SWAIS2C

Vast, massive, enormous – there’s no shortage of words to describe the size of Antarctica, but it can be hard to get your head around. Here’s how it compares vs US. Check out our Antarctica is Big series https://www.swais2c.aq/education/educational-resources/antarctica-is-big 🎨@icebird.bsky.social

Congratulations to SWAIS2C team member Natalie-Jane Reid for being awarded an Antarctica New Zealand Doctoral Scholarship to support her research on Ross Sea deep ocean currents. She will measure records in SWAIS2C sediment cores to reconstruct deep ocean current strength bit.ly/4572S4W

Groundbreaking insights about rivers beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, and their role in Ross Ice Shelf melt, have been uncovered. SWAIS2C Co-Chief Scientist Huw Horgan led the team observing this water entering the ocean cavity at KIS2, on the grounding zone of the WAIS 👉https://bit.ly/44FFniV

It's SWAIS-mail time! Not a subscriber? Catch up on all the news from the project, and sign up so you don't miss out next time 👉http://bit.ly/44RL0M8
📷Anthony Powell / Antarctica New Zealand. Thanks to the KIS3 2024/25 team for the ultimate in sign-writing.

What ancient ice sheets can tell us about future sea level rise When ice gets trapped on land as giant ice sheets, it causes the sea level to change, but it doesn’t change by the same amount all around the planet.

A 100,000-year-old record of waves breaking high up on a cliff above a Cornish beach has more connection with Antarctica’s ice sheets than you might think. SWAIS2C science team member Ed Gasson explains @uk.theconversation.com bit.ly/44p6z5p

Working in ice-solation New Zealand Police

Scientists, drillers, mechanics and... Scene of Crime Officers!
Our on-ice team brought together people from a range of backgrounds, including the multi-talented Sean Heaphy - hot water driller for the field season, Senior Constable with the NZ Police back home. www.police.govt.nz/news/ten-one...

Voice of the Sea Ice: A land of ice and ambition From historic expeditions to modern day science, Antarctic exploration is a unique and dangerous experience.

For our past two field seasons, the Antarctica New Zealand traverse team hauled our gear 1328km across the Ross Ice Shelf. But the safe path to KIS3 was first mapped in 2017. Daniel Price helped find the route, and shares his experience in this new RNZ podcast 🎧https://bit.ly/3DoFUMO

YouTube video by SWAIS2C SWAIS2C deep-field Antarctic research camp from the air

Home sweet home from the air! Check out this amazing drone footage of our deep-field Antarctic research camp KIS3 this past field season. Our on-ice team spent up to 6 weeks living here on the grounding zone of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. 🎥Anthony Powell / Antarctica NZ youtube.com/shorts/CtPga...

Shout-out to the awesome women of our 2024/25 on-ice team this International Day of Women and Girls in Science! From co-chief scientist to medic to hot water driller, these inspiring women played vital roles at our deep-field research camp. Thanks for your contributions to our critical science!

Hedley's Scott Polar tent tour 🤔What's it like camping on the snow in Antarctica? Check out hot water driller Hedley Berge's tour of his Scott Polar tent and find out! ⛺Hedley lived in his tent at our deep-field research camp on the Ross Ice Shelf for 7 weeks this season. 😎He estimates he's spent nearly a year in Scott Polars across his 22-year Antarctic career, so he's got a few hacks up his sleeve for a comfortable sleep and lush living space.

What's it like camping on the snow in Antarctica? Check out hot water driller Hedley Berge's tour of his Scott Polar tent and find out! Hedley lived in his tent at our deep-field research camp on the Ross Ice Shelf for 7 weeks this season.
bit.ly/3Ebl57m

YouTube video by SWAIS2C Expedition Update: Season sign off

It’s been a huge season for our on-ice team KIS3 - our Co-Chief @vandeflierdt.bsky.social sums it up in this end of season wrap. We’re now focussed on our next season at Crary Ice Rise, where we will attempt to obtain a long sediment core youtube.com/shorts/NM5pe...

KIS3 from space! Thanks for spotting our little deep-field camp @aretsch.bsky.social 😎

Drilling at KIS3 has ended due to a technical challenge, following the successful deployment of our sea riser. We're proud of the team’s massive effort to progress this close to obtaining the deep core, & are looking ahead to our season at Crary Ice Rise 📷 Anthony Powell/Antarctica NZ bit.ly/41Wu6v7

🎄Happy Holidays and Merry KIS-mas from the SWAIS2C on-ice team at KIS3 on the Ross Ice Shelf!

🎥 Anthony Powell / Antarctica New Zealand

🚨We’ve broken through the ice shelf! Our crack team of hot water drillers have melted their way through 587.96m of the Ross Ice Shelf to reach the ocean cavity, providing crucial access to the climate secrets hidden in the seafloor below. Well-deserved ‘victory toasties’ all round! 🧪 📷Ana Tovey

SWAIS2C Mascot-naming Competition

Here’s the link! forms.gle/2RCEci8FfLwb...

Adélie penguin chills by one of our two flubbers, which store the melted snow for hot water drilling.

Adelie takes the hot seat in the Hot Water Driller’s chair!

In the Mess tent, Skua does what skuas do, eyes on the prize—food scraps! (Skua stuffie sitting by the food waste bins.)

Then it’s off to check out “The Turdis”—one of our two toilets. (Skua stuffie sitting on top of the blue outhouse called the Turdis.)

❄️Our mascots still need names! ❄️
 
🐧They’ll be doing seriously cool 😎science 🧪& we’re inviting students to help name them!
📝 Deadline extended to Dec 31
💡Get involved in real science & learn about what’s happening at the end of the Earth.
#antarctica #STEAM #scienceeducation #scienceed

We now have a well cavity, and well pump installed. The well pump is vital – circulating water through the system, pumping an endless supply to drill our main borehole right through the 580m ice shelf. It was all hands on deck to ensure a safe and successful install! 📷Ana Tovey

Our Antarctic Intermediate Depth Drill team have been hard at work with our ‘big rig’. They’ve assembled the geological drill that has weathered a long Antarctic winter here at KIS3. To prepare for drilling they’re using the rig to put together the drill pipe. 📷Ana Tovey

The last of our on-ice team have arrived, and have taken part in Antarctic Field Training to learn skills for life at our deep-field camp. The four scientists – Arne Ulfers, Linda Armbrecht,
Luca Zurli and Yuri Yamazki – and driller Stephen Stretch, had perfect weather for camping.

Hot water drilling is underway! We've begun boring the well hole through the Ross Ice Shelf, using water from snow, circulated through our six boilers, passed down through a hot water drill nozzle. We'll melt to below sea level, bore a well cavity, and lower a pump. 📷Ana Tovey

Running out of clean socks on the Ross Ice Shelf? Camp mini-washing machine to the rescue! We’re making hot water from snow to drill through the ice shelf, so we can use this ready supply for our camp washing machine. Hot water driller Hedley Berge took the machine for its first spin.

❄️It’s snowing at KIS3 today! We’re lucky to have several heated spaces on site to warm up if needed.
🎥 Ana Tovey/ SWAIS2C

It’s flubber feeding time! Over the past few days at KIS3 something big, yellow and hungry for snow, has been growing in size – our flubbers. They’re a crucial step in our efforts to access sediment below the ice shelf – providing the water we need to start hot water drilling.
🧪

We’re on an ambitious mission for sediment core, but even getting to our site is a mission! Our scientific drilling camp is incredibly remote – KIS3 is 860km from the nearest base. Getting there requires some serious logistics, specialised polar transport, and of course – a weather window.

Oh yes we Kamb! The first of our science team have made to to KIS3, our deep-field drilling camp on the Kamb Ice Stream, nearly 900 km from Scott Base. They spent their first few hours at camp meeting the rest of the team & getting their homes-away-from-home set up in “Tent City”. 📷Ana Tovey/SWAIS2C

Our Adelie and skua mascots sitting on top of the giant wheel of Ivan the Terra Bus, a famous vehicle.

Mascots sitting in front of Scott's Discovery Hut

Mascots "chilling" in front of the Scott Base sign, in their (askew) SWAIS2C shirts.

Skua mascot in front of a "Skua Central" sign.

❄️Our mascots are in Antarctica for cool science & we need students help to name them! ❄️
 
While they wait to fly to our deep-field site & help with our cutting-edge science 🧪 , they’re exploring Scott Base & McMurdo Station!

Enter your names by Dec 22 👉 forms.gle/SSpW8n7P6tF7...

When you gotta get your steps in, but you like napping…We’re celebrating Antarctica Day by sharing this Weddell seal that our science team met today (keeping at least 10m distance!). It’s the anniversary of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, which designated the continent to peace and science.

🗣️We're sharing some Antarctic terms and phrases, so that you too can #TalklikeanAntarctican! Here's one those travelling south hope they won't need: Boomerang bag. If your flight 'boomerangs' and turns back around, you'll be reunited with your checked-in boomerang bag. What would you pack in yours?

Indeed! We will use a hot water drill to melt a hole through approx 580m of the ice shelf, and then our Antarctic Intermediate Depth Drill to obtain the sediment core. Thanks for the follow!