Location: Recovery Lake “B”, northern part, 82º 37’ S, 17º 52’ E
Weather: All clear, -24 C, wind 8 kts

100 m behind the last sled, I'm out of the way of the daily hustle and bustle of driving and refuelling, like a little cottage in the country. I have large windows to appreciate the view, a comfy old car seat with a reindeer skin for warmth, a box to put my feet on and a desk for my computer. Temperatures in the Rock fluctuate from -10C to 10C depending on where the sun is and if it's cloudy. I find I can sit comfortably without gloves, working on my computer and marvelling at the landscapes, both surface and subglacial,  that unfold before me.

The reason for sitting back here is the deep radar. At a frequency of about 3 MHz and a total antenna length of 80 m, it easily picks up side reflections and noise from the traverse vehicles and so needs to be some distance behind. The electromagnetic pulse sent out by the transmittor travels deep down into the ice, getting reflected off internal layers and eventually the land (or water) surface below the ice sheet. The reflected energy travels back up toward the surface to be detected by the receive antennas. Knowing the time it has taken the energy to travel down into the ice and back up again, and the velocity with which it travels through the ice, we can calculate the depth to the different reflection surfaces. On the large scale the layers follow the shape of the bed, and it is fun to see how varied the subglacial terrain is by watching them rising toward the surface over the subglacial mountains and dipping down into valleys. On the smaller scale they thicken or pinch out to reveal increased deposition or wind erosion. This is amazing to follow whilst driving over the comparatively flat surface.

Kirsty leaving the Rock after another smooth day at the office.  Photo: Stein Tronstad/NPI