Adventures of Beth and Dan: Bergs, Bits, Growlers, Brash and Tabulars

Dr Neil Gilbert is one of our expert scientists onboard for Antarctica. He hails from England but now New Zealand is his home and he is passionate about his work in this area and the research being done. He tells us that most governments invest in this area. Everyone one wants to be a stakeholder so to speak in doing research and adding to the worldwide data base. After getting a degree in biology in England he signed up for a summer stint to do research in Antarctica and loved it so much he went on to get his doctorate and never looked back.

As we listen to his talk we hear the cycle of the fog horn going off. Snow is blowing now and the wind chill takes us down to 19!!!

At 1:30 am today we crossed into Antartica as we crossed the 60th parallel on November 6th.

Robert Falkland Scott took esteemed scientists with him in 1913-1920. They studied weather and performed all kinds of research along with Sir George Simpson from the UK. At that time they still had no complete and accurate maps of all of Antarctica. Needed to survey and map it so from 1933-1937 they took on this task. They traveled by dog sled and took photographers and surveyors with them to document. It was arduous and exhausting work. They didn’t have all the technology, clothing and medicines we have now.

Really, total exploration is very recent in terms of what we are finding and learning. In the 1950’s International research was completed by 12 countries in a geophysical year. New bases and stations are being constructed due to age, wear and tear, better materials and energy savings.

Satellites were launched and this proved hugely successful for seeing the area in great detail. In 1959 a treaty was signed to protect the area and form an international agency to share information and agree to certain terms.

In 1970 they took ground/ice samplings that were very deep and could provide detail through the sediment and oxygen trapped in the ice.

Observations noted that too many rookeries were not being studied of penguin colonies and other marine life.

In 1956 they started ozone studies. Currently

Montreal protocol prohibits CFCs in hopes of healing the ozone by 2070.

When we take core samplings of ice we can look back in time. We can look back some 740,000 years!! There is a relationship between co2 and temperature. There is for certain global warming and climate change. The science proves it.

Neutrinos are sub atomic particles and show no change and very little mass. They travel great speeds and travel through us and the earth. The United States has developed sensors to detect them. We are collecting records of meteorites through the sediments that records history.

The further from the equator we go the less biological diversity we have in everything.

And as for what we call all those things floating in the ocean? Well we have berg bits that look like a chain, tabular shelves that look like large flat table tops, growlers that scraped the sides of boats and fishing trawlers and brash that are large floating chucks!

Look how enormous this area is and we barely touched it!!

Early expeditions were extremely basic and not too comfortable

We began taking samples of the ice and sediments years ago

And this cute penguins really had very little interaction with humans!!! So who’s studying who? Ha ha

One of the newer ice breaker expedition ships, Sir David Attenborough who we all have heard about through his exploration of the planet and his tireless work to help save it

Can you imagine spending days, weeks, months dressed like this???? And often very few days of seeing the sun too.

So here are some great photos of why we “bother” with Antarctica….

Deep water currents, fresh water sources, protecting the climate and the fisheries….

From 2003-2019 we can see huge areas of concern in the red where we are losing ice and hence much habitat and fresh water

Glaciers are melting rapidly and some penguins are losing their habit as it breaks up, melts and leaves them at risk for predation

Part of the treaty and international diplomacy

And this is so true!!!! Science is cool and I love all these creatures. Even they can now send data to us and help us better understand and save their environment

And it becomes real….. not a video or photo but real

Our favorite bar guy Nomer who we met on the Grand Africa. He now manages the Sea View Bar which is freezing!!!!

And the birds find refuge on our back deck as the snow comes!!

Doesn’t the sun make the glaciers more dramatic and majestic?!

My hats off to you big guy for helping out with research. Everyone is doing their part!!

The night sky doesn’t disappoint

And the Penguins have found comfortable places everywhere on the ship to show off!!

We are pretty excited to see this snow even if it is just for a few crazy minutes and so are all the staff. So many have never seen snow. One staff member told us they have asked to be on this cruise for 10 years and finally got picked!!