The Great Katabatic Experience

                               

After staying in a holding pattern around Franklin Island, the katabatic winds prevented us from attempting a safe landing, so off we sailed north to the Drygalski Ice Tongue. 

Wind is a constant feature in Antarctica – many of the rocks show intense weathering from wind erosion, as does my face after I have been outside for any great length of time in the Antarctic cold!  Katabatic winds originate from the Polar Plateau, where the Transantarctic Mountains which split Antarctica into East and West are found.  They form when cold, dense air slides off the icecap under the influence of gravity, and can reach up to 150km/hour!  We certainly felt them coming off the land – one side of the ship was frozen very quickly, with icicles forming on the railings and the portholes.

Those adventurous enough (or foolhardy, depending on how you look at it) to venture outside found themselves hanging onto the railings for fear of being blown across the deck and over the railings on the other side!

Just as quickly as these katabatic winds arrive, they can dissipate, and by the time we reached the Drygalski Ice Tongue (DIT) at around 7am, the sun was out, the sky nearly cloudless and the seas gentle.  A stark contrast to the Ross Ice Shelf (RIS), the DIT represents a tongue of ice protruding into the sea at the termination of a glacier on the coastline.  It is much more rugged looking than the RIS, with lots of bits looking like they are very ready to break off into icebergs.

During the night, the katabatic winds rose again, and although the night’s sleep was good, I could hear the wind howling through the porthole, and in the morning the glass was coated with tiny ice crystals.  An effective way for facial dermabrasion, if I had thought of it earlier!