Buzz
Enduring the extreme conditions of the South Pole takes a unique type of individual. Every summer (when it's winter in the Southern Hemisphere), a dedicated group of researchers heads to the Geographic South Pole. Antarctica, the coldest and driest continent, offers extreme isolation and harsh environments. The Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station provides those brave enough to spend the winter there with an unparalleled adventure and rare experience that only a small group of people have known. Despite its challenges, living at the South Pole presents some of the world’s most unusual living conditions.
10. Just One Sunrise and Sunset Each Year
At the South Pole, the Sun behaves unlike anywhere else on Earth. Located at the very bottom of the world, the Sun's cycles here offer a rare spectacle. For those who love sunsets, the South Pole grants them an extraordinary chance to witness one that lasts for months, at one of the most remote places on Earth.
Because of Earth's axial tilt, the South Pole only experiences one sunset and one sunrise per year. Each event takes several days to fully unfold as the Sun either rises above or dips below the horizon, providing solar enthusiasts with two spectacular moments each year.
9. No Need for a Watch
If you work outdoors, you can leave your watch behind. Once the Sun finally rises, it moves in a circle, gradually climbing until the peak of mid-summer, before beginning its slow descent back toward the horizon.
With the Sun constantly shining 24/7, telling the time becomes easy. The Sun’s exact position above certain buildings or landmarks will remain consistent every day at that specific time. If lunchtime corresponds with the Sun being directly above the weather balloon launch facility, simply head to the cafeteria whenever the Sun reaches that point in the sky.
8. The Journey There Can Be Quite a Dizzying Experience
Once you reach the South Pole, walking around is relatively straightforward. The ice is solid and crystallized, offering a firm, non-slippery surface. It’s also remarkably flat, resembling much of Antarctica, aside from the significant altitude.
The South Pole rests on a massive sheet of ice nearly 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) thick, which puts new arrivals about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) up in the atmosphere. There are no porters to help with luggage at the makeshift airport terminal, and after carrying bags for just 15 meters (50 feet), visitors quickly feel the effects of the altitude.
7. Sleeping Can Be Difficult
Your body will eventually adjust to the high altitude, but an atmospheric phenomenon found only at the poles can make it feel even more elevated. As barometric pressure drops, air thickens, just as it does at lower altitudes. Earth's rotation creates centrifugal force, which pulls the atmosphere toward the Equator, effectively dragging the sky downward at the poles.
As the sky seems to descend, the air becomes thinner, making the altitude at the South Pole feel even more extreme. With the South Pole sitting at 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) above sea level, the additional 600 meters (2,000 feet) can cause the same sleeplessness that mountaineers face when ascending high altitudes.
6. Stranded
While the South Pole research station is busy with scientific work during the brief summer months, only about 50 people remain throughout the winter. These tough individuals are isolated at the Earth's southernmost point from mid-February until the next aircraft arrives in late October or early November.
No matter the illness or madness, the extreme winter temperatures will freeze aircraft fuel and hydraulic fluid, making any attempts at extraction impossible.
5. The Dreaded Month
For those who choose to remain in the name of science, the winter can feel interminable. After a days-long sunset and a month of twilight, total darkness persists for months. Some people may experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD), but the situation is made worse by the close living quarters with the same 50 people for weeks on end.
The isolation can cause anyone to become irritable, and even the most cheerful individuals can start to snap by the time winter fully sets in, typically around August. Though it affects everyone differently, and some may not feel it at all, the endless darkness, lack of sunlight, and constant familiarity of the same faces can make the creature from the Antarctic horror film The Thing seem like a friend you'd want to have around.
4. Stripping Down with Friends
While the temperatures can be life-threatening without the right clothing, they seldom fall below –73 degrees Celsius (–100 °F). On the rare occasion that they do, it gives residents the chance to join one of the world’s most exclusive groups: the 300 Club.
Polies, as they like to be called, gather in the research station’s sauna, strip off their clothes, and crank up the heat to 93 degrees Celsius (200 °F). Once they're drenched in sweat, they put on only their boots and make their way outside to the Geographic South Pole marker. The journey from the sauna to the marker involves a 300-degree (Fahrenheit) temperature shift and, for most, results in a memorable photograph of them, stark naked, covered in frozen sweat, standing next to the historic South Pole marker.
3. Celebrating the New Year Over and Over
Time zones are marked by 15 degrees of longitude. These lines are farthest apart at the Equator, where they're about 111 kilometers (69 miles) apart, but they converge as they move towards the poles. Living at the South Pole allows you to step into any time zone by simply taking a few steps.
Typically, this is just a fascinating tidbit, but on New Year’s Eve, it becomes a true celebration. Residents at the pole can celebrate the arrival of the new year with each time zone around the world with a simple step. Only the toughest revelers can endure a full 24 hours of toasts and calendar flips. By hour 20, it feels less like a time zone and more like the Twilight Zone.
2. Running Around The World
Running is an excellent way to stay fit, but dashing in freezing temperatures can leave your lungs burning. Still, who can resist the chance to boast that they ran around the entire globe? At the South Pole, you only need to take about 20 steps to accomplish that feat.
To keep things somewhat honest, the station organizes a yearly 5K run. The course goes around the South Pole marker, letting finishers proudly claim they truly ran around the world.
1. Moving
The South Pole rests on a 3-kilometer-high (1.9 mi) layer of ice. And when ice is placed on top of land, it has a tendency to shift... a lot. Although the Geographic South Pole itself stays put, the marker and the structures above it move at a rate of about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) per day. This means that everyone and everything at the Pole drifts roughly 9 meters (30 feet) each year.
Surveyors mark the exact position of the South Pole, and every year, the marker is relocated to account for the slow but steady slide of the ice. A modest ceremony takes place to inform everyone that the South Pole wasn’t quite where they believed it was.
