First Post

Welcome to my blog! This will be my primary way of keeping my friends/family/co-workers updated while I am on my trip to Antarctica!
My mini-adventure will be from March 18 to April 6, so check back often as I will try to post pictures daily (Internet access permitting).

The purpose of my trip is to install a magnetometer at the Palmer Station for the SAMBA project.

Short Project Description: An array of latitudinally spaced magnetometers will be deployed at low latitudes along the coast of Chile. The array will include a total of 11 sites extending from the northern coast of Chile to the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. The array will provide the scientific community with much needed low latitude data from the South American continent by bridging the gap between existing chains of stations. The data are used to study the processes by which energy from the solar wind is transferred to the inner magnetosphere and generates pulsations and transient variations on the ground at low latitudes. The project is a collaborative effort between UCLA and a number of Chilean universities. Data from the array will also be used to study geomagnetic effects resulting from large solar storms.

A Timeline
Summer of 2007 I was invited by the principal investigators of the SAMBA project to participate .
Fall of 2007 Building of the magnetometer.
December 2007 Testing of the magnetometer. Since deploying a magnetometer in Antarctica uses a lot of resources, extra care was involved to make sure that the magnetometer is in good condition.
Early January Shipping of the magnetometer. The boxes go on a cargo boat from Port Hueneme, CA bound for Punta Arenas, Chile. It takes 60 days for the cargo to get there, so I'm crossing my fingers that they are waiting for me at a warehouse right now!
Late January Physical Exam. Because Antarctica is an extreme, remote environment, and medical facilities on the continent are limited, I had to go through rigorous medical and dental examinations.
February Passed my physical exams, and was issued a ticket to Punta Arenas, Chile.
March Frantically trying to get all my work done before I take off for three weeks.
Still to come Packing. Arghhh. This is the worst part of the whole trip.