Sorry for the long delay between updates, friends! The Icefin team has been busy at work the past few weeks with both dive operations and deep field preparations, all culminating with a lovely Thanksgiving holiday. We’ve finally found the time to dig out the pen and ink (or computer, I suppose).
![](https://live-schmidt-astro-cornell.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screen-Shot-2019-12-17-at-8.57.46-PM.png)
![Figure 2: The Icefin and Melt teams took a moment for a group photo on the ice.](https://live-schmidt-astro-cornell.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screen-Shot-2019-12-17-at-8.58.25-PM.png)
![Figure 3: Still from an Icefin dive under the rift, showing the approximate vehicle position under the rift. The screen segments show vehicle attitude and depth on the left and snapshots of live data values we use to QC the data.](https://live-schmidt-astro-cornell.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screen-Shot-2019-12-17-at-8.58.39-PM.png)
![Figure 4: Forward looking sonar profiles of the narrow end and broad end of the rift, looking up.](https://live-schmidt-astro-cornell.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screen-Shot-2019-12-17-at-8.58.48-PM.png)
![Figure 5: Data from dive 9 showing the ice surface (gray), ice base (black) and vehicle position (colored for depth). Each of the data streams can be plotted in a similar fashion to construct 3D data sets.](https://live-schmidt-astro-cornell.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screen-Shot-2019-12-17-at-8.59.04-PM.png)
![Figure 6: Bathymetric sonar data from Icefin’s new Norbit sonar, processed using the Qimera software package. During this part of the dive, we swam close to the edge of Observation Hill as it meets the seafloor.](https://live-schmidt-astro-cornell.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screen-Shot-2019-12-17-at-8.59.20-PM.png)
![Figure 7: Montage of the BAS-USAP Deep Field Shakedown. Top: Dan and Andy get schooled on the Primus lamp by BAS mountaineer James Wake, and Britney and Dan hang out in the Scott Tent, which will be what the team lives in during the Thwaites season. Bottom: James demonstrates the Tilly lamp operation as Keith, Pete, David and Aurora look on.](https://live-schmidt-astro-cornell.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screen-Shot-2019-12-17-at-8.59.36-PM.png)
![Figure 8: Tent city out on the ice shelf (left) and the late-night view through the clouds back towards the instructor hut and Mt. Discovery.](https://live-schmidt-astro-cornell.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screen-Shot-2019-12-17-at-8.59.46-PM.png)
![Figure 9: Packed house for the Wednesday night MELT lecture.](https://live-schmidt-astro-cornell.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screen-Shot-2019-12-17-at-8.59.55-PM.png)
![Figure 10: Seal in the dive hole while Icefin patiently waits to confirm heading solution.](https://live-schmidt-astro-cornell.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screen-Shot-2019-12-17-at-9.00.06-PM.png)
![Figure 11: Thwaites crew plus Enrica enter the final boxes into cargo, and begin the wait to fly out.](https://live-schmidt-astro-cornell.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screen-Shot-2019-12-17-at-9.00.34-PM.png)
![Figure 12: Paul Cutler introduces Britney and Icefin to the crowded galley for the Sunday night public lecture.](https://live-schmidt-astro-cornell.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screen-Shot-2019-12-17-at-9.00.45-PM.png)
![Figure 13: Icefin pops through the platelet ice, viewed by our OpenROV Trident.](https://live-schmidt-astro-cornell.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screen-Shot-2019-12-17-at-9.00.54-PM.png)
![Figure 14: We’ve been treated to some rare and beautiful snow days in McMurdo lately. This shot is from our dorm 207, back towards the Galley (blue), Southern, Crary lab, and Observation Hill in the background. Atop Ob Hill is across left by the returning party in honor of Robert Falcon Scott and his team that made it to the south pole, only to die in tragedy 12 miles from their food depot. The team heard two fantastic lectures by Artist & Writers program participant Sarah Airriess who is writing and illustrating a graphic novel about the expedition.](https://live-schmidt-astro-cornell.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screen-Shot-2019-12-17-at-9.01.07-PM.png)
Britney Schmidt, Matt Meister, Dan Dichek, Anthony Spears, Justin Lawrence, Ben Hurwitz, Andy Mullen, Peter Washam, and Enrica Quartini.
RISE UP: https://live-schmidt-astro-cornell.pantheonsite.io/project-rise-up/
MELT: https://live-schmidt-astro-cornell.pantheonsite.io/thwaites-melt/
ITGC: https://thwaitesglacier.org
RISP: https://www.instagram.com/the_ross_ice_shelf_programme/
For more updates, pictures, and videos, find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @icefinrobot