Short Days and NASA Astronauts

On Monday the 28th March as I walked to the weather office the sun was rising over the ice plateau to the east. By the time I took the temperature readings from the instrument shelter the sun was up. It was -9 degrees C.

Sunrise at Mawson

On my way home at 18:45 the sun was just setting in the west.  I had taken the long days for granted. One day later traveling at the same times I arrived at work before sunrise and left after it had set. We are losing 8 minutes of sunlight each day and that number is accelerating until our last day of sunlight (13th June) we lose 22 minutes.

Sunset at Mawson

The shortening days will affect the normal circadian rhythms for all of us. Changes to sleep patterns, how we feel, eat etc. As it turns out NASA, the space people, are interested in how periods of constant darkness will affect astronauts when on long missions such as to mars. NASA, Antarctic Division and Monash University have set up a study to monitor these and other factors on the wintering crews at Australian Antarctic bases.

 

NASA Astronaut

We have become guinea pigs. Luckily the data they are collecting is non-invasive however it does change the way we plan our day.

For 48 hours once a month we collect our urine into our orange 3 litre container provided for the purpose. From each 4 hour collection we pipette a sample into a tube to be frozen and later analysed. We complete a log sheet of all the details - times, volumes etc. as well as a  work and sleep log of quality and hours of sleep,  amount of caffeine consumed during the day etc.

In 2 days the average person moves about a lot. At Mawson, movement is from building to building or for the tradespeople to different parts of the station is no trivial task. Climbing in and out of cold weather gear every time we enter or leave a building. So during the collection phase you see people wandering around with their 3 litre bottle in hand or stuffed under their jacket. Conversations are ended abruptly with comments like 'I’d love to stay but my bottle is in the Red Shed and I have to go.....' 

And it’s not only urine samples, we also do a 25 minute alertness and psychological assessment on computer 4 times a day during the testing period.There is also a watch like device called an Actiwatch worn on the wrist during the winter months for monitoring light, body temperature, heart rate etc

For the sake of Science!

Only 7 to go!

Arrival.

Well it’s not quite arrival! I have been at Mawson station now since Monday 28th February 2011 almost a month. Information on the trip from Hobart on the Aurora Australis will be added later.

But before that here is a bit about the present. I will touch Mawson's interesting features on in future notes. 

The 19 of us who are wintering have over the last 4 weeks has been settling into our work, and getting the station ready for the coming winter and actively doing Fire, Search and Rescue and Survival training. The last of summer visitors left via 3 helicopters to Davis station on 12th March. 

 

Where do we live - The Red shed is a two storey accommodation building from the early eighties. It includes sleeping quarters, laundry and bathrooms as well as doctor’s surgery, operating theatre and small hospital. The kitchen and dining area, recreation area including a bar, pool room, library and small theatre are located at one end. A small home brewery operates in the basement. 

 Basic Services - The station is powered by 2 wind turbines as well as diesel generators. Water comes from melted ice and melt streams in the summer. Sewerage is treated on station and all solids burnt as well as burnable waste. Recyclable and non burnable rubbish are returned to Australia. A chef prepares food, a doctor provides medical services and trades people keep the station ticking over.

Station crew make up the fire and rescue service. 

Where I work - I work at the weather station. Measurements taken from Mawson and other Antarctic stations are used by global computer models for accurate forecasts for up to a week ahead. The long term climate data is also very important in helping to understand changes to global climate including temperatures. On a day to day basis Mawson weather is cold and very windy. Having to climb in and out of cold weather cloths every time you go outside takes a lot of getting used to. 

Mawson is located on a rocky part of the coast and on Horseshoe Harbour. The scenery away from the station is spectacular with the plateau rising behind the station to the south and glaciers to the east and west of horseshoe harbour. The sea has been frozen over since last autumn for about 70 km off the coast.