Journal entry from Hamilton's Antarctica 2001 research expedition:
12/10/01 1330 hrs.
64 15 S
56 33 W
0 degrees C
Overcast with a building wind
Caption for image:
LANDSAT satellite view of Seymour Island with annotations to show the sample sites, the original planned camp site and the site at which the camp is situated. You may be able to see the runway for the Argentinean research base at the northeastern end of the plateau.
After a long night of waiting for the Seymour Island field group, we returned to the north side of the Island to see if the ice conditions had changed. Unfortunately, they had not. A brief conference was held, and they decided to establish their camp on the south side of the island as shown in the satellite image. Around 10 a.m., the first zodiac went ashore, and from then on zodiacs relayed cargo needed to sustain the camp for a month. Everyone from the Hamilton College group went ashore to assist with moving cargo and setting up the camp. We are all back on the ship now at 3:30 in the afternoon, and as one student put it, there's "no need to go to the gym tonight." Approximately 15 trips were made by the zodiacs to ferry cargo from the ship to the beach. This cargo was then transferred from the beach to the campsite by a human chain passing box after box.
As we head south to the Larsen B area we wish our friends on shore good luck with their research and hopes for good weather. Enjoy the images of this unique area of the Antarctic.
Dave Tewksbury
The field camp on Seymour Island. (Click image for larger version.)
On the beach cargo was moved from the shoreline to the campsite. A local resident helped supervise the move. (Click image for larger version.)
An example of the rocks the Seymour Island field party will be looking to collect over the next month. (Click image for larger version.)
