As we approach warmer weather, the Antarctica summer is in
full force. The cracks in the sea ice shelf are getting bigger and bigger.
McMurdo Station sits next to the Ross Ice Shelf which goes through its annual
stages of freezing, thawing, cracking, and refreezing.
Much scientific research is conducted on the sea ice. And in
order to support that research, we drive heavy vehicles over the sea ice. Every
crack must be measured several times a day to ensure the safety of our
machinery driving over it.
One special day I got to measure the Big John Crack….hahaha.
Big John is a particularly tricky crack because it
drastically expands and retracts multiple times a day. Therefore it affects the
routes our heavy machinery can take that day.
(I just realized the my plumber back home in Dallas is also named John).
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| The crack is as wide at the poles, but the snow flurries fill in the cracks making it deceptively dangerous |
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| The distance between the poles widen and retract at different speeds |
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| As the snow melts, this will turn into a gaping crevasse |
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| Every measurement must be carefully recorded |
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