Antarctica 2008

November, 2008

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Nov. 1 - Message from Ms. Ellwood "Hello RJH! I am sending you warm wishes from way down south! I just wanted to let you know that I've done 5 dives (with about 15 more in the waiting line!) and NOT ONE DROP of Antarctic water has gotten into my dry suit! I cannot thank you enough for your contributions to help keep me dry, and thus markedly warmer! Thank you Thank you Thank you! Have fun and I'll see you all soon!"						It was cold today! (Read aloud)
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How many ways can you figure to get air to the divers? (Read aloud)	Hal, oh Hal!   (Read Aloud)	Progress with Hal!	3ºF Never Felt So Warm! (Audio)	Ian saw it first! (video) (Read aloud)	A successful diving day!	Lights!
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Light, camera, .. (Video) (Read Aloud)	Lights, camera, action! (Read Aloud)	Live chat!	The robots are coming! The robots are coming!	The Colony! (Video)	ScubaDooba Doo champions first Antarctic swim! (Video)	Back to the "Bot"
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ScubaDooba Doo performs for an audience (Video)	Wanting to play in the big leagues! (video)	Now, that's a food pull!	'Check out' dive for Peter and Bill SB Update	If we build it, the robot will come!	The "Bot House" gets a blanket!	The raising of the gantry!
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A day to catch our breaths! (Videos)	Packing, packing, packing!	Bag Drag	Stuck in MacTown!

Clustr map: http://www4.clustrmaps.com/counter/maps.php?url=http://www.ryejrhigh.org/antarctica2008

email: rellwood@sau50.org

Check out what other people have asked Ms. E and her responses.

Pre-trip, 2008

Pre-trip Journals, 2008

April 22, 2008 - Earth Day; Webcast May 23, 2008 - The Birth of a Robot! May 27, 2008 - Phase One Complete May 28, 2008 - First Polar Lesson Learned; Be Flexible! May 29, 2008 - One Propeller on! May 31, 2008 - Lights, Camera, Action! June 2, 2008 - Slow and Steady! June 3, 2008 - A newfound respect for electricians . . . June 5, 2008 - SSSSSOOOOOOO Close! June 9, 2008 - Houston, we have a robot! June 10, 2008 - We have Submersion! June21, 2008 - Currently around the back-side of the Moon! June 27, 2008 - Back in Action! August 25, 2008 - The robot gets new clothes! September 6, 2008 - The robot heads SOUTH! September 15, 2008 - Video clip of the robot's pool test!

All journals

Dr. Doran's Research - McMurdo Dry Valleys Long Term Ecological Research (LTER)

Dr. Peter Doran has three primary research interests with this project in the Dry Valleys.

1) To look for signals of climate change that are occuring here in the Dry Valleys. This area is extremely sensitive, so if there are effects of climate change, they will most likely show up in the Dry Valleys early. So, if we can get accurate records of how the climate is behaving in general, then we will be able to recognize climate changes as they occur.

2) Dr. Doran is also investigating how nutrients and energy flow through this limited ecosystem. There are comparably few species of "critters" living here, so chemicals and energy are a bit easier to trace. If Dr. Doran can accurately map out energy and nutrient flow through this system, then it can be coorelated to more complex ecosystems and be used to assist with sustaining, or improving the health of all kinds of ecosystems.

3) The Dry Valley surface features are strikingly similiar to those seen on Mars. So, Dr. Doran, and NASA, are using the Dry Valleys to compare likely place where they may be, or have once been, microbrial life forms. For instance, if Dr. Doran finds evidence of current or past signs of life in a particular area in the Dry Valleys, he can match it up with similar looking features on Mars and direct NASA to search for life forms there.