Image courtesy of Sally Walker

From: Sally Walker
Christchurch, New Zealand, October 8, 2008

Clothing Distribution Center, United States Antarctic Program

I live near Atlanta, Georgia, where "CDC" means the Center for Disease Control. In Christchurch, "CDC" means the Clothing Distribution Center for the United States Antarctic Program. At this Center, workers and scientists going to Antarctica are issued two bright orange duffle bags stuffed with extreme cold-weather gear. In a crowded CDC room, we try on all the gear. By the time I had finished putting on three thermal under layers, a cotton bib overall, the large "Big Red" US Antarctic Program parka, and the blubbery "bunny boots", I looked and felt like an overstuffed marshmallow being grilled over a fire. At the same time, I was given a flu shot, so not only was I very hot, I had a red-hot arm! I can't possibly need all this gear, I thought, as I gazed at the posters of what to wear.

After peeling off the layers, Dr. Sam Bowser and I spent a great deal of time weighing, labeling and boxing up our scientific equipment. We were ready to go to Antarctica, if the stormy polar weather ever cleared. In the postcard above, I am holding my departure card and "Big Red" in anticipation for the flight to Antarctica. Now, we wait for the fax that will let us know when it is our turn to leave for the most southern continent in the world.

Antarctica

Go to the next postcard

Postcards from the Field: Polar Fossil Mysteries

You might also be interested in:

Traveling Nitrogen Classroom Activity Kit

Check out our online store - minerals, fossils, books, activities, jewelry, and household items!...more

Antarctica

Antarctica is unique. It is the coldest, windiest, and driest continent on Earth. The land is barren and mostly covered with a thick sheet of ice. Antarctica is almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle...more

Antarctic Weather

Antarctica is the southernmost continent on Earth, and since it’s home to the South Pole it is probably no surprise that the weather here is very cold—in fact, Antarctica is quite a bit colder than even...more

Christchurch, New Zealand

Landing in Christchurch, New Zealand, one of the world's windiest airports, is unforgettable. Snowcapped Southern Alps, braided streams criss-cross the landscape amidst a patchwork quilt of green pastures,...more

Clothing Distribution Center, United States Antarctic Program

I live near Atlanta, Georgia, where "CDC" means the Center for Disease Control. In Christchurch, "CDC" means the Clothing Distribution Center for the United States Antarctic Program. At this Center, workers...more

Boarding U.S. Airforce C-17 Globemaster III

Finally the fax arrived that weather conditions in Antarctica had improved dramatically, and our flight was scheduled for noon on October 10. On that day, we hurried to the CDC, donned our Extreme Cold...more

Flight over Southern Ocean

With the brakes retooled, we were finally ready for take off in the C-17. Take off was amazing, despite all the noise generated by the massive engines (we had to wear ear plugs or headphones): I was pushed...more

Arrival on Ross Island, Antarctica

About an hour before we were scheduled to land, we started descending and the weather was clear. We next spotted the snow-and-ice covered Transantarctic Mountains (TAM), and our spirits lifted: we were...more

Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA