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Take a virtual trip to Palmer Station on the West Antarctic Peninsula.
Take a virtual trip to Palmer Station on the West Antarctic Peninsula.
We will follow the journey taken by several scientists that are part of the SWARM team! We will start with the journey from the US to Antarctica.
The journey starts with a flight to Punta Arenas, Chile. Once in Chile, the scientists board a boat through the Drake Passage to Antarctica! The flight to Punta Arenas can take up to 30 hours if you leave from NY or NJ!
The journey starts with a flight to Punta Arenas, Chile. Once in Chile, the scientists board a boat through the Drake Passage to Antarctica! The flight to Punta Arenas can take up to 30 hours if you leave from NY or NJ!
Google Earth View of the Drake Passage!
The Laurence M. Gould Research Vessel carries the scientists across the Drake Passage.
Scientists share rooms when they are aboard the Gould.
The bridge allows the captains of the ship to monitor the ocean conditions.
The conditions of the Drake Passage can get a little treacherous! If the conditions are good, the scientists can cross the passage in 5 days!
The conditions of the Drake Passage can get a little treacherous! If the conditions are good, the scientists can cross the passage in 5 days!
Off the coast of the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is an underwater canyon called Palmer Deep. The location of this canyon is indicated by the red marker.
Off the coast of the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is an underwater canyon called Palmer Deep. The location of this canyon is indicated by the red marker.
Palmer Deep Canyon
Palmer Deep Canyon
How deep is this canyon?
How deep is this canyon?
1200 meters!
1200 meters!
That is 12 football fields!
That is 12 football fields!
Why is the Palmer Deep Canyon worth researching?
Why is the Palmer Deep Canyon worth researching?
The strongest wind-driven ocean current on Earth, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), moves around the continent of Antarctica. It pulls water from most of the Earth's other oceans and mixes it with the water of the Southern Ocean just below the surface. The scientists refer to this layer of water as the "mixed-layer." The ACC delivers water right above the Palmer Deep Canyon! The model below shows how this occurs.
The red color in the model displays the water of the ACC. What do you notice about how the water of the ACC moves?
What might be transported with the water of the ACC?
What might the water from the ACC do to the temperature of the water of the Southern Ocean?
These areas where the water of the ACC enters into Palmer Canyon are referred to as biological hotspots.
These areas where the water of the ACC enters into Palmer Canyon are referred to as biological hotspots.
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