17 April 2007

A long line of snowmobiles and sleds rolled out of the Daring Lake Camp this morning headed East. The SnowSTAR team traveled about 75 km today and are being hosted tonight at the Diavik Diamond Mine Facility. You will hear more about this huge mining complex in the middle of the barrenlands in tomorrow's report. They will get a guided tour of the mine tomorrow morning. Tonight we have a Soundclip from Arvids Silis talking about the days events, and we have a Spanish weather report from Henry. The dispatch below describes what it is like for the crew to travel in whiteout conditions--something they are hoping avoid as much as possible over the next 10 days!....Enjoy.

Click Here for a Soundclip from Arvids

CHUGIAK STUDENTS click here for weather in Espanol

Whiteout

April 17, 2007

Camp 33 Location: Diavik Diamond Mine 64 30'N 110 15'W

Weather: Scattered Clouds -21C (-5F)

Distance Traveled Today: 75 km

Whiteout:

Imagine sitting inside a ping-pong ball, or inside a glass of milk. What
would you see? Nothing but white. That's what the world looks like in a
whiteout.

Whiteouts happen when the sky is overcast and the land is covered with snow.
Without shadows and contrast, the surface of the snow looks flat. You can't
even tell where the land ends and the sky begins.

Traveling in these conditions can be difficult and even dangerous. It is
difficult because you can't see bumps, so you have to drive slowly and
carefully. It is dangerous because you may not see a cliff before you drive
over it. Matthew gathered a pocketful of rocks so that he could throw them
ahead to see where they landed. If a rock fell far, he would know to be
extra careful or to choose another route.

Fortunately, we haven't had to travel in whiteout conditions very much. Have
you ever seen a whiteout? What conditions make it difficult to drive,
bicycle, or walk where you live?