Life and Work Experiences in Antarctica's Frozen Frontier
In the cold, bleak, yet awe-inspiring landscape of Antarctica, a diverse group of individuals work tirelessly to ensure the smooth operation of year-round research stations. These are not just scientists, but a variety of support personnel who play crucial roles in maintaining the infrastructure, providing essential services, and keeping the stations running.
Kiell Kosberg, a blogger from Minneapolis, Minnesota, spent two summers living and working in Antarctica at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. During her first season, she worked as a General Assistant (GA), a role that saw her working in the Vehicle Maintenance Facility, chipping mucky ice off the frozen metal floor, separating out waste for shipping, shoveling snow, and pushing around 55-gallon drums of dirty water.
The workday for most departments is from 7:30 to 5:30, New Zealand time, six days a week. Overtime is common, and the extreme cold conditions demand physical stamina and a willingness to work in extreme environments.
Jamesway living, a collection of semi-cylindrical canvas and plywood structures heated with AN8 jet fuel, offers visual privacy only, with shared noise and smells. Despite these challenges, the unique living conditions are part of the Antarctic experience.
The weather during the summer season can range from -50F with -80 windchill to +10F. The sun is up 24 hours a day, rotating in the sky, and the wind always blows in the same direction. The South Pole is a sight to behold, with its rippling crusty snowdrift formations, a stark blue sky, and few clouds.
Support staff are essential to the station's operations. Cooks, IT department personnel, carpenters, logistics personnel, heavy equipment operators, a heavy vehicle shop to maintain equipment, a waste crew, and shovelers all play their part.
Entertainment in Antarctica is plentiful, with sports, dance parties, language classes, movie nights, open mic performances, pub trivia, and science lectures all on offer. Despite the isolation, the spirit of camaraderie among the staff is palpable.
One unique Antarctic tradition is the 300 Club, where participants sit in a sauna, run outside naked, and wear boots to avoid injuring their feet on the ice.
The Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station is home to various research facilities. There are telescopes that take measurements of the cosmic microwave background to learn about the universe and the Big Bang, a neutrino detector encompassed in a cubic kilometre of ice, an NOAA laboratory that researches the cleanest air in the world, and a hydroponic growth chamber similar to the Lunar Greenhouse prototype.
For those heading to Antarctica, Kiell's top tip is to bring lots of socks. The food, while primarily consisting of meat and potatoes, offers good vegetarian options, thanks to the hard work of the galley staff.
In conclusion, Antarctica offers a unique and challenging work environment for non-scientists. From cooks and food service staff to maintenance technicians, electricians, medical personnel, communication engineers, and other support roles, there is a place for everyone. The isolation, extreme cold, and long hours are offset by the camaraderie, unique experiences, and the opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking scientific research.
- Kiell Kosberg, a blogger from Minneapolis, Minnesota, explored the adventure-travel landscape of Antarctica during her work at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.
- During her time, she worked as a General Assistant (GA), handling tasks such as vehicle maintenance, waste disposal, and shoveling snow, demonstrating her adaptability to the adventure of the Antarctic lifestyle.
- Food, an essential component of the lifestyle, offers good vegetarian options thanks to the hard work of the galley staff, providing a unique gastronomic adventure in the midst of the cold, bleak, yet awe-inspiring Antarctic landscape.
- Despite the challenges of living in Antarctica, entertainment such as sports, dance parties, and science lectures foster camaraderie among the diverse support staff, making their experiences a memorable blend of work, adventure, and lifestyle.
