Alone in Antarctica. See note #3 (from Dave Lindstrom) below.
Hi everyone, In addition to Emilie’s recent post, a few other updates and notable emails have arrived at ANSMET central in the last 12 hours, so I thought I’d share.
1. John Schutt sent an email suggesting “flies in the ointment”……. “ Weather is crap and will be for another couple of days throughout the West Antarctic/Transantarctic/ Ross sea/iceshelf region. It turns out that there is a problem that cropped up with regards to getting the skidoo out to DW. BBV is the only TO (Twin Otter) that has a wide door and that is scheduled to go to Thwaites (Which is WAY behind schedule). We were told that we would be using KBX which is with the NZ program but available to USAP. That TO does not have a wide door and they will not load the skidoos on (even though we used to have to do it in the early days before KBA modified KBG, BBV, CKB, etc). So plans are suddenly in disarray with options of sending skidoo to SP then that TO delivering it to DW and we go in via KBX from here to having BBV drop it off on its way to WAIS. to holding sacrificing a goat or a chicken,. to me throwing a tantrum, sobbing and wailing on my knees before falling on my knife. More chaos pending. Hope to get some more clarification later today. God luck with that…”.
—Translation for those who don’t speak Antarctican: We need a Twin Otter to get John, a companion and a snowmobile with snow groomer to Davis Ward to prepare a runway for the larger Basler aircraft which would put our team in; but the Twin Otters with big enough doors to carry that gear are not in McMurdo. KBX KBG, CKB and BBV are the call signs for individual aircraft. WAIS and Thwaites are ongoing glaciology camps. SP is South Pole, DW is Davis Ward.
2. Jim Karner reports that there are two flights leaving Christchurch for McMurdo this morning, and suggests the team is likely to get out on one of them. No additional details but that’s fairly typical; often they redistribute the passengers and cargo between the two aircraft fluidly, and the most important part for ANSMET is to be there, ready to fly south. Those flights are likely to depart in the early afternoon, east coast US time. Here’s hoping the next thing we hear from them originates in McMurdo!
3. ANSMET central is pleased to report the arrival of email communications from Dave and Marilyn Lindstrom! Both are retired now, but were scientists at NASA Johnson Space Center and played leading roles in ANSMET’s success through the 80’s and 90’s and beyond. Marilyn was Curator of the Antarctic Meteorites at JSC (the position now held by Kevin Righter) for a long time, notably when I was taking over leadership the program and the decade following. They currently reside in what I like to think of as “The Motherland”, the area of northern MN, WI and MI surrounding Lake Superior (disclaimer: I’m from there too. It really should be its own state). But I digress; Dave wanted to call my attention to recent, highly-relevant scientific research. I won’t spoil it for you, but as Dave says, “Explains a lot, eh?” See “Lonely Antarctic Expeditions” (click for link).
4. If you haven’t noticed it yet, Jim Karner and I will be hosting a special session at next spring’s Lunar and Planetary Science Conference entitled “50 Years of Planetary Research in Antarctica: Meteorites, Morphology and Missions”. If you’re reading this, you’re probably in a position to submit an abstract to that session- so please do! MAPS is also planning a special issue celebrating the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the Yamato Antarctic meteorite concentrations. Note I don’t know if they’re accepting submissions for that, but I do know I’ll be co-authoring an introduction to the issue.
5. Finally, recent conversations with Kevin Righter reminded me this 2019-2020 season represents the anniversary of a lot of key events in ANSMET history; So over the remainder of the season I plan to submit posts celebrating those key (and not always happy) moments. Stay tuned!
–posted by RPH from slightly-brighter-than-usual Novelty, OH.