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Victoria University Antarctic Research Expedition Science and Logistics Reports 2007-08: VUWAE 52

*EVENT DIARY

*EVENT DIARY

Date Main Activities and Location Other Comments
23 Oct Tue Bertler, Watson, Robinson, Rhodes arrive at SB
24 Oct Wed Refresher AFT for Bertler, Watson, Robinson. Rhodes starts full AFT Starting to pull all equipment, fulfilling licence requirements
25 Oct Thu Test remainder of the field equipment, change set-up of polar pyramid tents, and discuss with SB Carpenter the construction of a Nansen sledge cockpit, test SB heater for polar tent
26 Oct Fri Testing generators and scientific equipment. However, not all radar equipment can be tested as some cargo still delayed due to delays in Kiwi-Hercules flights. We change deployment date into the field from 30 Oct to 29 Oct as the DC-3 might become available then instead of Twin Otter
27 Oct Sat Robinson, Bertler, Watson and Rhodes, crevasse training in HFC, team meeting on risk assessment
28 Oct Sun Overnight shake-down journey with linked skidoo travel and Nansen sledge set-up. Marginal weather with up to 50kts wind and temperature of around −28°C provide excellent training conditions. page 6
29 Oct Mon Ground penetrating radar equipment finally arrives at Scott Base and is tested in the vicinity of Scott Base. Final packing of equipment and personal items
30 Oct Tue Pack cargo on aircraft pallets for Twin Otter (operating on 1800 lb per flight basis), dissemble Nansen sledge as it will not fit through Twin Otter doors, Watson and Rhodes run ground penetrating radar survey towed by Huggland around SB ski field for AFT team
31 Oct Wed Bertler, Watson, Robinson, Rhodes from Scott Base to Skinner Saddle. Flight time 1:15 hr; three shuttles, from 8:45am to 6.15pm. Set-up camp, secure cargo.
01 Nov Thu Fourth Twin Otter load arrives at 9:45am, start set-up of automatic weather station, set-up of radar equipment. First measurement shows glacier thickness at camp-site >400m.
02 Nov Fri Complete set-up of automatic weather station, complete crevasse training, discussing different types of anchors in variable snow conditions. Set-up of GPS base station and completion of ground penetrating radar set-up
03 Nov Sat Set-up of linked skidoo traverse train, sampling of surface snow, skidoo traverse in the vicinity of the camp site to ensure crevasse-free
04 Nov Sun 1. traverse with 35MHz antennae pair produces excellent data with ice thickness exceeding 600m, good snow conditions, strong internal and bedrock reflectors, weather station is recording data. Use high resolution, kinematic GPS to map surface topography page 7
05 Nov Mon 2. traverse with 35MHz and 500MHz antennae pair. Higher than expected fuel consumption (0.66km / L fuel)
06 Nov Tue 3. traverse with 35MHz antennae pair but traverse is aborted due to deteriorating weather conditions. Visibility reduces to <10m, navigation back to camp on GPS. Sample falling snow
07 Nov Wed Weather further deteriorates. Blowing snow, high wind speeds, poor visibility, large snow drifts. Check cargo and field equipment. New heater chimney works well with reduced flaring during wind gusts
08 Nov Thu Weather improves, 4. traverse and 5. traverse with 35MHz and then 500MHz antennae. Set-up shallow drill and test drilling in the vicinity of the camp
09 Nov Fri Weather deteriorates with poor visibility and strong winds. Postpone traverse work and start drilling but conditions deteriorate further and drilling is aborted
10 Nov Sat Weather conditions improve and 6. and 7. traverse are completed with 35MHz and 500MHz antennae. From data excellent drill site is identified. A total of 150km of GPR lines is achieved
11 Nov Sun Start dismantling traverse train and science equipment. Check weather station and dissemble GPS base station. Complete drilling to 17m depth. Good snow and firn conditions with now sign of melt
12 Nov Mon Move to Gawn Ice Piedmont is delayed from Monday to Tuesday. We use the extra day to conduct a series of tests with new GPR equipment and for sensitivity measurements. Preparation of four Twin Otter loads.
13 Nov Tue Skinner Saddle to Gawn Ice Piedmont
Packing remaining tents and personal equipment. First Twin Otter arrives at 10am. A reconnaissance flight shows that planned camp site lies within crevasse field. We decide to land ~10km north of original site. Twin Otter pilots prepare safe-zone by taxing across the camp site before landing. Total of 4 shuttles, finished by 6pm. Help to refuel at Darwin cash before third shuttle. Set-up camp, secure cargo
page 8
14 Nov Wed Weather condition deteriorated over night. Start to set-up traverse train and finish camp set up, such as toilet tent. Mark runway before precipitating snow covers tracks. Weather deteriorates further. All movements are confined to camp area. Process GPS and GPR data obtained at Skinner Saddle, collect samples from falling snow in 2 hour intervals
15 Nov Complete traverse train set-up. However, falling snow, poor visibility prohibit traverse in this glaciological active region until late afternoon. 1. traverse with 500MHz antennae for crevasse safety. The scan shows 27 crevasses crossed during traverse. 2. traverse with 35MHz antennae shows ice thickness of 400-500m. Good snow and ice conditions with strong internal and bedrock reflectors. Weather deteriorates again. Continue collecting snow samples from falling and blowing snow
16 Nov Fri ~ 10cm snow precipitation over night. Poor visibility and strong winds exceeding 35kts prohibit traverse work. Set-up of drilling system. Start drilling to 7m but weather deteriorates further and we abort all outside work. Installation of small computer fan in the roof of polar heaven tent proves to be effective in thermal mixing of extreme temperature gradient in the tent (hot in the top, below freezing on the floor) with an overall more homogeneous heat distribution in the tent. Continue to collect snow samples from falling and now blowing snow
17 Nov Sat Weather conditions deteriorate again. Blowing and falling snow, strong winds exceeding 45kts, poor visibility confines us to another day in the tents. Continue to sample falling and blowing snow.
18 Nov Sun Weather conditions improve but still unsuitable for traversing due to poor visibility. We continue to drill but drill arrests at 13m depth. We are unsuccessful in retrieving it. Weather conditions deteriorate again with strong winds and blowing snow and we retrieve to tents. Request 5L of glycol and 20L of ethanol to be flown in on first Twin Otter flight to attempt freeing the drill.
19 Nov Mon Weather conditions are poor until late evening when wind drops and visibility improves. Set-off for 3. traverse and successfully identify and scan appropriate drill site. page 9
20 Nov Tue Marginal weather conditions, but 4. traverse allows high resolution grid around identified drill site. We achieved at total of 35km of high resolution radar survey lines. Then start dissembling traverse train and equipment, packing Twin Otter loads. Weather deteriorates again with blowing snow and strong winds.
21 Nov Wed Gawn Ice Piedmont to Scott Base
Two Twin Otter aircrafts arrive at 9.45 and 10:00 respectively. Three shuttles are necessary to return all equipment and people. First flight delivers requested glycol and ethanol. Despite significant efforts we only manage to loosen the drill but not to recover it from the borehole. We case the top of the drill hole and mark the site with a flag All back at Scott Base by 6:45pm. Put tents in drying room and stow all cargo in cage and cargo yard.
22 Nov Thu Scott Base
Drying of tents, sleeping bags. Cleaning of kitchen boxes, packing cargo, return survival bags, generators, fuel
23 Nov Fri Bull to come from Chch to SB but flight is cancelled. Empty drying room, start pulling equipment for Evans Piedmont Glacier deployment, continue to pack of cargo not needed for the deployment, repair Nansen sledge
24 Nov Sat Complete packing of cargo and continue field preparations for Evans Piedmont Glacier. Discuss with Kevin location of ice core reefer at Scott Base. Pyne designs melting tool for ice core drill. Discussion with Kevin on manufacturing the tool for drill recovery
25 Nov Sun Day off
26 Nov Mon Robinson Scott Base to Chch, Bull Chch to Scot Base. Complete field preparations for Evans Piedmont Glacier, prepare loads, Bull participates refresher AFT
27 Nov Tue Watson Scott Base to Chch Bertler, Rhodes, Bull Scott Base to Evans Piedmont Glacier Set-up camp, secure cargo. Film crew and accompanying AFT team arrives at site. Identify sampling site for ultra clean chemistry sampling. Excavate 4m snow pit. page 10
28 Nov Wed Start sampling 4m deep snow pit, down load weather station data, various interviews with Film Crew
29 Nov Thu Continue to sample snow pit, carry out small repairs and maintenance work on automatic weather station. Film Crew and AFT team scheduled to leave for Scott Base but unsuitable weather conditions delay departure
30 Nov Fri Film Crew and AFT team leave for Scott Base Continue to sample snow pit
01 Dec Sat Excavate second snow pit and start sampling for geochemistry. Start measuring density and temperature at first snow pit
02 Dec Sun Complete first and second snow pit including geochemistry, density and temperature. Prepare double snow pit to identify and characterise snow layers and properties
03 Dec Mon Scheduled to return to Scott Base via Victoria Lower Glacier, but unsuitable weather conditions prohibit move. Extra day is used to excavate third snow pit page 11
04 Dec Tue Evans Piedmont Glacier to Victoria Lower Glacier
Using differential GPS measuring long-term mass balance of Victoria Lower Glacier (Submergence velocity method, deployed in 1999). Dig snow pit to investigate change in snow properties due to large winter storm in previous winter. Find exceptionally large hoar crystals. Ground time 3 hours
Victoria Lower Glacier to Scott Base
Pitching tents in drying room, stow all cargo in cage and cargo yard.
05 Dec Wed Finish clean-up of tents, sleeping bags, kitchen and food boxes. Pack cargo.
06 Dec Thu Travel to Cape Evans to visit historic huts and to bring re-supplies to AHT team. Discuss with engineers manufacturing of ice core drill recovery tool.
07 Dec Fri Bull, Rhodes Scott Baes to Chch Scott Base engineer starts manufacturing recovery tool, pull equipment for travel to Gawn Ice Piedmont to recover ice core drill
08 Dec Sat Engineer completes recovery tool. Flight is scheduled for Thu 13 Dec
10 Dec Mon Test hotwater drill, modify to connect to recovery tool get generator, 40L glycol and 20L ethanol.
12 Dec Wed Flight has been delayed until PEE can be amended to allow usage of glycol and ethanol.
13 Dec Thu Pyne retrieves luggage from bagdrag. PEE has been amended and flight has been granted for 14 Dec
14 Dec Fri Successful recovery of ice core drill. We use 10L of glycol and 2L of ethanol in the process.
18 Dec Tue Bertler, Pyne scheduled to leave for Chch, but flight is cancelled
19 Dec Bertler, Pyne leave for Chch