Posts Tagged ‘Antarctica travel’
February 15th, 2010
In all parts of Antarctica, countries whose primary industry is whaling, claimed large portions of land.On the Peninsula, three nations claims overlie each other. Making the Peninsula shared by Britain, Argentina, and Chile.Claims to Antarctica have also been declared by New Zealand, Australia, France, and Norway.
Even Nazi Germany wanted to have a piece of the Antarctica pie when they planted stakes with 3rd Reich swastikas on them all over the frozen land.With the world pre-occupied by WWII, Antarcitica found itself alone except for the whalers who came to hunt the great animals.However, science would soon be motivated by celestial events to return to Antarctica.
Sunspot movement became prevalent in the years 1957 and 1958, so nations all across the globe began getting ready for the International Geophysical Year. Antarctica became a focal point due to its one-of-a-kind visibility of a clear spot in the magnetic field of the Earth in which they could examine it while it was being assaulted by solar radiation.The continent was soon home to a 67 country coalition of science personnel.The scientists worked so well together, that they were able to pave the way for the Antarctic Treaty, which turned out to be an amazing accord.antarctica travel experience
This treaty sets preserves and saves Antarctica for the sole purpose of peaceful research, and was signed in 1959 by countries that had key, vested interests in the continent.Nuclear experimentation was prohibited, as was the discarding of the radioactive waste generated.The only permissible activity of the military here, was to help in the coordination of scientific exploration.Any territorial claims that caused conflicts between countries were just ‘put on a shelf’ and labeled as an issue.
Although the Cold War wasn’t widely known as a time of cooperation, the superpowers dropped all claims, and ignored those of their ally nations, but made known their belief that their claim would still be valid at some future time.This agreement made it difficult for less powerful nations to assert their claims.antarctica vacation
By the time the 1960s and 70s rolled around, various industries and governments began expressing a desire for the possible gas, oil, and minerals that could be contained in or around Antarctica.National bases began to spring up on the peninsula and nearby islands, and peak population still occurs in the summer with around 5,000 people who tend to fill up the dozens of science stations built like urban sprawl on the peninsula and some of the islands.
It was during the 1960’s and 1970’s that Poland, Chile, Argentina, Britain, Italy, the United States, and the Soviet Union began setting up bases on King George Island. It was not until the1980’s that china, South Korea, Brazil, Uruguay, and Peru officially started their bases.Although these sites were involved in genuine scientific research, they also served as political symbols like the stakes the Nazis had dropped in the 40’s.In other words the bases also allowed each country to create “squatters rights.”
However, by the time the 1980’s rolled around, the use of Antarctica moved toward scientific research and retracted from using the continent for its resources.So now the Antarctic joins with the oceans in being defined as communal property belonging to the entire world.The Halley Antarctic base that was established by Great Britain was responsible for discovering the ozone layer, and they demonstrated how its degradation is promoted by the earth’s industrial activity, allowing damaging UV radiation to pass through.
This discovery began the discussions for an international agreement in 1987 that would ban the use of ozone-depleting chemicals from being used by the end of the 1990’sThis put Antarctica back on the map because the scientific research conducted at this location on Earth gave people a better view of how industry was changing Earth structurally and physically.The Green movement was largely responsible for rejection of whaling in the 1980’s and protection of the continent.
The same countries that signed the Antarctic Treaty, decided to disallow the removal of natural resources such as gas and oil from Antarctica for the next 50 years, and possibly longer. They also decided to make environmental issues equal to scientific issues.Antarctica is important today as it was during it’s hey-day because instead of being exploited and ruined in the name of wealth and greed, it’s teaching us how those very things that marked progress are creating a very unstable world. Hopefully, through the studies conducted we will be able to learn how to reverse some of those issues and challenges we will face in the future.
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February 8th, 2010
A hundred years ago or so, a whaling ship known as the Antarctic came to a halt off the volcanic, wind-battered coast and sent one of their longboats through the through the rough ocean of the Ross Sea to reach the shore.On January 24, 1895, Captain Leonard Kristensen and the landing party of the “Antarctic” left the first trace of human kind on the frozen continent in their quest to slaughter whales in these, as yet, unclaimed waters.
Antarctica proceeded to be baptized with blood.While seals were being slaughtered for their fur, whales and penguins were being killed for their oil which was then used to grease the machinery developed during the Industrial Revolution.It was on Macquarie Island that countless penguins were rounded up and forced up planks that lead into large pots of boiling oil so that they would fall in and add their own oil to the mix.
However, after 100 years of journeys to this Frozen Continent, humans have decided to stop using it to make a quick buck by killing the animals and have chosen to make Antarctica into a preserve of nature and science.There is even discussions about making a world park on this continent.For science, Antarctica serves as a base for studying pollutant threats that affect the whole world, including ozone depletion and the greenhouse effect.The change to preservation was extraordinarily fast when you think about how short of a time people actually spent exploring Antarctica.Small areas of the coastline, some trails to the South Pole and a few islands were explored up until 1958.antarctic cruise
From the very first, the appearance of men on this continent has resulted in a convoluted story of nationalism, aggression, idealism, and unchecked slaughter, with sporadic, cavalier attempts toward scientific research.Whaling was stepped up in World War I, as refined oil was used to make glycerin for artillery shells.Jet engines required extra-fine oil as a lubricant, which led the Americans and Soviets to seek out sperm whales after World War II.Up until the IGY, the majority of Antarctica was still known as “Terra Australia Incognita,” which is the name given this theoretical southern continent by the medieval map makers.
Antarctica’s first native birth has only recently reached adulthood, the birth itself having international repercussions.As a matter of fact, Emilio Marcus Palmer was born at Argentina’s Esperanza Base in 1978, where his mother was brought for the sole purpose of emphasizing Argentina’s claim to this area of Antarctic territory.antarctic cruise reviews
This was similar to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon nine years earlier and placing the American flag on the moon as a symbol of its dominance. Norway’s Roald Amundsen 1911 race to the South Pole was done explicitly to honor King Haakon VII, and make a direct claim on the territory.For the honor of the British Empire, a similar trek was made by Robert F. Scott and a team of explorers, who themselves, collected and physically hauled rock and fossil samples employing the use of sledges.
It is believed that between the discouragement felt when they found out that Amundsen reached the Pole a month sooner, eating a poor diet, having to haul the rocks and fossils, and utter bad luck caused Scott and his team to perish on the return trip, making them the first people to die in Antarctica for the sake of science.America was able to claim interest in the South Pole when Richard Byrd flew over it in 1929 in a Ford Trimotor airplane.In 1821, the soviets utilized Russian Admiral Thaddeus Bellingshausen’s voyage passed Antarctica in 1821 to justify their interests in the continent.
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February 6th, 2010
You may be surprised to know that Dallas, Texas has something in common with the South Pole: they both reach 100 degree temperatures in July.Granted, the South Pole sees temperatures of 100 degrees below zero, not above.If you were to stand outside naked, you’d be frozen in a single moment.
There are 28 people stationed at the South Pole for six months knowing that they will have no sunlight, virtually no contact with the outside world and no way to get away.This crew is responsible for operating the United States’ polar base, which includes manning the research station’s telescopes and other equipment.However, even in this frozen area so far from civilization, modern technology is leaving its mark.
Astronomers of North America until now have employed satellite communications to work the South Pole observatory’s telescope.This was the first time a South Pole telescope was controlled from a warmer continent.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.affordable antarctica tours
People on Antarctica have to deal with the coldest, driest, and windiest environments on Earth.Its elevation is the highest of the continents, making breathing sometimes difficult.It is due to the extreme cold and high altitudes that only cold-adapted plans and animals can live here. These include penguins, seals, various types of algae and tundra vegetation.
The people who accept the challenge of working through a winter in Antarctica are referred to as “winter-overs.”For entertainment, they have to rely on a large variety of videos, a small exercise room, a pool table, great food, and traditions.Typically winter-overs do not discus what occurs at the South Pole from February to October while they are isolated at the South Pole.antarctica holiday
The notable expansion of the research program at the South Pole has resulted in a constant problem regarding a shortage of electrical power. There are only three oil-burning generators which are not able to produce enough power for all the computers, telescopes, lasers, and other electrical powered equipment.However, they are not able to keep up, which causes the winter-overs to have to deal with insufficient power, as well as confined living arrangements, and cold buildings.
Traditions are fun ways to while away the hours while in Antarctica.One is the “300 Club” which requires a day where the temperature is at least 100 degrees below zero.A sauna is heated up to 200 degrees.Then they enter the sauna, run out into the -100 degree air, and return to the 200 degree sauna.
The crew also looks forward to airdrop.Every June, they receive supplies, mail and, most importantly, food, via an Air National Guard transport that drops them by the palletload.Once the drop has taken place the winter-overs face the chilling air while they rush to use heavy equipment to bring all the treats inside.That single airdrop is the most contact with another person these people get in six months of occupation.
In their stay in Antarctica, the winter-overs are never able to see a tree or go more than a mile from the pole.But everyone is provided a one week vacation at McMurdo Station, which is the main U.S. Antarctic base.While on vacation, the winter-overs can enjoy camping and frolicking on the rocky beach in jeans and t-shirts in the relatively warm 25-degree weather.
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