DEPTH Blog

While it is approaching summer here in the northern hemisphere, down in Antarctica it is close to winter, where temperatures plummet to -50 degrees and darkness prevails for months. Scientists rarely dive under these conditions, but it has occurred in the past.

John Heine, author of Cold Water Diving: A Guide to Ice Diving, travels to places such as Antarctica (pictured below) to oversee scientific diving through the U.S. Antarctic Program of the National Science Foundation. In the photo belog he is researching the use of rebreathers under the ice, as well as various new strategies to stay warm with the use of active (electric) heated undergarments.

Have you ever wondered what it looks like under the ice, looking torward the surface...? 

In this article we discuss variation in ocean temperatures and what the colder water diver needs to know. In future articles we will look at rivers, sea ice and fresh water ice.

In this article we discuss lakes as a cold water and ice-diving enviroment. In future articles we will look at oceans, rivers, sea ice and fresh water ice.