A snowy day in McMurdo

The ANSMET team remains split between the Davis Ward field site and McMurdo Station.

The skeleton crew who has successfully made it to the field (Daniela, Minako, and Brian) is currently searching for meteorites on foot and are flagging specimens as they go. Today they found 13 new meteorites out beyond the main tongue of the glacier, bringing the total to about 30. Once all team members are out in the field we will start the official collection procedure!

As for camp life, we heard that it has been very cold, with the vestibule of the tent (where we take out boots off) sitting at about 2 degrees Fahrenheit. Daniela and Minako also reported having a little bit of trouble sleeping because of the altitude, but are feeling better with each passing day. They report that the work is physically tiring but they’re having a great time. We promised to bring them extra peanut butter cookies from McMurdo to thank them for their hard work so far!

Meanwhile, the rest of the team is eagerly awaiting a clear flying day so we can join them. Today was full of gusting snow and all of the flights out were grounded. Lauren, Robert, and I are on deck to fly on the next available flight – tomorrow’s weather doesn’t look promising, but we feel cautiously optimistic about Wednesday. Jim and Jon should follow shortly afterwards. In the interim, we have been trying to optimize our search strategy and cargo system to maximize efficiency once we arrive.

Please keep your fingers crossed for good weather days!

-From Erin at McMurdo