Resupply and new beginnings at Mawson

Birth of an iceberg

This week we discovered that a large block of ice near station had broken completely from the plateau to form a new iceberg.

During the early summer, while the sea ice was still in, several of us witnessed the calving of a huge section of ice right next to the station near East Arm. At the time several large chunks of ice and a lot of ice rubble crashed onto the sea ice breaking right through the 1.5 metre thickness and leaving the ice strewn with ice debris.

Over the rest of the summer we have watched more ice shed and the slope change as the new berg readjusts itself. We did think it was still hinged to the ice plateau. However, with the arrival of our resupply ship Happy Dragon on Monday, one of our expeditioners flew his drone for the last time and went that way to find out what was happening. As you can see from the image a berg has been born. An amazing view from above showing water to the rear of the newly formed berg and the extent of the ice under the clear cold water of the bay in the late summer sun here at Mawson.

Ice rubble over the sea ice close to East Arm near Mawson following a fall from the nearby ice cliffs
A view of a large chunk of ice that has broken off the ice cliffs near Mawson
A large chunk of ice near the ice plateau starting to separate, becoming an ice berg
A view of the bay in front of the Red Shed at Mawson station
A view from above showing the newly formed ice berg near the cliff edge at Mawson

Mawson is resupplied

On Monday this week the MV Happy Dragon arrived at Mawson. This ship brings the resupply for Mawson, all the food and supplies that the station will need for another year.

It is two years since the station has been resupplied properly. Last year the sea ice did not retreat and the station received only minimal supplies flown in by helicopter from a distance of over 70 km.

As we (the wintering expeditioners) are down to the last packet of bacon, the ship was a welcome sight majestically entering Horseshoe Harbour for the first time.

Since then we have received nearly 80% of the cargo and have started to backfill with RTA - recycling and cargo heading back to Australia.

We are expecting a second ship, the MV Aiviq, this coming Saturday. This brings the new expeditioners and fuel to fill our nearly empty tanks. The Aiviq will also be our taxi home so this is possibly the last icynews from the 74th ANARE. Farewell from us - we know the 75th ANARE will have a great time at the premier station.

A bright yellow cargo ship in the sea with ice behind it
A view of a cargo ship and Mawson research station from the sky
A ship sits next to the research station in the ocean with the icy plateau in the distance
A large cargo ship tied up in the harbour
The cargo ship with Mawson station and the Antarctic plateau in the distance
A cargo ship tied up in the habour next to the station under perfect clear skies
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