This week at Macquarie Island station, 13 November 2009
This weeks' Macca news from Dean, Marine Ecologist
Icebergs!!!!!!
Well it seems that Eve, our station doctor, was on to something in the last issue of the This week at Macca when she wrote about the first of the icebergs to grace the island in a week.
When referring to the first and smallest of them grounded off Handspike Point she suggested that it might have calved off a bigger one that could still be out there. Well it was out there alright and subsequently passed the island on the morning of November 5. Not only was it massive, but it seems to have become an international story and our little island home is suddenly in the spotlight.
At over 500m long and floating 50m above the water, the iceberg literally looked like an island. Bear in mind also that only about 1/8 is visible above the water, so its actual size would have been much, much bigger. It is possible, according to Eve's research in the last issue, that this may be the largest iceberg ever spotted from the island.
The giant iceberg that floated past on November 5, 2009.
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Australian Antarctic Division glaciologist, Neal Young, said it's uncommon for icebergs to be so far north. "The iceberg is likely to be part of one of the big ones that calved from the Ross Ice Shelf nearly a decade ago," Dr Young said. "Throughout the year several icebergs have been drifting slowly northwards with the ocean current towards Macquarie Island. We know there are also a few more icebergs 100-200 kilometres to the west of the island."
The very next day after this big discovery we had another iceberg ground itself on the west coast, which was a delight for expeditioners staying at the Bauer Bay Hut. Although not as big, its beauty was on par and many photos were taken. If Eve's predictions were correct, it is possible that all three icebergs were of the same origin. Since then we have all been extra vigilant of the horizon, but another has not been spotted yet.
The third iceberg at Bauer Bay.
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Rabbit Proofing
TASPAWS staff Dave and Alena have been busy this week carrying out repairs to the rabbit proof fence, which prevents large numbers of rabbits from moving across the Isthmus and onto North Head, one of the few remaining areas of the island which is relatively free of rabbits.
Corrosion from almost constant salt-laden winds, and the activities of boisterous elephant seals have take their toll on the fence over recent months, necessitating a bit of maintenance. Dave and Alena have also been putting the finishing touches to the sections of boardwalk for the temporary field huts that will be deployed as part of the rabbit eradication project next year.
Helen has been out in the field undertaking the brown skua census and will be joined by Dave and Alena later in the week.
Alena hard at it in the elements.
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Dave keeping the rabbits out!
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Aurora
On Sunday November 8 Macquarie Island expeditioners were delighted when a display of the aurora australis filled the southern and eastern skies. The auroral activity which continued well into the night lit the sky with brilliant curtains and rays of green light. Although it is not uncommon for auroral activity to occur over the island, it is rare to have a clear cloudless night so we can see it! We all look forward to seeing some more this summer.
Macca station being bathed in green light.
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First fur seal pup for the season
This week has also welcomed the arrival of the first fur seal pup which was born on the night of November 8, marking the start of the Antarctic fur seal breeding season.
In the past week we have seen many large and very healthy looking males battle it out for the right to defend a harem of females which have only just started to arrive.
In approximately three weeks we should see the same scenario play out for the sub-antarctic fur seals. The fur seal research team is hoping that pup births will be up on last years' total of 219 to make this season the best on record.
Mum and pup are doing just fine.
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New Electrolyser
The Met Bureau crew have been busy this week changing over the old, rather rusty electrolyser with a refurbished model. This has involved removing the electrolyser cells that generate the Hydrogen gas for the upper air program from the old unit, disconnecting much of the pipework from the old unit and then removing it from the generator shed using rollers and the ever-reliable JCB.
Stevo and moving the electrolyser
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Graham, Duds and Stevo around new electrolyser
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The newer unit was then installed in much the same way, with Graham now working at putting the refurbished electrolyser back together. All JSA's done appropriately.
As usual, this is but a glimpse of the fantastic and exciting things we get up to here. Till next week ;)
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