Mysterious Antarctica

OP, you are a slacker!

Here's a few links:
The PCO

Usa involvement.

Research stations: To achieve the USAP goals, NSF operates three U.S. scientific stations year-round on the continent.
McMurdo Station. Located on the Ross Sea, Antarctica's largest station serves as a "gateway" to Antarctica for U.S. scientific field teams as well as the hub for most of the U.S. scientific activity. During the Southern Hemisphere's summer (austral summer), the population of scientists and support personnel at McMurdo often exceeds 1,000 people. In the austral winter (from February to early October), the population drops to roughly 180 persons. Even at the height of the austral summer, the population at McMurdo is equivalent to the enrollment of an average U.S. high school and is situated on a landmass the size of the U.S. and Mexico combined.
Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Located 841 statute miles inland from McMurdo, at the geographic South Pole, this station accommodates a maximum of 250 people during the austral summer. Temperatures there average minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit year-round; average austral winter lows are in the range of minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Astronomy and astrophysics are the primary scientific work carried out at the South Pole.
The station, named for a Norwegian and a Briton who raced to discover the South Pole arriving there in late 1911 and early 1912, respectively, was recently rebuilt over a period of several years. The new, elevated station, the third and newest U.S. station at the Pole, was dedicated in January 2008.
Palmer Station. Located on Anvers Island in the Antarctic Peninsula region and logistically isolated from the other stations, it relies mainly on the R/V Laurence M. Gould for transport of passengers and resupply from a port at the southern tip of South America. The R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer provides onboard research support in marine biology, oceanography, and geophysics and can support science in other areas of the Southern Ocean.
People: Some 3,500 Americans are involved each year in the program's research and logistical activities. Women constitute roughly 30 percent of the scientific and support workforce. Every year, more than 800 scientists and their support teams conduct research in Antarctica's unique environment.
Budget: The USAP budget for FY 2008 is approximately $295 million, and includes funds for merit-reviewed grants to scientists as well as logistics support. NSF's budget for FY 2008 totaled slightly more than $6 billion.

Webcam of McMurdo Station: HERE.

Webcam of Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station is down for the summer. Click HERE for pics, video and info.

Webcam of Palmer Station: HERE.

But, you see, it's COLD there. South Pole. Like -60 degrees Fahrenheit all summer. You could say that they're sinking a lot of money in the south pole to dig up proof of Atlantis, Hidden Alien Ancestors, whatever, but the fact is, in the recent past, and in all the near foreseeable future, it's just cold as a witches nipple. Not the best tourist spot.

Here a cool link if you are really interested in the Antarctic, and want to see it close up: JOBS. Raytheon is the contractor hired by the NSF to hire people to work in the cold, as well as many other support positions. Wanna get a piece of that 6 billion dollar pie? Apply now!

Of course, if you get hired, you could see first hand the Alien Bases they are digging up. You could talk to staff, and maybe even get to meet a real live Alien.....not!

Just cold.

Move along folks, nothing to see here, just frozen swamp gas.

Thanks for your input Druid, much appreciated.

Whenever I think of Antarctica I either want to go back and watch 'The Day After'... or start pondering on whether Admiral Richard Byrd really knew his business...

Edit to add...

Antarctica is just sooooo fascinating!

reply to post by Druid42


It's still a mile thick of ice!!!!! No drill can reach that far down.

There's bound to be some amazing things down there, like this lake!

www.dailygalaxy.com...

Antarctica is still an amazing place! Both above, and probably below the ice

Originally posted by Heyyo_yoyo
Thanks for your input Druid, much appreciated.

Whenever I think of Antarctica I either want to go back and watch 'The Day After'... or start pondering on whether Admiral Richard Byrd really knew his business...

Edit to add...

Antarctica is just sooooo fascinating!

edit on 12-7-2011 by Heyyo_yoyo because: (no reason given)

I agree, and am also fascinated by the tenacity of humans to survive in such an environment. A lot is still left to be discovered about our ancient history, and Antarctica holds answers buried under all that ice.

The Piri Reis map is quite old. It's a copy from a copy of a copy from a copy. The Turkish Admiral was just it's last owner.

The land that is mistaken for Antarctica, well it's probably one of the Sandwich Islands.

A few 1000 years ago the Antarctic peninsula did know a sudden warm up though. The majority of the ice sheet that covers the mainland has been doing this for millions of years though.