29.01.2025 | Sergi Gonzàlez Herrero | SLF News
SLF scientist Sergi González-Herrero is conducting research in Antarctica for two months. From there, he regularly reports in Catalan for the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation (FCRI) to get young students aged between twelve and sixteen involved in science. The SLF also publishes his articles.
The last few days of work I have spent hanging from a harness. I am installing all my instruments on the 30-meter tower, a communications antenna that I am converting into a meteorological tower. We spend 3-4 hours a day hanging, and it took me 5 days to install most of the components. I still need to install a level more with instruments below, but the tower looks already very nice with all the instruments hanging, right?
The work has not been easy, and the weather has not been kind. In this part of Antarctica, it hardly snows, and it is almost always sunny, but it is very windy. We say that the weather does not cooperate when the wind blows strongly. During the first two weeks here, the wind was quite calm, and the days were very sunny. Despite the low temperatures it was quite nice and comfortable outside. However, I was not able to work yet since I needed the mountain guides to secure me to the rope to be able to work in safe conditions. At the time they were on an expedition with another team. Finally, when they arrived and I had all the equipment ready, the wind started to blow every day and we had to find opportunities with less wind to work. However, the experience and the views were magnificent, especially during the good moments.
You can see it in the following video:
The process has been interesting and not at all easy. While one of the mountain guides, François, was securing me to the rope, I went up and down the tower. On the ground, I was preparing the instruments on a horizontal mast and was securing them to a rope to pull them up. Then, the second guide, Martin, was raising them. Finally, I was going up again and Martin and I installed them all. Here you can see the process:
Today I connected to the station remotely since I also installed a small antenna to communicate without having to go up again, and we obtained the first data from the tower! That was a special moment for me. There is still a lot to do. We have to finish placing the last instruments and fix the cables on the tower so that the wind doesn't disconnect or break them. But we already have completed the big goals of the campaign.
The tower from below with the field guides hanging. (Photo: Sergi Gonzàlez / SLF)
The tower, with us installing the sensors at the top. (Photo: Sergi Gonzàlez / SLF)
Hanging and dressed warmly to avoid the cold and wind. (Photo: Sergi Gonzàlez / SLF)
Adjusting the turbulence sensor. (Photo: Sergi Gonzàlez / SLF)
Already published: ¶
Copyright ¶
WSL and SLF provide image and sound material free of charge for use in the context of press contributions in connection with this media release. The transfer of this material to image, sound and/or video databases and the sale of the material by third parties are not permitted.