http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/ Featured news items and articles displayed on the Antarctic Sun web site. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/contentHandler.cfm?id=1192 en-us websupport@usap.gov Public Domain; Courtesy of the United States Antarctic Program The online version of The Antarctic Sun is only the latest incarnation of the newspaper whose roots go back to the 1950s. In 1990, the winter-over crew at McMurdo Station documented their lives through a special winter publication, The Antarctic Nite Times. Prepare to go back in time. Back in the Day Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=2053 Read the Story /features/images/rss-2053_mcmWinter-sm.jpg McMurdo Station during the 2009 winter, when 24-hour darkness blankets much of Antarctica. Raytheon Polar Services Co. recently announced an extension to the charter for the ARSV Laurence M. Gould with Edison Chousest Offshore, Inc. The charter has been extended for five years, until July 2015, with an option for an additional five years. Operations Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=2054 Read the Story /features/images/rss-2054_gouldNetDeploy-sm.jpg RPSC marine technician Justin Smith, left, and Chance Miller deploy a net off the stern of the ARSV Laurence M. Gould during the Palmer LTER science cruise in January 2010. The ship has supported the month-long cruise since 1997. The National Science Foundation is asking the U.S. Congress for $7.4 billion for the 2011 fiscal year, an 8 percent increase over 2010. The NSF's Office of Polar Program, which manages the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP) and funds Arctic research, would increase to $528 million, 17 percent above the FY 2010 level of $451.16 million. Operations Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=2055 Read the Story /features/images/rss-2055_mcmTownCenter-sm.jpg McMurdo Station after a summer dusting of snow. The research station is the logistics hub of the U.S. Antarctic Program. The NSF has asked Congress for $2 million to help fund energy efficiencies at McMurdo, among other budget requests. The powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck central Chile Feb. 27 and spawned tsunami warnings did not affect any of the U.S. Antarctic Program research stations or research vessels. However, ongoing disruptions to Chilean infrastructure and transportation may delay an upcoming science cruise later this month. Operations Wed, 3 Mar 2010 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=2045 Read the Story /features/images/rss-2045_quakeStation-sm.jpg Palmer Station sits at the edge of Anvers Island. The tsunami warning that resulted from the Feb. 27 earthquake in Chile prompted station personnel to initiate an emergency plan, pulling boats out of the water and moving material to higher ground. It's not hard to get excited about the food at Palmer Station. The menu would challenge the most ambitious five-star restaurants in the United States. Life on the Ice Fri, 5 Mar 2010 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=2046 Read the Story /features/images/rss-2046_cooksStacie-sm.jpg Stacie Murray prepares dinner in the Palmer Station kitchen. A classically trained French chef, Murray also loves to cook northern Italian food and says, "I like cooking for an enthusiastic crowd." The packaging on sundry items like paper towels and glass cleaner is in Spanish. The wine bottles in the store carry Chilean labels. The avocadoes are also from South America. All signs that the logistics link to Palmer Station from the United States is very different from the rest of the U.S. Antarctic Program. Operations Fri, 5 Mar 2010 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=2047 Read the Story /features/images/rss-2047_cargoBrack-sm.jpg Jon Brack moves a pallet of gas cylinders next to the pier so they can be loaded onto a boat. Brack is part of the two-person logistics department at Palmer Station that is responsible for moving and tracking materials to, from and around the station. The National Science Foundation allows up to 12 tourist ships each year to visit Palmer Station, which is located in a hotspot for wildlife and dramatic scenery. Visitors are eager to come here not only for the wonders of nature but for the chance to see a working Antarctic research station. Life on the Ice Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=2028 Read the Story /features/images/rss-2028_participantTalk-sm.jpg U.S. Antarctic Program participants talk about science and other topics to guests aboard the tourist vessel Vandeem in January 2010. Increased tourism at Palmer Station has led to more outreach and education of the USAP in recent years. Tony D'Aoust likes to say he found enlightenment while living in a converted city bus, but he seems to have found his purpose in life while working for the U.S. Antarctic Program. He recently returned in a support role after a more than 10-year absence. People Profiles Fri, 5 Feb 2010 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=2027 Read the Story /features/images/rss-2027_tonyDAoust-sm.jpg Tony D'Aoust preps the MOCNESS, a special sampling net for collecting marine organisms, aboard the ARSV Laurence M. Gould. A commercial fisherman in Alaska, D'Aoust has worked a variety of jobs in the USAP since 1988. Underwater images of Antarctica often show an unearthly realm of gigantic sponges, alien jellyfish, and Adelie penguins shooting through the water like bulbous bullets. But three divers tasked with making repairs to Palmer Station's 43-year-old pier didn't see much wildlife during the cold hours they spent in the water. Operations Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=2012 Read the Story /features/images/rss-2012_palmerPierRepair-sm.jpg Travis Matoush, right, checks the hoses running to diver Steve Rupp's wetsuit. Rupp, Matoush and Rob Robbins are diving in the nearly freezing water near Palmer Station to repair its aging pier. Electrical power generation has gotten a different spin for two Antarctic research bases with the official completion of a new wind farm. The United States and New Zealand expect the new turbines to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. Operations Tue, 19 Jan 2010 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=2014 Read the Story /features/images/rss-2014_windFarm-sm.jpg A new wind farm built over two field seasons is now operational. The three turbines can supply nearly 1,000 kilowatts of power, enough energy to power 100 U.S. homes. The USAP hopes to replace fossil fuels with wind power and other alternative energies when possible. Scientists and support personnel aboard a U.S. icebreaker encountered unusually thick summer sea ice in the Weddell Sea as they attempted to push south along the eastern edge of the Antarctic Peninsula. The unexpected conditions sent them to Palmer Station on the other side of the peninsula to make new plans. Operations Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=2011 Read the Story /features/images/rss-2011_helicopter-sm.jpg A helicopter from the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer lands in the "backyard" near Palmer Station. Maria Vernet, a scientist aboard the vessel, had come to the station to review satellite imagery of the region in an effort to make a backup plan after sea ice stymied the ship in the Weddell Sea. Crossing the Drake Passage between Punta Arenas, Chile, and the Antarctic Peninsula is a necessary evil for researchers who study the ecosystem. The ARSV Laurence M. Gould has made the rough sea trip countless times in support of science. Operations Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=2006 Read the Story /features/images/rss-2006_LMGCraneZodiac-sm.jpg A crane on the ARSV Laurence M. Gould lifts a Zodiac inflatable boat aboard the vessel. The Gould made a two-day port call at the station in January before leaving for a month-long cruise in support of the Palmer Long Term Ecological Research project. It took Colin Bull 50 years before he published an account of his first Antarctic expedition, a groundbreaking study of the McMurdo Dry Valleys. Why did it take him five decades to write the story? He was too busy devoting his life to a career of polar studies. Back in the Day Fri, 8 Jan 2010 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=2002 Read the Story /features/images/rss-2002_4ExplorersDryValleys-sm.jpg Colin Bull, Dick Barwick, Peter Webb and Barrie McKelvey, from left, pose for a picture during their 1958-59 expedition to the McMurdo Dry Valleys. It was the first science expedition sponsored by a university. Bull recently wrote a book about the adventure. It's summer time in Punta Arenas, Chile, which means overcast skies and blustery winds. It's also one of the busiest times of the year for the U.S. Antarctic Program's marine operations. Both vessels are set to head off on major science expeditions to begin 2010. Operations Fri, 1 Jan 2010 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=2004 Read the Story /features/images/rss-2004_twoBellCopters-sm.jpg Two Bell helicopters operated by PHI, Inc., are secured in a hangar aboard the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer. This is only the second time in the ship's history that helicopters have operated from the vessel, which launched in 1992. The South Pole geographic marker doesn't just relocate to 90 degrees south each year on January 1. It also gets a new look, one of the many traditions that have evolved at South Pole over the years. Life on the Ice Fri, 1 Jan 2010 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1998 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1998_USFlagReloc-sm.jpg Personnel at the South Pole Station move the U.S. flag located at the geographic pole to its new location on Jan. 1, 2009. The flag and geographic marker are relocated each year because the ice moves about 10 meters a year. Back in the Day Air Force makes air drop over South Pole for training exercise Operations Fri, 17 Dec 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1997 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1997_airDrop-sm.jpg A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III from McChord Air Force Base in Washington State drops cargo over the South Pole Station on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009 (local time). It was never supposed to hang around this long. Perhaps that's why the South Pole Dome - a modestly sized structure spanning 164 feet and topping out at about 52 feet high - has loomed so large in the lore and legacy of polar history. Now, 35 years after its dedication, the icon is coming down. Operations Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1984 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1984_spDome-sm.jpg A South Pole construction crew removes the entrance to the dome along with several panels to make room for machinery needed for the deconstruction effort inside the building. The entire dome will be taken down this year, with the top crown and first two rows saved for a museum. If you happen upon the small wooden hut that sits at Cape Royds and wriggle yourself underneath, you'll find a surprise stashed in the foot and a half of space beneath the floorboards - two cases of Scotch whiskey left behind 100 years ago by Sir Ernest Shackleton. Back in the Day Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1983 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1983_roydsShackleton-sm.jpg Ernest Shackleton's hut at Cape Royds, home to an Adelie penguin colony, is undergoing extensive work by the Antarctic Heritage Trust to restore the historic hut to its original condition of a century ago. Conservators plan to recover two cases of Scotch whiskey frozen to the ground. Dr. Ed Ehrlich likes to say that he didn't fall back on excuses when he had the opportunity to go to Antarctica. He certainly had his reasons in 1955. Back in the Day Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1962 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1962_edEhrlich-sm.jpg Dr. Ed Ehrlich pauses on the steps to the Madison capitol building in Wisconsin. Ehrlich served as the medical officer at the IGY Little America V station from 1956-57. Today, he is a professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison People Profiles The year 1969 was one of those watershed periods in U.S. history, when the American dream expanded to include a diverse array of people and beliefs. But U.S. women were still barred from living and working in Antarctica. That was about to change when a handful of women arrived on the continent for the 1969-70 field season. Life on the Ice Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1945 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1945_antWomen-sm.jpg Rear Adm. David F. "Kelly" Welch (third from left) accompanies Terry Lee Tickhill, Lois Jones, Pam Young, Eileen McSaveney, Kay Lindsay and Jean Pearson, left to right, on their first steps at the South Pole. The six women became the first females to visit 90 degrees south, breaking the gender barrier that had existed for more than 10 years. At right is then Lt. Jon Clarke, aide to the admiral. Back in the Day Terry Tickhill Terrell was a 19-year-old undergraduate student in 1969 when she walked into the then-Institute of Polar Studies at The Ohio State University and announced that she wanted to go to Antarctica. Silent stares greeted her announcement. Women didn't go to Antarctica in those days. All that was about to change. Life on the Ice Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1946 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1946_ohioStateUWomen-sm.jpg The all-women science team from The Ohio State University, from left, Kay Lindsay, Terry Tickhill Terrell, Lois Jones and Eilenn McSaveney in Christchurch, New Zealand, before heading down to Antarctica in 1969. Jones and Lindsay have since passed away. Back in the Day It wasn't too long after the ranks of researchers opened up to women in 1969 that they started to fill support roles - first in the U.S. Navy and then increasingly among the civilian workforce that eventually took over most jobs today from the military. Life on the Ice Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1951 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1951_elenaMarty-sm.jpg Elena Marty uses a tractor to move a derelict Navy plane at South Pole in 1974. Marty was one of two women hired by contractor Holmes and Narver that season, the first time women had served in a civilian support role on the Ice. Back in the Day David J. Hofmann, one of the pioneers of stratospheric aerosol and ozone research, passed away in Boulder, Colo., on Aug. 11 2009. He was 72. Over a period of 30 years, he traveled to Antarctica 19 times, as a leader of University of Wyoming research teams, and as director of NOAA's facilities at South Pole. People Profiles Fri, 6 Nov 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1942 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1942_ARO_Hofmann-sm.jpg An aerial view of the Atmospheric Research Observatory at South Pole Station. ARO houses equipment used by NOAA for atmospheric research. David Hofmann, as director of NOAA's facilities at South Pole, traveled often to Antarctica. The first flights of the main austral summer field season in Antarctica started arriving Oct. 3 at McMurdo Station. In the words of one U.S. Antarctic Program participant on the influx of new people: "It goes from serene and familiar to mayhem and unfamiliar." Life on the Ice Fri, 15 Oct 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1924 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1924_hugs-sm.jpg A crowd gathers in the hallway of Building 155 at McMurdo Station to greet new arrivals and reconnect with returning friends when the first mainbody flight arrived on the Ice on Oct. 3. About 1,000 people will work out of the U.S. Antarctic Program's main research station during the height of summer. Richard Panek went to the South Pole on an NSF grant to see the astronomical facilities as part of the research for his next book. His topic is about a mystery that many researchers feel might be the most significant and profound in science today: What comprises the vast majority of the universe? Perspectives Fri, 2 Oct 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1915 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1915_auroraSoPoleTelescope-sm.jpg Auroras shimmer over the South Pole Telescope and Dark Sector Lab. The conditions at the South Pole make it one of the ideal places to observe the universe short of going into space. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is investing hundreds of billions of dollars to stimulate the U.S. economy, as well as to save or create several million jobs. Some of the stimulus money will buy goods and services-and employ Americans-for supporting scientific research in Antarctica. Operations Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1877 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1877_soPoleTraverseStimulus-sm.jpg The South Pole Traverse parked at the geographic pole on Dec. 16, 2008. The NSF is purchasing vehicles and equipment for a second traverse "train" to carry fuel and equipment between McMurdo and South Pole stations. Few people know the role Navy radar picket ships played in early communications for Antarctica. Former sailor Gene Spinelli tells the story of what it was like to serve aboard the ships during the 1960s. Back in the Day Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1870 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1870_ussCalcaterra-sm.jpg USS Calcaterra DER-390 investigates a large iceberg near picket station at 60 degrees south on Dec. 19, 1965. The picture was taken from the Calcaterra's motor whaleboat. In the past few years, the South Pole Dome has functioned as a warehouse. Soon the iconic structure will be disassembled and shipped north. A gigantic metal arch has been built near the new station for future storage, and over the winter, a small team has been busy preparing it for use this coming summer field season. Operations Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1867 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1867_intLogArchFacility-sm.jpg Interior work for the new logistics arch facility at South Pole has been under way all winter long in the unheated building. The old Dome station has served as an ad hoc storage solution, but it will soon go away. Crews will start moving materials into the new facility this summer. The first U.S. flights since February will begin landing at McMurdo Station on Aug. 20 to prepare the research station for the start of the main summer field season, which opens in late September. Operations Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1865 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1865_winFlyAirForceC17-sm.jpg A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III sits on the runway at Pegasus airfield after making a successful landing during a night-vision mission for Winfly in 2008. Another night-vision mission is planned this year, along with four daylight flights carrying passengers to McMurdo Station. A science team planning to hunker down in Bull Pass in Antarctica's central McMurdo Dry Valleys would today receive a fairly simplistic map to help it protect the fragile ecosystem. Recent work will ensure that 21st century mapping technology catches up with environmental management and protection of Antarctica. Operations Fri, 14 Aug 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1863 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1863_jeffScanloGPS-sm.jpg Jeff Scanniello uses a high-precision GPS to help geo-reference a satellite map of the McMurdo Dry Valleys. The new detailed maps will help manage and protect the fragile environment, which is used by scientists for a variety of biological and geological research, among other studies. Maps of Antarctica date back to the days of Roman geographer and astronomer Ptolemy, most of them widely creative but inaccurate until the 19th century. Today, the average person can zoom across Antarctica with Google Earth. And the imagery is only getting better. Operations Fri, 14 Aug 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1862 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1862_qkBrdSatImg-sm.jpg A Quickbird satellite image of a field camp in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. The high-resolution satellite imagery is so good one can pick out individual tents in a field camp. Paul Morin, principal investigator for AGIC, says it's like having an on-demand aerial survey capability. The thousand-mile haul between the U.S. Antarctic Program research stations at McMurdo and South Pole is already a reality. Now the USAP is looking to use its re-discovered traverse capabilities on new missions across the continent Operations Fri, 7 Aug 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1856 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1856_soPoleTraverse-sm.jpg The South Pole Traverse crosses the polar plateau in December 2008. Using tractors and sleds to transport material and fuel overland has returned in full force, with the NSF purchasing an entire second train of vehicles and equipment with stimulus money. An Adelie penguin colony can be a cacophonous place, with hundreds of birds braying in an unlikely chorus. That was one of the sounds that Cheryl Leonard wanted to capture, but it wasn't the most interesting one that she discovered. Artists and Writers Program Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1842 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1842_cherylLeonardMic-sm.jpg Cheryl Leonard records the sounds of brash ice in the frigid waters around Palmer Station. The San Francisco-based composer creates music using recorded sounds and "instruments" found in the natural world. A small handful of Antarctic winter-overs has the specialized task of ensuring ongoing research experiments hum along between summer field seasons. These are the research associates - engineer types who seem to know how to tinker and fix just about anything. MacGyvers of the beaker set. Operations Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1838 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1838_vlfDipoleAntenna-sm.jpg Robert Fuhrmann reassembles the seven-kilometer-long VLF dipole antenna during the summer at South Pole. The transmissions are received at Palmer Station. The system was out of commission for several years until the NSF approved funding to bring it back online. Oona Stern has built her career as an installation artist in urban and suburban environments. On the surface, then, there's not much to suggest what might interest the New York-based artist in Antarctic ice. But she sees ice as yet another type of structure to study. Artists and Writers Program Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1835 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1835_birdsEyeOonaStern-sm.jpg A bird's eye view of Oona Stern sketching natural features around Palmer Station on the Antarctic Peninsula. The New York-based artist spent about a month at the station for a project funded by the National Science Foundation's Artists and Writers Program. It seems only appropriate that a guy with the first name of Steele would work as a machinist during the winter at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. But machinist Steele Diggles stands out in a community known for its unique, well-traveled personalities thanks to a career that could be featured on television's popular Crime Scene Investigation (CSI). People Profiles Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1836 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1836_steeleDiggles-sm.jpg Steele Diggles at the machinist shop in MAPO at the South Pole this winter. In addition to being an accomplished machinist, Diggles has worked for law enforcement as a forensics expert. This winter he will manufacture the 2010 South Pole geographic marker, which he also designed. The winter solstice doesn't get much respect around the world, except in Antarctica, where those spending the dark, cold months pay homage to the shortest day of the year with various ceremonies and feasts. It's a tradition that dates back to the early Antarctic explorers. Back in the Day Fri, 2 Jul 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1825 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1825_midWinterMoment-sm.jpg The 2009 Midwinter greeting from McMurdo Station. A tradition of the modern digital age, Antarctic stations e-mail messages and pictures to each other to mark the winter solstice. Other traditions, such as the Midwinter dinner, date back to the early explorers. Perspectives Thirty years after Air New Zealand Flight 901 crashed into the side of Mount Erebus, New Zealand honored some of the Americans who assisted with the recovery mission with a ceremony in Washington, D.C. Back in the Day Fri, 2 Jul 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1826 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1826_mtErebus-sm.jpg Mount Erebus, where Air New Zealand Flight 901 crashed nearly 30 years ago. New Zealand recently honored the Americans who assisted in the recovery of the bodies with a ceremony in Washington, D.C. and the presentation of a special medal. Dr. Jerri Nielsen Fitzgerald, the former South Pole physician who was diagnosed with breast cancer during the middle of the Antarctic winter, succumbed to the disease on June 23, 2009. She was 57. Life on the Ice Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1812 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1812_jerrinielsen-sm.jpg RIP Dr. Jerri Nielsen Kerry Chuck is a New Zealander who works in two different cultures as the head of the U.S. Antarctic Program's office in Christchurch, New Zealand, the main gateway to Antarctica for many who head south for science and support. People Profiles Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1813 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1813_kerryChuck-sm.jpg Kerry Chuck poses at the South Pole, displaying the New Zealand flag at the ceremonial pole behind the research station (above) Antarctica's First Lady, Edith "Jackie" Ronne, wife of the famed polar explorer Finn Ronne and the first American woman to visit the continent in the 1940s, has passed away. She was 89. Back in the Day Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1808 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1808_edithRonne-sm.jpg Photo Courtesy: U.S. Navy The International Polar Year has officially ended, but it appears the National Science Foundation is only getting started in West Antarctica, with several large-scale research projects scheduled over the next half-dozen years. The revival of Byrd Surface Camp is a key component to support the robust fieldwork. Operations Fri, 10 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1792 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1792_scottTent-sm.jpg A Scott tent sits on the location of Byrd Surface Camp, a deep-field site that used to support science in West Antarctica. The NSF is resurrecting the field camp beginning this year to support a new array of science projects. At approximately 80 degrees south latitude and 119 degrees west longitude, Byrd Surface Camp has supported science in West Antarctica for more than 50 years, dating back to the International Geophysical Year. It has undergone many changes over the decades as it prepares to enter a new chapter of logistical support. Back in the Day Fri, 10 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1793 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1793_byrdSurfaceCamp-sm.jpg Byrd Surface Camp in 2001. The camp served as a year-round research station until 1972, when it was converted to a summer-only field camp. It was last used in 2004-05, but is being resurrected in a big way beginning this year. The National Science Foundation is seeking an 8.5 percent increase in funding for the 2010 fiscal year, with large investments requested in the Office of Polar Programs for climate research and energy security. Operations Fri, 29 May 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1781 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1781_mcMurdoMidWinter-sm.jpg McMurdo Station in the middle of winter, May 2009. The U.S. Antarctic Program research station may see investments in energy initiatives if Congress approves the National Science Foundation's 2010 fiscal year budget request. Antarctica is more accessible than ever before to scientists. But there are still places too dangerous, too remote or simply too expensive to send people and standard equipment to conduct polar research. Instead, robots are carrying out some of the scientific work today. Operations Fri, 15 May 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1772 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1772_meridianUnmanned-sm.jpg The Meridian unmanned aerial vehicle developed by engineers and students at the University of Kansas in Lawrence undergoes tests at a stateside airfield. A trio of storms in April blanketed McMurdo Station in Antarctica, breaking a 41-year record for snowfall and coming close to challenging a world record for wind speed. Life on the Ice Fri, 9 May 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1768 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1768_mcMurdoBuried-sm.jpg A McMurdo Station employee uses a snowblower to clear piles of snow away from the station's medical clinic. More than six feet of snow fell on McMurdo in April, including a record amount in one 24-hour period. Scientists, diplomats and others involved in supporting research in Antarctica and the Arctic converged in Baltimore, Md., this month for the 32nd Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting to discuss topics ranging from climate change to tourism. Operations Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1757 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1757_royalSocietyRange-sm.jpg The Royal Society Range of Antarctica bathed in late autumn light during March 2008, during the height of the International Polar Year. There's a saying that goes, "One man's garbage is another man's treasure." Michael Bartalos has taken one nation's trash in Antarctica and is turning it into a statement about global conservation. Artists and Writers Program Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1755 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1755_MBartalos-sm.jpg San Francisco-based graphic artist Michael Bartalos went to the Ice this past season to create a piece to highlight recycling efforts by the U.S. Antarctic Program. A new satellite communications system at the South Pole will help keep science data flowing after an older satellite operating well past its prime succumbs to old age. Operations Fri, 10 Apr 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1741 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1741_craneAndSat-sm.jpg A crane moves the SPTR-2 satellite dish into position at the South Pole. Jerry Marty first went to Antarctica in 1969, one of many Ice people to begin a life-long love affair with travel. But Marty has a passion for the continent surpassed by very few. He dedicated the last 15 years of his life to ensure 21st century science has a world-class home at the South Pole. People Profiles Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1729 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1729_thePeople-sm.jpg Jerry Marty, at far left, carries the American flag to its new place of honor near the Elevated Station after the Dome was decommissioned on Jan. 12, 2008. A February storm wrecked a field camp on Livingston Island off the Antarctic Peninsula, forcing the team of scientists to abandon their project earlier than planned. Life on the Ice Fri, 6 Mar 2009 10:00:00 GMT /features/contenthandler.cfm?id=1721 Read the Story /features/images/rss-1721_livingstonCave-sm.jpg The Livingston Island team takes shelter near a cave after a powerful storm wrecked their field camp. Even though though Elaine Hood married a chemist, it wasn't until two years later, when she met a Russian solar physicist, when it dawned on her that it really is the scientists who impress her the most. As she admits "If you see a 50-year old lady chasing a scientist down the hallway, begging for an autograph, it may be me. They're my rock stars." Perspectives Fri, 20 Feb 2009 10:26:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1718 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-1718_samBowser-sm.jpg Sam Bowser studies single-celled organisms called foraminifera, or forams, in Antarctica. USAP participants who work on the Ice have the opportunity to meet some of the world's leading polar researchers, observes one fan of science. Climbing a mountain, rappelling down a crevasse, and preserving artifacts from two of the most famous explorers in human history, is not how Susanne Grive would typically describe her summer, but this is exactly what she did during a seven-month journey in Antarctica. Back in the Day Fri, 6 Feb 2009 10:26:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1714 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-1714_brassPrimusStove-sm.jpg A brass Primus stove before, left, and after treated by conservators during the 2008 winter at Scott Base. The stove is an artifact from one of the historic huts left behind from the early explorers of Antarctica. Perspective Madey Ridge, located in Antarctica's Pensacola Mountains near the Ronne Ice Shelf, is named for a teenager who played a critical role in the lives of hundreds of Antarctic pioneers. Today, ask any number of retired Navy Seabees if they remember a Jules Madey and every one of them will happily tell you that Jules was one remarkable young man. Back in the Day Fri, 30 Jan 2009 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1688 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-1688_HamRadio-sm.jpg U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Adrey Garret uses a ham radio at Williams Air Operating Facility during the 1956 winter. Ham radio was the only means of voice communication with friends and family back in the United States for navy personnel living and working in Antarctica in the days before satellite telephone technology. Antarctic hams have met the space age. While the thrill of hearing a loved one's voice in the United States long ago vanished due to the ability of placing direct phone calls, Antarctic hams still get excited about opportunities to talk to members on the International Space Station. Life on the Ice Fri, 30 Jan 2009 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1701 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-1701_HamRadio-sm.jpg South Pole ham radio operators, from left, Nick Powell, Henry Malgrem and Skip Withrow in the ham room at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Ham radio has been in continual use at the South Pole and elsewhere in Antarctica for more than 50 years. Antarctic hams have even been in contact with the International Space Station. Ben Bachelder braves Antarctic storms, high altitudes and persnickety stoves in the support of science. He tells the tale of setting up camp in the middle of East Antarctica, an area of high scientific interest and a useful place if you want to shed a few pounds as well. Perspectives Fri, 23 Jan 2009 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1685 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-polarHaven_012209-sm.jpg Workers erect a polar haven at the AGAP South camp in East Antarctica in December. In January, scientists used the camp as a base to study a subglacial mountain range that may have served as ground zero for the East Antarctic ice sheet. Prince Albert II of Monaco made a month-long visit to Antarctica to view the impact of climate change at the Earth's southern tip. His visit included stops at McMurdo and South Pole stations. Life on the Ice Fri, 23 Jan 2009 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1687 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-pMonaco_012209-sm.jpg Prince Albert II of Monaco stops at the geographic South Pole during a tour of Antarctica in January. The 50-year-old prince made a month-long journey to view the effects of climate change firsthand. The expedition also included a stop at McMurdo Station. Filmmaker Anne Aghion's latest documentary takes the viewer on a far-away journey to Antarctica, where she wants her audience to feel the wintery blasts of the wind and hear the empty silence of the continent. Artists and Writers Program Fri, 9 Jan 2009 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1669 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-anneaghion-sm.jpg Filmmaker Anne Aghion, center, cooks up lunch for her film crew and a team of scientists working in the McMurdo Dry Valleys in 2006. Morton Beebe and Geoffrey Lee Martin shared in the adventure of the International Geophysical Year more than 50 years ago. Now they've reunited to write a book about one of the IGY's most pivotal figures - and hope to return to the Ice for a related movie project. Back in the Day Fri, 2 Jan 2009 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1667 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-geoffmartin-sm.jpg Geoffrey Lee Martin types out a newspaper story at Cape Royds, Antarctica, in January 1956. In many ways, the South Pole has become an ice-covered field of dreams. The continent's newest and most advanced research station has attracted major, multi-million dollar science projects. And more work keeps coming its way. Operations Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1666 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-poleauroras-sm.jpg An aurora appears to hover over the new elevated station at South Pole during the austral winter. Concluding 32 years of distinguished service for global communications, one of three aged communications satellites used to connect South Pole Station to the rest of the world was decommissioned in October after eight years of service to the station. Operations Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1639 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-marisatterminal-sm.jpg A silhouette of the South Pole Marisat-GOES terminal, which is now covered by a radome. Back in the Day Team McChord Airmen assigned to the Expeditionary Airlift Squadron in support of Operation Deep Freeze has completed four operational C-17 Globemaster III airdrops to the Antarctic Gamburtsev Mountain Province since last month. Operations Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1640 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-cargodrop-sm.jpg A C-17 Globemaster III drops cargo over the South Pole in December 2007. How does weather forecasting in Iraq prepare a person for work in the U.S. Antarctic Program? The only difference, according to meteorologist Mike Carmody, between a remote outpost in Iraq and a field camp in Antarctica is temperature. And maybe a few improvised explosive devices. People Profiles Fri, 5 Dec 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1637 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-carmody-sm.jpg Mike Carmody conducts a field meteorology class for Glenn Helkenn and Jonathan Hayden, from left, in September in Denver before they head south to Antarctica. Science doesn't just happen in sterile labs. Researchers interested in studying one of the world's fastest-changing ecosystems spend months at a time living out of a handful of wooden buildings on the South Shetland Islands just off the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. Life on the Ice Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1620 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-copacamp-sm.jpg Snow covers the area around the Copa field camp early in the season when the scientists arrive in October. The small field camps that speck the islands of the Antarctic Peninsula are far from the main artery of USAP logistics, across the other side of the continent. But the peninsula is arguably where the planet is heating up and changing the fastest. A handful of scientists and support personnel make sure these important projects are successful year after year. Operations Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1617 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-copacabana-sm.jpg Penguins flock on the beach near the Copacabana field camp, seen in the distance, on King George Island. Anil Ananthaswamy talks about how cosmology today is in crisis. He asks, "Can the next generation of experiments in cosmology and particle physics help anchor the theories to reality?" Experiments at the South Pole may be key to answering that challenge. Perspectives Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1610 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-spt-sm.jpg The South Pole Telescope, left, and BICEP experiments collect data about the origins of the universe from the South Pole during the winter Scott Sternbach's portraits of those who work in the Antarctic might have been torn from the pages of history. Only the Carhartts, the synthetic fleeces and the various modern accoutrements of his subjects break the illusion. Artists and Writers Program Fri, 13 Nov 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1605 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-sternbach-sm.jpg Scott Sternbach prepares to shoot a picture with his 8X10-view camera at Palmer Station. More than 250 people labor at the South Pole each austral summer, supporting and conducting a dizzying array of scientific research. But scientists aren't the only ones attracted to the Pole. A handful of tourists venture south each year, and the number, while modest, has quadrupled in the last five years. Life on the Ice Thu, 6 Nov 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1594 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-feb08aerial-sm.jpg An aerial view of the South Pole Station from January 2008, when most tourists visit 90 degrees south. A complicated international air operation coordinated by the U.S. Antarctic Program, which is managed by the National Science Foundation, has successfully evacuated a badly injured employee of the Australian Antarctic Division from Antarctica to a hospital in Hobart, Tasmania. Operations Thu, 6 Nov 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1600 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-lc130liftoff-sm.jpg A ski-equipped LC-130 military aircraft uses jet rockets to aid in liftoff from a glacier. Martin A. Pomerantz, regarded by many as the father of South Pole astronomy, died Oct. 25, 2008, at his home in northern California, after a long bout with cancer. He was 91 years old. Back in the Day Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1592 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-pomerantz-sm.jpg An aurora shimmers in the night sky above the Martin A. Pomerantz Observatory at the South Pole during the 2008 winter in July. Flight Safety is serious business in the Air Force, and for one Air Force Reserve organization, it's so important they're willing to go to the ends of the Earth. Members of the 507th Air Refueling Wing's 1st Aviation Standards Flight (ASF) are in Antarctica to conduct airfield inspections. Operations Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1569 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-williamsaerial-sm.jpg An FAA Challenger 601 aircraft flies by the geographic South Pole. A team of inspectors from the Air Force Reserve and FAA is down in Antarctica to inspect the USAP's three airfields. A fire claimed one life, injured two people, and destroyed a two-story building at the Russian Antarctic Expedition (RAE) research station Progress in East Antarctica on Oct. 5. Life on the Ice Thu, 16 Oct 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1557 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-progressfire-sm.jpg A two-story building at the Russian research station Progress caught fire on Oct. 5, killing one person and completely destroying the structure. By definition, an adventure involves the unexpected. Author Nancy Etchemendy knew she was signing up for an adventure when she agreed to join a group of oceanographers studying icebergs in the Southern Ocean. She didn't know sea legs would be so hard to come by. Perspectives Fri, 9 Oct 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1554 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-etchemendypersp-sm.jpg Author Nancy Etchemendy stands on the deck of the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer during a science cruise in June. Military personnel who support the National Science Foundation's U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP) recently received recognition for their work in Operation Deep Freeze and other missions. Operations Fri, 3 Oct 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1552 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-lc130-sm.jpg An LC-130 sits on the South Pole airfield runway toward the end of the 2007-08 field season. Working behind the scenes to ensure safe travel to and from Antarctica is a team of air traffic controllers and meteorologists who feed updates on weather and other conditions to the pilots flying missions around the white continent. And those jobs are increasingly being done not on the Ice but back in the United States. Operations Fri, 3 Oct 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1551 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-firstflight08-sm.jpg The first flight of the 2008-09 summer field season in early September appears above the Transantarctic Mountains. It's been nearly 80 years since Adm. Richard Byrd made his famous flight over the South Pole, enough time surely for all aviation firsts to be inked into the record book. But a U.S. Air Force crew out of McChord Air Force Base recently added to polar history when it landed in Antarctica using night-vision goggles. Operations Fri, 26 Sep 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1544 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-nightlanding-sm.jpg Cargo is unloaded from a C17 Globemaster III on the night of Sept. 11 at Pegasus airfield in Antarctica. The flight was the first to land on the continent using night-vision goggles. Is anybody listening? That was the subject for a panel of science writers who recently participated in an energy and climate change symposium at the University of Colorado at Boulder. While climate change remains a complex issue for the public, there are signs that somebody is listening. Perspectives Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1543 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-gustav-sm.jpg Hurricane Gustav lashes Louisiana on September 1, 2008 in this satellite-based image from NASA. Get wind of this: Antarctica New Zealand will tap into the naturally blustery conditions around Ross Island to help power its research station and the U.S. Antarctic Program's McMurdo Station. Operations Fri, 5 Sep 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1527 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-windFarm-sm.jpg In this photo illustration, three wind turbines overlook New Zealand's Scott Base. The proof-of-concept project will begin this season, with completion slated for 2010. McMurdo will get about 15 percent of its annual electricity from wind. The first U.S. Air Force C-17s were scheduled to land at Pegasus Airfield near McMurdo Station this week, bringing in new personnel, equipment and some fresh food for the 125 people who spent the austral winter at the research station. The new season brings new challenges as the National Science Foundation addresses a severe budget shortfall blamed largely on rising fuel costs and a flat budget. Operations Fri, 5 Sep 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1524 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-fueltanker-sm.jpg The fuel tanker Lawrence H. Gianella arrives at McMurdo Station in January 2008. A ship brings fuel to McMurdo each year. That shipment will cost about $12 million more this year compared to last season, one of the main factors in the current budget crisis. Some folks down at the South Pole are in line for a MacGyver award after fixing a satellite communications dish that helps connect the isolated research station to the rest of the world. Operations Fri, 29 Aug 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1522 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-marisat1-sm.jpg A crew encloses the MARISAT and GOES satellite communications dish for the South Pole Station in a radome in 2004. The gears that move the dish up and down grinded to a halt this winter because the extreme temperatures froze the lubricant, but the Polies at the station were able to fix the problem. Photo Credit: Nick Powell/Antarctic Photo Library Most people will tell you that they joined the U.S. Antarctic Program for the adventure. In some ways, Paul Queior's decision to head south and take a job at Palmer Station seems more as if he's taking a break before the next great adventure of his life. People Profiles Fri, 29 Aug 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1521 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-paulq_denali2-sm.jpg Paul Queior and friend Matthew Hurley on Mount McKinley in Alaska a couple of years ago. Queior has taken a slight detour on his quest to climb the Seven Summits to work as an IT network engineer at Palmer Station. Photo Courtesy: Paul Queior The New York Air National Guard, which flies the ski-equipped Lockheed C-130 Hercules for missions around the continent on behalf of the U.S. Antarctic Program, has several initiatives in the works to make the unpredictable Antarctic environment a little less challenging while improving fuel and maintenance efficiencies. Operations Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1520 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-lc130upgrade-sm.jpg The 418th Flight Test Squadron replaced the four-bladed props on a Wyoming Air National Guard C-130H Hercules with eight-bladed propellers to test their efficiency for use in the U.S. Antarctic Program. Photo Credit: Senior Airman Julius Delos Reyes/Air Force The New York Air Natural Guard began a yearlong engagement at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady, N.Y., in August to raise public awareness about its mission in the U.S. Antarctic Program, as well as draw attention to the ongoing International Polar Year (IPY). Operations Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1514 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-hercs-sm.jpg Four New York Air National Guard ski-equipped LC-130s sit on the sea ice runway. The planes are the workhorses of the U.S. Antarctic Program, and the star of a year-long exhibit and program at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady, N.Y., to promote the Guard's mission in Antarctica. Photo Credit: Jordan Dickens/Antarctic Photo Library Byrd Polar Research Center was established shortly after the International Geophysical Year in 1960 as the Institute of Polar Studies at The Ohio State University. Its missions and focus have evolved over the years, but its commitment to broadening our knowledge of the polar regions has remained constant. Operations Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1434 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-bprc_series-sm.jpg Photo Credit: Peter Rejcek Entertainment can be hard to come by in Antarctica. Those spending the winter on the continent are participating in an international film competition sponsored by McMurdo Station to not only amuse themselves but foster community among nations. Life on the Ice Fri, 8 Aug 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1513 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-filmfest-sm.jpg Photo Credit: Chad Carpenter/Antarctic Photo Library Adult students in a New Orleans literacy class are swapping stories and e-mails with a group of people spending the dark, cold winter in Antarctica. It all started with a little geography lesson and a box of maps. Life on the Ice Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1500 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-aurora_pole-sm.jpg An aurora shimmers over the South Pole in this shot by Calee Allen, who is one of the Polie winter-overs corresponding with an adult literacy class in New Orleans. The post-Katrina residents are interested in everything from climate change to what's on the dinner menu. Photo Credit: Calee Allen/Antarctic Photo Library A career in science seems to sort of just happen for many at Byrd Polar Research Center. Each person has a different story to tell, but the motivation seems to be the same: to solve mysteries and discover new questions to answer. People Profiles Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1467 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-career_mike_steph-sm.jpg Stephanie Konfal and Mike Willis deploy instruments for the TAMDEF project in the Beacon Valley in 2005. Both were students under Terry Wilson at the time. Willis is now a post-doctoral fellow at Byrd Polar Research Center. Each researcher at Byrd has his or her own story about choosing a career in science. Photo Courtesy: Mike Willis Paul Ponganis is an Antarctic veteran researcher who has studied emperor penguins in the field for more than 20 years. He describes the research and field conditions with excerpts from his journal. Perspectives Fri, 6 Jun 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1449 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-ranch_penguins4-sm.jpg Emperor penguins gather around a dive hole at the Penguin Ranch on the sea ice in McMurdo Sound. Antarctic researcher Paul Ponganis believes that by studying emperor penguin physiology, he can help doctors better understand hypoxia in human patients. Photo Credit: Henry Kaiser/NSF Byrd Polar Research Center is one of the nation's premiere facilities for studying the Antarctic, Arctic and alpine regions of the world. The Antarctic Sun takes a closer look at the center and its faculty in a series of articles. Operations Fri, 23 May 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1428 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-bprc_campus-sm.jpg Orton Hall on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus houses the Department of Geology, which includes offices for several researchers affiliated with the Byrd Polar Research Center, including Terry Wilson and Larry Krissek. Photo Credit: Peter Rejcek No larger than a classroom, the Goldthwait Polar Library contains more than 12,000 titles about the polar regions. Operations Fri, 23 May 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1432 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-bprc_books-sm.jpg Books about the Antarctic and Arctic are packed into the Goldthwait Polar Library at Byrd Polar Research Center. The library boasts more than 12,000 titles and more than 1,000 maps. Photo Credit: Peter Rejcek You're alone for the next eight months of the year at the bottom of the world. What do you do to keep busy? You rock ... the South Pole Station held a major music festival last month to entertain the staff and scientists. Look out, American Idol. Life on the Ice Fri, 23 May 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1427 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-polestock7-sm.jpg South Pole band The ReTardis performs at Pole Stock 2008 at the gym in the Elevated Station. Five bands and two solo acts turned the event into a six-hour music marathon that featured everything from thrash metal to original acoustic tunes. Photo Credit: Heidi Lim Children's author Nancy Etchemendy, known for spinning science fiction and horror tales for young adults, hopes to tell the story of an Antarctic science expedition to the Weddell Sea through her own self-described "gothic sensibilities," as well as through the words of a curious boy named Gib Finney. Artists and Writers Program Fri, 9 May 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1420 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-etchemendy-sm.jpg Children's author Nancy Etchemendy will get a close look at some bergs in June aboard a research vessel, as she writes about the expedition for a series of books for kids and young adults. Nancy Farrell figured she would stick around the U.S. Antarctic Program for maybe five years before moving on to something new in her life. She's still goes down to the Ice, even after beating breast cancer. People Profiles Fri, 9 May 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1421 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-farrel-sm.jpg Nancy Farrell participates in the November 2007 Turkey Trot, a 5K run on the sea ice near McMurdo Station. Anthony Powell's normal day job is as a satellite communications engineer at McMurdo Station. He's on his sixth straight austral winter, monitoring and maintaining the satellite equipment that keeps McMurdo connected to the rest of the world. But he recently completed a short summer stint on the Ice as a photographer under the National Science Foundation's Antarctic Artists and Writers Program. Artists and Writers Program Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1402 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-powell-sm.jpg An aurora shimmers above New Zealand's Scott Base during the austral winter in Antarctica. Most freelance journalists tackle a different topic nearly every week. A lucky few may engage an assignment for several months. Lucia Simion has made Antarctica her own personal beat for the better part of a decade. People Profiles Thu, 3 Apr 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1400 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-simion-sm.jpg Lucia Simion gets a closer look at a penguin chick. Simion is an Italian-French photojournalist who has made Antarctica her personal beat for the better part of a decade. Canadian painter Linda Mackey co-founded the Polar Artists Group two years ago. Coordinating with the International Polar Year, most of the group's 50 artists, photographers, writers and filmmakers have traveled to the Arctic or Antarctic to create art to capture life in these extreme environments. Artists and Writers Program Fri, 21 Mar 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1380 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-soule-sm.jpg Geologist Adam Soule uses a LIDAR to map the lava flows at Mount Morning with the Royal Society Range in the background. Elke Bergholz has been to the bottom of the world twice in nine years as a teacher, though there are no children in Antarctica. She says the experience is about much more than just "having been there." In a personal essay, she writes the memories and experiences will linger with her forever. Perspectives Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1376 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-bergholz-sm.jpg Elke Bergholz Elke Bergholz carries a carbon dioxide collector field case back to the Atmospheric Research Observatory. Researchers studying the effects of climate change around the Antarctic Peninsula have data stretching back nearly 35 years. To protect the fragile ecosystem and the integrity of this natural laboratory, the U.S. Antarctic Program has proposed creating an Antarctic Specially Managed Area for the marine-based region. Operations Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1378 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-asma-sm.jpg An elephant seal pokes its head out of the water near Palmer Station. Environmental protection of Antarctica has long been a cornerstone of international policy, and many areas of special interest enjoy additional safeguards under various designations that dictate how national programs manage those sites. The management plans for six sites overseen by the U.S. Antarctic Program, called Antarctic Specially Protected Areas, are being tightened to further protect their special environmental values. Operations Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1377 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-aspa-sm.jpg Penguin researcher Grant Ballard walks around the Adelie penguin colony at Cape Crozier. The opportunity to recover his collection of chamber music that he left in Antarctica in the 1950's never presented itself, despite 15 trips to the Ice over six different decades, a total of 18 field seasons. Now, at age 78, Charles Bentley is back in Antarctica, the principal investigator with Ice Core Drilling Services (ICDS) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. People Profiles Thu, 6 Mar 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1370 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-bentley-sm.jpg Charles Bentley, far left, and the rest of the Byrd Station traverse team pose in front of a Tucker Sno-Cat in February 1958. The disappearance of thousands of tons of stuff -- from earplugs to engines -- is a part of a deliberate plan to remove excess and obsolete material off Antarctica. And this is the final season of the five-year retrograde project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Think spring-cleaning on a town-wide scale. Operations Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1365 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-retrograde-sm.jpg Emily Wampler, a materialsperson apprentice for the retrograde project, adjusts the forklifts on a vehicle referred to as a pickle. This year's mission for the South Pole Traverse team was to re-establish the 1,600-kilometer-long route between McMurdo and South Pole stations, conducting maintenance along the way. Operations Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1361 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-08traverse-sm.jpg Heavy equipment operator Dale Hill readies a traverse tractor for leaving the South Pole on January 13, 2008. Michele Gentille's stories conjure images of European chateaus and cavernous wine cellars, with her life like a cross between a Conde Naste travel article and a restaurant review in Food and Wine magazine. People Profiles Thu, 21 Feb 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1359 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-gentille-sm.jpg South Pole sous chef Michele Gentille prepares cheese enchiladas for lunch. Photo Credits: Peter Rejcek The National Science Foundation (NSF) is looking to boost its 2009 fiscal year (FY) budget by about 13 percent over the current budget year, with a request for $6.85 billion. The total budget request for the Office of Polar Programs (OPP) is a shade over $490 million, an 11 percent increase over OPP's estimated FY 2008 budget. Operations Thu, 21 Feb 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1358 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-budget09-sm.jpg The Swedish icebreaker Oden, left, and the cargo ship American Tern at the McMurdo Station ice pier on Feb. 11, 2008. Photo Credits: Chris Demarest/Antarctic Photo Library The opportunity to come to Antarctica was just one in a series of once-in-a-lifetime experiences, as far as "Shuttle" Joe Kendall is concerned. But it's an opportunity that the 78-year-old Illinois farmer pursued for six years. His perseverance netted him a position this summer season as a shuttle driver at McMurdo Station. People Profiles Thu, 14 Feb 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1348 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-kendall-sm.jpg "Shuttle" Joe Kendall took up ceramics as a hobby during his time at McMurdo Station, creating a brood of penguins for his family. Photo Credits: Peter Rejcek The South Pole International Film Festival lets Polies exercise their creativity in their free time -- and document this unique living environment at the same time. Life on the Ice Thu, 14 Feb 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1349 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-spiff-sm.jpg An aerial view of the South Pole Station, site of the fifth annual South Pole International Film Festival. Photo Credits: Emrys Hall/NSF Snowmobile mechanics Bob Sawicki and Toby Weisser at McMurdo Station did some heavy duty dumpster diving this season to assemble the hippest ride on rubber track anywhere on the continent. Life on the Ice Thu, 7 Feb 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1341 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-snowchopper-sm.jpg McMurdo Station snowmobile mechanics Bob Sawicki, standing, and Toby Weisser show off their snowmobile chopper. Photo Credits: Peter Rejcek A Catholic priest from New Zealand, the Rev. John Jolliffe led the Midnight Mass on Christmas at the Chapel of the Snows at McMurdo Station. The event marked the 50th anniversary since the Rev. Ron O'Gorman of the Christchurch Diocese traveled via icebreaker to Antarctica to become the first Kiwi priest to celebrate mass on the Ice on Dec. 25, 1957. Life on the Ice Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1334 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-nzchaplains-sm.jpg The Rev. John Jolliffe performs mass in the Chapel of the Snows at McMurdo Station. Photo Credits: Fleet Ratliff Most artists who travel to Antarctica express the continent's jaw-dropping landscapes or its scientific importance through photography, painting, the written word and even the ice itself. Andrea Polli wants you to hear the continent, whether through the natural rush of water under its glaciers or the sizzle and hiss of scientific data translated into sound. Artists and Writers Program Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1337 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-artofsound-sm.jpg Sound artist Andrea Polli at work in the weather tower at Williams Airfield near McMurdo Station. Photo Credits: Andrea Polli One era ended and another began on Jan. 12, 2008, when the American flag was lowered from its place on top of the iconic South Pole dome and then raised over the new multi-million-dollar elevated station. A delegation of federal officials from the United States joined station personnel in dedicating the new Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Operations Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1315 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-polededication-sm.jpg The new Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station was officially dedicated on Jan. 12, 2008. Photo Credits: Peter Rejcek The road to Port Hueneme on California's southern coast slices through strawberry fields and rural fruit stands, a bucolic drive that ends at quiet beaches and a naval base that is home to the U.S. Antarctic Program's logistics nerve center. Operations Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1321 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-pthueneme-sm.jpg Mike Lewis, Port Hueneme receiving supervisor, logs recently arrived materials. Photo Credit: Peter Rejcek New Zealand legend Sir Edmund Hillary died January 11 in an Auckland hospital after a lifetime of adventure and charity work. People Profiles Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1314 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-hillarypassing-sm.jpg New Zealanders from Scott Base lower their national flag during a brief memorial service on Jan. 11 (local time) for Sir Edmund Hillary. Photo Credit: Cpl. Nancy Cox The Clothing Distribution Center in Christchurch, New Zealand, may just contain more extreme cold weather gear than any outdoor shop on the planet, outfitting about 2,000 people each year as they head south to Antarctica. Operations Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1309 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-cdc-sm.jpg The Clothing Distribution Center (CDC) in Christchurch, New Zealand, has more than 140,000 pieces of extreme cold weather (ECW) gear for issue to U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP) participants. Photo Credit: Peter Rejcek Getting to the South Pole went a little less smoothly for carpenter Mark Freeland than the operation to lower the historic sign that has hung over the entrance to the iconic dome for three decades. People Profiles Wed, 2 Jan 2008 15:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1291 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-freeman-sm.jpg Mark Freeland and the heavy carpenter crew remove the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station sign. Photo Credit: Ethan Dicks A C-17 Globemaster III, flown by airmen from McChord Air Force Base in Washington, airdropped more than 20,000 pounds of cargo at the South Pole on Dec. 19 in a training exercise designed to keep personnel sharp in the case of an emergency. Operations Thu, 20 Dec 2007 15:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1302 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-airdrop-lg.jpg A C-17 Globemaster III, flown by airmen from McChord Air Force Base in Washington, airdropped more than 20,000 pounds of cargo at the South Pole on Dec. 19. Photo Credit: Chad Carpenter The National Science Foundation (NSF) is teaming up with NASA and a private company to test an inflatable habitat that the space agency may use for a return expedition to the moon. Operations Thu, 6 Dec 2007 15:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1290 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-tothemoon-sm.jpg This inflatable building will be erected at McMurdo Station in Antarctica to test its resiliency for a future NASA moon mission. Photo Credit: Jeff Cole Guy Guthridge spent 35 years of his life with the National Science Foundation working to create the foundation's unique Antarctic Artists and Writers Program. The program has drawn the likes of well-known photographer Norbert Wu and filmmaker Werner Herzog to the Ice in recent years. Artists and Writers Program Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1285 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-guthridge-sm.jpg Guy Guthridge gives a lecture about the National Science Foundation's Antarctic Artists and Writers Program. Photo Credit: Peter Rejcek A grant recipient of the National Science Foundation's Antarctic Artists and Writers Program, Rogers spent about six weeks on the Ice in 2005. A writer and college professor who specializes in editing anthologies, her own love affair with the continent began as a young girl listening to her father's stories about the South Pole. Artists and Writers Program Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1280 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-susanrogers-sm.jpg Writer and editor Susan Fox Rogers, right, spent six weeks in Antarctica to develop an anthology of Antarctic writing. Photo Courtesy: Susan Fox Rogers Ann Curry and the Today Show crew reporting live out of McMurdo Station make one last effort to reach the South Pole. Weather has grounded all airplanes to the Pole since Oct. 31. Life on the Ice Thu, 8 Nov 2007 15:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1271 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-anncurry-sm.jpg Today Show anchor Ann Curry reports live from McMurdo Station. Photo Credit: Myrna Gary This season marks The Antarctic Sun's 10th year as the U.S. Antarctic Program's official news source for everything you wanted to know about Antarctica, the cutting edge science that takes place, and the people who make it happen. Operations Thu, 1 Nov 2007 15:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1262 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-sunanniversary-sm.jpg The Antarctic Sun has covered cutting edge science for a decade. Photo Credit: Peter West (left) and Andrew Colhoun A U.S. scientist writes about his red beans-and-toast experiences aboard the HMS Endurance as a guest of the British Antarctic Survey during a science cruise to evaluate historic structures along the Antarctic Peninsula. Perspectives Thu, 1 Nov 2007 15:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1264 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-arenz-sm.jpg Built in 1940, East Base is the oldest extant U.S. station in Antarctica. Scientist Brett Arenz traveled to the site. Photo: Brett Arenz Today's South Pole is only the latest incarnation in a steady stream of historical watersheds. Countless reminders of past glories sit in glass displays and hang from the walls of those spotless hallways, witness to 50 years of habitation and human drama. Back in the Day Fri, 26 Oct 2007 10:26:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1208 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-polespast-lg.jpg Winter Site Manager Andy Martinez worked in his spare time to refurbish many of the frames that held pieces of polar history. It's a mild September day in Arvada, CO, a suburb west of Denver, with bluebird, cloudless skies. But the firefighter trainees are perspiring heavily in their yellow bunker gear, the sweat pouring off noses and down necks like candle wax melting. Life on the Ice Fri, 26 Oct 2007 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1210 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-fireschool-sm.jpg Dave Breitenfield, center, helps direct an exercise for South Pole firefighter trainees. Photo by: Peter Rejcek Working as a courier at McMurdo Station transforms all of town into a circuit workout. Get out of the truck. Walk into the building. Climb up the stairs. Drop the envelope. Climb down the stairs. Walk out of the building. Get into the truck. Drive to the next building. Repeat. Life on the Ice Sun, 14 Jan 2007 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1216 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-couriers-sm.jpg LaVonne Hynes Weber, left, and her sister Lorraine Weber work as McMurdo's couriers. Photo by: Steven Profaizer As George Blaisdell looks around Antarctica, he does not see so much what is here as what might be. As operations manager in the Office of Polar Programs of the National Science Foundation, his job covers the spectrum of how things get done, from getting electricity to the stations to giving aircraft a safe place to land. Operations Tue, 9 Oct 2007 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1222 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-watertruck-sm.jpg A truck spreads water on the roads to help keep the dust down. McMurdo Station will be a key link in a new environmental satellite system that will not only benefit meteorological forecasting and climatic research but also triple the local bandwidth for communications by as early as January 2008. Operations Sun, 4 Feb 2007 10:40:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1203 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-npoess-sm.jpg Anthony Powell, satellite communications tech, and Cleve Cleavelin, McMurdo IT operations manager, look over the old NASA dish. Photo by: Steve Martaindale South Pole residents can relate to the famous lament of this mariner, surrounded by undrinkable water. The station sits on top of a two-mile-thick ice sheet, which stretches to the horizon in every direction, gently rolling like a calm sea. Operations Sun, 4 Feb 2007 9:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1205 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-poleaeriel-sm.jpg The South Pole station rests on the Polar Plateau, an area of polar desert. Photo Credit: Robert Schwarz Take almost any town in the United States and watch the comings and goings of its goods. The same thing happens in Antarctica, but a symphonic representation would be more like Joseph Haydn's "Surprise Symphony," 51 weeks of calm materialistic existence startled awake by the annual unloading and reloading of the supply vessel. Operations Sun, 4 Feb 2007 10:12:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1204 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-recycling-sm.jpg Janitors Jenny Hilts, bottom, and Lisa Purvis empty recycling containers in a McMurdo Station building. Photo by: Steve Martaindale McChord Air Force Base pilot Lt. Col. Greg Pyke has flown countless trips to Antarctica, but nothing prepared him for the cargo he had the honor of carrying on his final mission Jan. 18. Pyke learned that Everest conqueror Sir Edmund Hillary was due to return to Antarctica to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the New Zealand base he built there. Operations Sun, 28 Jan 2007 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1215 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-hillary-sm.jpg Sir Edmund Hillary (left) sits in the cockpit of a C-17 aircraft with aircraft commander Lt. Col. Greg Pyke. Photo by: John Henzell Miami artist Xavier Cortada came to Antarctica to spread the word about climate change and to educate the public in the little-known scientific and historic facts about the seventh continent. But he didn't quite expect for his brief journey here to change his own artistic style so radically. Artists and Writers Program Sun, 21 Jan 2007 10:00:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1213 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-cortada-sm.jpg Miami artist Xavier Cortada puts the finishing touches on a painting. Photo by: Peter Rejcek "I was 38 years old when I realized that I had probably retired at 35." Dr. Harry Owens had just completed three years cruising up and down the Amazon River in the rainforests of Brazil on a hospital boat, bringing medical education and care to isolated villages. People Profiles Sun, 4 Feb 2007 10:14:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1221 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-owens-sm.jpg Dr. Harry Owens has made a medical career out of tending to patients in the most out-of-the-way areas. Photo by: Steven Profaizer At first glance, Kevin Field does not look like someone who should be reminiscing about "the old days" in Antarctica. But the shaggy-haired lead mechanic at McMurdo Station has spent 18 summer and three winter seasons in the Antarctic since 1980, when he came down to the Ice for the first time. People Profiles Sun, 4 Feb 2007 10:16:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1220 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-field-sm.jpg Kevin Field works as a lead mechanic for the McMurdo Station heavy shop. Photo by: Peter Rejcek At 86 years old, Sladen would be promptly forgiven for handing out cards that say, "Retired - No Job - No Worries," but a quick conversation gives the impression that he has no interest in slowing down, especially while visiting the continent he first saw just shy of 60 years ago. People Profiles Sun, 4 Feb 2007 10:18:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1207 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-sladen-sm.jpg William J.L. Sla.Sladen, right, shows Sir Edmund Hillary where he signed a book. Photo by: Peter Rejcek Looking back 40 years, John Evans tells the story that conquering Antarctica's tallest peak was made possible through a decision based on a nation's pride. Looking back less than four weeks, he tells the story of an attempted re-conquest that came down to swallowing one's individual pride. People Profiles Sun, 28 Jan 2007 10:20:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1217 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-evansgroup-sm.jpg The original members of the American Antarctic Mountaineering Expedition pose for a photo. Photo by: Val Carroll Ten months ago, I was sitting at my desk grading papers at the Zoo Academy - a Cincinnati Public School on the grounds of the Cincinnati Zoo where I'm a botany and physics teacher - when I received a phone call that would change the focus of the next year of my life. Perspectives Sun, 4 Feb 2007 10:22:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1219 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-schulte-sm.jpg The original members of the American Antarctic Mountaineering Expedition pose for a photo. Photo by: Val Carroll My travels in the last couple of years have taken me from the sand and heat of Mesopotamia to the ice and cold of Antarctica. No mortars here - just dive-bombing skuas. Helicopters on the Ice carry scientists rather than wounded soldiers. I've traded armored Humvees for PistenBullys and a Kevlar vest for a big red parka. Perspectives Sun, 4 Feb 2007 10:24:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1218 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-green-sm.jpg Mike Green, center, spent 17 months in Iraq before heading to much colder climes in Antarctica. Photo by: Mike Green Its membership includes a scientist who first visited Antarctica nearly 60 years ago and officials from the National Science Foundation. The Old Antarctic Explorer's Association is possibly the largest organization of its kind dedicated to preserving the collective memory of Antarctica, a club of kindred spirits fascinated with life on the Ice. Back in the Day Sun, 4 Feb 2007 10:26:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1202 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-oaea-sm.jpg The Old Antarctic Explorer's Association logo. Credit: OAEA A mere 20 days after it was demonstrated that an airplane could land and take off from the South Pole, a small team of men was deposited at that loneliest imaginable spot, charged with the task of building a permanent station. Back in the Day Sun, 21 Jan 2007 10:26:00 GMT http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1214 Read the Story http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/images/rss-pole50-sm.jpg U.S. Navy Seabees in the South Pole galley in 1956. Credit: Dick Prescott