Greetings from the Antarctic Dry Valleys! (from Josh Darling)

Hi Folks,

Greetings from the Antarctic Dry Valleys.

The East lobe of Lake Bonney, looking east down the Taylor Valley from above the Bonney Reigel. The Hughes and Sollas Glaciers flow north into the Valley from the Kukri Hills.

Recently the Stream Team has been busy monitoring glacial melt water streams around the McMurdo Dry Valleys.

Angela Zoumplis collects water samples from Garwood Stream just below Lake Colleen in the Garwood Valley.

Our job is to monitor stream discharge, which is the amount of water flowing through stream channels, in addition to the chemistry and biology of the streams.

Control on F3, where we measure stream flow on Lost Seal Stream in Taylor Valley

Due to considerable snowfall in November, we have had a late start to collecting discharge data for this season's flow period.

F21, Upper Von Guerard Stream in Taylor Valley

Typically, the flow period coincides with warmer summer temperatures and will span from mid-November through until mid-February. This season, however, many streams did not begin to flow until early to mid-December. We are finally happy to be hiking and flying around to visit the approximately 30 streams we monitor.

Adams Glacier with the orange Adams Stream gage box in the Miers Valley. Oh, and a helicopter.

Some green and orange colored microbial mats adhered to rocks in Canada Stream, which flows into the Lake Fryxell in Taylor Valley.

Angela Zoumplis collects microbial mat samples from Canada Stream in the Lake Fryxell basin.

Commonwealth Glacier (background) and our ATV tracks on the snow covered Lake Fryxell. We use ATVs to travel across ice covered lakes and visit streams around the basins.

We look forward to hearing from you soon. Post questions and comments here, and we will respond as soon as possible.

- Josh, Stream Team, C506.