So close - but still too far!

Today we had planned to fly to the the ice from New Zealand.  Along with 19 other researchers and support staff, we piled our gear and ourselves into a cargo plane for the trip to McMurdo station.  We sat in our jump seats, stowed our baggage and held onto our little bag lunches.
As the began to taxi, I began to get excited, but alas, it was not to be.  One engine was underpowered, and despite the valiant efforts of the flight crew, they couldn't get it working.  After waiting in the airport for a few hours, the we received word that the flight would be delayed.
We returned to our hotel disappointed, but we'll enjoy the New Year's celebration in New Zealand as best as we can.

-Andrew

The Night Before Fieldwork

Notice that my entire carry

on is filled with supplies

and no tunimportant things,

like clothes

Twas the night before fieldwork, in the laboratory

The instruments were silent, and the cabinets were empty

The boat was all full of our vials and bottles

In to hope that soon they’d be filled with some samples

The postdocs were nestled all snug in their beds

While Science and Nature dreams danced in their heads

The grad students tossed and turned full of fear

Worries of protocols, reagents and gear

When from my computer arose a small “ding”

Pulled me out from the bed to check the damn thing

Straight to my laptop I flew in a beat

And opened my emails, still groggy with sleep

The light from the screen casting glare in my eyes

I squinted to read the new subject lines

When what, to my sleep deprived mind should I read

A new CC:all from the investigative lead

With a few paragraphs so short and precise

I knew that I’d get no more sleep on this night

The plan has all changed and the currents have twisted

The cruise track is going to need to be shifted

The chlorophyll, the nutrients and the phytoplankton

Still need to be taken, no matter the stations

My work won’t change much, but I still read the replies

The debates by PIs on what plan to go by

Finally the chief scientist decides on her plans

The researchers show up, with bags in their hands

The boat will depart soon, the science will start

We’ll produce new data, graphs, and some charts

But now my procrastinating must end

The packing for my own trip has got to begin

I have all the tools, and know their appliance

It’s time to get going, I need to do science!

-Modified from "The Night Before Christmas", Clement Clark Moore, 1822

Next Up: Antarctica!

The Antarctic Dry Valleys, via Google Earth

It's time for more fieldwork, although this time I'm a bit farther from my comfort zone.  Two days after Christmas, I'll be flying to New Zealand, and then off to the Antarctic Dry Valleys, where I will be part of a team taking data on the role of algae in the regional ecology.

The dry valleys are the largest region of Antarctica that are free of ice year round.  Although they're right on the coast of the continent, they are an extreme desert.  They get occasional snow squalls, but rather than melting, the snow sublimates directly to vapor.  The only water sources are ephemeral streams, which begin to flow during the summer when glaciers are melting.

We will camp out in the valleys for about 2 week, sampling Nostoc commune, a hardy algae that thrives on the meager nutrients from the streams.  I will update this site when I can for the next couple of months, to share my experiences (and photos!) in Antarctica.

-Andrew