Live From Antarctica: Thursday 4th December

The weather conditions are seriously reducing the outside work which can be done. On the other hand, news from the coast is good. Alain has set up both scientific camps: one on the drilling site, and one on a grounding line (point where the continent meets the ice shelf) a mere 30 km away from the first one. The latter is intended to collect detailed radar grid data that would describe the ice in that particular area.

Alain and the reconnaissance team have left them to go to Breid Bay, for the reconnaissance work. The road for the traverses, travelling between crevasses, has been secured. When they arrived at Breid Bay, they first had to get the 40 ft container which had been left at the coast last year back on its feet. It had been turned upside down and carried away by the wind. Fortunately, what would eventually become their sleeping quarters was still usable.

The weather over there is slightly better than here at the base camp. Visibility is decent and the winds are moderate.

Nathalie Pattyn