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		LIFE IN ANTARCTICA
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BEST AND WORST OF LIVING IN ANTARCTICA
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__________
QUESTION: What do you feel is the worst part of being in 
Antarctica?

ANSWER from April Whitt, Fernbank Science Center, on January 22, 
1995:
I guess I felt the waiting around for good weather and a scheduled 
plane was the worst. I arrived in McMurdo on a Sunday "afternoon" 
and was supposed to leave on Monday for the Pole. Bad weather and 
broken aircraft kept me in McMurdo until late Thursday "night." I used 
that time to send e-mail messages and answer questions from students 
back in the U.S., and met some terrific people, but I REALLY wanted 
to get to Pole.

And for basic comfort levels, the one shower a week, with no more 
than two minutes of water total leaves quite a bit to be desired. But it 
was my first trip there, and I loved pretty much every minute of it. (I 
was there over Christmas 1993.)

ANSWER from Jim Sweitzer on January 12, 1995:
1. Here at the Pole, it is very cold (although that's not so bad), but it is 
really the high altitude that makes it difficult. It's like being on a 
mountain. The air doesn't have as much oxygen as at the level of a city 
like Rochester. Imagine what it is like to only get about half as much 
air every time you breathe. Have you ever been out of breath? Well, it 
happens much easier here than back at home.

2. The airplanes we ride in to get here are very uncomfortable and 
never seem to be on schedule. When you get here you are usually 
exhausted from a very difficult ride.

3. The isolation can be tough. By that I mean that we don't get to talk 
to our friends and family on the telephone. My family has email so I 
write them letters like this. We also don't have any TV and radio news. 
I have heard that there was a flood in California, but only from people 
coming down. We have a TV and video tape player and lots of videos. 
I have to say that I don't miss the news much.

You need to know that there are lots of great things about being here:

1. The people are lots of fun and extremely interesting. Almost anyone 
who comes here has a fascinating background. The people are also 
very friendly and help each other a lot. I think it's like the type of 
group there might be on a space station or another planet outpost.

2. The food at the Pole is great. They have excellent cooks and you can 
eat almost as much as you like. Back in the states I would gain weight, 
but here I burn so many calories in the cold that I actually lose weight.

3. The work I do is lots of fun. It's hard, but I and the people I work 
with are building the first astronomical observatory in Antarctica. We 
hope to find out how stars and planets are born. It's quite an adventure 
to do something no one else has done.

__________
QUESTION: What do you like and hate the most about your life in 
Antarctica?

ANSWER: from Jim Sweitzer, Asst. Director CARA, on January 7, 
1995
I just arrive at the Pole about 4 hours ago. What do I like best? Well, I 
like the astronomical adventure we are on. This is really like being on 
another planet. I'm sure I'll never get to Mars and this is probably a 
good substitute. The project we are doing, constructing an observatory 
to observe early structure in the universe is quite fascinating, too.

Another big plus is the people you meet in Antarctica. It's quite a small 
community of people, all of whom are very interesting. Most scientists 
are usually only working with people in their own specialty. Here you 
meet all kinds of scientists from all different fields. The nonscientists 
are equally fascinating to share lunch with. A couple of days ago I had 
lunch with the person who is the fire commissioner for Antarctica and 
a journalist.

What don't I like? Well, the altitude is a bit of a problem. I'm really in 
pretty good shape physically, but at Pole the effective altitude is 
12,000 feet. That puts the brakes on you. In fact someone just said he 
has quite a headache and also that I should relax the first day. So, I 
think I'll stop this now. The other minor problem is that you want to do 
so much and have so little time.

__________
QUESTION: What do you like and hate the most about your life in 
Antarctica?
 
ANSWER from Katy McNitt on January 7, 1995
I like almost everything about living at the South Pole: my job is fun, 
and it's almost like being on vacation all year! I like the summertime 
because the sun is always up and there are a lot of people around, and I 
like the winter because the aurora are really MAGIC and there aren't 
so many people around ;-). And in-between, we have twilights that last 
for months!

The part I don't like about living at the South Pole is I really miss my 
family. I just got engaged to be married, and I won't see my fiancee for 
a whole year! That part really makes me sad. At least we can keep in 
touch through email. The time seems to go pretty quickly here, and I'm 
glad to have the opportunity to live in such a special place.

P.S. We only have to (get to?) take two showers per week!


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LENGTH OF STAY
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__________
QUESTION: What is the longest time anyone has stayed in the 
station?

ANSWER from Tom Stevens in February, 1995
Usually people in the U.S. Antarctic Program are limited to about one 
year in Antarctica before they must return to the States  This would 
include one austral summer season and one winter-over. After 
returning to the States for awhile they are welcome to return the 
following seasons. Some people have been to Antarctica for over 
twenty years, but I'm not sure what the longest stretch for any one 
person has been.

__________
QUESTION:  What is the longest time a person has stayed at the South 
Pole?

ANSWER from Guy Guthridge
No one is known to have spent more than about two years 
continuously in Antarctica. Most people are there for a few months in 
summer, although many of them have returned for many summers. 
Some people have wintered four or more times, but they typically do 
not do so over continuous winters.


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PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS
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__________
QUESTION: What is it like living in darkness for six months?

ANSWER from Deane Rink, Live From Antarctica field producer, on 
December 28, 1994:

I have talked to a few winter-overs about your question and they all 
say the same thing. It is difficult to adapt to being in the dark 24 hours 
a day, so much of the winter-over time is spent inside where artificial 
light and the keeping of a regular work and sleep schedule maintains 
some correspondence to mid-latitude reality. We who are here for the 
summers when it is light 24 hours a day have the same disorientation 
problems, so we have heavy curtains on our windows to simulate 
night, and we also try to maintain a regular schedule. For the winter-
overs, the most beautiful time of all to be in Antarctica is during the 
transition periods, because when the continent is changing from 
darkness to light or vice-versa, the most beautiful purple and pink 
sunsets and sunrises can be seen. This is when the most colorful photos 
are taken

Of course, at the South Pole, and even to some extent at McMurdo on 
the coast of Antarctica, the colorful austral auroras are visible only in 
the winter when the sky is dark, and they make up to some extent for 
the total darkness.

__________
QUESTION: What do you do to prevent the personnel on Antarctica 
who winter-over from getting "cabin fever"? 

ANSWER from Deane Rink, Live From Antarctica field producer, on 
January 13, 1995 
First of all, people who are selected to winter-over are carefully 
evaluated by psychiatrists to determine if they have the right type of 
personality to withstand long periods of darkness and long times away 
from family and friends. Those who are chosen are very motivated to 
do it, generally are hard workers who lose themselves in their work, 
and are capable of entertaining themselves by reading or other solitary 
pursuits. In McMurdo, there are over 200 who winter-over, so it is like 
a small community where relatively normal interactions take place. At 
the South Pole, where the numbers are more like 25 or so, the 
community typically becomes more tightly knit and seems to go 
through phases. In the beginning of winter-over, people will go off and 
be by themselves, then they will gradually re-emerge and begin the 
process of making friends. Cards and board games are useful social 
interactions to help this process along, as are watching videos and 
participating in group safety and cooking efforts. Many of the South 
Pole winter-overs say they never have it as good as when the summer 
"tourists" depart and they others can get down to their real work. Other 
advantages of wintering-over include being able to see great sunrises 
and sunsets, being able to experience the aurora australis, having time 
to themselves to write their book or learn how to play an instrument or 
speak a language, etc. 

__________
QUESTION:  What psychological adjustments might a person have to 
go through when they live and work in Antarctica?

ANSWER:  from Nicole Wertz
Many of the adjustments one has to make here in McMurdo are 
somewhat subtle and others are very obvious. The obvious ones are 
adjusting to the cold. You may think that would only be a physical 
adjustment, but preparing yourself mentally to go out and work and 
play in subzero weather day after day is a major adjustment.
 
We have to live and eat and work together all the time. There isn't 
much privacy which can become difficult especially if you want to 
avoid someone. We have roommates and live in dorms. A lot of the 
people down here are use to living in houses with families or alone.
 
A person can't come and go as they please. There are many places we 
can't go because of the danger and distance. If we do want to go out 
and walk or hike, we must go with someone else for safety measures.
 
The other adjustment is there is always sunlight. The sun never sets. 
This plays tricks on your mind. It may be midnight but because you 
are walking outside you think it's the middle of the day and aren't 
prepared for sleep.
 
These are just some of the difficulties we face in McMurdo, but most 
people down here are very kind and supportive and maintain a great 
sense of humor. Despite some of the hardships, we all manage to have 
a great time.
 
__________ 
 QUESTION: Does the general feeling of isolation and solitude ever 
bother the scientists while on Antarctic research projects?

ANSWER from Jack Dibb on December 19, 1994
Speaking for myself, I would have to say that these aspects are actually 
one of the attractions for such research. I suspect that many of the 
other scientists, as well as the support staff, enjoy places like 
Antarctica at least partly because there are so few people. Of course, 
we are all pretty excited by the scientific questions that bring us there 
as well.

Perhaps the bigger problem is one of feeling trapped with too many 
people (or at least the wrong ones). If the weather pins you in a tent for 
days on end, it is pretty important that you get along very well with 
your tent mate, because little irritations grow pretty fast under such 
conditions. I understand that similar problems sometimes come up for 
the small crews that winter-over at the permanent bases, but every 
effort is made to keep them from getting out of hand.

ANSWER from Nicole Wertz on December 20, 1994
Although I am not a scientist, I have spoken with several of them, and 
yes, at times, the isolation does become something of an issue. The 
scientists here either have experienced or prepared for the solitude. 
Most of the scientists bring books, work on their research or come 
back into town (McMurdo) for some contact with civilization. They 
understand, though, the importance of their research and can usually 
complete their designated time.

__________
QUESTION: How does being away from civilization affect you and 
your families?

ANSWER from Nicole Wertz on December 18, 1994
It's not as bad as I thought it would be. As you know, we have e-mail 
here so I can write friends and family all the time. We can also call 
home on a telephone just as if we were back in the states, and we have 
a postal system so we can write and receive letters. We have TV and 
can sort of keep up with national news. I do get homesick and miss 
people I love, as do other people, especially those who are married and 
have children, but we do have contact with the outside world. We also 
do a lot of fun things to keep us entertained like put on plays, watch 
movies, go skiing and hiking. It can actually be a lot of fun!



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FAMILIES, PETS, AND VISITORS
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__________
QUESTION: Are there any children at McMurdo Station or families in 
Antarctica?

ANSWER from Chris Hanson on January 29, 1995
There are a few students visiting here as part of the various science 
groups. I think one of the groups is a biology class.

Other than that, there aren't any young people here. The only people in 
McMurdo are the scientists and those of us who work for them. I know 
I would have loved to have gone to Antarctica when I was younger and 
was still in school. What a field trip! And our bus is really cool 
looking; it's called a Terra-Bus. Big knobby tires, taller than a semi 
truck, and has a fold-down stairway to board it. The food isn't much 
better than in school, though.

I think it would be kind of neat to have some school kids of all ages 
come down here and spend a month or so living here, do the regular 
school things and hold classes, but also get out to the exotic places and 
learn about what's really unique to Antarctica. Having children around 
would make McMurdo feel more like a real town out on the "frontier." 
But even if you don't go on a field trip to Antarctica, you can see it on 
TV and maybe come down and work here someday.

__________
QUESTION: Is it possible for you to have pets in Antarctica? Do you 
have any there?

ANSWER: Chris Hanson 
It's possible to have pets in Antarctica, but no one does because it's not 
allowed under the Antarctic Treaty. At one time McMurdo did have a 
pet cat, brought down by one of the beekers (scientists) and left here as 
a community mascot, I guess. But the newest form of the Treaty says 
that we are not to bring nonindigenous life down to Antarctica. 
Nonindigenous means it doesn't normally live here. Indigenous life 
forms would be the penguins, seals, birds and whales, plus the lichen, 
bacteria and nematodes that live in the soil.

We aren't supposed to bring nonindigenous (that word again!) plants 
down either. This means no Christmas trees. Well, we do have small 
artificial ones. The only foreign plant life down here is the vegetables 
growing under strict control in our greenhouse. They help keep us 
supplied with fresh food during summer and winter.

Scott Base (the New Zealand Antarctic Programme's base, two miles 
down the road from McMurdo) has a "phantom" cat named Tibbles. 
There's a litterbox in the common room, and people will tell you all 
kinds of stories about what Tibbles is up to each day. Of course, there 
is no Tibbles. It's a joke that the Kiwis (New Zealanders) play on 
unsuspecting visitors. They had my roommate fooled for weeks -- he 
kept going over to Scott Base periodically trying to meet Tibbles the 
cat.

__________
QUESTION: Are there only scientists in Antarctica or can normal 
people go there too?

ANSWER from Craig Mundell on December 29, 1994
No, there are not only scientists in Antarctica. Currently, McMurdo 
station has about 17% scientists, 55% civilians ("normal people"), and 
the rest is navy personnel. The "normal people" are the support 
personnel that maintain the camp and help the scientists.  

Very few people are able to actually visit Antarctica without working 
here. There are certain visitors that come down for small periods of 
time for various reasons. There are also a couple cruise ships that dock 
here for a few hours, however, these are extremely expensive to ride 
on.

__________
QUESTION: On December 13, the researcher said that the tourists on 
Antarctica were great. Do all researchers feel this way? What is the 
future of tourism here?

ANSWER from Ann Stevens,
I do not believe that all researchers feel that tourists on Antarctica are 
great, although several of them may think that tourists are great 
because they are able to learn more about the various science projects, 
animal life and experience the harsh winds, extreme temperatures and 
dryness of the continent for themselves. The tourists are able to learn 
how and why people need to conserve, clean up after themselves and 
learn to respect the environment. 

The down side to this is that if too many people begin visiting 
Antarctica, then they may pollute the environment or even disrupt 
some of the wild life and science projects if not handled in the proper 
manner. This may have a definite impact on the science projects and 
the environment.  

I think that the future of tourism will probably stay as it is now. 
Passenger vessels carrying tourists will stop periodically, and in 
escorted groups they are shown different areas and the various 
wildlife. We also have tourists who come down as what we call 
distinguished visitors. They are here for a shorter period of time and 
are taken to various areas on the continent. What do you think the 
future of tourism should be in Antarctica?


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SLEEPING, LIVING QUARTERS, LAUNDRY
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__________ 
QUESTION: How much light is there on an average day, and if there 
is a lot, how do you sleep?

ANSWER from Nicole Wertz on December 20, 1994
Well, at this time the sun never sets which means we have sunshine 24 
hours a day. This will last a few more months until the fall when the 
sun slowly begins to set again and then there will be night 24 hours a 
day. We cover our windows or "black them out" in order to sleep. We 
just have to pretend it's night in order to get a good night's sleep. 

__________
QUESTION: Do you sleep in big groups or do you sleep alone?

ANSWER from John Briggs on January 9, 1995:
I work at Yerkes Observatory of the University of Chicago. Last year I 
lived at South Pole for 11 months, right through the winter, with 26 
other people. We have a building there that is inside the main Dome, 
and it's set up as the South Pole winter dormitory. We call it 
"berthing," and there are upper and lower sections. Everyone has their 
own room in the berthing building, so it's not like we're all huddled in 
a big tent or anything like that. But the rooms are very small. Mine 
was hardly any bigger than my bed, though I did have a small closet 
and some drawers.

During the South Pole summertime, there are a lot more people at the 
Station -- up to about 135. So during the summer there aren't enough 
rooms inside the Dome's berthing building, and the extra people live 
out in "Jamesway" buildings, which are actually like very large tents. 
But even in the Jamesway buildings, in most cases, you get your own 
private space. Your own space, even if it's tiny, is important for getting 
a good rest. A lot of people visiting South Pole have a hard time 
sleeping in the thin air, so anything that can be done to help folks get a 
good rest is important.

__________
QUESTION: Do you have special sleeping bags for sleeping in the 
tents at the remote camps?

ANSWER: By Buck Tilley, survival instructor at the Berg Field 
Center in McMurdo.
Sleeping bags for the deep field are allocated according to the 
temperatures each party expects to find in the area of its camp. The 
warmest bags will take care of someone down to -50F. There are 
problems, though. If you're claustrophobic, you're in trouble once 
you're zipped up. 

__________
QUESTION: What are the living quarters like in Antarctica?

ANSWER from Nicole Wertz on December 21, 1994:
Usually in the camps the "team," which sometimes include cooks and 
carpenters along with the scientists, stays in what's called "Scott 
Tents"--large double-walled tents made out of canvass and supported 
by aluminum. Each weighs about 90 pounds and they look like a 
teepee. A larger structure that they use out in the deeper field camps is 
called a "Jamesway." It is an insulated double-walled canvas stretched 
out over arches of wood. These are used for semipermanent camps and 
are actually left there year-round at times. There are also little 
insulated wooden boxes mounted on sleds which are dragged around 
on the ice wherever the science team wants to go. These are called fish 
huts.  

The Jamesway and the fishhut have pre-way oil stoves which warm 
them to around 60 to 70 degrees F. The Scott Tents' only source of 
heat is the camp cook stove, and the temperature ranges from 0 on the 
floor to 60 degrees F at the top. The Scott Tent can comfortably sleep 
two people and the Jamesway can sleep up to 10 to 15. Most people 
sleep in sleeping bags.  

On TV, you may have seen what looks like huts or shacks. Some of 
the camps out in the valleys use those for cooking purposes or 
laboratories for the scientists. In these cases they set up a Jamesway to 
sleep in. 

__________
QUESTION: How do you wash your laundry? And where do you 
wash it?

ANSWER from Chris Hanson on February 3, 1995.

With water. And soap! ;) Seriously, it's actually quite civilized in the 
dorms. In our building we have three washers and seven dryers. We 
even get free laundry detergent. And unlike a Laundromat, we don't 
have to feed quarters into the machines.


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MISCELLANEOUS: CAMPFIRES, MONEY, CELTIC CROSS
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__________
QUESTION:  Do you ever have campfires in Antarctica?

ANSWER: from Deane Rink
There is no wood in Antarctica, except for fossilized trees from 
millions of years ago. Therefore, no campfires are ever made. People 
who do camp out do make fires to cook their meals with Coleman 
stoves, which contain propane or other volatile gases. Since Antarctica 
is a polar desert, fire is a major concern of everyone down here, and 
even the gas stoves are monitored and regulated very carefully.
 
__________
QUESTION: Do you need to take money to Antarctica? What kinds of 
things are there to buy? Where do researchers get their supplies, food, 
etc.?

ANSWER from Jack Dibb on January 9, 1995
The U.S. Antarctic Program, sponsored by the National Science 
Foundation, provides all of the necessary items for investigators in 
Antarctica. In big stations, food is served in cafeterias. For remote 
camps, supplies are provided (the scientists and support staff request 
what they want from a very nice list of available food and equipment). 
So, you do not need any money. However, nearly everyone wants 
souvenirs, postcards, and the occasional beer or other drink (which are 
not provided free of charge). So, there are little stores at all of the 
bases that sell these kinds of things. We also need to have money to 
cover hotels, meals and other expenses while traveling from the U.S. 
to Antarctica (many people travel through New Zealand, and can end 
up spending quite a few days there if the weather in McMurdo causes 
delays in the flight schedule).

__________
QUESTION: When we watched the fourth program we saw the cross 
at Hut Point and the scientists there said it was Vince's cross. We 
understand that Vince was one of Scott's team. We would like to know 
why the cross is Celtic.

ANSWER from Donal Manahan and Craig Mundell on February 4, 
1995
Thanks for your interesting question. I know of no comment in the old 
literature on the issue of the design of the cross. The Hut Point cross 
may have just happened by chance to look Celtic in that I doubt an 
English-based polar party would use a Celtic symbol.

I am Irish-born and have seen lots of Celtic crosses in Ireland. The Hut 
Point cross never did strike me as "Celtic" until I read your  comment. 
Still, it is an interesting point that you raise and I will keep my ears 
and eyes open for any further information on this one.