Cool Antarctica
I recall quite clearly, a few years back, my somewhat sense of vague disappointment when I found the Lonely Planet guide to Antarctica, on the shelves in Waterstones. Somehow, it wasn't the distant fantastical place of Scott and Amundsen, of Shackleton and Mt Terror, anymore. I half expected to find Ryan Air in the "Getting There" section.
Three people I know, in as many years, have been to Antarctica. The first actually went there to climb mountains. The latest, my old office mate, has just recently landed at the New Zealand Scott base - just down the road from the US Macmurdo station, handily just over the hill from Antarctica's most active volcano Mt Erebus, and set-to repairing some rather sensitive meteorological radar equipment that someone inexplicably dropped 30 tonnes of snow on during the winter. There's not a great nightlife - unless you are a big fan of heavy drinking, apparently. Although they do have a vast library of DVDs and books. Naturally, the first film my old office mate watched, shortly after arriving was the Thing.
Setting aside for the moment, the very large problem of the very large amounts of CO2, NOx, water vapour etc you would be dealing out to the trembling troposphere and the struggling stratosphere, that may ultimately, contribute to the sloughing off of the Antarctic ice sheet into the sea; if, given the chance to go - would you? I remember, about a decade ago, mulling over the BAS application forms - wondering whether, post-undergrad, a spell in Antarctica might be interesting. As it stands, I was somewhat lacking in the required skills department - I knew a bit of general relativity, and could probably find my way around a Brillouin zone - but my degree had somehow not provided me with the required welding or polar survival skills. But I was keen, in a way, to at least consider the possibility. But, now, I'm not so sure. The Risks of the journey, principally, but also Being There - in a place not far from the moon, with an atmosphere. Would it be worth the risk? Would you go?
The Antarctic Ice edge, last week.
Photo:My old office mate
Three people I know, in as many years, have been to Antarctica. The first actually went there to climb mountains. The latest, my old office mate, has just recently landed at the New Zealand Scott base - just down the road from the US Macmurdo station, handily just over the hill from Antarctica's most active volcano Mt Erebus, and set-to repairing some rather sensitive meteorological radar equipment that someone inexplicably dropped 30 tonnes of snow on during the winter. There's not a great nightlife - unless you are a big fan of heavy drinking, apparently. Although they do have a vast library of DVDs and books. Naturally, the first film my old office mate watched, shortly after arriving was the Thing.
Setting aside for the moment, the very large problem of the very large amounts of CO2, NOx, water vapour etc you would be dealing out to the trembling troposphere and the struggling stratosphere, that may ultimately, contribute to the sloughing off of the Antarctic ice sheet into the sea; if, given the chance to go - would you? I remember, about a decade ago, mulling over the BAS application forms - wondering whether, post-undergrad, a spell in Antarctica might be interesting. As it stands, I was somewhat lacking in the required skills department - I knew a bit of general relativity, and could probably find my way around a Brillouin zone - but my degree had somehow not provided me with the required welding or polar survival skills. But I was keen, in a way, to at least consider the possibility. But, now, I'm not so sure. The Risks of the journey, principally, but also Being There - in a place not far from the moon, with an atmosphere. Would it be worth the risk? Would you go?
The Antarctic Ice edge, last week.
Photo:My old office mate