Business as usual for the start of summer at the South Pole. IceCube’s winterovers had plenty of maintenance operations, including software upgrades, to keep them busy. There were more comings and goings last week at the Pole, with people bidding each other welcome and farewell out on the ice. Indoors, excitement came in the form […]
Summer season at the Pole starts out slowly, with the first small plane to arrive bearing fruit but not many people, but then gains momentum with the arrival of the first LC-130, a larger aircraft able to transport more passengers and cargo. Last week at the Pole, the first LC-130 of the season showed up, […]
Out with the old, in with the new. It’s that time of year again, when IceCube’s two incoming winterovers arrive at the Pole and overlap for a short period with the outgoing crew. Often they find an opportunity to take a nice “changing of the guard” photo, with all four winterovers together. IceCube’s newly arrived […]
They’re back! The planes, that is—and the people. It happens every year. Last week marked the arrival of the first Basler plane bringing passengers to the South Pole for the season. That makes the station officially open for summer. Fourteen people arrived to the Pole, bringing 200 pounds of fresh produce along with them, and […]
More incoming flights means more freshies! They get pretty excited at the Pole for almost any kind of fresh fruit or vegetable after going all winter without. Last week, in addition to the standard apples and oranges, the station was treated to pineapple, avocados, and garlic! Another activity that signals the start of summer season […]
Last week was time for a group photo! The sun is up now, so you can take photos of things outdoors other than the sky (not that the winter sky isn’t glorious). Plus, one of the planes that had arrived the previous week served as a nice backdrop for a photo shoot before it returned […]
It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s…no, wait, it is a plane. The first planes of the season have arrived at the Pole. These were early season flights, as the continent begins to prepare for summer. Two twin otters brought not only a very welcome supply of “freshies” but also the first fresh faces they’ve […]
All around the South Pole, flags are used as markers—they can designate pathways or identify spots where equipment is buried below the surface. They’re especially important in winter to avoid getting lost in the dark when the already cold temperatures are at their coldest. But even in daylight, windy conditions at the Pole can dramatically […]
Finally, the sun has officially risen at the South Pole. It’s manifesting in some beautiful soft colors along the horizon in this image of the flags at the ceremonial South Pole. These flags represent the twelve original signatories of the Antarctic Treaty. And exposed as they are to the harsh elements all year long, they […]
Snow at the Pole—in winter, it’s a lot like dirt swept under the rug. You know it’s there but you can’t really see it. Then, the sun starts to come up and, lo and behold, you see the large snowdrifts everywhere. Much of this snow will need to be cleared before activities of the summer […]