Notes from Summit Station, Greenland:

The spring equinox approaches, but up at Summit, the only thing blooming is the fern frost on the windows of this US National Science Foundation-operated research outpost. Still, signs of spring and the coming research period abound: brightening skies, a lengthy list of pre-season tasking, and, above all, the arrival last month of the phase-three winter crew. Like the few scouts who precede the swallows to San Juan Capistrano, this team focuses on readying the place for the coming legion of scientists.

We asked manager Ken Jessen to tell us how the team is getting along. He offers a glimpse of what it’s like to be part of a foursome stashed away on the Greenland ice cap at the dawn of the second half of the fourth IPY.

The full story is available here (PDF).