On the ice and in the air…

30 pictures posted on the 03.03.2012

An oasis of science and peace in the middle of nowhere.

An oasis of science and peace in the middle of nowhere.

© Alain Hubert - IPF

  • It's 8 pm at PEA.
  • Pingvinane nunataks towards the West.
  • I am flying at 4000m of altitude over the Wideroefjellet, the top summit of the all range Sør Rondane.
  • The 3 mountain guides of PEA- Jacques, Benoit and Alain, testing a crevasse before preparing the rescue trainig for the scientists.
  • Crevasse training at 15 m under the ice.
  • Same training for the scientists and also for the IPF people who are not too familiar with the Antarctic.
  • We can easily see the crevasse in this ice field.
  • Technique is simple : we cut the blocs and than push them down. They are more than 100 ton of snow on this roof due to the accumulation provoked by the satellite dish and the solar panels.
  • Elie working on the open top chambers in the field.
  • Prepartion of the platform for the seismometre installed along the lips of the Gunnestadtbreen glacier.
  • The seismometr will stay for two weeks as a test for installing a few for a long period next season.
  • Craig is replacing the alternator of a windturbine.
  • Erik is repairing electronics compoments from the seismometer which has a problem at 13m deep in the granit on the ridge for Denis.
  • Medevac training during a trip in the field.
  • In front, base comander GiGi testing our new radar to detect crevasses.
  • For their last day the Japanese came with us- a real train of ski doos visiting this part of the mountains.
  • Mobilme units with all japanese cargo ready to be loaded to go back to Tokyo.
  • Our accomodation mobile units are in front of the station in order to make a sliding structure to be easily pulled out to make on single 'house' in the field with kitchen dinning room, bathroom and toilet with heating, snow melter and all com.
  • An oasis of science and peace in the middle of nowhere.
  • The little pyramid in the centre is Utsteinen.
  • Denis Lombardi working from the science shelter to install the seismometre.
  • On south of PEA, the nunatak Utsteinen which makes this place so unique in Antarctica.
  • Removing snow on roof with the snow blowers
  • Site clearance to dig out solar panels on the garage roof.
  • Working on GiGi's lake at Yoboku valley to try to take sediments with Elie.
  • The last step is to remove the blocs pushed down in front of the door.
  • The only bulldozer we got from the former japanese station ASUKA has to be replaced next season after more than 30 years of service.
  • The ULM we use for reconnaissance trips around the neighborhood of PEA.
  • All the group with the geologists around Elie after the work.
  • We can see here the way to the coast Crown Bay where the ship Mary Arctica uses to come.