Antarctic station at the South Pole

Station "Amundsen-Scott", named after the discoverer of the South Pole, is striking in its scale and technology. The complex of buildings around which thousands of kilometers there is nothing but ice, directly still a world apart. We do not disclose all the secrets of science and research, however, we had an interesting tour of the residential units and have shown how they live polar ...

Initially, during the construction, the station was located exactly at the geographic South Pole, however, due to ice movement and for several years the base has shifted in the direction of 200 meters:

It is our plane DC-3. In fact he was heavily modified by the Basler, and almost everything inside it, including avionics and engines, there is a new:

The aircraft can land both on land and on the ice:

In this picture clearly shows how close the station stands the historic South Pole (group of flags in the center). A lone flag on the right - is the geographic South Pole:

On arrival we were greeted by the station employee and a guided tour of the main building for us:

It stands on stilts, as well as many homes in the north. This is to ensure that the building does not melt the ice beneath him and not "floated". Furthermore, the space below the wind blown fine (in particular, snow beneath the station has not been cleaned even once since its construction):

Login to the station: you must climb the stairs two flights. Due to the fact that the air is thin, making it easy to:

Residential units:

At the pole, during our visit, it was -25 degrees. We arrived in full regalia - three layers of clothing, hats, Balaclava, etc. -.. And then we suddenly met a guy in a light sweaters and Crocs. He said he used to: survived several winters and maximum frost, which is found here - minus 73 degrees. Forty minutes before we walked around the station, he was walking in this form:

Station inside is simply amazing. Let's start with the fact that it has a huge gym. Popular games among employees - basketball and badminton. For heating stations use 10,000 gallons of jet fuel per week:

Some statistics: at the station lives and works 170 people, 50 people in the winter remain free food is the local canteen. They work 6 days a week, 9 hours a day. On Sunday all the output. We also cooks off, and all tend to eat what is left uneaten in the refrigerator Saturday:

There is room for playing music (on the main photo), and in addition to sports, a gym:

There is a room for trainings, conferences and similar events. As we passed, there was held a lesson of the Spanish language:

Station duplex. On each floor it permeates a long corridor. Right leaving residential blocks, the left - the scientific and research:

Meeting:

Next to a balcony with a view of the outbuildings station:

All of that can be stored in unheated rooms, lies in these hangars:

This is a neutrino observatory Ice Cube, with which scientists catch neutrinos from space. Briefly, this occurs because the collision of atoms and neutrino produces particles known as muons, and a flash of blue light, called Cerenkov radiation. In arctic ice transparent optical sensors Ice Cube can recognize it. Usually neutrino observatories are digging the mine at depth and is filled with water, but the Americans have decided not to be penny wise and built Ice Cube at the South Pole, where ice abound. Observatory size - 1 cubic kilometer from here, apparently, the name. The project cost - $ 270 million:

On the basis of the whole hang invitations to seminars and workshops. For example, the writer's workshop:

Note the garlands, trees, attach to the ceiling. Apparently, the longing for the summer and heat takes place among employees:

The old station plate. Amundsen and Scott - the two poles of the discoverer, who conquered the South Pole almost simultaneously (well, if you look at the historical context) with a difference per month:

In front of this station was different, it was called "Dome". In 2010, it was finally dismantled, and this photograph shows the last day:

Lounge: billiards, darts, books and magazines:

Research Laboratory. We were not allowed, but opened the door. Note the bins: the station is practiced separate collection of waste:

Office for firefighters. Standard American system: everyone has his own wardrobe, before it is fully ready outfit:

It is only necessary to run up, jump in boots and don:

Computer Club. Perhaps, when they built the station, it was relevant, but now everyone has laptops and come here, I think, to be cut in the toy network. At the station there vayf, but have personal access to the Internet at a speed of 10 kbps. We, unfortunately, did not give, and I did not manage to zachekinitsya on the pole:

As in ANI camp, water - the most expensive on the station. For example, to wash off the toilet is worth a dollar and a half:

Medical Center:

I looked up as perfectly laid wires. Not as the case with us, and even more so somewhere in Asia:

The station is the most expensive and the most difficult of the gift shop in the world. A year ago, there was Evgeny Kaspersky, and he did not have the cash (like pay card). When I went, Jack gave a thousand dollars and asked to buy all that is in store. I, of course, filled souvenir bag, and then I began to hate silently companions, so I created a queue for half an hour. Incidentally, in this store you can buy beer and soda, but sell them only to employees of the station:

There is a table with the seals "South Pole". We all took the passport and stamped:

The station even has its own greenhouse and a greenhouse. Now they are not necessary, as there is a message to the outside world. And in winter, when the connection with the outside world for a few months is interrupted, employees grow their vegetables and herbs:

Every employee has the right to use the laundry once a week. Go to the shower can 2 times a week for 2 minutes, then there are 4 minutes per week. I was told that all the usual save and washed once in two weeks. To be honest, I already guessed by the smell:

Library:

This area of ​​creativity. Here is everything you can imagine:.. Thread for sewing, paper and ink drawing, assembly models, cardboard, etc. Now I really want to get to some of our polar station and to compare their way of life and equipped:

In the historic South Pole should stick, which has not changed since the days of the pioneers. A pointer to the geographic South Pole is moved each year in conjunction with the amendment to the movement of the ice. At the station, there is a small museum of the knobs, accumulated over the years: