Dale Andersen’s Astrobiology Antarctic Status Report: 23/24 October 2024: Traverse Update

Keith’s note: Astrobiologist Dale Andersen is back in Antarctica at Lake Untersee for another field season of Research (preview). Dale’s work is coordinated through the SETI Institute. We’ll be posting his updates here. You can read about his prior exploits here.

Dale: The last few days have been very productive. We’ve gathered all our cargo and gear, packed the traverse sleds, and are ready to head out. Tomorrow morning, after breakfast, we’ll begin our journey from Novolazarevskaya Station to Lake Untersee. If all goes smoothly, we should arrive about six hours after departure, but that will depend on snow and ice conditions, how often we stop for breaks, and so on.

Once we arrive, we’ll need to set up shelter quickly to prepare for some potentially rough weather early next week. The forecast for Friday night shows wind gusts of 30-40 knots, and by next Tuesday, they’re expected to reach over 60 knots with snow. Despite the challenges, we’re eager to get to work!

More updates soon,
Dale

Keith’s 24 October 2024 update: at 10:30 am EDT Dale Updated his traverse stays via Garmin InReach:

Arrived Untersee, all ok. 

Keith’s 24 October 2024 update: at 7:30 am EDT Dale Updated his traverse stays via Garmin InReach.

Keith’s note: Astrobiologist Dale Andersen is heading back to Antarctica – and Lake Untersee for another field season of Research. Dale’s work is coordinated through the SETI Institute. We’ll be posting his updates here. You can read about his prior exploits here.

Dale and I have been proving research updates – from Antarctica – since 1996. We think we actually had the first webserver (located in my old condo) updated from Antarctica. More details here: Andersen’s 1996 Antarctic Field Research Photo Albums

Astrobiology