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The ever present hum of McMurdo

I have returned to McMurdo (aka town, MCM, mcmurder) to wrap up the season. The tasks at hand are to return issued equipment, have an outbrief meeting, ship items back to the States, and backup all data collected. Showers, soft beds, frosty boy and catching up with folks are the good parts of town. But after being in the field for 12 weeks, town requires some adjustments.
First, there are a lot of people here (hundreds compared to six).
Second, the buildings are overheated and dry.
And most of all there is the ever present hum. 24/7. I recently became curious about the different sources of the hum. Inside buildings the venting systems run continuously. The sound of machines, and computers create a persistent vibration. Outside are all sorts of vehicles, especially large vehicles including huge CATs (loaders, trucks, tractors) , transport vans, and ATVs. I am not sure if others are aware of the hum and i imagine you get use to it. After 3 months of living in the valleys I usually feel ill for the first 24 hours entering town. I think in part sensory overload and part indoor living. It makes me appreciate the good quiet life in the dry valleys. For now, I am looking forward to heading north, hopefuly later this afternoon.

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