Back in the USSR/NZ!

Got back late last night with the final of the K020 team members. A real interesting trip full of all the typical Antarctic-ness you would expect..including

• Cargo not turning up
• Crap weather
• Helicopters not flying
• Helicopters not being able to carry enough weight
• Being asked not to talk to a NZ MP about climate change.
• A potential job offer
• Cutting our field season down by a third.

But in the end, we hit most of our science targets and found some interesting stuff. Next week I'll write more about what we found and the trials and tribulations we suffered.

Out of interest, the Curiosity rover Mars is currently doing sediment and grain size analysis on the Namib dune field it is skirting around.

Sol 1297 on Mars. Curiousity playing in the sand box (NASA/JPL-Caltech )

Compare it to some of the areas in the Victoria Valley we were working this season.

Sandy....

Ben, our trusty Nat Geo producer/cameraman. Dont go anywhere without one!

And we are off.... Possibly

Currently checked in and waiting at the USAP departure lounge.

And the game begins!

Weather...the one thing you can guarantee is that the weather in Antarctica will fuck up your plans, once again I wish I could put money on this, but unfortunately the odds would be crap.

First rule of Antarctic research..It will happen when it happens..

Second rule of Antarctic research..It will happen when it happens.

McMurdo weather has been a pain in the ass over the last few days with the first group of DryVER personnel (Charlie, Ian, Georgia, Alejjandro, Fraser & Pierre) being bumped from flights, cancelled flights and boomerangs (Fly halfway there and then turn around and come home). Today the second team (Craig, Jayne, Ian, Paul, Marwan, Gemma, myself and Ben (our Natgeo producer/camera guy)) were put on hold for 4 hours and then the flight cancelled.

Which is a pain as the weather actually looks okay. As I write this, its  is a balmy -7 deg C with 11 kt NNE winds. For those who are interested, check out the Scott base weather station.

As of 1pm today from the Scott Base webcams

Ah the games we play.

Oh well gives me time to sort out a few camera based disasters I had yesterday and to finish a few blog posts!

It's alive!

Finally the frankendrone is working and painted up ready to fly in Antarctica next week. Had a world of issues with magnetic interference warnings and failed compass calibrations. In the end setting the pix Hawk parameter SYSID_SW_MREV to 0 and redoing all the calibrations solved my problems! Got the qx100 all going and will test mapping today. 

Might also think (if I have time) about putting the RP lidar module on it and see if I can do some later scanning this year.