Palmer Station SitRep for Period Ending 03 Jan 79

1. Fuel Consumption: 1341/Tank one 96,190/Tank two 120,889/Total DFM on hand (less day tanks) 218,420/Day tanks 6,000.
2. Station population 28/Hero 18.
3. Power Readings: High 97.3 KVA/Low 56.4 KVA/ Avg 74.7 KVA.
4. Weather: High temp 3C(31)/Low temp –1C(30,31)/Avg temp 1C/High pressure .8 MB (3) / Low pressure 982.0 MB (28) / Avg pressure 998.7 MB/peak wind 1 m/s at 50 deg / Avg wind 2 m/s prevailing wind dir 230 deg/avg cld cvr 9/10 nmbr of clear days 0/ nmbr prtly cldy days 2.3 / nmber cldy days 4.6 / nmbr days visibility less then 400 mtrs 0.
5. Vacillating warm weather marked this week of transition into 1979. Wind shifts pushed ice in and out of Arthur harbor and provided a weeklong procession of marvelous icebergs past Bonaparte Point. The final weekend in 78 provided perfect weather for two trail flagging expeditions over the Ice Piedmont to old Palmer. M/V World Discoverer steamed to within sight of Palmer on 30 Dec but was again discouraged from entering the harbor by wind-blown brash and bergy bits. Station Zodiac operations were shut down for several days due to ice.
   Painting of the GWR building is progressing steadily despite inclement weather. Roof and trim are finished and royal blue application commenced Wednesday. Rehabilitation of the station plumbing continues with work on the biolab building and krill huts completed. New heat tape has been installed on the rebuilt sections of the pipe.
   John Heg has begun documentation of station retrograde and is coordinating science retrograde requirements.
   The rough terrain forklift was in the garage for a checkup. Chronic electrical system problems were cured and preventative maintenance logs were started for the vehicles by Duane Ness.
   Jerry Kiewatt has initiated a regular blood pressure check program, inspected station and boating medical kits, and painted whenever his schedule and weather let him.
   One of the new labs has been finished, painted and floors waxed. Both rooms will be ready for the arrival of new science personnel on the next voyage of the R/V Hero.
   The first firedrill of 1979 was held to familiarize station residents with the pull-box alarm system and fire location procedures. Several potential fire hazards were identified and cleaned up. Crates and boards near the emergency generator were removed and some flammable solvents received on science resupply were uncrated and put in a special area of the biolab storage.
   Communications with McMurdo suffered from atmospherics for most of the week with a backlog of message traffic piling up. By week’s end the problem seem no better.
   Operations continue smoothly. Support of current science programs, maintenance and anticipation of requirements for parties arriving on the Hero keeps us all busy.
   Cheers, Konecki