Surveying Heidemann Bay

I learnt a new trick on Saturday - how to drive a theodolite. A theodolite is the thing that surveyors use to take measurements and levels over large distances. What we were doing was gathering information for an accurate chart to made of Heidemann bay. We were taking depth measurements of the bay at 50m intervals and I had the job of making sure the measurements were in a straight line, and at 50m apart (or very close to it plus or minus 0.05m). At the right points, a hole was drilled through the ice and the depth was measured and recorded. Then a GPS mark was taken for later transfer. A thorough chart of Heidemann bay has never been done before, and the data we are providing will be used to make a new chart, so it will be pretty cool to see it when it is finished, knowing that we did it (the difference between a map and a chart is that a map is on land, a chart is on the water). At the same time, we were measuring the thickness of the sea ice on the bay, which has froze to about 300mm thick. We are only about one third way through, so we are heading back out again tomorrow to do some more.

Me using the theodolite

Out on Heidemann Bay, dragging some of our gear around