Natalie (Talie) Morrison continues to keep us updated on living life in the darkness and cold.  The bleakness of Antarctica brings about a beauty unlike any other in the world.  Here is her story of life on the ice.

Update: It is still dark 24 hours a day and very cold but we are getting a faint bit of light over the ridge to the North. So we know the sun is coming. I hiked the ridge last week with friends and we saw just a little bit of color to the North!  I can still hike in about -35°F (-37°C) degree temperatures but found that -50°F(-45°C) is way too cold!  And both temperatures are unbearable if the wind is blowing!

The Science of Living in Antarctica: This seems like a good time to write about polar T3 Syndrome. It is a mental affliction that affects most winter-over personnel in Antarctica. T3 is one of the hormones produced by the thyroid. The thyroid gland regulates your metabolism and governs the speed at which your body uses energy for varying functions. Researchers believe that living in extreme cold climates, such as Antarctica, causes the muscles to hoard thyroid hormones in order to warm the body at the expense of the brain. Whenever the concentration of thyroid hormones in the blood dip too low (hypothyroidism) the body's metabolism slows down and fatigue, poor memory, weight gain and depression set in. Dulled thinking, lethargy, and mood disturbances are also symptoms of polar T3 Syndrome. So when someone forgets something we just look at each other and exclaim, "T3!"  While those of us in Antarctica find a humorous way of dealing with a serious problem, I have found myself writing down anything I need to remember. I have also become religious about taking vitamin D. There has been some research indicating vitamin D deficiency might affect the severity of T3. So bear with me when I act like a "space cadet!"

Science continues even during the dark months and that doesn't include being T3 guinea pigs. I watched Albert P. Crary Science and Engineering Center, McMurdo Station shoot a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) the other day. It's the same as radar or sonar, but uses light instead of radio or sound. Basically, they shoot a big, green laser beam through the roof of Crary Laboratories. It was cool to see a laser reaching heights of 25 miles (40 km) into the air - I tried to get a photo of it but it didn't turn out very well. The LIDAR sends back information about what is happening in the atmosphere. The data is used to study the ozone layer and nacreous clouds. Brian, the lab tech, shoots the beam most nights when the skies are clear, but you have to be close to the source of the beam and be looking closely to really see it.

Living Antarctic History: I decided to spend the night with friends at the A-Frame. This historical structure is where Sir Edmund Hillary, a renowned New Zealand explorer, spent a night in January 2007. On the back wall is a picture frame with a quote from Sir Ed commemorating 50 years of exploration in Antarctica, "It's been terrific to be here - it's been 50 years and I can hardly believe it. It's been a great occasion in a fabulous place with the skies clear and Mt. Erebus over there and us sitting here in considerable comfort full of Scotch and wine - but we're prepared to suffer these things because of the importance of the occasion. But the day passed, time has moved along and it seems to me it's about time I went to bed." The skies weren't clear last weekend, nor could we see Mt. Erebus in the dark. We did have the considerable comfort of wine and friends and it certainly is terrific to be here.

Further Reading:

• Letters from Antarctica: Interview with Penguin Researcher David Ainley
• Letters from Antarctica: A Night in a Harrowing Storm
• Letters from Antarctica - Interview with a Climate Modeller
• Letters from Antarctica: The ANDRILL Project
• Letters from Antarctica: A Night on the Ice
• Letters from Antarctica: Education Ambassadors