April 5, 2005

Funded by the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs

Location: 62° 16.942 S., 58° 45.279 W

Temperature: 2C

"Core on Deck!"

The sampling tool went down the drill pipe toward the ocean floor and the count down began. The driller was calling out over the radio the distance to the ocean floor, then the distance of the core sample on its way back to the deck. The updates were not coming soon enough. The drilling superintendent was on the deck hugging the pipe, listening for the core that was on the way up, as if not completely trusting the technology. Many years of hard work and preparations for SHALDRIL were riding on this moment.

The air compressor let out an ear-piercing hiss as if to announce proudly the arrival of the first core. The core was carefully lowered to the helicopter deck. John Anderson, our chief scientist, was visibly overjoyed and ran out in the snowy Antarctic night in short sleeves claiming not to feel the cold; I do believe that at that moment of great excitement he did not. One of the scientists got on her knees and was lovingly wiping the wet and muddy core. It was a labor of love.

The core samples have been coming nearly hourly since. Enthusiasm among the scientists is contagious. The students are coming to their assigned shift early and staying late after a night of processing core. Their faces brighten every time the radio announces: "Core on deck!"

Alex Injac

John Anderson, Ashley Lowe, Jay Ardai, Julia Smith Wellner welcome on the helicopter deck waiting for the first core.

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