Monday, December 17, 2007

Here are some pictures from the area around McMurdo:In the background you see Mt. Erebus , the most active volcano on Antarctica. You can see the steam coming out of the top. However, the lava is not very thick, so it is not likely to clog and cause an eruption.

A seal warms itself in the sun on the ice covering the Ross Sea. Since the temperature hasn't been very cold, the ice is starting to melt. This happens every summer when the temperatures get warmer. Just imagine a summer where the temperature is just barely above freezing! The roads that cross the ice have been closed, since the ice is no longer thick enough to carry the weight of a truck or airplane.

These shacks get pulled onto the ice, so that the scientists studying the sea underneath can stay warm.