Thursday, November 22, 2001 - submitted by Guy Denoux

The team had waste management training to start the day. Since all trash is required to be transported off the continent, a great deal of sorting is done. This is pushed all the way down to the individuals in their everyday life here. All garbage cans are labeled for the various categories. Categories include paper, plastic, aluminum drink cans, food, construction debris, cardboard and hazardous materials. Hazardous materials include used batteries, pressurized cans, paint, and waste fuels and oil. All waste is transferred into containers and bins for transport back to the US on the supply ship that arrives in January. Over 65% of the materials are recycled. Each year there is a strong attempt to raise this level of recycling. This year, McMurdo is attempting to recycle the waste paper towels. This has added an addition bin for the q-tips and plastics that can accumulate in the bathrooms. Also, a bin for magazines and newspapers has been added for a mixed paper category. These should increase the level of recycling for the next year.

Christi, Marietta and Guy attended Sea Ice School. This is an all day course with the emphasis on the various conditions of the sea ice and how to understand the forces that control the ice. The most dramatic features this year are the change in the currents around Ross Island due to a huge iceberg that had broken off but then rotated 90 degrees and subsequent grounding. This has caused a reduction in currents around the island and also resulted in more ice cover. The ice edge at this time last year was a little over 25 miles north. This year the ice edge is over 70 miles north. This has raised some concerns in the re-supplying of the station and has caused the use of 2 coast guard cutters to work at breaking a channel for the supply ships. The ice at the runway is over 12 feet this year while last year was about 10 feet.

The best way to prevent problems on the ice is to be aware of the potential pitfalls. The first is the perception of distance. Points look much closer here when the conditions are sunny. The air is clear and you can see points and ridges that normally would become hazy. The tendency is to underestimate the distance to various landmarks.

The second thing to be cautious is the various zones of danger which were pointed out. These include the red zones – areas that have had close calls over the past several years. These areas have cracks, which can be of several different types:

a) straight cracks – ice breaks once, releasing tension.

b) Working or active cracks – tension is continuous, and the ice breaks repeatedly.

c) Tidal cracks- along shorelines and caused by the tidal cycles lifting and lowering the ice, shearing it from the attached ice on shore. Also called the transition zone.

d) Pressure Ridges – zones where different ice masses smash together and disrupt the structural integrity of the weaker ice.

Other zones are labeled yellow since they possibly could have serious cracks but have not been a problem in the recent past. Finally, the large expanse away from landmasses is labeled green. All zones require a level of alertness for dangers.

Finally, there are techniques to look at cracks and judge if they can be traversed. This includes examining the edges of the cracks, removing accumulated snow out of the crack and measuring the thickness of the ice with an ice drill and tape measure and the width of the crack. The final variable in the safety equation is the temperature of the ice. As the ice warms, it becomes weaker. The ice temperature is between 14 and 23 degrees F. For the vehicles we are using, the spryte, needs at least 24 inches of ice during this time. As the ice warms up to 23-27 deg Fit requires 30 inches.

To point out the potential problems, the class made a trip to the Barne Glacier along one of the sea ice flag routes . The Barne Glacier is jutting out onto the sea ice and will have chunks sluff during the year. The ice has an intense blue color not easily captured in pictures . After checking several active cracks, the class had to flag a stopping point for the Delta’s, large heavy wheeled vehicles that would be bringing McMurdoins out to see the glacier for recreation. The crack was too wide and thin for the vehicles. The participants would be required to get out and walk the remaining 200 yards.

Map	Barne Glacier

On the way back we examined several other cracks but none would stop the Deltas. We then went over to Cape Evans, the site of one of Scott’s huts. We were unable to get inside the hut. This hut has been here since the early 1900’s. For this expedition, horses were used and the back of the house is a stable for the animals. It was uncovered in the late 1950’s and 1960’s. The roof had collapsed under the weight of snow. The hut was excavated out like an archeological site with small trowels and all the artifacts were collected. A new roof was installed and the hut is now open at times for visitors. A cross, situated on the hill next to the hut, is in remembrance of several of the explorers who died (Cape Evans Hill).

Cape Evans Pictures:

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