23 Feb 2008
Pictures from the communal server posted during the month of January.




Aerial view of the Andrill project site. Andrill is a long-running project taking core samples from the sea floor in key geological areas. This year they've been drilling through and below the McMurdo Ice Shelf southeast of Hut Point Peninsula. Photographer unknown.


In early January the Swedish icebreaker Oden arrived at the edge of the sea ice surrounding the lower half of Ross Island. Some years the sea ice will melt away completely allowing our cargo ships to sail right to the station, located at the southernmost point of Ross Island. But for 6 or 7 years now the ice has not completely melted, and an icebreaker has been needed to break a path through from open waters to the station. The photo above shows the Oden breaking some of its first ice this year. Photographer unknown.


When the Oden first arrived it moored to the edge of the ice and was met by helicopters from McMurdo Station. Photographer unknown.


The Oden finally arriving at the McMurdo ice pier after a week or so of icebreaking. Two Adelie penguins were hanging around the ice pier at the time, and one of them can be seen at lower left. Photographer unknown.


The penguins really didn't exactly seem concerned about the arrival of the steel behemoth 50 meters away. Photographer unknown.


Penguins aren't really concerned by much of anything. Photographer unknown.


Photo from a recreational trip to the top of the Hut Point Peninsula, to a shelter known as Room With A View for its view of Mt. Erebus and McMurdo Sound. Visibility was fairly low on the day of this trip though. Photographer unknown.


Once a year McMurdo hosts a Marathon and Half Marathon across the Ice Shelf southeast of the station. I was recovering from a cold at the time and didn't compete, but I regularly run on the roads across the Sea Ice and Ice Shelf, usually at night when there is no traffic or other runners, and it's just me, the ice, and the sky. Photo by one of my roommates, Steven Pepe.


Nacreous Clouds. Photographer unknown.


New Zealand's nearby Scott Base personnel maintain a small ski hill, complete with tow rope. It's not a very challenging hill as one can see but it's popular. Photographer unknown.


In February every year the station receives two ice strengthened cargo ships, a fuel tanker and a container ship. These photos show the container ship, the American Tern, loading containers in Port Hueneme (spelling?), California. Photographer unknown.


Interior of the Tern's holds, showing McMurdo's new fuel delivery truck. Photographer unknown.


Once the holds are filled, the hatches are closed and more containers are stacked on deck. Photographer unknown.


The Tern has its own cranes for loading and unloading, a requisite feature in ports with limited infrastructure such as the ice pier at McMurdo Station. I think the item being lifted is a large helium tank, but I'm not certain. Photographer unknown.


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