To volunteer to go to the edge of the world in the name of science, you have to be a special person. But it is a bunch of people do every summer (in the southern hemisphere at this time of winter) at the geographic South pole. Antarctica — the coldest and driest place on earth, and our South pole is among the most God-forsaken places. Living at the polar station “Amundsen — Scott” during the winter, experiencing a time full of adventure, isolation, and the experience that is available to very few. Live at the South pole, though it is difficult, but very interesting. Where else will you find…
One sunrise and one sunset per year
Due to the unique location of the South pole at the bottom of the globe, the sun is seen more than anywhere else. It is at the ends of the Earth to watch the longest sunset.
Because of the axial tilt of the planet’s South pole is experiencing one sunset and one sunrise per year. To replace these two phenomena takes many days, so fans watch the Sun it will be something to watch, in all senses.
Watch is not needed
If you work outdoors, watch you do not need. When the sun finally rises, it will gradually rise until mid-summer, and then slowly down to the horizon.
While a ball of light crawling across the sky, lighting it 24/7 to understand the time of day is very simple. When the light will be at a specific building, or the identification mark at a certain time, it will be there every day at the same time. If lunch time is when the sun is above the object with a meteorological probe, you can go to the cafeteria whenever it happens.
Dizzying journey
Upon arrival at the South pole you will find that to walk there is not too difficult. The ice is well-pressed and crystallized, forming a non-slippery surface. Antarctica is the same everywhere, not counting the height.
The South pole lies on a 3000-metre sheet of ice, and newcomers are about 3 kilometers above sea level. No elevators there, so whenever the Luggage have to pick it up on 15 meters, they will be harshly reminded of the hills.
Drowsiness can be a problem
Your body eventually acklimatiseras to height, but physiologically the rise will be even harder to move due to atmospheric phenomena, which can only be detected at the poles. When the barometric pressure drops, the air becomes denser, as everywhere on Earth. Our planet spinning around its axis, creating a centrifugal force. This force pulls the atmosphere towards the equator, “leaving out the” sky at the poles.
As the falling air becomes thinner, making the height of the South pole more than she really is. Because residents live at an altitude of 3000 meters above sea level, the extra 600 meters can cause drowsiness, which the mountain climbers feel when lifting at height.
Trapped
Although the research station South pole buzzing with scientific activity during the short summer seasons, in winter there is only a small team of 50 people. These brave souls are in isolation at the bottom of the planet, since the departure of the last aircraft in mid-February and to return the following at the end of October – early November.
Regardless of sickness and insanity, people have to stay in the trap because the low temperature in winter will probably freeze jet fuel, making any flight impossible.
A dull month
For those who dared to put themselves in the name of science, winter will be long. After sunset a few days or months of twilight reigns the night for a few months. Some suffer from seasonal affective disorder, but most often work, life and creativity are closely the same 50 people for weeks impact is the worst.
Such conditions will make anyone cranky, and even the most cheerful out acidly, when winter ends. In most cases, this happens around August. Although all the effect is different, see the same faces in the endless darkness pretty boring.
Razdevalki with besties
While the brutally low temperatures and even deadly without the proper equipment, the temperature rarely drops below -73 degrees Celsius. But when this happens, the local residents have the opportunity to join one of the most exclusive fraternities in the world: “the club of three hundred” (300 Club).
They’re going naked in the sauna research station and heated to 93 degrees Celsius (200 degrees Fahrenheit). And when all is good, wet and hot, they wear nothing but boots and popping out to mark the geographic South pole. The exit from the sauna to the label entails a change in the temperature of 300 degrees (Fahrenheit) and the beautiful Nude, with a thin silver layer of frozen sweat, right next to the historic South pole.
When the earth is
The South pole lies on a sheet of ice 3 km thick. And when the ice is on top, he has a tendency to slip… hard to slide. Although this geographic South pole does not move, mark and building on it — even as 2.5 centimeters per day. Everything is relative pole shifts to 9 meters per year.
Surveyors accurately determine the exact location of the South pole and mark the pole moves every year to compensate for the long slow slide.
Run around the whole world
Running is a great way to keep in shape, but running in the cold can be great to burn the lungs. Nevertheless, few can resist the temptation to be able to boast that they literally obbezhat all the world. At the South pole it will require about 20 steps.
To put runners in fair conditions, the station hosts the annual race. The ring route avoids the label of the pole, allowing participants to brand it is fair to say that they really obbezhat all the world.
New year and again, and again, and again
Time zones divided into 15 degrees of longitude. These degrees are most divided at the equator — between them is about 111 kilometers. From the equator they go North and South, gradually reducing the distance between them, until all 24 converge at the poles. While staying at the South pole, people have the opportunity to move from one time zone to another in a few steps.
In the New year this takes on a special scale. Arctic residents can celebrate the New year in every time zone of the Earth, just moving his feet. Only the strongest can survive a 24-hour celebration.
10 incredible facts about life at the South pole
Ilya Hel