Messing around in boats is what we like best...
Hello folks...Hope you are all well and having fun.
Since my last post things have been relatively quiet, and lots of science has been getting done. I've been out sampling in the bay quite a few times, once with a group of VIPs (including the director of NERC) in tow. Also, as I've alerted the UK people, the BBC have been down here filming, although I'm afraid I'm not personally featured. For a media friendly take on Rothera life you can read the BBC journalist's diary on http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4611712.stm You can also download various news reports from here, including the Rothera boys and girls faking it (a CTD cast) on camera and Dr Claire Hughes talking about the sea temperature rise (not our area of research). I would recommend a pinch of salt to be taken with them; despite the inference to the contrary, and as anyone who has seen 'The Day After Tomorrow' should know, scientists do not generally wander down crevasses to look for ancient gases in the icicles. However, the overall science seems to be about right.
Continuing the multi-media theme of this blog, if you remember the 'penguin in the boat' incident, I've put a short film clip of it up on the web - click on the link on the right, and it should open (works in Quicktime and Windows media player at least) although may take a little time to download. I'm doing the winching.
On Saturday I went on a recreational boat tour of the Bay. The sky was a low, flat ceiling of grey cloud, truncating the mountains on all sides, and closing us into a narrow plane between sea and sky. Aside from the blue bergs the landscape was gently monochrome. The sea itself was beautifully still, a quicksilver lake perfectly reflecting the icebergs and the elegant curtains of icicles hanging from their edges. After some gratuitous iceberg ogling, penguin spotting and Leopard seal watching, we landed at Lagoon Island which is about 13 km from base, and currently home to an expedition of adolescent elephant seals. The seals lay around totally indifferent to us; like teenagers they could barely be bothered to lift their heads to look at their visitors but did occasionally yawn, scratch with a flipper or snort through their snot encrusted nostrils. Mostly, however, they were just huge (nearly 3 m long and fat) sleeping beasts. In the style of true Brits, once we were exhausted with photo taking, we all then had tea in the small hut that has been on the island for as long as anyone can remember.
Life in Rothera can sometimes seem to be in a narrow plane too, as we settle into the post New Year routine. I'm never bored, and I have had loads of fun and unique experiences, but there is a limit to the variety of activities on offer! At the moment base is very busy, with nearly 100 people resident, and it seems everyday new people appear and others leave, which can be a bit disconcerting as you suddenly find yourself surrounded by people you don't know.
The emphasis has swung from cider to science now (with occasional exceptions), and as it has been going well I have managed to extend my stay until mid February and expect to be back in the UK by the end of Feb. I look forward to seeing lots of you then, and in the year to come. Hope that you are all well and having lots of fun,
love
R xx
Since my last post things have been relatively quiet, and lots of science has been getting done. I've been out sampling in the bay quite a few times, once with a group of VIPs (including the director of NERC) in tow. Also, as I've alerted the UK people, the BBC have been down here filming, although I'm afraid I'm not personally featured. For a media friendly take on Rothera life you can read the BBC journalist's diary on http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4611712.stm You can also download various news reports from here, including the Rothera boys and girls faking it (a CTD cast) on camera and Dr Claire Hughes talking about the sea temperature rise (not our area of research). I would recommend a pinch of salt to be taken with them; despite the inference to the contrary, and as anyone who has seen 'The Day After Tomorrow' should know, scientists do not generally wander down crevasses to look for ancient gases in the icicles. However, the overall science seems to be about right.
Continuing the multi-media theme of this blog, if you remember the 'penguin in the boat' incident, I've put a short film clip of it up on the web - click on the link on the right, and it should open (works in Quicktime and Windows media player at least) although may take a little time to download. I'm doing the winching.
On Saturday I went on a recreational boat tour of the Bay. The sky was a low, flat ceiling of grey cloud, truncating the mountains on all sides, and closing us into a narrow plane between sea and sky. Aside from the blue bergs the landscape was gently monochrome. The sea itself was beautifully still, a quicksilver lake perfectly reflecting the icebergs and the elegant curtains of icicles hanging from their edges. After some gratuitous iceberg ogling, penguin spotting and Leopard seal watching, we landed at Lagoon Island which is about 13 km from base, and currently home to an expedition of adolescent elephant seals. The seals lay around totally indifferent to us; like teenagers they could barely be bothered to lift their heads to look at their visitors but did occasionally yawn, scratch with a flipper or snort through their snot encrusted nostrils. Mostly, however, they were just huge (nearly 3 m long and fat) sleeping beasts. In the style of true Brits, once we were exhausted with photo taking, we all then had tea in the small hut that has been on the island for as long as anyone can remember.
Life in Rothera can sometimes seem to be in a narrow plane too, as we settle into the post New Year routine. I'm never bored, and I have had loads of fun and unique experiences, but there is a limit to the variety of activities on offer! At the moment base is very busy, with nearly 100 people resident, and it seems everyday new people appear and others leave, which can be a bit disconcerting as you suddenly find yourself surrounded by people you don't know.
The emphasis has swung from cider to science now (with occasional exceptions), and as it has been going well I have managed to extend my stay until mid February and expect to be back in the UK by the end of Feb. I look forward to seeing lots of you then, and in the year to come. Hope that you are all well and having lots of fun,
love
R xx
posted by iodinegirl at 1:27 PM
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