McMurdo Station

So, this is my second day in Antarctica, and I’ve finally had a chance to settle down and explore the station a bit. McMurdo is basically a small town. There’s a post office, a store, a large cafeteria, several dormitory buildings, an information building, a science/lab center, a radio center, several warehouses for gear, a chapel, several administrative buildings, a coffee shop, two bars, a gym, a weight room, and a rec center. The population of McMurdo is 1,100 people, with 72% men and 28% women. A large portion of the community is scientific, but a large portion is also composed of support personnel. Many people who are interested in coming to Antarctica but aren’t able to in a scientific capacity come as support personnel, such as helicopter pilots, kitchen staff, mechanics, radio techs, training personnel, waste disposal crew, or vehicle operators. The community here is very small and great. It’s a really interesting place – something I’ll probably never encounter again.

 Me in Antarctica!

 Town!

 The view from Crary Lab (the main science building in McMurdo)

Although it is the summer (and the sun shines all day here), it is still quite cold. It’s roughly -10C on average, though it can get much colder with wind chill (roughly -20C). But the cold is not terrible because we are located on the coast (which tends to be warmer than the interior of the continent – the South Pole is roughly -40C right now!). The dryness is actually much worse. Because Antarctica is so dry (remember it’s actually just a huge desert), my skin is constantly cracking. And with a runny nose, I am constantly blowing my nose, so my face is really quite tender. I’ve started putting thick lotion on every day and re-applying to protect my skin. I’ve also been drinking a lot of water – it’s surprising how dehydrated you can get when it’s cold and you forget to drink!  

McMurdo is located right on the coast, next to the Ross Sea. There are a number of mountains in the region that provide a really scenic landscape. It really is beautiful here.

In the distance you see the sea-ice landing strip and the Royal Society Range in the background.

Because the weather in Antarctica is very unpredictable, it is constantly under surveillance, especially to keep an eye on those working out in the field or around the station. There are 3 designations for weather: Condition 3 is good visibility weather; Condition 2 is poor visibility weather; and Condition 1 is very poor visibility weather (~5ft) and all personnel are required to stay under cover. So far the weather has been great – all Condition 3. I hope the weather stays ok because tomorrow I head off to Snow School! Hope I survive!