Kevin's Antartica article

[Paulo Bizarro]

Kevin, congratulations on a nice article, enjoyable reading, and wonderful images. As an aside, I would like to point out that your mention of "so much for global warming" with regards to lots of snow, is not entirely correct. I read that in the last 50 or 60 years, the temperature in Antartica has risen by 1 or 2 degrees centigrade.

This warming up eventually leads to more snow; some penguin colonies are actually being affected by this extra snow, as it buries their eggs. And then when the snow melts, the ground gets all mushy, and can destroy the eggs. This makes the penguins more stressed, of course. Not good news...

[LesPalenik]

Very interesting read with spectacular images from an amazing trip.
Thank you Kevin, for taking the time to document your expedition.

[mcbroomf]

Great article Kevin, and an excellent cover image.

[Isaac]

From what we are hearing there has been a huge amount of snow over the winter here. So much for global warming.

Raberized science ;-)

"a huge amount of snow" one winter is about weather not climate change.

[michael]

Raberized science ;-)

"a huge amount of snow" one winter is about weather not climate change.

Come on! Give Kevin a break.

Climate change is clearly visible in Antarctica. Just read some reputable scientific articles.

Cheech.

[Isaac]

To be charitable I took Kevin's comment to be an intentional joke.

If we were to take his comment seriously, don't you think his words -- "So much for global warming." -- would imply he'd concluded climate change was nonsense?

[Christoph C. Feldhaim]

Awesome images, especially that birds with the iceberg.
I'd be terribly proud to have taken such a shot, be it in Antartica or whereever.
Lots of gems in this gallery.

[nutcracker]

Great article, great image as usual from Kevin. Kevin well knows that climate changes - just a short few months ago he was photographing in the high Arctic, where high cliffs of sedimentary rock including extensive coal seams towered above modern man.
Nothing new really about climate changing, always has done, always will do, maybe maybe to some degree because of us, and certainly despite us.

[churly]

Great photo essay!!

[Tim J]

This was a very enjoyable article to read Kevin. You provided some great photos and insights that helped me imagine what it was like to be there. I get seasick easily so I shuttered a couple of times imagining some of those conditions. What an amazing and fun adventure. I did notice that in a couple of places you called the ship the Polar Explorer instead of the Polar Pioneer. Not a big deal but I was just wondering if I was missing something here. Thanks for the sharing this article and your fantastic photos.

-Tim

[aragdog]

Kevin really great article and I would give anything to be able to go there.  I have some health issues that would prevent it.  So I can just dream.

[HSway]

Antarctica truly is a remarkable place. Shaped by unique forces and adaptations adding to the incredible richness of diversity on our live, ever changing planet.
I just came across yet lower temperature a man was able to record on this side of the world which is over - 93 Celsius (- 135 F)
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/antarctica-sets-new-cold-weather-record-of-93-2-c-1.2457494

Iceberg and Birds – a brilliant capture..

[laughingbear]

Come on! Give Kevin a break.

Climate change is clearly visible in Antarctica. Just read some reputable scientific articles.

Cheech.

Hi Michael,

Allow me to add some.... yes it is clearly visible, particulary in the Antarctic Penninsula region, a key location for global warming observations, besides the dramatic decline of krill happening there.



As for reputable scientific articles:

http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/met/SCAR_ssg_ps/ACCE_25_Nov_2009.pdf

Best
Georg

[Josh-H]

For those of you who may be interested I just published my trip report from the Antarctica expedition I lead this year that Kevin joined me on. We had some incredible experiences and I totally agree with Kevin. The Lemaire was one of the finest days of my life. REPORT.

[jeremyrh]

Thanks, Josh - fabulous pictures. I'm the most sea-sick person in the world (I got queasy in the Panama Canal) but I'm thinking it may be worth it to go there ...

[NancyP]

I would LOVE to go. Damn that Raynaud's tendency (occasional spasm of digital artery resulting in cold numb finger or toe, had this since I was a kid, I am fine with ordinary 0 to -10 C cold).

I recommend seeing a movie that is making the rounds in documentary sections of film festivals this year:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/antz/antarctica-a-year-on-ice-documentary-feature-film
Anthony Powell, narrator and photographer, is an Antarctica Old Hand who is a radio communications technician with a hobby of time-lapse photography and regular access to remote unmanned transmitter sites all over Antarctica. He drops off a camera and power supply on his maintenance rounds, picks it up on the next rounds. Fascinating film, and fascinating man - he presented his film at the St. Louis Film Festival.

[Josh-H]

I am fine with ordinary 0 to -10 C cold).

Antarctica in summer hovers usually around 0 Celsius. Can be a lot colder with wind chill though.

[NancyP]

Antarctica winter looks spectacular, even more so than the summer, but is decidedly brutal. See the film. frozensouth.com   

The occasional Raynaud's episode, entirely unpredictable, is more of a concern for ordinary winter camping and hiking. I tend to pay plenty of attention to the Ten Essentials in winter.