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Z - F I D S N E W S L E T T E R No. 50 01 Dec 2021
Editor: Andy Smith (email andy@zfids.org.uk)
Website: www.zfids.org.uk
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Well I suppose Z-Fids Newsletter Number 50 is something of a milestone.
I started this series of email newsletters in 2004, the first one
being sent out on 29th June of that year, to 325 people (the current
mailing list is 452). The main purpose at that time was to distribute
advance news about Z-50, the celebration of 50 years since Halley Bay
had been founded. Z-50 was subsequently held in Northampton, 14-15th
October 2006, and was attended by 388 people. Besides news about Z-50,
the first issue of the newsletter had Midwinter greetings from the 2004
wintering party at Halley-5, and a note about the launch of a
competition to design Halley-6. Back numbers of all the Z-Fids
Newsletters (except the most recent) may be found on the Z-Fids
website.
You may be wondering why I am sending this out so soon after the last
Newsletter. It is to bring you up to date with what is happening this
season at Halley, information which was not available when Newsletter
No. 49 went to press. So this one is a bit of a one-off.
News from Halley
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David Hunt, the Halley Ops Manager & Station Leader, has sent us the
following report [My comments in brackets]. Many thanks for that,
David.
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Halley Update Nov 2021
Due to the ongoing global pandemic all personnel for the 21-22 had to
do 2 weeks quarantine in Cape Town before transfer to Halley. It was
intended to take a team of 36, but this was reduced to 35 when 1 person
failed a PCR test at Heathrow on the way South. The initial input team
of four also went through Cape Town in an effort to de-couple our
reliance on Rothera logistics which is experiencing high demand due to
the ongoing Thwaites collaboration [a major logistic-intensive UK-US
study of the Thwaites Glacier west of the Peninsula and its potential
role in sea-level rise]. The initial intention was for the open-up
team to be on the ground around the 1st Nov with the main input around
the 18th. Season end and uplift is intended as 10th Feb 22 for main
uplift and 24th Feb for close-down crew.
The main focus of the season will be to:
* Raise all infrastructure - Nothing was raised during 20-21 season.
* Restart, service and refuel the micro-turbine - This failed in
August, but we are confident we know what the problem was and can
protect against this in future.
* Raise and re-align VSAT [satellite communications] Dome.
* Service Automated Science instruments
* Raise and service LOH [Lifetime of Halley] network (this is the
network of automated GPS sites that monitor the stability of the ice
shelf and allow us continuous monitoring to ensure personnel safety)
* Receive airdrop of approx. 600 drums of Avtur
* Ongoing investigation of possible relief sites for the 22-23 season
Micro-turbine
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The micro-turbine failed in August due, we think, to a prolonged period
of below -53. This was of course a disappointment but having run
successfully for the two previous winters is still regarded as a major
success and step forward in power generation at Halley. There will be
some improvements and upgrades made this season which we would expect
to overcome this type of issue in the future.
Chasm 1
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As reported last time [see Z-Fids Newsletter No. 48], the West Brunt is
amazingly still there. Chasm 1 and cracks propagating from The Rumples
have now pretty much joined, but still no calving event. There is little
change in the propagation of Halloween Crack. There was a calving to the
North of Halloween crack resulting in iceberg A74 [for details, see link
on the 2018+ page of the website] which although bumping down the West
Brunt, had little effect and is now some way away in the Weddell Sea.
Season so far
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* 16th Oct Input team of four arrive CT [Cape Town] for quarantine
* 20th Oct Input team fly by Gulfstream jet to Wolf's Fang blue ice
runway [operated by the White Desert company at 71o31'S 8o48'E]
* 2nd Nov Main PAX group arrive CT for quarantine
* 6th Nov - After a cold and somewhat frustrating week at WFR [Wolf's
Fang Runway], open-up crew arrive Halley via White Desert Twin Otter
* 6th Nov to 17th Nov - Life support systems and skiway brought online
* 17th Nov - Main PAX input via White Desert Baslar
Since the main PAX input we have been pretty much hunkered down waiting
out a couple of strong storms which have blown through. These should
have blown out by Thursday so that hopefully we can crack on with the
season in earnest.
All the best David Hunt - Halley Ops Manager & Station Leader
[24 Nov 2021]
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[Since this was written, the power has been restored and the data began
flowing again on 25th November]. For the current weather use the
relevant link in the Links section of the Z-Fids home page, which is
now working again. In the same section is a link to the current webcam
view]
Andy
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