Dale Anderson’s Astrobiology Antarctic Status Report: 5 November 2023: Setting up base camp at Lake Andersee

Hi Keith – We successfully traveled from the Novo Ice Runway to Lake Andersee, Antarctica, tracking our snowmobiles and vehicles across the avalanche plains. The snowmobile trip lasted about five and a half hours, with visibility poor at times due to flat light conditions. But we coped well.

However, we faced some challenges: our traverse sleds, towed by a large tracked vehicle, suffered from mechanical problems and did not reach Undersea until after midnight. For the past two days, we have been busy setting up our camp, which will serve as a home and research center for the next five to six weeks.

A panoramic view of the base camp at Lake Andersee, Antarctica – Dale Anderson

Building a strong and reliable shelter is essential, especially in an area with sudden, strong winds. I’ve also included several wide shots of our surroundings. Although the mountains appear in a straight line in these images, they actually form a complete circle around us, creating a breathtaking natural amphitheater.

We enjoy testing new things Home Planet Maverick Basecamp burns This year, traditional poles have been replaced with sophisticated air beam technology. In extreme conditions, especially in strong winds of up to 50 m/s (about 112 mph or 180 km/h), its performance is significant compared to our previous tents.

Maverick Basecamp burns at Lake Andersie – Dale Anderson

We will also use the most compact ones CAve Tent from Heimplanet For Lake’s fieldwork. These same cave tents were recently featured in Episode 208 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: „War„.

A quick inflation time of just a few minutes for these air beams could be a game-changer for us, providing rapid-deployment shelter for critical missions such as using an ROV for underwater surveys under ice or taking underwater measurements. Our Xylem YSI EXO-2 Datasonde (see This entry is from 2022 (For more information on the Xylem YSI EXO-2 Datasonde.)

Xylem YSI EXO-2 Datasonde

We are excited to embark on a journey of discovery Lake Undersea, a mysterious and untouched gem in the heart of Antarctica. Our mission is to unravel the secrets of this ancient lake and its surrounding oases, time-locked paleolake basins and permafrost that hold clues to understanding our planet’s past and future. Join us as we explore this fascinating world where science meets adventure in one of the most extreme environments on Earth.

Cheers from the shores of Lake Untersee

Dale

Base Camp at Lake Andersea, Antarctica – Dale Anderson

Previous posts from 2023

Archive All of Dale’s field reports over the years

Astronomy