Lab Museum Design & Interpretation

Temperature: -25°C
Wind speed: 10 knots
Temp with wind chill: -40°C
Moonrise: above horizon
Moonset: above horizon

Where ever you are on Ross Island you are always aware of the active volcano Mount Erebus sitting on the skyline topped by a plume of smoke. Erebus, and Mount Terror, the extinct volcano next to it, were named after the ships of Captain James Clark Ross, the first explorer to sail into McMurdo Sound in 1841.

Erebus veiled in cloud in April with the plume of fumes above the crater © AHT / N Dunn

From Scott Base Erebus looks serene, as if you could stroll up to the summit in an afternoon, but it’s actually 20 miles away and its slopes covered with crevasses and hazardous ice fields. Men from Shackleton’s 1907-09 expedition were the first to climb Erebus in 1908, taking 5 days. Now the crater is reached during the summer season by helicopter, which takes scientists up to carry out research on volcanic activity, the lava lake and the toxic fumes - carbon dioxide, chlorine and sulphur dioxide that it pumps out.

The effects of Erebus on the local weather patterns were a constant source of interest for Dr Simpson, the meteorologist on Captain Scott’s 1910 Expedition. Here orographic clouds circle the cone. © AHT / N Dunn

Erebus is constantly changing, reflecting the weather and seasons. As the sun disappeared we saw it silhouetted against a sky turning from blue to pink to rich red and finally filled with stars and auroras. But over the last week the sky behind Erebus has gradually been lightening and a faint apricot glow now indicates that with Midwinter over we are heading back towards the first sun-rise on 19th August.

The sun below the horizon is beginning to lighten the sky behind Erebus © AHT / N Dunn

Temperature: -20°C
Wind speed: 5 knots
Temp with wind chill: approximately -25°C
Moonrise: above horizon
Moonset: above horizon

After a week of record-breaking cold temperatures, it’s hard to believe that the members of Captain Scott’s (1910-1913) expedition would be out fishing in the middle of an Antarctic winter. But, every copy of a British Antarctic Expedition (B.A.E.) journal in the library at Scott Base (New Zealand’s Antarctic base) suggests this is what they were doing. It interested Dr. Edward Atkinson in particular, as he was the scientist charged with studying parasites and bacteria. While occasionally they did eat the fish, they mostly wanted to advance polar scientific study (and I get the impression the fish didn’t taste that good anyway!).

What is puzzling is how they actually caught the fish. The only hints I’ve found indicate they used a trap made of wire netting. Well, I have no trap here in the lab, but I do have a tin of fish hooks. Hundreds and hundreds of fish hooks – and not one journal reference! Oh well…

Tin of fish hooks before treatment © AHT / M Bell

Regardless, it was very satisfying to treat the artefact by separating the hooks from their semi-concreted mass. As a bonus, this lead to the discovery of a rather cool little lure hidden in its centre. And, in treating the tin of fish hooks we did learn a bit about the early explorers’ choice of ‘sweeties’. In the long tradition of Antarctic thriftiness, they used a ‘Rowntree’s Clear Gums’ tin to keep the hooks in!

Tin of fish hooks, after treatment, with silver-coloured fish-shaped lure sitting on top © AHT / M Bell

Temperature: -23.3°C
Wind speed: 10 knots
Temp with wind chill: approximately -33°C
Moonrise: none
Moonset: none

Herbert Ponting, the official photographer for Scott’s Terra Nova expedition, preferred working with glass plate negatives for their superior image quality – even though photographic film had been in popular use for at least 20 years. The glass plate negatives we are conserving from the darkroom are of different types, and from different companies around the world such as London, France, Sydney and Wellington. Nearly half are by the ‘Paget Prize Plate Company’ which was based in Watford, UK, and happens to be my home town! The company was only in existence for a short time so these packages are very rare indeed!

A selection of glass plate negatives by Paget Prize Plate Company © AHT / G Whiteley

The vast majority of Ponting’s surviving works are in black and white, but the collection shows that he clearly wanted to experiment with colour. There are over 30 packages of colour plates but it seems this process proved too technically challenging for the environment with only a few colour photos ever being published. The processed plates returned to England with Ponting, so the remaining packages and boxes in the hut are unopened – perhaps abandoned as the most unworkable.

3 packages of plates stuck together with mould, before treatment © AHT / G Whiteley

3 packages of plates after treatment © AHT / G Whiteley

Water damage over the years has left these plates in poor condition. Even for Ponting spoilage was a persistent problem. In his biography he describes how he had so many plates he had to store them outside in the snow and then carefully bring them into the hut when needed. This was done gradually as the change in humidity and temperature could damage the sensitive gelatine coating.

Herbert Ponting in the Dark Room, Cape Evans circa 1911 © Ponting / Alexander Turnbull Library

Ponting’s darkroom has been relatively untouched over the years and so provides an intriguing time capsule (or should that be snapshot!) into the working processes of this early Antarctic ‘camera artist’.

Temperature: -23.3°C
Wind speed: 10 knots
Temp with wind chill: -35°C
Moonrise: 1.15pm
Moonset: 5.36pm

At midday Bobbie and I meet at the back door dressed in hats, face masks and goggles. Turning on our head torches and radioing through our intentions, we head out for our daily walk along the snow-covered path which climbs up the hill at the back of Scott Base.

Scott Base from the top of the hill in late April, with the path winding down the slope © AHT / N Dunn

A century ago Captain Scott advocated the physical and mental benefits of regular outdoor exercise during the dark winter months, encouraging the men to take some form after lunch. In his diary he wrote ‘the majority of people seem anxious to get exercise, but one or two like the fire better’. In particular it was difficult to get the photographer Ponting out of the hut and Atkinson ‘only managed by dragging him out to his own work, digging holes in the ice’.

Nicola at the top of the hill in June with Scott Base in the background © Steven Sun / ANTNZ

We started our walks at the beginning of winter as a way of getting some fresh air and to experience the changes in the landscape over the months. And we’ve certainly seen some changes. From the top of the hill the base was first surrounded by pink ice, then gradually the lights began to go on and sometimes it would fade in the blowing snow.

A moonlit Scott Base in June © N Dunn / AHT

Several times the weather has been too bad to go out, and on occasions the dark and the sound of the wind have been less than appealing, but once out we always return reinvigorated.

Temperature: -20.6°C
Wind speed: 45 knots
Temp with wind chill: -55°C
Moonrise: Below horizon
Moonset: Below horizon

We are immersed in a Condition 1* storm today. The wind is howling and the building is shaking. We are confined to Base because of the extreme cold and lack of visibility.

In 1970 similar weather caused a US Navy plane to make an emergency landing. The weather came in from the south, just like today, and the pilots could not make out the runway on the Ross Ice Shelf because of zero visibility. They were beyond the point at which they could turn around or find an alternative landing place. All 80 passengers were uninjured but the plane was badly damaged.

Last Sunday the weather was much better; -25°C and just 10 knots of wind. A group of us drove out to see the plane which has since given its name to the Pegasus Air Field.

Group photo on the tail of the Pegasus. From left to right: Alf, Bobbie, Georgina, Jane. Front: Hayden, Steven © Steven Sun

Steven, Jane and the graffiti on the plane © Steven Sun

Playing with long exposures on the camera in front of the plane © Steven Sun

In keeping with ensuring the continent is kept as pristine as possible, the plane is to be removed this year and work has already begun to collect the debris around it.

I drove us home in the Hagglund - my first time driving one. I switched the lights off to see if I could drive in whiteout conditions using just the satellite navigation. Unfortunately, despite the ice shelf being a big, open, flat area, we thought it best to switch the lights back on!

*Condition 1 is defined as visibility less that 30m or sustained winds over 100 km/h or windchill lower than minus 73°C.

Temperature: -18°C
Wind Speed: 30 knots
Temp with wind chill: approximately -50°C
Moonrise: below horizon
Moonset: below horizon

We’re here for just about seven months all told, living in Antarctica at New Zealand’s Scott Base and working to conserve artefacts from Captain Scott’s Terra Nova expedition hut at Cape Evans. Ever wondered what effect all of this has on the Antarctic environment? You’ll be pleased to know that Antarctica New Zealand has a well-developed plan that directs our activities on ice, with a very clear aim to minimize the environmental impact of our presence here in the Antarctic.

So how does this translate into action? As it is winter, we don’t get out in the field much these days but there are many things we can do around base. Wind turbines are working away to generate energy and reduce our fossil fuel consumption but it still makes sense to turn off the lights when we leave the room. Showers are kept short to conserve water, and everyone makes proper use of the recycling system, developed to sort and prepare waste for return to New Zealand.

Disposing of food waste, separated for collection and transportation back to New Zealand © Antarctica New Zealand / Steven Sun

Waste water and sewage are processed properly in our on-base treatment plant. Energy efficient light bulbs are everywhere, including in the photographic set-up in our conservation lab. All these positive actions mean we’re doing our part to keep the Antarctic environment happy and healthy.

Nicola documents an artefact - the bulbs in our photographic lights are energy efficient © Antarctic Heritage Trust / M Bell

Temperature: -31°C
Wind speed: 10 knots
Temp with wind chill: -45°C
Sunrise: none
Sunset: none

I’m always surprised at the similarities between our Antarctic lives and the experiences of the men on the expeditions 100 years ago. But the day after Midwinter with the temperature at -25°C we took part in a Scott Base tradition for which there seems to be no comparison – the polar plunge.

Mechanic Lex begins to cut the polar plunge hole with a chain saw © Matt Morley

This is when we cut a hole in the sea ice, put on safety harnesses and take it in turns to jump into the icy 1.7°C waters of the Ross Sea. As I plunged through the floating slush of ice and saw the dark blue-green waters around me, the cold instantly numbed my skin and fingers, and I forgot how to breathe. For a split second there was a wonderfully thrilling feeling of being in the unknown … and so I did it again!

‘Super Science Man’, Science Technician Steven Sun, prepares for his polar plunge © Don Duke/USAP

Bobbie takes the plunge whilst Tom holds her harness © Don Duke/USAP

Followed up with saunas and hot showers we shared video clips of our plunges – some did it wearing just shoes, some in fancy dress or bikinis; some made a big splash and others dipped a toe in the water then elegantly slid in without getting their hair wet!

Later I remembered that the only time the members of the expeditions had dipped into the water was by accident, putting a leg through the tide-crack, or falling through thin broken sea ice, some never to be seen again.

Why do we do it? Maybe it’s because we all appreciate experiencing the extremes of the Antarctic environment - provided there’s a warm sauna to run to afterwards!

Temperature: -31°C
Wind Speed: 10 knots
Temp with wind chill: approximately -45°C
Moonrise: n/a
Moonset: n/a

Yesterday I had a very special day. A four man team from the American Antarctic Research Station McMurdo and New Zealand’s Scott Base were going on a scientific field trip in a five-seater Hagglund vehicle – a Swedish-built snow tank. They offered the remaining seat to the Antarctic Heritage Trust as the trip aimed to reach Captain Scott’s hut at Cape Evans. After drawing names from a hat, I found myself lucky enough to be packing my ECWs (extreme cold weather gear).

From left to right: Steven, Science technician; Georgina, AHT conservator; Matt, carpenter; John, the man with the drill from McMurdo; Tom, Field Support and Base Manager © S. Sun/Antarctica New Zealand

We travelled out across the ice field, an area of the frozen Ross Sea, winding our way carefully along a marked route using GPS, avoiding known areas of thin ice and tide-cracks. The weather began to deteriorate, and as the wind whipped up flurries of ice and snow around our vehicle we lost visibility.

Contacting the weather people at McMurdo via radio, the forecast was grim, and so we decided against pushing on to Cape Evans, instead setting up the scientific recording equipment where we were. Two test holes were drilled, showing the ice to be a suitable 1.5m thick and then we erected a probe to measure the rate and extent of the growing sea ice which will stay in place for a year.

The newly-erected probe, set up to measure growth of sea-ice over a year. The black box is a recording device. © S. Sun/Antarctica New Zealand

But the weather here is fickle and instead of the predicted blizzard, the wind died down as soon as we began work and everything became perfectly still. It was quite extraordinary being in such an expanse of moonlit ice, and after so many months in the comfort of Scott Base, it impressed on me again what an eerily beautiful and quite desolate place Antarctica can be.

Panoramic view with Mt Erebus and Hagglund © Tom Arnold/Antarctica New Zealand

Temperature: -38°C
Wind Speed: 5 knots
Temp with wind chill: -45°C
Sunrise: None
Sunset: None

Last week Georgina, Alf and I spent an evening with Bobbie learning how to make bread, and after all the kneading, proofing and baking we were very proud of our beautiful loaves.

George proudly showing her first ever bread loaves © Alf Shinkelshoek / Antarctica New Zealand

Clissold the cook kneading dough to make bread © Herbert Ponting / SPRI

It would have been an endless job for Clissold, the cook on Captain Scott’s 1910 expedition, to make bread for 25 men. To save time he put together an alarm from scavenged bits and pieces to let him know when his dough had risen. Scott mentions the mechanism in his diary and describes how the risen dough would complete an electrical circuit setting off a bell and lighting a red lamp.

Clissold‘s inventiveness is not so surprising as he was an artificer in the Royal Navy by trade and had learnt to cook to qualify for a place on the expedition. His knowledge was to be appreciated when he advised on the motor vehicles and supported them on several depot-laying journeys.

The little device that could be part of the dough-rising alarm © AHT

We are trying to work out if a small device found in the galley, where Clissold would have made his bread, is part of Clissold’s dough-rising alarm. Griffith Taylor (the expedition’s senior geologist) in his memoirs gives a little, but not very detailed, drawing of the mechanism and describes how Clissold put the dough in a big pot on a trolley and wheeled it to his bedside to rise under the contraption. ‘When the dough rose sufficiently it pushed up a disc which over balanced a gutter. Down this ran a lead ball which made contact and rang a bell!’

The jury is still out; with so many scientists on the expedition it could be any number of pieces of equipment – what do you think?

Temperature: -37°C
Wind Speed: 5 knots
Temp with wind chill: -45°C
Sunrise: none
Sunset: none

The sun set weeks ago, but this weekend, as our friends in the Northern hemisphere watch the light begin to fade, we at the bottom of the world celebrated its return– even if it is not going to fully return for another couple of months!

Mid winter celebrations have taken place all over the continent and greetings have been exchanged between international bases. Extravagant meals were the order of the day, not least here at New Zealand’s Scott Base.

Midwinter dinner at Scott Base on June 19th 2010 © Steven Sun

13 of the Scott Base crew and 23 guests from the United States McMurdo station attended our Mid-Winter dinner. We kept our chef in the kitchen to work her magic on the food, whilst we feasted under the fairy lights and decorations.

Midwinter dinner on June 22nd 1911 © SPRI / Herbert Ponting

In the speeches homage was paid to the early explorers such as Scott, Shackleton and Amundsen, who were among the first to celebrate this special occasion in the Antarctic calendar.

A similar celebration took place at McMurdo station on Sunday with a flamboyant buffet and dancing, which many of the team from Scott Base attended. They even had what must be the biggest bowl of salad in Antarctica straight from the hydroponics greenhouse!

As I mark off the dates on the calendar, it is becoming clear that we are half way through the long Antarctic night. Only two more months of darkness before the sun pops out for a quick peek!

Temperature: -34.5°C
Wind speed: 0 knots
Temp with wind chill: approximately -34.5°C
Moonrise: above horizon
Moonset: above horizon

You’d think that an international soccer (sorry, football) championship over 5000km away would be the last thing on our minds here in the Antarctic – but that can’t be further from the truth! FIFA World Cup mania has solidly hit Scott Base, the New Zealand Antarctic research station. The marvels of modern technology ensure that matches are available via satellite, so we are able to catch every game we want to see. More specifically, we are interested in following the ‘All Whites’, the New Zealand national team. While many of us wintering at Scott Base are from countries other than New Zealand, we are united in our support of this Cinderella team.

Scott Base shows its support for the All Whites’ 2010 FIFA World Cup campaign © Steve Williams

It’s amazing that the love of a sport like soccer (sorry, football) can transcend nations and even centuries of time. Apparently even Captain Scott and the lads of the British Antarctic Expedition were quite into the game, playing as often as they could until they lost the light. Current day Ross Island inhabitants are fortunately able to play indoors every week in a small gymnasium at McMurdo, the nearby United States research station.

Soccer action at McMurdo Station © M. Bell

Team photo - soccer enthusiasts of Ross Island © Gabriel Cartwright, U.S.A.P

Here at Scott Base we’ll continue to watch the FIFA drama unfold. The All Whites are having a great tournament and we wish them all the best. We’ll definitely be watching their upcoming match against Paraguay. Go All Whites!

Temperature: -37.6°C
Wind Speed: 5 knots
Temp with wind chill: -45°C
Sunrise: None
Sunset: None

A few of us at Scott Base, New Zealand’s Antarctic research station, had been waiting for a still night when we could walk up Crater Hill and look at auroras (natural light displays in the sky, usually observed at night, particularly in the polar regions). For many days we watched the weather. The temperature would be about -20 to -25°C with no wind, but by the time we finished work in the evening the wind would pick up to about 20 knots which means that it would feel as if it was about -50°C or colder, even worse on top of the hill. But on Monday the temperature was a balmy -25°C, with no wind and no clouds - perfect conditions!

Aurora hunters - Sandy, Jane and Steven lying on the ice lake at the top of Crater Hill © Steven Sun

We were dropped off at the base of the hill and climbed up the scree slopes. At the top of the hill there is a crater with an ice lake. The frozen lake has humps in it where the ice has been compressed by pressure and big and small cracks lead out from them. A torch on the ice showed up the huge ice crystals and cracks that were forming. It was really beautiful!

At the edge of the crater we looked down on Scott Base and as we did so a faint aurora became visible. As we started to walk back to the base the aurora became stronger and seemed to dance over the base. The display was so amazing that we had to radio back to Scott Base to advise that we would be back later than the sign out time we had given We were even too distracted to think about taking out our cameras!

The aurora dancing over Scott Base © Steven Sun

I had been contemplating whether or not to go out as I was quite tired after work, but I am so glad I did. It is very easy to become complacent about where you are and not take full advantage of this wonderful place. We are a bit blasé about the auroras now. We have the opportunity to see them nearly every day. We just need to remind ourselves every now and then that we are privileged to have the opportunity to see them at all. This was a fantastic night, one of those nights that reminds me of how lucky I am to be here and what an amazing place this is.

Temperature: -26.5°C
Wind Speed: 10 knots
Temp with wind chill: approximately -42°C
Moonrise: below the horizon
Moonset: below the horizon

This season we are working on artefacts from Herbert Ponting’s darkroom at Cape Evans (Ponting was the official photographer on Captain Scott’s 1910 expedition). Amongst the items are 130 unopened packages of glass plate negatives, all of which have been affected by mould. Mould is highly damaging to paper and card, making it weak and brittle. In previous years the darkroom has experienced high levels of relative humidity at times, due to the build-up of snow and ice melting during the summer months, when temperatures can go above freezing. Add to this, a room with limited air circulation, and you have the perfect breeding ground for mould! The mould looks very interesting, like a creeping carpet of fluff, and is a type of mildew more commonly found on wood.

Steven making agar © AHT / J Hamill

Before beginning conservation treatment, our science technician helped me to try and find out if the mould is still alive. All our attempts at cultivating the mould on agar plates proved negative, which would imply that the spores (even the dormant ones) have been killed by the natural freeze-drying process of the Antarctic environment. Very good news!

To be on the safe side though, in treatment, we removed all the mould that could safely be accessed, and treated the items with 70% ethanol solution. Sometimes the packages are stuck together and have to be carefully separated. Almost all are badly degraded and some need extensive repairs and consolidation.

Before treatment - some of the packages are stuck together with mould and have to be separated © AHT / G Whiteley

After treatment © AHT / G Whiteley

It is great to think that in a few months’ time these packages will be returned to their shelves in the hut, which is also undergoing conservation. The next job will be to ensure they remain fungal-free for many years to come!

Temperature: -26.5°C
Wind Speed: 10 knots
Temp with wind chill: approximately -42°C
Moonrise: below horizon
Moonset: below horizon

“Tuesday, June 6 [1911] - … It is my birthday, a fact I might easily have forgotten, but my kind people did not. At lunch an immense birthday cake made its appearance and we were photographed assembled about it…” (Captain Robert Falcon Scott)

Revelry continued that night with a fine dinner of “…seal soup, roast mutton and red currant jelly, fruit salad, asparagus and chocolate…” (Scott). By all accounts it was a festive occasion. Sadly, this was the last birthday Scott would celebrate, as he and 4 other British Antarctic Expedition members perished returning from the South Pole in early 1912.

Captain Scott’s last birthday dinner, 6 June 1911 © Herbert Ponting / Scott Polar Research Institute

Fast-forward nearly 100 years to present day Scott Base, where we also spent the 6th of June celebrating Scott’s birthday. We all take turns preparing dinner on Sundays, and coincidentally I had volunteered to cook supper that night. Hardly anything as fancy as Clissold, cook for the British Antarctic Expedition, had prepared – just a humble spaghetti and meatball dinner. And, despite having the night off, our chef Bobbie agreed to make the dessert. Scott’s 2010 birthday cake was decorated as a “Union Jack” – ceremoniously cut by Tom, Scott Base Winter Base Manager.

Tom, Scott Base Winter Manager, makes the first cut in Scott’s birthday cake © AHT / M Bell

Glasses raised, our modest celebration closed with a toast to Captain Scott. The sentiment was plain and simply stated – “…to Scott”.

Temperature: -32°C
Wind Speed: 15 knots
Temp with wind chill: -45°C
Sunrise: None
Sunset: None

While conserving objects from Captain Scott’s 1910 expedition base at Cape Evans, we recently found a number of objects made of layers of wood. We are often fortunate enough to see the objects we are conserving in historic photos from the expeditions, which can help us identify them or associate them with a particular activity. Unfortunately, this is not the case with these elusive objects. Some of them had what appeared to be a bellows at one end and a paper diaphragm inside.

Mysterious wooden objects with bellows from Cape Evans © Antarctic Heritage Trust

Mysterious wooden objects with bellows from Cape Evans © Antarctic Heritage Trust

We pondered over their function in the lab, consulted experts and even asked some of the guests on one of our open evenings. But, we are still not sure. It has been suggested that they may be part of the telephone system installed at Cape Evans which connected the hut to Discovery Hut (the expedition base associated with Captain Scott’s 1901 expedition at Hut Point) and two of their scientific observation posts. Another suggestion was that they could be parts of one of the two pianolas brought to the Ice.

Cecil Meares at the pianola in January 1912 © Herbert Ponting

Could the objects be from the pianola?

We would welcome any suggestions as to what they could be, as we are at a loss!

Temperature: -31.9°C
Wind Speed: 15 knots
Temp with wind chill: approximately -55°C
Moonrise: above horizon
Moonset: above horizon

‘The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below…’ (Clement Clarke Moore, ‘The Night Before Christmas’).

I know it’s strange to be quoting Christmas stories in June. Still, it seems appropriate - it’s exactly what runs through my head when I step outside at this time of year to find the moon shining as bright as the sun. On clear days with an almost full moon, I don’t usually have to turn on my head torch when I’m out and about. When the landscape is brightly lit by the moon’s reflection, you can see as clearly as anything for miles and miles.

Parked at the base of Castle Rock © AHT / M Bell

On a recent recreational trip, the view from the base of Castle Rock was just this perfect. Climbing the hill to overlook the low-lying clouds that blanketed the ice shelf, we were treated to an expansive snow-covered landscape illuminated by the moon.

A Pistenbully and a great view out over the Ross Ice Shelf © AHT / M Bell

It’s one of the scenes of Antarctica that enchants me the most, and a breathtaking reminder that Antarctic winter isn’t always dark and forbidding. The sun may be gone for a few months and the days generally cold, but there’s no reason we can’t enjoy amazing scenery, care of ‘Old Man Moon’.

Temperature: -27°C
Wind Speed: 10 knots
Temp with wind chill: -37°C

Looking out of the windows at Scott Base, all I can see is darkness, and it’s easy to think there is not much to see outside. However, during walks around the base a whole new world is opening up; a negative one to that of the 24-hour daylight we experienced when we first arrived, but just as beautiful. On fine days the moonlight reflects off the snow and icy landscape, there are bright starry skies, and phenomena such as moon-dogs and auroras.

I’m finding that even with a modern camera, trying to photograph these subtle winter effects is difficult, but for Ponting (the photographer on Scott’s British Antarctic Expedition 1910-13) it posed huge technical challenges. He overcame some of these by using long exposure times and by illuminating scenes and people with artificial light from chemical flash powders.

A flashlight candle found in Ponting’s darkroom at Cape Evans. The fuse on the outside of the celluloid tube would have pushed into the powdered contents and lit up, giving a bright light for 30 seconds. Finger prints on the outside are original and may belong to Ponting. © Antarctic Heritage Trust

During the summer I had already worked on bottles of magnesium flash powder in the Antarctic Heritage Trust Reserve Collection at Canterbury Museum (See blog October 5th 2009) so this week I was amazed when I opened up a rusty tin from the darkroom at Cape Evans to find a single remaining flash candle in perfect condition.

Captain Oates and ponies in the stable © H Ponting / SPRI

During the winter of 1911 Ponting took many stunning images of the landscape and members of Scott’s expedition working, using flashlight powders and candles; I’m just hoping to come away with a couple of good photos to remind me of my stay here on the ice.

Temperature: -26°C
Wind Speed: 5 knots
Temp with wind chill: -31°C

‘Scott Base, Scott Base. T4 heading over to McMurdo, 2 P.O.B.’

‘Copy that T4 – drive safely!’

The Antarctic environment poses special risks to the traveller; storms can come on suddenly, leading to dramatic drops in temperature and reduced visibility, unseen crevices lie beyond the flagged routes, and even familiar terrain can become treacherous in a matter of moments. We all understand the need to watch out for each other, and systems to do this are built into our everyday routines.

Every time someone leaves Scott Base, New Zealand’s Antarctic research base, they need to radio in to say where they are going and how, and then radio again when they reach their destination. Over winter, the call is played over the public announcement system, so that everyone on base hears it.

The person who answers the call is called the mouse. We all take it in turns – once a fortnight – to be on mouse duty for the day. The mouse carries a radio, answers the phones, washes up and cleans the kitchen after dinner, and late in the evening carries out a mouse round. This involves walking around the whole base inside and out making sure all is secure, checking that all the different machines essential to the support of Scott Base, like the generator and boilers, are running well. An eye is kept open for fire hazards and leaks, making sure all non-essential lights are switched off and the doors are shut against the cold and snow.

George in Mouse mode, minus the ears! © J Hamill / AHT

When the last check-box is ticked and everyone’s whereabouts accounted for, Scott Base looks safe and sound for another night and the mouse is ready for bed!

Temperature: -40.7°C
Wind Speed: No wind
Temp with wind chill: -40.7°C
Moonrise: Below horizon
Moonset: Below horizon

It’s Tuesday night, and we’ve invited the knitters, sewers and those who crochet to Scott Base for a night of industrious crafting. Usually we trot over to McMurdo Station (the nearby American scientific base) for this weekly event, but tonight we hosted a session in our lounge. Bobbie (the Winter Chef for Scott Base) prepared goodies and we turned on the fireplace, warming the room for the arrival of our guests.

Bobbie, Scott Base Winter Chef, proudly displays her knitting project © AHT / M Bell

Knitting and crochet needles flew as we bantered casually and sampled Bobbie’s handiwork. I’m just learning how to knit, but others are quite experienced. Several of the group members are working to make the 49 squares required to create a blanket to be donated to the ‘Warm Up America’ charity back in the U.S.

There are certainly no idle hands in this group. The cold, dark Antarctic winter does little to slow their activity. Maybe there’s no such thing as a “spare moment” – with little projects to be done there’s always something to occupy your time. I found a lovely historic photo that suggests it was also this way for Antarctic explorers – always mending, preparing or working on odds and ends.

16 May 1911 - Petty Officers Evans and Crean, of Captain Scott’s British Antarctic Expedition, mending sleeping bags © Scott Polar Research Institute

So I’ll continue to practice my knitting skills, and maybe by the end of the winter I’ll be able to contribute a square to the blanket. It’s worth a shot – and there are worse things in life than a pleasant night of knitting by a warm fire…

Temperature: -36.3°C
Wind Speed: 0 knots
Temp with wind chill: -36°C
Sunrise: August 19th 12.26pm
Sunset: n/a

I decided to join Antarctica New Zealand’s science technician, Steven, and base engineer, Hayden, on a walk up Observation Hill to look for auroras (natural light displays which occur in the sky, usually at night) and try out our new night photography skills.

It took us half an hour to prepare for the trip down the road. We donned full ECW (Extreme Cold weather) gear, ski goggle lenses changed from dark to clear, head torches and radios were checked and we took plastic bags for our cameras.

The path up the hill was covered with snow so it was quite difficult to see it in places, but we figured that up was generally a good direction.

Bright lights of McMurdo from Observation Hill © Antarctic Heritage Trust

The temperature dropped to about -40°C while we were out, but we were kept snug in our enormous jackets. Looking down from the top of the hill, the bright lights of McMurdo, the wind farm and our home at Scott Base were clearly visible. It was a clear night up above too with a dazzling array of stars visible. I was even lucky enough to see an iridium flare which is caused by sunlight reflected from the solar panels of a satellite in orbit (something I learned at our night time photography class).
Unfortunately, not one aurora was visible.

By the memorial cross on Observation Hill, erected in 1913 in memory of Captain Scott and the Polar Party who lost their lives on their return from the South Pole © Antarctic Heritage Trust

We climbed back down to the vehicle and headed home tired and starting to feel a bit cold. As we pulled back in to Scott Base I glanced out of the window towards Mount Erebus and what did I see? A faint green Aurora.

Frozen aurora hunters © Antarctic Heritage Trust