Among all corners of the Earth, the South Pole is one of the most inaccessible. Many daredevils attempted to get to it, but many decades passed before a group of researchers succeeded. Many brave people died trying to get to the South Pole, and the bodies of some of them have not yet been found. Antarctica safely keeps its secrets…
Interesting facts about the South Pole
- For the first time, people got to it in December 1911, when five people under the command of Roald Amundsen on sleds pulled by dogs overcame the most difficult path. A month later, the second expedition led by Scott reached the South Pole, which was severely disappointed by its delay. On the way back, Scott’s expedition died in its entirety.
- After the first two expeditions, people again reached the South Pole only 45 years later.
- The thickness of the ice under the South Pole reaches 2800 meters. Ice completely covers the Polar Plateau of Antarctica (interesting facts about Antarctica).
- Due to the cold climate at such an altitude (over 2.8 km), the atmospheric pressure here is approximately equal to that at a height of 4.5-5 km, but in a warmer climate.
- The lowest temperature ever recorded at the South Pole was -82.8 degrees.
- In 1957, the Americans built a research station at the South Pole, which is still in operation. True, since then, due to the movement of the ice cover, it has shifted by about 100 meters.
- The average annual air temperature at the South Pole is lower than anywhere else on Earth. It is approximately -49 degrees. Temperatures above 0 never happen here at all.
- Polar night and day at the South Pole last for half a year. More precisely, darkness and continuous sunlight are observed here for 3 months, the rest of the time is twilight.
- The geographic South Pole does not coincide with the magnetic one. The distance between them is approximately 2700 km, and the magnetic pole is located in the ocean, outside of Antarctica.
- The highest temperature ever recorded here, was -12.7 degrees.
- In 1989, researchers Fuchs and Meissner became the first people to reach the South Pole on their own feet, without the use of machinery or animals.
- There is practically no precipitation here, in some deserts they fall more than in here. On average, 22-24 cm of snow falls annually at the South Pole (interesting facts about deserts).
- Only one sunset and one sunrise per year can be seen here. But they last for 3 months.
- Of all the countries of the world, New Zealand is located closest to the South Pole, despite the fact that Chile and Argentina are closest to the coast of Antarctica.
- On All the time zones of the Earth converge at the South Pole, so local polar explorers, if they wish, can celebrate as many as 24 New Years per day.
- The conditions here are very harsh. In summer, there are quite a lot of researchers here, but in winter only a few dozen people remain on duty. Until the summer, they are completely cut off from the world, since any fuel freezes from severe frosts. In case of problems, no one will be able to come to the rescue. If the generators that provide the buildings with heat fail, there will be no survivors in a day when the heat evaporates.
- The air temperature at the South Pole is much lower than at the North. In winter, during the day it is about -45-50 degrees, and at night it drops to -80.