Hello From Antarctica

by Tamsin Gray     Department: Correlations

Welcome to the very snowy world of Halley Research Station.
It's currently  -30 degrees Fahrenheit outside but that doesn't stop us getting out and about in the name of science! It's springtime here in the southern hemisphere; days are getting longer, emperor penguin chicks are hatching and the busy spring science season is in full swing.

 

For starters there is the Antarctic ozone hole. It's the job of the met team (above, with me center) to observe the ozone hole, discovered here at Halley. The ozone follows a yearly cycle, with the hole opening up each spring. During the past month I've watched ozone values drop to a third what they were and levels of UV soar. You wouldn't think it in these temperatures, but you have to plaster on the sunscreen by the bucket load when you're working outside!

Then there are all the climate change experiments, involving anything from flying remote control aircraft equipped with mini weather sensors to diving underneath sea ice to find out how marine life is coping.

Lately, we have been flying a helium-filled airship, with instruments attached, to find out about the weird and wonderful things that happen to air as it passes over the frozen sea. Read more.

Like every aspect of life in the Antarctic, science down here doesn't always go according to plan. To find out what happened when a tent the size of a small aircraft hangar was hit by a violent blizzard last week, visit my blog: frozen cheese.

That's just a quick taster of Antarctic life and science...lots more to come!

Tags: Antarctica, climate change, Halley, Ozone hole

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