My work at Mawson (part 1 of 4)
Friday 14th January 2000

Hello everybody..

Contrary to any impressions that you may gained from my previous emails, life is not all jollies around Mawson! Rather it can be very exhausting, but the main difference to working long hours back home is that I have never actually wanted to stop while I am here! Everything I am doing is constantly surprising me, providing challenges and usually has a reward at the end. Within the Australian Antarctic Division there is a science branch, and within the science branch are different scientific disciplines. Biology, Glaciology, Marine Science, and Atmospheric Space Physics (ASP). ASP conducts research into the middle and upper earth atmosphere, cosmic rays, the earths magnetic field and the interaction between the sun and the earths atmosphere.

Mr Serious working on the Verner Island APMS system!

ASP also coordinates some experiments which are run by other agencies. For example the "Ionosonde" experiment belongs to the Ionospheric Prediction Service (IPS), but ASP look after it at the Antarctic bases. With other experiments ASP collaborates with universities such as the University of Adelaide, Latrobe Uni or the University of Tasmania.

My official job title is "ASP Engineer" (read 'electronics engineer') and I am charged with looking after the ASP experiments at Mawson. The role is not just maintenance, rather it also has a bit of physics involved because I must be able to understand the data I am collecting and I must be able to tell when things are going wrong. Each work day usually involves a large set of tasks ranging
from checking some experiments, working on upgrades to others and processing the data obtained from them.

Recently, I have also had to put another hat on - one of "penguin engineer". This is because the Biology section runs an APMS (Automated penguin Monitoring System) on Bechervaise and Verner Islands just of the coast from Mawson. Usually they have a penguin Engineer (another name for an electronics engineer) who looks after the equipment. Unfortunately, between voyage 2 (Oct 21 1999) and voyage 4 (Jan 7 2000) there was no penguin engineer so Nick the previous ASP Engineer and I were called into provide engineering support. This involved numerous trips out to Bechervaise and Verner islands to repair / upgrade the equipment.

The work with the APMS systems is very rewarding because it enables me to get off station, and to visit and observe the Adelie penguin colonies. It is also different because it is the true form of "field work" where I have to take all that I require and think ahead to what would be required. It is so easy to go through the ordeal of packing up, and riding a Quad out to Verner then opening the APMS and remembering that you forgot something !

Rule 1: Make sure you have all your equipment before you go on a field servicing trip!

Email continues in part 2