Antarctica: The Last Frontier

When I told people I was going to be working in Antarctica, people had lots of questions and misconceptions about this mysterious continent. So, here are some facts and frequently asked questions:
 

• Antarctica is the fifth largest continent at 14 million square kilometers (ahead of Australia and Europe.
• The U.S. has three bases on Antarctica: McMurdo, Palmer and South Pole. McMurdo is the largest base on Antarctica.
• Wind speeds can reach 320 kilometers per hour
• McMurdo Station is 20 hours ahead of Mountain Standard Time and 18 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.
• Mount Erebus, situated on Ross Island near McMurdo Station, is the world's southernmost active volcano. It's also the tallest mountain in the Ross Island region at 3,735 meters.
• Roald Amundsen from Norway was the first explorer to reach the South Pole in 1912. Robert F. Scott of Great Britain was 34 days behind.
• The elevation at the South Pole is 2,835 meters, but the air pressure is equivalent to 3,230 meters.
• The last sunset at McMurdo occurs in October, and the sun doesn't set again until mid-February.

Do you see a lot of polar bears?
Polar bears do not exist in Antarctica -- only in the Arctic region. In fact, there are no land mammals living in Antarctica.

Where do you live?
  I live in a dormitory called Hotel California. There are three beds, two wardrobes and two desks in the room. The bathroom is on the first floor, and it has a sauna. Here is a photo of Hotel Cal.

What do you wear?
We are issued extreme cold weather gear -- consisting of thermal boots, a big red parka, a wind jacket and pants, six pairs of very uncomfortable hiking socks, a hat, a few pairs of mittens, glove liners, sunglasses, goggles, a balaclava, a neck gaiter, long undies and a fleece jacket and pants. Most people wear jeans and sweaters around. But if you're leaving town, you need to have your ECW gear in your possession.

What do you eat?
I don't eat meat, so I was a little worried about what my diet would be down here. For the most part it's great. Lots of pasta, rice, soup, potatoes --- basically a lot of carbs. We don't get fresh vegetables or "freshies" often. When they do come in on a flight from New Zealand, people scoop them up like they were $20 bills sitting in a pot. Someone told me that they serve bananas at breakfast sometimes if you get to the galley early enough. Those of you who know me well can guess that I've never seen any bananas. We get three meals a day, which is hard for a snack-food-eatin person like me.

What do you do for fun?
Well, there's actually a lot to do down here. I play indoor soccer on Thursday nights. I try to attend the science lecture that is held every Sunday night. In between, I go to the coffeehouse for some wine with my friends. On Sundays, my day off, I try to go on a hike or do some cross-country skiing. There is a good cross-country ski trail to a place called Castle Rock. The New Zealand base is just a few miles away -- good for running or hiking. And there are loads of parties! People are pretty crazy down here.