Today's Weather Report

"Summer-like temperatures of -17F with snow grains transitioning to ice crystals tonight. Winds from the grid northwest at 15 knots."

And so the day begins here on the high Antarctic plateau.  I usually wake up around 5:30am.  That's after waking up several times throughout the night - normal when you're at 10,000 feet with little oxygen.  Sleep is a generosity.  I wander to the bathroom where I enjoy several splashes of cold water (it takes forever for water to heat here!!) wash my face and comb my hair.  No shower today - only twice a week and even then, only for 2-3 minutes duration.  You'd think with miles of ice below us, water would be plentiful?!  But it takes fuel/energy and time to heat the water.  It's much easier to heat glycol - and pump that through the station to keep us warm.  Glycol at 265F can cause serious burns!  Just another of the potential threats I have nightmares about.  Snow grains, by the way, are less than 1 millimeter flat or elongated grains of ice.  Walking outside in them is like trying to walk through a sand storm.  Ice Crystals on the other hand are beautiful, delicate solid ice hexagonal columns, plates or dendritic shaped wonders.  As the sun signs through them, you get these beautiful halos and a phenomena known as "sun dogs."  Sun Dogs are the refracted light from the sun, directly at the horizon.  In reality, it looks like a beacon of light coming directly down from the sun and striking the earth.  Trust me.  This picture doesn't do it justice! I took this picture through the triple pane window b/c it was -62 outside!

Now let's talk about these "winds from grid north."  How can you say where the winds are coming from, when everything is north of us?  Well, let's look at a map of Antarctica and get our bearings once again.

Here, you can see that the continent has been divided in two - purple and green.  The South Pole is at the center.  The dividing line that heads from the South Pole towards the top is 0 degrees longitude.  It is also known as Greenwich Meridian or the International Reference Meridian.  Heading down towards the bottom of the page, is 180 degrees longitude.  It passes directly through the Ross Ice Sea Shelf.  It's also known as the "International Date Line."  More on its importance to McMurdo Base and the South Pole Base in just a minute.  Now, this 0 degrees and 180 degrees by convention, have been chosen to divide Antarctica into East and West.  West Antarctica (the area in purple) would include the area towards South America and the Southern Pacific Ocean.  The Antarctic Peninsula is most commonly thought of as "West Antarctica."  The peninsula is where most tourist cruise ships travel when they come to the continent.  East Antarctica is barren and green on the map.  It's made up of high ice plateaus and is home to most of the highest point of elevation on the continent as well.  So that leaves us with "North" and "South" Antarctica.  That line is the 90 and 270 degrees of latitude - or the lines that go right and left from the South Pole on the map.  So when we refer to "Winds from Grid north" we can say that the winds will come from the North on this map, and then hit the Trans-Antarctic Mountains.  Winds that come from the north(east) give us dry sunny days b/c they have to travel a very long distance over ice fields and loose all their humidity.  Counter that with winds from the Northwest, which can bring us milder days that are cloudy b/c they don't travel as far (it's only 880 miles to the coast in that direction).  Sometimes NW winds bring us a bit of "Snow Grain" precipitation b/c there is more humidity in the air.  Now you're a weather expert!  

Back to his International Date Line (IDL) at 180 degrees of longitude.  The IDL passes just east of New Zealand and marks the line at which a new day starts on the calendar.  If you follow that line south, you can see it bisects the Ross Ice Shelf with McMurdo station/Mt. Erebus just to the east.  That is why the US Antarctic Program has chosen to keep McMurdo Station and the South Pole station on New Zealand time - and not US time.  It's much easier when it comes to arranging flights from Christchurch and dealing with our Kiwi friends, who support us in any number of ways (medical included!!).  But enough weather and geography.  

All of us here at the South Pole Station are anxiously awaiting the arrival of "SPOT-1!"  SPOT stands for "South Pole Overland Traverse."  This is a group of specially designed snowcats and vehicles, that leave McMurdo station with over 200,000 gallons of fuel in 8-9 large thick rubber fuel bags, 29 tons of cargo, and most importantly, fresh food!  The 995 mile journey over compacted snow, has taken them 29 days to get close to us - as of today, 60 miles away.  Now by "fresh food," I'm not referring to fruits and vegetables.  Those would freeze on the journey.  Instead, it's peanut butter, eggs, flour, meat, canned goods, etc.  We call them "Freshies" b/c it's fresh food that hasn't been sitting on a shelf for over 6-12 months!  As a treat to the winter-overs (the folks that spend February-October down here), one of the first flights from McMurdo to the SP at the beginning of the season, flys in fresh fruit and vegetables.  The stories you hear about men and women crying are actually true!  They have to survive on powered milk and eggs for over 8 months!  The first taste of fresh milk, fruits and vegetables is rumored to be overwhelming.  The overland traverse can be seen below as the red line.  Of course, if there's a SPOT-1, then that means there has to be a SPOT-2, and in the case of this year, a SPOT-3!  SPOT-2 will be bringing in heavy science equipment.  SPOT-3 will be bringing in more fuel, along with shelf-stable supplies (think powered milk and eggs....); all for the winter.  SPOT-3 will arrive in early February.  The winter season usually starts the 3rd to 4th week of February.  I'll be coming off Ice then.  I hear from others, one of the best times for the community is the arrival of SPOT-3.  It becomes a free for all, as everyone runs out onto the ice and grabs whatever supplies they can, to bring back inside.  It's a real camaraderie builder - and one of the last hurrahs before we all start heading home and turning the station over the winter gang.  Realistically, it helps to rapidly unload SPOT-3 since they have to turn around and head back before temperatures start dropping below -100 in early March.  

Many of you have asked how I'm doing.  Well, truthfully, ok.  Sure I miss a few things:  The gym.  My bed. Good coffee. And LONG warm showers!  But overall, it's not that bad down here.  Granted, I'm stuck inside with 140 others - who I pass in the hallway, eat my meals with, watch movies with, workout in the gym with, play pickleball with, and sit and stare out the window with!  But we all get along really well.  You have to.  There just isn't tolerance of cliques.  For nastiness.  Or, for stealing!  (I mean really.  Where the hell are you going to run with stolen goods anyway?!!!). We all leave our bedroom doors unlocked, our toiletries hanging around in the bathrooms, and respect each other's ability to sleep by walking silently down the berthing hallways, and making sure we close our doors gently.  It's truly remarkable - especially as the station physician.  Since there is no counselor here, part of my job is to act as father/brother, confidant, teacher and occasionally, the doctor.  I've had to overcome the fear that so many of the community have thinking my sole reason for being here is to "NPQ" them.  NPQ stands for "Not Physically Qualified."  It's the National Science Foundation's (NSF) term for someone that is refused work at the Pole b/c of some physical, medical, or mental disqualification.  It's vitally important, from a medical point of view, since there are many things I can't take care of down here - and emergent medevac's out are dangerous and costly.  Better to screen out disease, etc., then find it once they arrive.  But you all know me - I've fit into the family well, and they are now starting to open up and allow me to get to know them a bit better.  But it's taken time.  It was lonely for the first couple of weeks.  No one wants to be friends with the doctor!!  God knows what he'll do!  

Physically, the altitude and lack of humidity has taken a toll on me.  First is the lack of oxygen.  You walk around constantly short of breath - and the least little bit of exertion makes you feel like you're having a heart attack!  My workouts are essentially null.  I lift some weight - but it can be a struggle.  You tire easily.  Now I know why there just isn't an interest in building a really good gym.  No one works out.  Volleyball games, and pickleball games are played to a score of 5.  Because after 5, you're just wasted!  My skin is flaking.  No matter how much lotion to try to put on - you flake.  I use "Bag Balm" every night on my hands and lips.  They're surviving - some days better than others.  And then there's the ever constant nosebleeds!  Bloody tissues are everywhere!  It's just a part of life here.  It happens at your workspace - in the gym - while reading a book - doing your laundry - in the middle of the night - and at chow.  You learn to ignore the guy sitting next to you, aggressively digging in his nose for that irritating clot.  Trust me, we could teach young kids how to really go after those boogers!  Gross.  Transition quick Jeff!

Did I mention the sauna??  Oh baby!  It's the best part of the day.  You heat yourself up and then you run outside and jump into the ice/snow.  And yes, it's with clothes on since nearly 1/3 of our population is women.  And as they say, "We just don't want to see it!"  I doubt I'll get to do this - but in the winter they compete in the "300" sprint.  Essentially you sit in the 200 degree sauna, and then you run outside into the -100 degree air; a 300 degree spread.  We may hit -100 one day towards the end of February.  But normally, during the austral summer, it doesn't quite get that cold.  So a "300" sprint may not be in my future.  

I'll leave you with a bit of a funny moment that took place earlier this week.  I mentioned in my last blog, the civilian camp located about 2 miles away from us.  Civilians that pay upwards of $75,000 to fly in, spend the night, get their picture taken at the pole, and then fly out!  Well, sometimes, they desire to come over the visit the elevated station.  Such was the case this past week.  After recv'ing permission, they walked in, and proceeded to take the tour n'force!  When they got to my medical space, they walked in and proceeded to spend 10 minutes fascinated with my capabilities, resources, and potential moments of shear fear!  I enjoyed speaking with them, and showing them the clinic.  However, what I should have done is ask for donations!  These are some RICH people, and you could tell from the extreme weather gear they had on - no expense was spared.  There was a group of 12 that included a couple adorned in gold from India, and beautiful single woman from Norway that had makeup on, a distingushed gentleman from South Africa, and a young guy of about 35, that was constantly taking pictures.  I got the biggest laugh from him, when he turned to me at the end and asked (I believe seriously), "Doctor, do you do botox or plastic surgery here?"  Danny, the nurse practitioner that was standing near me, quickly excused himself, trying not to bust out loud.  I kept my calm, and answered with a smile on my face, "It would be difficult to have exquisite healing in such a dry environment."  He nodded in the affirmative, turned and joined the rest of the group.  And there you have it - a day in the life of your South Pole Physician.  Here for everything from major trauma, to dealing with homesickness, to performing a bit of nip-n-tuck after-hours!  

Next time, "CRYO, SPT, MAPO, ARO, and ICECUBE."