A Fortnight of Two Halves
The last fortnight has been composed of two very distinct weeks. During the first, very little was achieved outside around base as a near constant gale blew for most of it. The latter of the two weeks, meanwhile, has been spent on night duty on the platform.
The Laws Platform in a Gale
However, prior to the onset of the prolonged poor weather, there was the annual Drewry melt tank party. The Drewry (accommodation for summer staff) is effectively a self contained building on skis, including its own melt tank for producing water from snow. (The Laws, the main platform, has its own large underground tank.) As part of the process of shutting the building down for the winter, the heat trace that is used to melt snow is turned up to produce a large warm bath and the tank hosts its annual party.
The Drewry Melt Tank Party
photos by Dave Evans
The general idea is to squeeze as many people into a small container of water as possible. The luxury of sitting in a heated pool of water cannot be underestimated particularly given that water is a limited commodity on base since it has to be dug by hand and then melted. Thirteen of us, despite the small size, managed to make it in at one time. Though, given that it was at least -15°C outside, there was more than enough reason not to get out.
Not Quite 13...
R to L: top- Tom, Me, Jules, Neil, Mark, Ant; bottom- Tamsin, Alex, Kirsty and Jim
Part of the shift to winter is the gradual disappearance of the specialised vehicles that are required for the maintenance and building work throughout the summer and are now redundant. The extensive range live on a single line that extends over 100 metres north of the garage, including large tractors, portable cranes, a cherry-picker, Sno-Cats and bulldozers, not counting the innumerable ski-doos that populate the base.
The Vehicle Line At the End of Summer
Furthermore, as the temperatures drop so more and more of the vehicles become inoperable, as a result the Vehicle Mechanic, Mat, has his hands full servicing and putting all but a bulldozer, a Sno-Cat and the field ski-doos into hibernation for the winter. However, the removal of the noisy engines (particularly the two-stroke ski-doos) means that the base reverts on a windless day to a peaceful stillness punctuated only occasionally by the gentle hum of a generator.
A D5 Bulldozer in Action
The emergency food container is moved as part of a disaster response scenario
The arrival of a blow renders impossible a lot of outdoor work as the visibility deteriorates and the contrast disappears. Though it was a benign if prolonged period of persistent 40 mph plus winds, the consequences of even this relatively mild weather is that snow not only forms extended windtails behind every object standing proud of the surface but also covers and rapidly buries objects as well. Furthermore, the snow is so fine that it will find even the smallest hole in any box or container and rapidly fill it; this can be further complicated by it freezing solid into a block of ice if it is not shifted promptly.
Working In Bad Weather
Clearing snow from the tunnel access shaft
The poor weather, however, meant a chance for me to set the surgery straight and go through the emergency medical kit, which is legion, as well as familiarising myself with the base Search and Rescue (SAR) equipment, since the pre-winter field trips have started. I leave for six days in the field in a few days time and hope to fair better than the first group, who ended up spending six days pinned in their tents by the foul weather.
Fog Over BART
The daily meteorological balloon is released from the BART platform
The second week found me doing the easiest week of night duty I have ever done. I have to admit that it struck me, particularly at about 2 in the morning on most nights, how much I do occasionally long for the bustle and pace of a busy hospital, whilst being in the thick of the action. I have no regrets about temporarily leaving it behind for a year or so but it is also reassuring to realise that I do miss it and know that that is what I want to return to. However, I am fortunate in some ways to not be involved this year in the foreseeable disaster that is currently unfolding as a result of the Government's meddling in junior doctors training.
What? No Ward Round?
Making croissant for Sunday breakfast
A night watchman is needed as there are multiple alarms that need somebody to respond to, ranging from science experiments to technical services (such as the generators and fridges) and of course the fire alarm. Given the dry atmosphere and the inflammable nature of the building, this presents a real risk hence the need for somebody to be at least half awake to deal with a problem quickly. Evacuating a building when the temperature outside is -30 and dark would be less than ideal.
Sunset Through the Platform Legs
Night duty also means a few hours of cleaning as well as three and six o'clock meteorological observations. A large amount of the data (temperature, wind speed, direction and pressure) is collated automatically but added to this is information on current weather, visibility, cloud type and coverage. This is all sent off electronically within ten minutes of the observation to the Met Office in Exeter, where along with data from around the world it is used to model weather on a global scale. My knowledge of clouds has had to improve rapidly, as has my baking given that night watch traditionally bakes all the bread fresh for breakfast.
Not Quite The Genuine Article
But not bad given that the nearest boulangerie is a decent walk in the morning
The lunar eclipse was unfortunately obscured by the single okta of cloud in the sky, however the feeling of watching the increasingly colourful sunrises over a cloudless Antarctic, knowing that there is nobody else awake for thousands of miles to disturb that quiet, is inexpressible. Hopefully the next entry will have plenty of exciting photos from a decent trip off base, as long as the weather holds.
Full Moon the Day After the Eclipse
The Laws Platform in a Gale
However, prior to the onset of the prolonged poor weather, there was the annual Drewry melt tank party. The Drewry (accommodation for summer staff) is effectively a self contained building on skis, including its own melt tank for producing water from snow. (The Laws, the main platform, has its own large underground tank.) As part of the process of shutting the building down for the winter, the heat trace that is used to melt snow is turned up to produce a large warm bath and the tank hosts its annual party.
The Drewry Melt Tank Party
photos by Dave Evans
The general idea is to squeeze as many people into a small container of water as possible. The luxury of sitting in a heated pool of water cannot be underestimated particularly given that water is a limited commodity on base since it has to be dug by hand and then melted. Thirteen of us, despite the small size, managed to make it in at one time. Though, given that it was at least -15°C outside, there was more than enough reason not to get out.
Not Quite 13...
R to L: top- Tom, Me, Jules, Neil, Mark, Ant; bottom- Tamsin, Alex, Kirsty and Jim
Part of the shift to winter is the gradual disappearance of the specialised vehicles that are required for the maintenance and building work throughout the summer and are now redundant. The extensive range live on a single line that extends over 100 metres north of the garage, including large tractors, portable cranes, a cherry-picker, Sno-Cats and bulldozers, not counting the innumerable ski-doos that populate the base.
The Vehicle Line At the End of Summer
Furthermore, as the temperatures drop so more and more of the vehicles become inoperable, as a result the Vehicle Mechanic, Mat, has his hands full servicing and putting all but a bulldozer, a Sno-Cat and the field ski-doos into hibernation for the winter. However, the removal of the noisy engines (particularly the two-stroke ski-doos) means that the base reverts on a windless day to a peaceful stillness punctuated only occasionally by the gentle hum of a generator.
A D5 Bulldozer in Action
The emergency food container is moved as part of a disaster response scenario
The arrival of a blow renders impossible a lot of outdoor work as the visibility deteriorates and the contrast disappears. Though it was a benign if prolonged period of persistent 40 mph plus winds, the consequences of even this relatively mild weather is that snow not only forms extended windtails behind every object standing proud of the surface but also covers and rapidly buries objects as well. Furthermore, the snow is so fine that it will find even the smallest hole in any box or container and rapidly fill it; this can be further complicated by it freezing solid into a block of ice if it is not shifted promptly.
Working In Bad Weather
Clearing snow from the tunnel access shaft
The poor weather, however, meant a chance for me to set the surgery straight and go through the emergency medical kit, which is legion, as well as familiarising myself with the base Search and Rescue (SAR) equipment, since the pre-winter field trips have started. I leave for six days in the field in a few days time and hope to fair better than the first group, who ended up spending six days pinned in their tents by the foul weather.
Fog Over BART
The daily meteorological balloon is released from the BART platform
The second week found me doing the easiest week of night duty I have ever done. I have to admit that it struck me, particularly at about 2 in the morning on most nights, how much I do occasionally long for the bustle and pace of a busy hospital, whilst being in the thick of the action. I have no regrets about temporarily leaving it behind for a year or so but it is also reassuring to realise that I do miss it and know that that is what I want to return to. However, I am fortunate in some ways to not be involved this year in the foreseeable disaster that is currently unfolding as a result of the Government's meddling in junior doctors training.
What? No Ward Round?
Making croissant for Sunday breakfast
A night watchman is needed as there are multiple alarms that need somebody to respond to, ranging from science experiments to technical services (such as the generators and fridges) and of course the fire alarm. Given the dry atmosphere and the inflammable nature of the building, this presents a real risk hence the need for somebody to be at least half awake to deal with a problem quickly. Evacuating a building when the temperature outside is -30 and dark would be less than ideal.
Sunset Through the Platform Legs
Night duty also means a few hours of cleaning as well as three and six o'clock meteorological observations. A large amount of the data (temperature, wind speed, direction and pressure) is collated automatically but added to this is information on current weather, visibility, cloud type and coverage. This is all sent off electronically within ten minutes of the observation to the Met Office in Exeter, where along with data from around the world it is used to model weather on a global scale. My knowledge of clouds has had to improve rapidly, as has my baking given that night watch traditionally bakes all the bread fresh for breakfast.
Not Quite The Genuine Article
But not bad given that the nearest boulangerie is a decent walk in the morning
The lunar eclipse was unfortunately obscured by the single okta of cloud in the sky, however the feeling of watching the increasingly colourful sunrises over a cloudless Antarctic, knowing that there is nobody else awake for thousands of miles to disturb that quiet, is inexpressible. Hopefully the next entry will have plenty of exciting photos from a decent trip off base, as long as the weather holds.
Full Moon the Day After the Eclipse
