TEC's Tischler Receives NSF Antarctica Service Medal

Published Dec. 20, 2011

Dec. 20, 2011

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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — ERDC-TEC Physical Scientist Michael Tischler describes his assignment as a member of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) South Pole Traverse team as "challenging, rigorous, difficult and interesting." His participation as the Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) operator and analyst earned him the Antarctica Service Medal.

The U.S. Congress established the medal in 1960. Initially, the decoration was intended as a military award to replace several commemorative decorations which were issued for previous Antarctic expeditions from 1928 to 1941. To qualify for the medal, the recipient must have served between 15 to 30 days stationed on the Antarctic continent, defined as south of 60 degrees south latitude.

The NSF partners with ERDC's Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) and its prime contractor for Antarctica, Raytheon, to provide polar service and engineering support. The South Pole Traverse team is a component of that partnership. The team is responsible for engineering an efficient solution to transport material between McMurdo Station and the South Pole Station. The overland route taken by the team between McMurdo and the South Pole Stations crosses a hazardous region a few kilometers in length.

"My background includes applied uses of GPR, so I was requested to assist the team in surveying the crevasse-rich region they intended to cross," Tischler said. GPR is an instrument that has long been used in Polar Regions to detect such crevasses, though it requires a field survey along with an experienced operator and analyst. At the time of this traverse, CRREL was without a GPR analyst.

Antarctica is the coldest continent on Earth, warming up to 30 degrees below zero in mid-summer with a recorded low of minus 127 degrees Fahrenheit. It is one and one half times the size of the United States, with an average elevation of 8,200 feet. Approximately 98 percent of the continent is covered by so much ice that its weight has caused the underlying rock to sink by as much as one kilometer. The Antarctic region is dangerous due to the dynamic flow of ice that creates crevasses. The region is compounded by blowing snow that fills the crevasses and hides them from view by optical aircraft or satellite sensors.

"Delays were experienced in departing New Zealand for McMurdo Station due to weather conditions, but overall, the trip went well. It was certainly a challenge preparing for field work away from McMurdo, but that's also part of the 'fun' of working in Antarctica," Tischler said.

The U.S. Antarctic Program provided clothing and outerwear for the extreme weather conditions, and according to Tischler, McMurdo Station provided nearly all the comforts of home.

In 2006, Tischler deployed to Iraq. "I felt the medical requirements were more rigorous for this deployment to Antarctica than Iraq," Tischler said. "Due to the extreme weather conditions in the Antarctic summer, it can be quite difficult to be removed in a medical emergency, so all the support staff and scientists and engineers working in the region must be in excellent health," he said.

And what did he find most interesting? "Probably the most interesting thing I learned during my deployment was not related to the mission at all! McMurdo Station has an aggressive recycling program for every scrap of food, waste, paper, metal and plastic. Approximately 70 percent of all materials that reach Antarctica are recycled," he said.