Experiencing Antarctica

You may be surprised to know that both Dallas, Texas and the South Pole reach temperatures of 100 degree each July. But at the South Pole it will be 100 degrees below zero. This means that a person could freeze in just a matter of seconds.

Even with these conditions, twenty-eight people commit six months to living at the South Pole. They have to deal with no sunlight, very little contact with the world, and no way to escape. This crew is responsible for operating the United States' polar base, which includes manning the research station's telescopes and other equipment. As communications and technology see advancements, their job is changing.

Astronomers in North America can remotely operate the telescope in the observatories of the South Pole. This was the first time any telescope at the South Pole had been controlled from a location so far away. Eventually, it is hoped by astronomers that it will become unnecessary for people to have to man the South Pole stations at all, operating everything remotely instead.

People in Antarctica deal with the coldest, driest, and windiest conditions on Earth. Its elevation is the highest of the continents, making breathing sometimes difficult. The high elevations make it impossible for anything but cold-adapted plants and animals to survive. Some common plants and animals include penguins, seals, and various forms of algae and tundra vegetation.

"Winter-over" is the moniker given to people who spend their winter working in Antarctica for whatever reason. In order to occupy their time, they're given great meals, exercise rooms, pool tables, as well as hundreds of videos to choose from. In terms of what happens to the stations in the interval when they're at hope, Winter-overs don't really discuss the details very much, so few people know what occurs between February and October.

The ever increasing size of the research program at the South Pole has caused there to be insufficient power for all the equipment. The three oil-powered generators at the station have been unable to meet the energy demands of the computers, lasers, telescopes, and other devices dependent upon power sources. This problem has caused winter-overs to deal with power shortages, cold buildings, and crowded living conditions.

Howeve, over the years many traditions have been introduced to the program to help pass the time. One is the "300 Club", which requires a day when the outside temperature will be at least 100 degrees below zero. The sauna is brought up to over 200 degrees. Winter-overs enter the sauna, get hot, then run out into the cold, entering soon after, experiencing a 300 degree change in temperature.

Airdrop is also a very greatly expected occurrence. This occurs in June. It is when the U.S. Air National Guard flies over the south pole in a military transport plane to drop pallets of food, mail, and other supplies. The winter-overs quickly go outside, utilize heavy equipment, and bring the supplies inside. For six months, airdrop is the nearest the winter-overs will come to any physical contact with the rest of the world.

They do not get to look forward to seeing a tree or even going more than a mile from the pole. They are able to get a one week vacation at the McMurdo Station, which is the main U.S. Antarctic base. During this vacation time, the winter-overs may camp out in comfortable 25 degree weather, sun themselves on the rocky beach and dress in t-shirts and jeans.

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