Dallas, USA and the South Pole have something in common – they both will probably have 100 degree temperatures in July. The difference is that at the South Pole the temperature is 100 degrees below zero. Human flesh that is exposed to the cold can freeze in a matter of seconds. To get a closer look on antarctica cruises visit this site.
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 team works to maintain the U.S. polar base and to control the telescopes and other scientific devices located at the research station. This job is being changed by advancements in both communications and technology.
Recently North American astronomers were able to communicate and operate with the South Pole Observatory’s Telescope using a satellite. At no time beforehand had the South Pole telescopes been operated from so great a distance. It is hoped that in the future astronomers will be able to control the telescopes at the South Pole from other continents on a regular basis.
The people who commit to staying at the South Pole have to contend with the coldest, driest, and windiest conditions on this planet. The elevation of Antarctica is greater than that of any other continent, which can create hardship in breathing. This is a reason that only plants and animals which have adapted to the cold can subsist there, which includes penguins, seals, some forms of algae and tundra vegetation. Visit this site for further information on antarctica cruise prices.
Those who choose to face the six month winter in Antarctica are referred to as “winter-overs.” Winter-overs are supplied with a large video collection, an exercise room, computers, a pool table and very good food. Winter-overs are reluctant to discuss what occurs between when the station closes in February and when the military plane returns them to civilization in October.
Because of the growth in popularity of the South Pole’s research program, the station often suffers from electrical power outages. The station has three oil-burning generators but they have not been able to generate enough power to stay abreast of the increasing demands of computers, telescopes, lasers and other power intensive devices. 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.
Howeve, over the years many traditions have been introduced to the program to help pass the time. If there’s a day in which the outside temperature is more than 100 degrees below zero, you can join the “300 Club.” First, the winter-overs get the sauna temperature up to 200 degrees. Then they run from the sauna out into the 100 degree air and back.
Winter-overs also look forward to airdrops. In June, a U.S. National Guard military transport plane flies above the South Pole and drops pallets of food, mail and other supplies. The winter-overs anxiously bring their treasures into the station with the help of heavy equipment. Airdrop is the closest thing to contact with the rest of the world that winter-overs have during their six-month assignment.
For the full six months that they are there, they will not view a tree or wander more than one mile from the pole. They look forward to the one week of vacation they get at McMurdo Station, a U.S. Antarctic base. While on this vacation the winter-overs typically camp out in the wonderful 25-degree weather, sun bake on rocky beaches, and wear t-shirts and jeans.