WELCOME TO THE DRY VALLEYS,

ANTARCTICA

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The majority of our day, however, is spent visiting streams (or channels that will become streams as the season progresses). As we've helicoptered and hiked around, we've noticed some strange things that we don't see at home.

Do you have any ideas about what causes them?


Click on the pictures to have a larger view

Snow

In the first report we told you that the Dry Valleys receive the equivalent of only 6 mm of water each year on average.

Yet photos like this one show a good deal of snow.

What's up with that? click to view the answer


Funny snow melt patterns

Since we've arrived, we've been watching the snow slowly melt. Sometimes it melts in funny ways, like this patch of snow by our F6 hut.

What's going on here?
(Hint: the snow that was around this white snow tower had dirt on it.)

Click to view the answer


Desert pavement


Some parts of the valleys have what look like mosaic floors or cobblestone plazas. There is layer of densely packed rock on top of soil that has lots of sand and only a few rocks. This type of covering is known as desert pavement.

How do you think desert pavement forms? What do you think it's like hiking on it?

Click to view the answer


Desert Pavement Top View

Desert Pavement Side View

Polygons


When we fly over the Dry Valleys, one feature that leaps out are polygonal patterns on the ground, like the ones seen in this photo. Walking around we see that the polygons are about 20 to 30 feet across. The center of the polygons is raised and the borders are gullies that are a foot deep.

What do you think causes the polygonal ground patterns? (Hint: They are also found in other areas where temperatures are usually below freezing, such as the Arctic and on high mountains.)

Click to view the answer

 

John and Karen