PART OF WILKINS ICE SHELF COLLAPSES

In late February a large chunk (41 km x 2.4 km) of ice broke away from the Wilkins Ice Shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula. The break has triggered the breakup of much more of the ice shelf, so that now the whole ice shelf is in danger of disintegrating.

Below is an image from the National Snow and Ice Data Center that shows the location of the breakup:


Here is an image taken during a flyover by the British Antarctic Survey:


Scientists attribute the breakup to global warming. Temperature records show that the region around the Antarctic Peninsula is warming at a faster rate than most other parts of the world. The breakup of the Wilkins shelf will not contribute directly to rising sea level. It's more like having an ice cube in a glass of water melt -- the water level remains the same. However, as ice shelves disappear, it's likely the glaciers behind them will begin to flow more quickly into the oceans. This phenomenon is being seen today in areas of Greenland. The melting of these glaciers will contribute to a sea level rise. Interestingly, there's enough water stored in the polar ice caps to cause a 70 m rise in global sea level!

LEAVING THE ICE

Nearly three months have gone by since I left the ice. I thought it was high time I document the trip back.

We left McMurdo early on December 8th. We were loaded onto Ivan the Terrabus for the half hour ride out to the Pegasus Ice Runway. Below is a view of all of us stuffed into the bus. Everyone was required to wear their extreme cold weather gear for the trip. Once near New Zealand, we would be stripping down to jeans and a t-shirt -- it was summer there.


Ivan dropped us off and we lugged our gear across the ice and onto the C-17 that was waiting for us.


Here's a view from inside the plane. We sat in rows of (very uncomfortable) jump seats that lined the walls and center aisle of the plane. It was a 5-hour trip.


As we left Antarctica, we stole peeks out the few windows that exist on a C-17. We could tell we were getting to warmer climes when we noticed the sea ice was melting and breaking up.


All in all, my trip to Antarctica was a wonderful experience that I'll never forget. I feel lucky to have seen it while the environment is still in good shape. Things will be changing fast as the Earth continues to warm.

SCOTT'S HUT AT CAPE EVANS

Cape Evans lies on the west side of Ross Island and is an important site for Antarctic exploration. The site was used as a headquarters for Scott's 2nd Expedition in 1910-1913. The hut, Scott's Hut, still stands and contains many of the items used by the expedition. Below is a picture from the hill that overlooks Scott's Hut (foreground) and across the sea ice toward a glacier terminus. The hut is quite large, 50 feet long and 25 foot wide. A stable building (for nineteen Siberian ponies) approximately 50 feet by 16 feet sits against the the main building. Scott intended to use the ponies (rather than huskies) to pull the sledges to the South Pole. The horses didn't fare too well, unfortunately. Neither did the explorers!
The shelves remain stocked with food items, including a bottle of Heinz ketchup as well as the pickled onions, cabbage, and other sauces pictured below.
The expedition team included a number of scientists (mostly biologists and geologists), who carried out some basic studies. Much of their equipment remains, including chemical reagents, glassware, scratch plates, bunsen burners, etc. A penguin lies on one table, still waiting to be dissected (not shown here).
Scott ran his expeditions as military operations. The "officers" got the best quarters, while the "enlisted men" shared a warren of bunkbeds they referred to as "the tenements." Scott's bed is pictured below, with a candle for lighting and furs and woolen blankets for bedding. Some clothing is also stacked at the end of the bed. The walls around the beds are decorated with pictures, mostly cut from magazines.