More about a perfect dive hole

The BEST dive hole in 2011 was the last one fashioned, just days before we pulled out of Explorers Cove. Named "the Stockton site" in honor of Dr. Bill Stockton, fellow Antarctic researcher, this hole was made overnight using two Hotsies operating simultaneously.

Laura serves as a scale marker next to the Stockton hole

Bill mapped the density of the Antarctic scallop Adamussium colbecki on the seafloor back in the late 70's/early 80's, and we repeated his survey to see if there have been any changes since that time. This hole exposed an area where Bill reported as many as 80 scallops per square meter -- a huge density.

Adamussium colbecki

I'll report back with the findings once they're published. (Hint: yup, there were changes ...)

Everything ... in its right place

Making uniformly wide (= safe) dive holes through the sea ice in Antarctica has always been a major challenge. For example, at our research sites at Explorers Cove, the sea ice is usually 8-21 feet (roughly 3-7 meters) thick, and layered with wind-blown sediment from the Taylor Valley - factors that create a host of problems. Blasting holes with dynamite worked well in the past, but in this post-9/11 world it is a logistical nightmare to use explosives. The only reasonable option is to slowly melt a dive hole using a Hotsie. Unfortunately, the Hotsie is a gizmo that wasn't designed for this purpose: it's a glorified carpet steam cleaner!

Keeping a Hotsie functional for the 2-3 days needed to melt a hole requires vigilance (and a toolkit). Recently, we've resorted to belief in "order" in order to keep it working.

To wit:

Now that we align its components in orderly ways, with expression of great love and devotion to the Hotsie, we are cranking out perfect dive holes. (Well, almost 50% of the time.)

I'm thinking of starting a new religion ...