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USAP Field Manual (PDF 4,512 KB)
[You may view the entire book by opening the above link, or select individual chapters and sections utilizing the below links.]
First Aid-Emergency Action Principles (PDF 18 KB)
Radio Emergency Action (PDF 18 KB)
Acknowledgments (PDF 18 KB)
Introduction (PDF 19 KB)
Chapter 1: Extreme Cold Weather Clothing (PDF 92 KB)
| 1.1 |
USAP Clothing Issue .......................................................................................1 |
| 1.2 |
Dressing for the Cold: Layering ......................................................................2 |
| 1.3 |
Cold Weather Clothing Accessories ................................................................4 |
| 1.4 |
Clothing for Deep-Field Deployment by Aircraft (McMurdo Area) .....................5 |
| 1.5 |
Special Clothing Considerations for Peninsula Operations .............................6 |
Chapter 2: Science Support Services (PDF 33 KB)
| 2.1 |
Science Meetings ............................................................................................8 |
| 2.2 |
McMurdo Science Support Areas .....................................................................9 |
| 2.3 |
Palmer Science Support Areas ......................................................................11 |
Chapter 3: Basic Field-Party Preparation (PDF 113 KB)
| 3.1 |
McMurdo-Based Groups ..............................................................................14 |
| 3.1a |
Day 1 ..........................................................................................................14 |
| 3.1b |
Days 2, 3, & 4 .............................................................................................14 |
| 3.1c |
Day 5 ..........................................................................................................20 |
| 3.1d |
Days 6, 7, & 8 .............................................................................................20 |
| 3.1e |
Days 9 & 10 ................................................................................................20 |
| 3.1f |
Day 11 ........................................................................................................21 |
| 3.2 |
Peninsula-Based Groups ............................................................................22 |
| 3.2a |
Field Communications .................................................................................23 |
| 3.2b |
Field-Safety Training ...................................................................................24 |
| 3.2c |
Field Equipment ..........................................................................................25 |
| 3.2d |
Food for Field Parties ..................................................................................25 |
| 3.2e |
Mechanical Equipment ................................................................................26 |
| 3.2f |
Field-Camp Liquor Rations ..........................................................................26 |
| 3.2g |
Safety .........................................................................................................27 |
| 3.2h |
Safe Water Handling ..................................................................................28 |
| 3.2i |
Human Waste Management .......................................................................29 |
Chapter 4: Standards of Conduct in the Field (PDF 30 KB)
| 4.1 |
Appropriate Field Conduct in Antarctica ........................................................31 |
| 4.2 |
Environmental Conduct in the Field ..............................................................31 |
Chapter 5: Field-Safety Training (PDF 38 KB)
| 5.1 |
McMurdo Field-Safety Training Requirements .............................................34 |
| 5.1a |
McMurdo Field-Safety Course Descriptions .................................................36 |
| 5.2 |
Peninsula-Area Field-Safety Training Requirements ...................................40 |
| 5.2a |
Peninsula-Area Field-Safety Course Descriptions .......................................41 |
Chapter 6: McMurdo Area Helicopter Transportation (PDF 138 KB)
| 6.1 |
Helicopter Pad (Heli-pad) .........................................................................44 |
| 6.2 |
Preparations: Flight Requests and Cargo ................................................44 |
| 6.3 |
Hazardous Cargo .....................................................................................46 |
| 6.4 |
Resupply Cargo ........................................................................................47 |
| 6.5 |
On the Day of Your Flight .........................................................................48 |
| 6.6 |
Helicopter Loading and Unloading ...........................................................49 |
| 6.6a |
The Boarding Process at the Heli-Pad ......................................................49 |
| 6.6b |
Survival Equipment ..................................................................................49 |
| 6.7 |
Estimated Flight Times .............................................................................50 |
| 6.8 |
Clothing for the Flight ..............................................................................50 |
| 6.9 |
Day Trips ..................................................................................................51 |
| 6.9a |
Radio Equipment ......................................................................................51 |
| 6.10 |
Daily Communications ..............................................................................52 |
| 6.10a |
Field Resupply ..........................................................................................53 |
| 6.10b |
Schedule Changes ...................................................................................54 |
| 6.11 |
Retrograde from the Field ........................................................................54 |
| 6.12 |
Camp Pull-Out ..........................................................................................57 |
| 6.13 |
Helicopter Safety Guidelines .....................................................................57 |
| 6.14 |
Planning Information for Helicopters ........................................................58 |
| 6.14a |
Bell 212 Helicopter ...................................................................................58 |
| 6.14b |
A-Star 350 Helicopter ...............................................................................59 |
Chapter 7: McMurdo Area Fixed Wing Operations (PDF 184 KB)
| 7.1 |
Flight Schedules .........................................................................................60 |
| 7.2 |
Planning for LC-130 Transport to the Field .................................................61 |
| 7.2a |
Load Planning .............................................................................................61 |
| 7.2b |
Aerial Reconnaissance (Recce) ...................................................................62 |
| 7.2c |
Equipment Packing .....................................................................................63 |
| 7.2d |
General Cargo ............................................................................................63 |
| 7.2e |
Hazardous Cargo .......................................................................................64 |
| 7.2f |
Frozen Food ...............................................................................................64 |
| 7.2g |
Bag Drag ....................................................................................................65 |
| 7.2h |
The Day of the LC-130 Put-In Flight ...........................................................65 |
| 7.3 |
Planning for Twin Otter Transport to the Field ...........................................66 |
| 7.3a |
General Cargo ............................................................................................67 |
| 7.3b |
Hazardous Cargo .......................................................................................67 |
| 7.3c |
Getting to the Aircraft ................................................................................68 |
| 7.4 |
Radio Communications ...............................................................................69 |
| 7.5 |
Weather Briefing ........................................................................................69 |
| 7.6 |
Ski-Way Marker Equipment ........................................................................69 |
| 7.7 |
In-the-Field Procedures .............................................................................70 |
| 7.7a |
Camp Put-In Procedures ............................................................................70 |
| 7.7b |
Marking Grid North .....................................................................................70 |
| 7.7c |
Daily Communication with the FOCC ..........................................................70 |
| 7.7d |
Communications with the Fixed-Wing Coordinator ....................................72 |
| 7.8 |
Preparing for Camp Pull-Out ......................................................................72 |
| 7.8a |
Pull-out Schedule and Retrograde Advisory ...............................................72 |
| 7.8b |
Waste Retrograde .....................................................................................72 |
| 7.8c |
Equipment Staging ....................................................................................72 |
| 7.8d |
Hazardous Equipment Repackaging ..........................................................73 |
| 7.8e |
Ski-Way Preparation ..................................................................................73 |
| 7.8f |
Hourly Weather Observations for the Pull-Out Flight .................................74 |
| 7.9 |
Camp Pull-Out via LC-130 Aircraft ..............................................................75 |
| 7.9a |
Communication with Incoming Aircraft .......................................................75 |
| 7.9b |
Loading the Aircraft ...................................................................................75 |
| 7.9c |
Last Minute Camp Pull-Out Details .............................................................76 |
| 7.10 |
Returning to McMurdo Station ....................................................................76 |
Chapter 8: Peninsula Area Boating Operations (PDF 566 KB)
| 8.1 |
Zodiac Allocation ........................................................................................78 |
| 8.2 |
Preparation Before Leaving Palmer Station ...............................................78 |
| 8.2a |
Checking Out .............................................................................................78 |
| 8.2b |
Loading the Zodiac ....................................................................................79 |
| 8.2c |
Checking the Boat .....................................................................................80 |
| 8.2d |
Gear ..........................................................................................................80 |
| 8.3 |
VHF Radio ..................................................................................................82 |
| 8.3a |
Radio Check & Communications ................................................................82 |
| 8.3b |
Radio Use While Boating ...........................................................................83 |
| 8.3c |
Returning Radios to the Station ................................................................83 |
| 8.4 |
Boating Hazards and Precautions .............................................................83 |
| 8.4a |
Weather ....................................................................................................83 |
| 8.4b |
Icebergs and Glaciers ................................................................................84 |
| 8.4c |
Brash Ice ...................................................................................................84 |
| 8.4d |
Rocks .........................................................................................................86 |
| 8.4e |
Waves .......................................................................................................86 |
| 8.4f |
Wildlife .......................................................................................................87 |
| 8.5 |
Troubleshooting ........................................................................................87 |
| 8.6 |
Landings and Moorings .............................................................................88 |
| 8.7 |
Operating Restrictions ...............................................................................88 |
| 8.7a |
Areas of Restricted Access .........................................................................89 |
| 8.8 |
Boating Emergencies .................................................................................91 |
| 8.8a |
Person Overboard .....................................................................................92 |
| 8.8b |
Search and Rescue (SAR) ..........................................................................95 |
Chapter 9: Field Radios (PDF 207 KB)
| 9.1 |
HF Radios ...................................................................................................97 |
| 9.1a |
PRC-1099 Radio: Basic Description ............................................................97 |
| 9.1b |
Batteries and Chargers: PRC-1099 ............................................................97 |
| 9.1c |
PRC-1099 Set-up Instructions ....................................................................97 |
| 9.1d |
How to Rechannel the Radio ....................................................................101 |
| 9.2 |
VHF Radios ...............................................................................................101 |
| 9.2a |
Operating an MX-300R or Saber VHF Radio (McMurdo Area) ....................102 |
| 9.2b |
VHF Radio Channelization Plans ...............................................................103 |
| 9.2c |
Operating a VHF Radio (Peninsula Area) ..................................................104 |
| 9.2d |
Operating a Visar VHF Radio (Peninsula Area) .........................................107 |
| 9.2e |
Troubleshooting a VHF Hand-Held Radio ..................................................109 |
| 9.3 |
McMurdo Area Radio Information ..............................................................110 |
| 9.3a |
HF Communications Procedures Between Field Parties and Fixed Wing
Aircraft ......................................................................................................111 |
| 9.3b |
VHF Communications Procedures Between Field Parties and
Helicopters ...............................................................................................112 |
| 9.4 |
Peninsula Area Radio Information ............................................................113 |
| 9.4a |
Traveling Away from Palmer Station .........................................................113 |
| 9.5 |
Phonetic Alphabet ....................................................................................114 |
| 9.6 |
Ground to Air Emergency Signals .............................................................115 |
Chapter 10: Weather (PDF 329 KB)
| 10.1 |
McMurdo Area Weather .........................................................................120 |
| 10.1a |
McMurdo Weather Classifications ..........................................................121 |
| 10.1b |
Weather Observations from the Field ...................................................122 |
| 10.1c |
Radio Transmissions to McMurdo regarding Weather Observations ......126 |
| 10.2 |
Peninsula-Area Weather .......................................................................126 |
Chapter 11: Snow Shelters (PDF 275 KB)
| 11.1 |
Snow Quarry and Block Cutting ............................................................130 |
| 11.2 |
Snow Walls ...........................................................................................131 |
| 11.3 |
Snow Trenches (1/2 to 2 Hours) ...........................................................132 |
| 11.3a |
Trench with Snow-Block Roof ................................................................132 |
| 11.3b |
Trench with Tarpaulin Roof ...................................................................135 |
| 11.4 |
Snowmounds/Quinzhees (2 to 4 Hours) ...............................................136 |
| 11.5 |
Snow Caves (3 to 4 Hours) ..................................................................139 |
| 11.6 |
Igloos (3 to 5 Hours) ............................................................................140 |
| 11.7 |
Crevasses and Bergshrunds ................................................................145 |
Chapter 12: Tents (PDF 162 KB)
| 12.1 |
Preparation for All Tents .......................................................................147 |
| 12.2 |
The Scott Polar Tent .............................................................................147 |
| 12.2a |
Scott Polar Tent Set-up ........................................................................148 |
| 12.2b |
Setting a Polar tent up for Extra Wind Protection ................................150 |
| 12.2c |
Scott Polar Tent Tear-Down .................................................................151 |
| 12.3 |
Setting up the Stretch Dome, Sphere Expedition Tents .......................153 |
| 12.4 |
Setting up a VE-25 Tent .......................................................................154 |
Chapter 13: Rope Use and Care (PDF 101 KB)
| 13.1 |
Types of Ropes .......................................................................................156 |
| 13.2 |
Rope Care ..............................................................................................157 |
| 13.3 |
Knots ......................................................................................................158 |
Chapter 14: Stoves (PDF 108 KB)
| 14.1 |
Types of Stoves .....................................................................................162 |
| 14.2 |
Stove Safety ..........................................................................................166 |
| 14.3 |
Stove Operating Instructions ................................................................ 167 |
| 14.4 |
Five Major Stove Problems .....................................................................171 |
| 14.5 |
Stove Troubleshooting ...........................................................................171 |
Chapter 15: Waste Handling In The Field (PDF 40 KB)
| 15.1 |
Human Waste Management ................................................................173 |
| 15.1a |
Human Waste Disposal in Marine Environments .................................174 |
| 15.1b |
Human Waste Disposal in the Accumulation Zone of Glaciers .............174 |
| 15.1c |
Human Waste Disposal in All Other Environments ..............................174 |
| 15.1d |
Human Waste Containers ...................................................................175 |
| 15.2 |
Hazardous Waste Management ..........................................................175 |
| 15.2a |
Hazardous Waste Containers .............................................................177 |
| 15.2b |
Using Drum Tags to Mark Hazardous Waste .......................................177 |
| 15.2c |
Notes on Premix ..................................................................................178 |
| 15.3 |
Hazardous Waste Spill Response ........................................................178 |
| 15.3a |
Spill Response in the McMurdo System ................................................179 |
| 15.3b |
Spill Response in the Peninsula System ..............................................179 |
| 15.3c |
How to Remediate a Small Spill ...........................................................180 |
| 15.4 |
The McMurdo Waste System ...............................................................180 |
| 15.4a |
Segregating and Labeling Waste Bags in the McMurdo System ..........181 |
| 15.4b |
Environmental and Waste Procedures in the Dry Valleys ....................182 |
| 15.5 |
The Peninsula Waste System ..............................................................184 |
Chapter 16: Snowmobiles (PDF 43 KB)
| 16.1 |
Snowmobiles in the McMurdo MEC Inventory ......................................185 |
| 16.2 |
Snowmobile Troubleshooting ..............................................................187 |
| 16.2a |
Fuel Flow Problems .............................................................................187 |
| 16.2b |
Starter and/or Cranking Problems ......................................................188 |
| 16.2c |
Spark Problems ...................................................................................189 |
| 16.2d |
Power Problems ..................................................................................190 |
| 16.2e |
Track/Suspension Problems ................................................................192 |
Chapter 17: Sea Ice (PDF 345 KB)
| 17.1 |
Sea-Ice Hazards .................................................................................194 |
| 17.1a |
Weather .............................................................................................195 |
| 17.1b |
Ice Thickness ......................................................................................195 |
| 17.1c |
Color changes .....................................................................................196 |
| 17.1d |
Cracks .................................................................................................197 |
| 17.1e |
Melt Pools ...........................................................................................200 |
| 17.1f |
Seal Holes ...........................................................................................201 |
| 17.1g |
The Ice Edge .......................................................................................201 |
| 17.2 |
Sea Ice of McMurdo Sound ..................................................................202 |
| 17.2a |
How To Profile A Crack for Vehicle Crossing ........................................204 |
| 17.3 |
Sea Ice in the Peninsula Area .............................................................207 |
Chapter 18: Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue (PDF 369 KB)
| 18.1 |
Roping Up ...........................................................................................212 |
| 18.2 |
Crevasse Rescue ................................................................................217 |
| 18.2a |
The Rescue .........................................................................................218 |
| 18.2b |
Catching a Fall ....................................................................................220 |
| 18.2c |
Building an Anchor ..............................................................................224 |
| 18.2d |
Checking the Victim .............................................................................225 |
| 18.2e |
The Hauling System ............................................................................229 |
| 18.3 |
Conclusions ........................................................................................235 |
Chapter 19: Roped Travel with Snowmobiles and Sleds in
Crevassed Areas (PDF 326 KB)
| 19.1 |
General Points for Roped Travel with Snowmobiles and Sleds in
Crevassed Areas ................................................................................239 |
| 19.1a |
Aerial Reconnaissance ........................................................................239 |
| 19.1b |
Tow Ropes ..........................................................................................240 |
| 19.1c |
Nansen Sled Back-up Rope .................................................................241 |
| 19.1d |
Snowmobile Cables .............................................................................241 |
| 19.1e |
Tether Switches ..................................................................................241 |
| 19.1f |
Driver Safety .......................................................................................242 |
| 19.1g |
Communication ...................................................................................242 |
| 19.1h |
Travel Speed ......................................................................................244 |
| 19.1i |
Crossing Crevasses ............................................................................244 |
| 19.1j |
Stopping a Fall ....................................................................................245 |
| 19.1k |
Travel on Foot between Snowmobiles and Sleds ...............................245 |
| 19.2 |
Tying In ...............................................................................................245 |
| 19.2a |
Front Driver .........................................................................................246 |
| 19.2b |
Rear Driver ..........................................................................................249 |
| 19.3 |
Travel Configurations ..........................................................................250 |
| 19.4 |
Snowmobile Crevasse Extraction ........................................................254 |
| 19.5 |
Rescue Equipment ..............................................................................255 |
| 19.6 |
How To Travel With A Nansen Sled .....................................................257 |
| 19.6a |
In a Safe, Non-Crevassed Area ..........................................................257 |
| 19.6b |
In Crevassed Areas ............................................................................258 |
| 19.7 |
How To Load a Nansen Sled ...............................................................258 |
Chapter 20: Glacier Travel with Heavy Machinery (PDF 23 KB)
| Glacier Travel with Heavy Machinery ..............................................................263 |
Chapter 21: Antarctic Navigation (PDF 32 KB)
| 21.1 |
Global Positioning System ....................................................................265 |
| 21.2 |
Magnetic Compasses ...........................................................................266 |
| 21.3 |
Grid North ............................................................................................266 |
| 21.4 |
Compasses and Sextants ....................................................................268 |
Chapter 22: Search and Rescue (PDF 70 KB)
| 22.1 |
Medical Evacuations ............................................................................270 |
Chapter 23: Altitude Acclimatization (PDF 25 KB)
| 23.1 |
Treatment and Training .......................................................................272 |
Chapter 24: Emergency Action Principles and First Aid (PDF 121 KB)
| 24.1 |
Emergency Action Principles ................................................................274 |
| 24.2 |
Frostbite ..............................................................................................279 |
| 24.3 |
Hypothermia ........................................................................................282 |
| 24.4 |
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning ................................................................286 |
| 24.5 |
Quick Patient Packaging and Emergency Moves ..................................288 |
Appendix A (PDF 34 KB)
Field Planning Aid ...........................................................................................A1
Appendix B (PDF 25 KB)
Emergency Cache and Hut Locations ...........................................................A10
Appendix C (PDF 26 KB)
Conversion Tables ........................................................................................A12
Appendix D (PDF 33 KB)
First Aid and Survival Kits .............................................................................A15
Appendix E (PDF 30 KB)
National Science Foundation Policy on Field Safety in Antarctica ..................A22
Appendix F (PDF 29 KB)
Communications Information ........................................................................A27
Appendix G (PDF 24 KB)
Palmer Station Survival Cache Contents ......................................................A32
Appendix H (PDF 37 KB)
Glossary Terms and Acronyms .....................................................................A34 | 
