Inside a tent

Camp site

Our Hercules flight landed on the ice shelf

Planes need gas to fly

Flags of nations having a presence in Antarctica in front of the National Science Foundation chalet, with Hut Hill in the background. From left: Dean Childs, Peter Bromirski, Tim Parker. Dean and Tim are PASSCAL seismic instrumentation experts.

Ron Flick with his thumb on the pulse of McMurdo, talking to the world.

The 24-hour sundial at McMurdo station (viewed from above).

The seismometer is buried after leveling and aligning with true North and testing in in the bottom of a 40in deep, 5ft square excavation.

Installation of the box containing power, data storage, GPS, and telecommunications electronics.

Reflection of the sun off the Ross Ice Shelf.

Inside the Twin Otter cabin — room for four and the seismic station components that will be assembled and tested on the ice.

Loading our gear and the seismic station onto the Twin Otter at Willy Field, with Mt. Erebus in the background.

The wall is intended to shield out tents from strong winds, which are common.

One of the interesting rock formations seen from snow camp.

Kneeling in the “vestibule”.

At snow camp. Ralph Stephen from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (one of our team) with Mt. Erebus in the background. Mt. Erebus is an active volcano, and you can see a plume of water vapor/gasses coming out of the top.

A view of the terrain from our transport on the roadway to snow camp.

Waiting for transport to snow camp.

Our tents are setup. We sleep one in each tent with a few pads and good sleeping bag. The wall in background are suppose to protect for the wind which can be strong.

Learning how to make snow bricks

In case a storm surprises us, we are suppose to just build our own grave, step into it and all will be nice the next day. The two block to the left you actually pull over your head when you lie in the grave.

Co-Principal Investigator Dr Peter Gerstoft is enjoying the mild weather!

LC-17 Globemaster and Mt Erebus in the background

C-17 offloading a helicopter at Pegasus Field. (Photo: Dominick Dirksen/NSF)

We’ll be wearing full cold weather gear when we board the “ice flight” — might get toasty…