Part I- "McMurdo Station" by

• Main Author: Stephen C. Nold
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Austral; McMurdo Station; Antarc*; Antarctica; midnight sun
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.380.9056; http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/files/coliforms.pdf

Sally Freeley bounced in her seat as the C-130's powerful turboprops screamed to life, pulling the cargo plane down the runway. After months of planning, she checked her mental lists, knowing it was too late to go back. She took comfort in knowing her scientific equipment was secure in the hold. Sally was heading to Antarctica for the 2002 field season. Re-supply was impossible, so she needed everything in perfect order for the next three months of field work. The brief austral summer is October through January. Only then does the midnight sun warm the coast to-15ºC (5ºF), balmy enough for a dedicated group of scientists to study the coldest continent on Earth. Scientists like Sally have alerted us to the growing hole in the ozone layer, discovered cold-loving life forms, and demonstrated the importance of polar oceans in global carbon and oxygen cycles. Sally would spend her next three months at McMurdo Station. This facility offers 1,100 seasonal scientists warm meals, a place to sleep, logistical support such as air and surface transportation, and laboratory space. Funded by the U.S. government, the National Science Foundation (NSF) oversees the management of McMurdo's daily operations. 1 Several months before, Sally's boss had stopped outside her office. "Sally, I just got a call from NSF. The polar programs office is concerned about how McMurdo Station is managing its waste. It turns out