Antarctica - Davis Station and the Vestfold Hills I

D001 - Deep wind scour near Trajer Ridge - August 2017

D002 - Adélie penguins head into the drifting snow towards their ancestral colony - October 2017

D003 - Beautiful cathedral iceberg in the mid-winter twilight near Lucas Island - June 2017

D004 - A cold front approaching from the west highlights the colours and shape of icebergs in the sea ice off Davis Station - October 2017

D005 - The mid-winter twilight accentuates the beautiful pastels colours of this iceberg near the entrance to Ellis Fjord - June 2017

D006 - Pulsating aurora australis over the Meteorological building, with one side lit up by moonlight - 10:18pm mid June 2017

D007 - Beautiful jade iceberg near Wyatt Earp Islands - October 2017

D008 - The vivid contrast between the clear, blue fresh water ice and the cliff shore of Lake Druzhby - June 2017

D009 - Weekly check of one of the 7 locations off Davis of sea ice thickness and condition - May 2017

D010 - Start of a 'blizz tail' sculpture by the swirling winds in the lee of the Living quarters - May 2017

D011 - Ice crystals on the windows of the Living quarters - May 2017

D012 - Watts Hut behind the frozen Watts Lake - June 2017

D013 - Platcha Hut near the ice plateau - July 2017

D014 - Aurora Australis over the Davis Helipad - 12:27am July 2017

D015 - Aurora Australis over Davis Station - 9:38pm September 2017

D016 - Aurora Australis to the west, just before sunrise and the moonset to the northwest - 5:03am September 2017

D017 - View to the south across an Adelie penguin colony near Mikkelsen's Cairn on the northern most Tryne Islands - October 2017

D018 - Sunset over Brookes Hut on the shore of Shirokaya Bay - 11:00pm January 2017

D019 - Aurora Australis offshore from Davis Station for retrieval of Summer Expeditioners - February 2017

D020 - Ice re-forming off Davis with the beach populated by elephant seals - March 2017

D021 - Icebergs embedded in the sea ice off Davis Station - May 2017

D022 - Aurora Australis over the fresh water Lake Druzhby - June 2017

D023 - Wind scoured sea ice in Breid Basin (near Platcha Hut) with the ice plateau on the horizon - July 2017

D024 - Selfie at sunset in the golden hour - 3:56pm July 2017

D025 - Lunar halo over the old Living quarters and linkway - September 2017

D026 - Aurora Australis over thew ANARE sat dome - 4:40am September 2017

D027 - Large iceberg embedded in the sea ice near Wyatt Earp Islands - October 2017

D028 - Brookes Hut on the shore of Shirokaya Bay - January 2017

D029 - Molting elephant seals on the Davis beach, huddling together to conserve heat - February 2017

D030 - Icebergs in a mirage at sunset off Davis Station - March 2017

D031 - Milky Way Galaxy and weak aurora australis over Davis Station - 1:08am late March 2017

D032 - Blizzard conditions - 15th May 2017

D033 - The day after a blizzard in the previous photo - 16th May 2017

D034 - View to the west of aurora australis over Watts Hut - June 2017

D035 - Large iceberg in the sea ice with the moon setting over the ice plateau during mid-winter afternoon twilight - July 2017

D036 - Golden hour at sunset over large snow drifts in front of the Living quarters - 4:05pm late July 2017

D037 - Aurora australis with partially cleared snow drift in front of the Living quarters - the streak of light may be Russian space junk entering the Earth's atmosphere - 2nd September 2017

D038 - The Old Wallow near the shore of Heidemann Bay opposite the station - A elephant seal skeleton embedded in the ancient walls of accumulated fur and seal poo - December 2016

D039 - Stunning jade iceberg near Wyatt Earp Islands - October 2017

D040 - Reptilian iceberg off Davis Station - February 2017

D041 - Molting elephant seals wallowing on the beach in front of the station - February 2017

D042 - Moonset over icebergs and the ice plateau during mid-winter twilight - July 2017

D043 - Bright aurora australis over the Meteorological building - 3:08am late March 2017

D044 - Aurora australis and a shooting star over the ANARE sat dome - July 2017

D045 - Large icebergs viewed from the deck of the Aurora Australis as we approached the sea ice off Davis - November 2016

D046 - A cold front approaching from the west highlights the colours and shape of icebergs in the sea ice off Davis Station - October 2017

D047 - Dirty snow after a blizzard stripped sand and grit from the Vestfold Hills - May 2017

D048 - A layer of compacted blue ice provides a stark contrast to the snowy landscape near Wyatt Earp Islands - October 2017

D049 - In this picture - A leopard seal, Adelie penguins on iceberg shelf, a skua, Davis Station and a blurred helicopter - February 2017

D050 - "The four tenors" - elephant seals in the wallow next to Davis Station - February 2017

D051 - The meteorological Stevenson screen and sunshine recorders silhouetted against the sunrise - 9:04am early April 2017

D052 - Blue and purple aurora australis over Davis Station - 7:28pm late May 2017

Auroras are caused by collisions between fast moving electrons from space and the oxygen and nitrogen molecules in the magnetic field. purple and blue colours are the collisions with Nitrogen molecules and green, yellow and sometimes red is the reaction with oxygen molecules.

D053 - Aurora australis over the ANARE sat dome - 9:36pm mid June 2017

D054 - A cold front approaching from the west highlights the colours and shape of icebergs in the sea ice off Davis Station - October 2017

D055 - Adelie penguins tracking across the sea ice in front of a large iceberg as the Aurora Australis made its way through the thick ice towards the Davis anchorage - November 2016

D056 - Beautiful blue streaked Jade berg near Wyatt Earp Islands - October 2017

D057 - Large iceberg in the sea ice off Davis Station during the mid-winter twilight - early July 2017

D058 - Weddell seal on the northern shore of Bluff Island - February 2017

D059 - Ice crystals on the windows of the Living quarters - August 2017

D060 - Last of the summer crew leave Davis by helicopter bound for the Aurora Australis in the bay - 27th February 2017

D061 - The last of the elephant seals on Davis beach waiting for the right time to leave - early April 2017

D062 - The magical blue fresh water ice of Lake Druzhby - June 2017

D063 - Aurora australis over Davis moonlit water tank - 9:48pm mid June 2017

D064 - Jade berg in the sea ice off Davis Station - July 2017

D065 - Aurora australis over the Operations building - 9:32pm late July 2017

D066 - Aurora australis over the old Living quarters and linkway - 10:56pm early June 2017

D067 - Blue streaked iceberg in the sea ice near Plough Island - October 2017

D068 - Huge iceberg in the sea ice near Wyatt Earp Islands - October 2017

D069 - Adelie penguins on an ice flow near Bluff Island - February 2017

D070 - Elephant seals wallow on Davis beach as the Aurora Australis prepares to leave - 27th February 2017

D071 - Moonrise over the antenna farm - April 2017

D072 - Quad bikes on the clear, blue fresh water ice of Lake Druzhby - June 2017

D073 - Small eroded iceberg in the mid-winter twilight near Plough Island - June 2017

D074 - Selfie out on the sea ice - July 2017

D075 - Crisp, clear cold morning - 6:44am early August 2017

D076 - Looking east at a Big dipper aurora australis over the station - 5:26am early September 2017

D077 - View from a helicopter of ice covered Shirokaya Bay with Broookes Hut on its shore and the veins of dolerite streaked through the Vestfold Hills - December 2016

We spent a few days in the area doing field training.

D078 - A visit from the Chinese base Zhongshan (180 km to the south of Davis) - The visitors arrived in a Russian made Komov helicopter - January 2017

D079 - Smooth sculptured iceberg offshore from Davis - February 2017

D080 - Weak aurora australis over the 'Pineapple' - 11:30pm March 2017

D081 - Large iceberg at mid-winter twilight near Lucas Island - June 2017

D082 - Polar stratospheric cloud illuminated by the moon - 8:22am early July 2017

Polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) are clouds in the winter polar stratosphere at altitudes of 15,000–25,000 m (49,000–82,000 ft). They are best observed during civil twilight, when the Sun is between 1 and 6 degrees below the horizon. One main type of PSC is made up mostly of supercooled droplets of water and nitric acid and is implicated in the formation of ozone holes. The other main type consists only of frozen ice crystals and is not considered harmful. This type of PSC is also referred to as nacreous, from nacre, or mother of pearl, due to its iridescence). - Wikipedia

D083 - SAR (Search and Rescue) training in trying conditions - August 2017

D084 - Groups of Adelie penguins crossing the sea ice, viewed from the deck of the Aurora Australis as it approached the Anchorage at Davis - November 2016

D085 - A cold front approaching from the west highlights the colours and shape of icebergs in the sea ice off Davis Station - October 2017

D086 - A letter from Sir Hubert Wilkins which can be found in a metal box on a hill at Sir Hubert Wilkins cairn - October 2017

D087 - Anchorage Island and icebergs lit up during the sunrise golden hour - 5:45am early February 2017

D088 - Returning to station after doing ice measurements at seven locations out on the sea ice - April 2017

D089 - Every week from April on, we drilled the sea ice in 7 locations - checking for ice thickness and conditions - mid April 2017

D090 - Beautiful cathedral iceberg in the mid-winter twilight near Lucas Island - June 2017

D091 - Polar Stratospheric cloud during mid-winter twilight - 11:22am July 2017

D092 - Night sky illuminated by moonlight - 6:49am early August 2017

D093 - Aurora australis at dawn over the 'Pineapple' - 6:45am early September 2017

D094 - A cold front approaching from the west highlights the colours and shape of icebergs in the sea ice off Davis Station - October 2017

D095 - The Australian flag and a couple of other items which can be found in a metal box on a hill at Sir Hubert Wilkins cairn, just south of Wyatt Earp Islands- October 2017

D096 - Sunrise golden hour over Anchorage Island - 5:37am mid February 2017

D097 - Sunset over the sea ice and icebergs offshore from Davis Station - April 2017

D098 - Mid-winter twilight reflections in the fire station windows - July 2017

D099 - Out in the weather for a few hours doing SAR (Search and Rescue) training - August 2017

D100 - Icebergs, sea ice and Adelie penguins - viewed from the deck of the Aurora Australis as we made our way through the ice to the anchorage point at Davis - November 2016

D101 - A cold front approaching from the west highlights the colours and shape of icebergs in the sea ice off Davis Station - October 2017

D102 - In a helicopter flying over the Vestfold Hills - The strings of lakes form the bottom are: Lake Dingle, Lake Stinear Deep Lake, Club Lake and Lake Jabs - January 2017

D103 - Elephant seals in the wallow at the station - they get very testy when molting - February 2017

D104 - Fresh snowfall - April 2017

D105 - iceberg silhouetted in a aurora australis near Bandits Hut - 10:20pm mid June 2017

D106 - Black browed albatross following the Aurora Australis over the Southern Ocean - October 2016

D107 - Walking alongside Trajer Ridge - August 2017

D108 - Aurora australis at dawn - 6:55am early September 2017

D109 - Adelie penguins making their way to their ancestral colony - October 2017

D110 - Platcha Hut on the shore of Breid Basin and next to the ice plateau - October 2017

D111 - Spectacular sunset over the bay in front of the station. Hobby Rocks is in the foreground with Gardiner Island in the background - February 2017

D112 - Strong aurora australis over the se ice in front of Davis Station - 6:55am late April 2017

D113 - A bleak windy day with blowing snow - July 2017

D114 - On the foredeck of the Aurora Australis during the voyage through the sea ice - November 2016

D115 - The strongest aurora australis we had all year, so dynamic and vibrant - 7:01am 8th September 2017

D116 - Stunning large iceberg just beyond Magnetic Island - October 2017

D117 - The superb blue, clear fresh water ice of Lichen Lake accessible from Tryne Fjord - October 2017

D118 - In a helicopter flying into the snow covered valley adjacent to Trajer Ridge melon (red dot) for field training - January 2017

D119 - Almost white out conditions on the sea ice during a trip to Brookes Hut - May 2017

D120 - The day after our strongest blizzard for the year we noticed that the white paint had been stripped off the eastern side of the Stevenson Screen - July 2017

During the year we had a total 23 blizzard days, whilst the long term average for Davis is just under 8 per year. During the blizzard on the evening of the 17th July 2017 a wind gust of 107 knots ( 198 km/h) was recorded. This was the highest wind gust recorded in July at Davis Station and the 2nd highest recorded in any month.

D121 - After a cold and very windy night at Watts Hut a wind scour and blizz tail formed around the Hägglund - August 2017

D122 - A day trip down to the Sørsdal Glacier which is around 11 km south of Davis - September 2017

D123 - Drifting snow around icebergs just beyond Magnetic Island - October 2017

D124 - The clear, blue fresh water ice of Lichen Lake - October 2017

D125 - Large Adélie penguin colony at the southern end of Magnetic Island - October 2017