Morning in McMurdo

December 1st, 2007 andrea

Yesterday I met Tia and made a plan for recording interviews with people around the base talking about their Antarctic sonic experiences. As the main point of radio contact for people at the remote field sites, Tia said that the sound of her voice sometimes becomes an important lifeline. She told me a story of how one group that was particularly remote for many weeks was inspired to write poetry celebrating the radio voices and posted the poems all over their camp site.

This binaural recording I made walking around the base this morning may give you a sense of what it feels like to be here:

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Arrival!

December 1st, 2007 andrea

About 25 of us arrived yesterday on a C-17 cargo plane. Stepping off the plane onto the ice runway at Arrival Heights was an incredible experience. The scale of McMurdo sound continues to be overwhelming. Click the image for more images of the flight and in and around McMurdo.

Here is a binaural recording I made inside the aircraft (large file – may take a while to load):

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Ready to go

November 29th, 2007 andrea

Unfortunately, despite our enthusiasm to make it to the ice as soon as possible, the weather at McMurdo didn’t cooperate and our flight was delayed until early tomorrow morning (call time – 5AM).

Tia’s report: “We are pretty socked in with weather here. I awoke this morning to find large slow snow flakes falling to the ground. It’s beautiful. If this snow stays on the ground, MacTown may look dreamy for your arrival. *grin*”

Meanwhile I took the opportunity to record a typical Christchurch park in the morning, it’s a binaural recording, so headphones are recommended for a more immersive listen.

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Interview with Dr. Wolfgang Rack

November 29th, 2007 andrea

Today I visited Gateway Antarctica at The University of Canterbury in Christchurch, a wonderful interdisciplinary department that brings students to Antarctica every year to do science and to make art. I had the pleasure of speaking with glaciologist and remote systems specialist Dr. Wolfgang Rack. Dr. Rack analyzes satellite data of the cryosphere and has worked in the field in Antarctica measuring glacial movement.

Here is the recorded interview:

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Interview with IPCC author Dr. Andreas Fischlin

November 15th, 2007 andrea

I had the opportunity to speak with Systems Ecology Scientist Dr. Andreas Fischlin. As a coordinating lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, he is a co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. Here is the recorded interview:

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