Doing Science In The Antarctic
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The highest temperatures you’ll experience in an Antarctic winter won’t be any higher than negative 25 degrees.This is compounded by the fact that the miles of glacier are home to gale force winds that can make your eyelids frozen in a second.Antarctica is one of the most harshest places to live on our Earth.
One of the most isolated and important scientific outposts is a permanent U.S. station located in this climate.The Pole at one time was barred to anyone except certified researchers and workers.But this has evolved with the charter flights of wealthy tourists and thrill-seekers starting to arrive on the cold horizon.cruises to antartica
All there is to see is white, really.There are no penguins closer than a thousand miles in any direction.It seems that the draw is to be able to say that you have stood at The Pole.
Antarctica belongs to no one and everyone. 43 nation agreement states that scientific research can be done as well as other exploration expeditions but that does not include exploitation of the land.There is not a day that goes by that the three large U.S. stations are not staffed. This include the eight months of winter where the Pole is completely pitch-dark.The unwritten law of the Ice mandates that its crew help anybody who can get to 90 degrees south latitude, whether invited or not.great antarctic cruise
Many travelers to this area arrive ignorant of what The Pole has in store for them, and the fact that they are at an altitude of 10,000 feet, and this type of travel is discouraged.Visitors usually will arrive cold, dehydrated and experiencing altitude sickness.
In 1975, the sleeping facilities of the dome were opened to accommodate thirty-three men.Since then, this has grown ten fold to accommodate up to 200 men and women.”Summer Camp” is the name that has been given to the bunkhouses assembled of plywood, plastic, and canvas, that cover the glacier.
Fresh water is supplied in abundance at Summer Camp, so no one goes without.Limited luxuries, like showers, flushing the toilet, even laundry come from melting ice using expensive $12 a gallon fuel.It’s a long walk to the communal bathroom which can be slippery and bone chilling cold even though the sun is blazing at 3a.m.
The very first woman who came to Antarctica needed military escorts.Today, at least a third of the summer staff are female, and they are treated as colleagues.The Pole is balanced equally.
Research indicates that workers in extreme cold need three times more time to finish a simple task.This is because the brain’s chemistry reduces the hormones you need for problem solving and increases those needed for physical activity.In winter, this phenomenon gets worse.
It is in mid February that the South Pole is virtually deserted as the last aircraft leave the area.Those few, 28 men and women, will stay on the frozen land through the next six months of harsh winter.They have to deal with endless night until salvation comes in October.
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Tags: antarctica, antarctica trip, vacation