Monday 31 December 2007

Some More of the Night Shift....






"If this is a cassette then i am sticking to CD's!" (quote Andy Campbell...)

The New Cold War.. (well a snowball fight!)


Friday 28 December 2007

Thursday 27 December 2007

Wednesday 26 December 2007

Tuesday 25 December 2007

Shack's Snowman!


Christmas decorations on the Shackleton!

Monday 24 December 2007

Merry Christmas Everyone!


Merry Christmas from Anarchic aliens!......

Sunday 23 December 2007

Friday 21 December 2007

Arrived at Halley

Alongside the fast ice in Halley at Creek 4.

Mooring party prepares 'Dead Men' ice moorings by digging a hole in the snow till reaching the ice, then drilling into the ice with an Ice drill about 8 feet to plant three wooden posts.
Ice drill in action.

Moorings attached to the senhouse slip hook encase the ice brakes out and the ship has to depart the ice edge in a hurry.
First container landed on the waiting snow kat k18.

Wednesday 19 December 2007

Tuesday 18 December 2007

Excert from BAS Website:

Station Z - Halley

Position Lat. 75 °35'S, Long. 26 °34'W (2001 Halley V)
(Known as Halley Bay until 15 Aug 1977)

Brunt Ice Shelf, Caird Coast

1956 (IGY) Lat. 75°31'S, Long. 26°36'W
1957 (IGY) Lat. 75°30'S, Long. 26°36'W
1967 (Z II) Lat. 75°31'S, Long. 26°39'W
1973 (Z III) Lat. 75°31'S, Long. 26°43'W
1983 (Z IV) Lat. 75°36'S, Long. 26°40'W
1989 (Z IV) Lat. 75°36'S, Long. 26°46'W
1988 (Z V) Lat. 75°35'S, Long. 26°14'W
1992 (Z V) Lat. 75°35'S, Long. 26°19'W
1998 (ZV) Lat. 75°35'S, Long. 26°30'W

Purpose

Primarily atmospheric sciences, but also survey, geology and glaciology.

Occupied

6 Jan 1956 to the present.

Buildings

Approximately 1.2 metres of snow accumulate each year on the Brunt Ice Shelf and buildings on the surface become
covered and eventually crushed by snow, necessitating periodic rebuilding of the station. This part of the ice shelf is also moving
westward by approx. 700m per year.

The original station, Halley I, was established by the Royal Society on 6 Jan 1956 for the International Geophysical Year (IGY)
1957/58. It was a traditional hut with a pitched roof. FIDS took over the operation of the station on 14 Jan 1959. A new main hut and dog kennels were built close to the original IGY buildings in Feb 1961, by which time the latter were completely covered by snow. Closed early 1968.

Halley research station from the airHalley II was built Jan-Mar 1967. It was designed with a pitched roof reinforced with steel supports. Halley I and Halley II were both occupied during the 1967 winter, Halley II being known as The Village and Grillage Village. Closed 1973.

Halley III was begun in early 1973. It was built of prefabricated huts housed inside corrugated steel conduits. Halley II and Halley III were both occupied in the 1973 winter. Closed Feb 1984. Site cleaned up in 1991.

Halley IV was established 2 Jan 1983. It was composed of two-storey huts housed inside conduits made from interlocking plywoodfaced panels. Both Halley III and Halley IV were occupied in the winter of 1983. Closed 19 Feb 1992. Site cleaned up during the 1992/93 season.

Halley V was begun in Jan 1989 and was fully operational from 19 Feb 1992. To avoid destruction by accumulating snow the buildings of Halley V are positioned on platforms which are raised every year so that they remain above the ice surface. The Laws building, named after Dr R M Laws, Director of BAS 1973-87, is the main accommodation building. The Piggott building, named after Dr W R Piggott, Head of Atmospheric Sciences Division of BAS 1973-79, contains the space sciences laboratories. The Simpson building, named after Sir George Clarke Simpson, meteorologist on Scott's expedition 1910-13 and Director of the Meteorological Office 1920-38, contains the meteorological laboratories. The Drewry building, named after Dr D J Drewry, Director of BAS 1987-94, provides summer accommodation. Following the example of a new garage installed the year before, the Drewry building is mounted on skis which enables it to be repositioned every year.

Construction of Halley VI is due to start in 2008.

Field huts

The Bob-Pi hut was erected in the hinge zone on 6 Nov 1962. It was used as a depot and staging post for journeys into Coats Land as well as for recreational purposes. Coats Station was established in Coats Land, at Lat. 77°54'S, Long. 24°08'W, 200 miles south of Halley Station on 30 Nov 1964. It was positioned to allow the triangulation of ionospheric measurements to be taken in conjunction with Halley Station and the Argentine General Belgrano Station. It was manned until 18 Mar 1965 when it was removed.

Memorials

N S Mann, 15 Aug 1963: plaque at Halley Station. J T Bailey, D P Wild and J K Wilson, 12 Oct 1965: plaques erected on Survey Point, Vardeklettane, Heimfrontfjella and at Halley Station. M V Mosley, 2 Feb 1980: memorial at Halley Station.

Current Status

Operational throughout the year.

(Info courtesy http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/)

Heading South Again....

Heading south for another trip to the Antarctic in the RSS Ernest Shackleton. On leaving Scilly I managed to get this photograph of Higher Town on St Martins. Can see the work on the quay progressing and the pontoon in the par.


Arrived in Cape Town on the 30th of November, went to the agents office where i waited for the ship to come in to Cape Town Harbour, took this photograph of the MV Amderma the Russian cargo ship that has been contracted in to BAS to under take the transport of the Larger Components of the new Halley VI base build.




Keeping a watch for the Ice on the 8-12 watch during the morning watch. The First sight of Ice on the way south from cape town, may have seen the video in the earlier posts of that rough weather!





Thursday 13 December 2007

Monday 10 December 2007

Still Rough!

The Office.


The view out of the office window!

Sunday 9 December 2007

Sunday 2 December 2007