Weather Observer Barry shares some scenery of the skies and grounds around Casey

Longer nights and spectacular sights

A few weeks ago, we officially entered the winter part of our tour. This really hit home when we wound our clocks back from UTC+11 (Hobart time) to UTC+8 (Perth time).

This brought some normality to the station – experiencing daylight and night at familiar times. The days are rapidly getting shorter.

We are the 75th ANARE at Casey station. Apart from the time change we experience a huge transition of population size: from the bustling 100+ persons at the height of summer, we are now down to 30, which is still the most expeditioners to winter at Casey.

Now the days are shortening by 7 minutes a day. We will be at the winter solstice on June 21st when the sun will rise at 11:25am and set at 1:54pm. Keep in mind that at its meridian it will be only 1 degree above the horizon.

The winter period is a great time to hone our photography skills. Last week was the inaugural, informal meeting of the Casey Camera Club. Hopefully we will have plenty of clear skies to witness and record the amazing Aurora Australis which peaks around Antarctic latitudes. So far, we have had a couple of clear sky nights.

Also, we have had a proactive start for getting off station to experience the spectacular scenery. Already there have been several trips to the Browning Peninsula to experience the last of the elephant seals moulting in their wallows. The added bonus is a closer look at the Vanderford and Peterson Glaciers.

The weather in Antarctica is something to behold. The extremes of wind, temperature and snow, and the combination of all 3, are on show every day. Casey is unique in that it lies just northwest of Law Dome. This dome of ice rises to a peak of 1395 m (4580 ft), with the peak around 100 km from Casey. When polar lows pass near to the Casey area, they generally increase the easterly flow. This easterly flow is forced over and around Law Dome, often resulting in a standing wave in the lee of the dome. This results in some spectacular and dynamic cloud formations in the ‘ridge’ of the standing wave as shown in the photos.

Until next time – Barend (Barry) Becker - Senior Weather Observer

A towering cloud formation in the sky, appearing as flat layers rising from a fluffy base, widening out on top, with a nebulous column rising through the middle
A cloud formation reaching a very great height in the sky. It has many wavelike layers, all seeming to converge downward to a point on the horizon
A person stands just outside the doorway of a large shed carrying a weather balloon in one hand. An enormous, layered cloud formation takes up half the sky in the background
An A319 passenger plane is parked on a snowy plain. A long queue of people wearing yellow and black weatherproof clothing and carrying hand luggage is walking towards the stairs leading up to the plane's rear door
The A319 plane starting its take-off from an ice runway, raising a long plume of snow behind it
An elephant seal relaxing on snow-covered ground. There are many nicks and scratches in its hide
A small blue iceberg, largely coated with snow, floating close to shore in water covered with plates and sheets of grey-white ice. A snow-covered hill rises in the background
A brown seal with a pendulous snout lies in water amidst plates of floating ice. The seal is yawning widely, showing a red mouth and yellow fangs
A herd of large, brown seals lies on a snow-covered, rocky beach. Four people stand in the background at a distance from the seals
The edges of a glacier, appearing as craggy shelves of ice marbled blue and white, abutting a steel-grey ocean
An ocean cove, water covered with interlocking plates of thin ice. In the foreground, a young seal rests on snow-covered rocks at the shore. In the background are a few steep hills
An ocean cove, water covered with plates and wide sheets of newly-formed ice. A group of penguins stands on one side of the cove. Rocky hills line the shore at the other side of the cove
Two people walking through a wind scour - a channel carved by wind over the ages, like a snow-lined gorge with a rock wall on one side and an ice wall on the other
The Aurora Australis in the sky above a signpost and flagpoles. It appears as ribbons of green light, with maroon upper edges fading flame-like into the night
The Aurora Australis in the sky above a signpost, flagpoles and a shed. It appears like lakes and bands of green light, fading through dull red on their upper edges into a starry night sky
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