Tuesday, December 23, 2014

The Packing List

Although I knew there was a good probability I would be traveling to Antarctica this winter, a lot can happen beforehand that can either delay or cancel the trip altogether (i.e., funding issues, health problems, etc.). Once I got the official word for this winter, I knew there would be a lot to purchase in a relativity short time. Complicating matters is the fact that you are only allowed 75 pounds of luggage, so you need to make sure what you pack will be of use. 

Fortunately, you are provided a list with items to bring (see below). Here's an abbreviated version:

Clothing:                                                            Miscellaneous:
Pants                                                                   Alarm clock
Glasses (eye and sun)                                        Batteries
Jacket, warm windbreaker                                  Camera/camera batteries
Pants/jeans                                                         Coffee mug
Shirts, light wool or fleece, long-sleeve               Day pack
Sock liners                                                           Laundry bag
Socks (heavy)                                                      Memory stick
Sunglasses                                                          Toiletries
Sweaters (heavy and light)                                  Water bottle
Towel and washcloth                                           Ziploc bags
Underwear (thermal top and bottom)                   Sunblock
Flip flops for shower

At first glance the list might seem a little light, especially if you’re going to spend a lot of time outside in the cold.  Fortunately, the government outfits you with your “cold weather” gear in New Zealand (more to come later).

Furthermore, some items seem straightforward while some others might come as a surprise. For example, thermal underwear, sweaters and heavy socks seem logical while sunblock and sunglasses might not.

Sunglasses and sunblock not only help protect your eyes and exposed skin from sunlight reflected off of snow and ice but also protect you from increased UV radiation in Antarctica. This increased UV radiation is the result of a relative lack of ozone or the “ozone hole” in the upper atmosphere (i.e., stratosphere) above the continent. Under normal conditions, the ozone layer in the stratosphere absorbs most of this harmful incoming UV radiation from the sun, which can lead to skin cancers. We typically use sunblock or sunglasses in the summertime to protect ourselves from the remaining UV radiation that makes it past the ozone layer.

The ozone hole over Antarctica is largely due to excess bromide and chlorine accumulating in the stratosphere from the use of ozone depleting substances (ODP), such as chlorofluorocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons, freons, and halons.  These ODPs are typically used as refrigerants in air conditioners or freezers, solvents, or fire retardants (i.e., chemicals used to put out fires). In the winter time, global winds help these harmful chemicals accumulate in the stratosphere above Antarctica. In the spring time, a reaction between these chemicals, sunlight, and the ozone itself causes it to breakdown. This is bad news as it lets through much more UV radiation than what is expected in normal conditions. Due to this increased risk of exposure to UV radiation, you are not recommended to go outside in Antarctica without sunglasses and sunblock!


Figure 1. View of the ozone concentrations in Antarctica in 2012 (Source: NASA). Areas colored in blue exhibit much lower ozone concentrations than those colored in green, yellow and red.