This week at Davis: 2 September 2016

Over the past few nights we have been treated to some magnificent auroral displays. Last nights predicted G1 geomagnetic storm did indeed eventuate and the skies above Davis were a sight to behold, for those of us keen to observe and photograph in the icy cold conditions with temperatures down to around −30°C (even colder with wind chill).

The current activity is not due to a solar flare but to high speed winds emanating from a large coronal hole on the surface of the sun that is now facing Earth.

Activity is predicted to occur for the next few nights so it will be no sleep again for the local aurora hunters.

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Four of us recently visited Bandits for a few nights over the weekend. As our journey back was on one of those perfect Antarctic days, we stopped at several localities to marvel at the array of amazing icebergs. The icebergs are currently frozen in an area known locally as Iceberg Alley.

Within this section of sea ice between waypoints BR02 and BR03 (a distance of approximately 11 kilometres), several shallow reefs offshore from the various headlands and islands of the Vestfold Hills help to lock in large (originally) tabular bergs of all shapes and sizes, which are in various states of decay.

To travel from one point to another is a matter of finding the safest most open route through this jumble of ice — one thing you cannot do is blindly follow the GPS!