteered to go out with Jeff to help him make the measurement. It was a cold day ( -55C, -67F) and despite my 3 layers of gloves I got cold hands and had to do the wind turbine to warm them up.

Heidi the devil

February 28, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Heidi Lim is the one of the doctor on station. But tonight she turned into the devil in person. Note the red spikes sticking out of her head. No No NO , those are not crab legs. Those are true develish features.

Visite virtuelle de la nouvelle station au Pole Sud

February 24, 2006 20:00 (NZT)

Chers amis, bonjour. En cette belle soiree du Vendredi 24 Fevrier, je vous invite a me suivre dans une visite virtuelle de la nouvelle station eleve ou desormais 64 personnes vont passer l'hiver austral. La station est quasi termine et apart certains aspects qui n'on pas ete bien concu, je trouve que cela rend la vie dans un endroit si extreme presque trop facile. Bien sur, il suffit de faire un pas dehors pour se rendre compte que la survie d'un humain au Poe Sud n'est qu'artificielle. Que les generateurs qui produisent l'electricite et la chaleur tombent en panne, que le puit a eau qui fornit la station eau liquide et potable ai un probleme, qu'un enorme incendie devaste les lieux habitables, et la vie au Pole devient la survie au Pole. Bien sur, tous ces evenments catastrophes sont bien improbables, mais il faut quand meme passer du temps dehors tous les jours pour se rendre compte qu'il ne faut pas prendre toute ces details qui rendent la vie agreable pour donne. On une chance inouie de pouvoir apprecier le climat extreme et la beaute fantastique et extraordinaire du Pole Sud sans avoir a en souffir. A chaque fois que je fais le trajet jusqu'a mon telescope, je n'ose pas imaginer la vie des premiers explorateurs du Pole: Shackleton, Scott, Amundsen. OIl ne fait pas chaud dans leur omblre. Mais , je digresse. Suivez le guide pour voir la nouvelle station. JE vous ferais voir les batiments annexe ainsi que les divers experience scientifiques au alentours de la station un autre fois.