American station at the South Pole. The meaning of the word amundsen-scott in the big encyclopedic dictionary

“... A black flag tied to a sleigh runner, nearby - the remains of a camp, traces of sledges and skis going in both directions, clear dog paw prints ... Then we understood everything. The Norwegians were ahead of us and reached the Pole first. This is a terrible disappointment, and I feel very sorry for my faithful comrades. We changed our minds a lot, argued a lot among ourselves. Tomorrow we must move on - to the pole, and then hurry home as fast as we can. The end of all our dreams; the return will be sad” (entry from the diary of R. F. Scott, January 18, 1912).

Two attempts by the British to conquer the South Pole - in 1902 and 1909. - were unsuccessful. Robert Scott managed to advance to a latitude of 82 ° 17 ', Ernest Shackleton - to 88 ° 23 '. By the way, the news that Shackleton, a former member of Scott's 1902 campaign, is going on an independent expedition, was an unpleasant surprise for the latter. He wrote several letters to Shackleton, in which he demanded not to use the shore of McMurdo Sound for the base, as he considered this his exclusive right. After Shackleton was forced to land there, without finding anything more or less suitable around, Scott began to consider him his personal enemy. I wonder what the captain would do navy Scott if Shackleton hit the target? Recall that just in 1909, a scandal began over the other pole, the North: Robert Peary, having learned that he had lost the competition to Frederick Cook, used all his connections and a lot of money to mix a more successful competitor with dirt.

But Shackleton “lost the race” with 180 km to go, and in 1910 the British government and the Royal Geographical Society equipped another expedition to Antarctica, and Robert Falcon Scott, leading it, got a second chance. At the end of June, the Terra Nova expedition ship set sail. There were 65 people on board. Scott took with him 33 sled dogs and 15 undersized Chinese (or maybe Mongolian or Buryat) horses, as well as two motor sledges. There was a lot of scientific equipment on board, sufficient supplies of fuel, food and warm clothes.

And in September of the same year, the famous Fram headed by Roald Amundsen set off for the shores of Antarctica. It was a real sensation. Amundsen dreamed of conquering the North Pole and specifically for this many times turned to Fridtjof Nansen with a request to provide him with this tested vessel, which also brings good luck. However, Nansen himself was not averse to repeating the attempt to reach the pole, and therefore hesitated, but finally agreed to hand over the Fram to Amundsen. He prepared to sail - across the Atlantic, around Cape Horn, further along the Pacific Ocean to the Bering Strait, and then drift, like Nansen, along with ice through the central part of the Arctic.

And suddenly, on September 9, during a call to Madeira, Amundsen announced to the crew that he had changed his plans. Later, he claimed that he made the decision to go to the southernmost point of the planet spontaneously, suddenly learning that the North Pole had already submitted to one of the Americans. In fact, a whole year had passed since the sending of the victory telegrams of Cook and Peary - there could be no question of any suddenness. Most likely, for some time he really was preparing to drift in the Arctic Ocean, but nevertheless he made the decision to sail to Antarctica long before September 1910. Hiding his true plans, he bought time, and by announcing them, he instilled nervousness in English. Scott received word of Amundsen's plans in October, when the British were in Australia.

Scott's expedition arrived in Antarctica, on the coast of McMurdo Strait, which he had chosen, in January 1911. At about the same time, but to the east, in the Bay of Whales, cut into the Ross Ice Shelf, the Fram appeared. Almost everyone considered it extremely dangerous to land on the surface of the glacier, especially very close to its edge, which constantly breaks off. Risk? Undoubtedly. But Amundsen calculated everything. He knew that in the area of ​​the Bay of Whales, the edge of the glacier had been stable for several decades, more precisely, since 1841, when it was discovered by James Clark Ross. At the same time, the Norwegian base turned out to be almost 100 km closer to the pole than Scott's camp.

The Fram was quickly unloaded. Instead of resting, Amundsen, with several companions, immediately set off on a hike to 80 ° S. sh. There he set up a food warehouse. Along the way, at regular intervals, beacons were installed - poles with flags, and stocks of food for dogs were also made. At the end of February, Amundsen led another detachment. This time the warehouses were set up at 81°S and 82°S. sh. In total, before the onset of the Antarctic winter, 3 tons of food for people and food for dogs were delivered to the warehouses. During the winter, several strong and light sleds were made, the weight of the boxes was extremely lightened: the boards were planed to a minimum thickness. The tents were painted black - gloomy, but very noticeable. Amundsen tried to take into account every little thing. According to the great Norwegian, it is not the so-called luck that brings victory, but a careful consideration of all possible difficulties and dangers and, of course, preparedness for them.

It cannot be said that Scott prepared poorly: like the Norwegians, the British did not waste time in vain and made several reconnaissance and preparatory trips along the future route. In the Antarctic spring, both detachments went to the pole. But the British left on November 1, and Amundsen on October 20, and the camp of the latter was located much closer to the pole. Amundsen took several dozen sled dogs on the road, the British again counted on horsepower. They were just not enough. The unfortunate odd-toed ungulates were not adapted at all to movement on ice; by the end of the first half of the distance they all died. By the way, motor sledges turned out to be an even more unreliable means of transportation on the Ice Continent. In general, soon people had to drag the sled uphill themselves. At the beginning of January 1912, when about 240 km remained to the target, Scott sent back the last auxiliary detachment, and he himself went on the assault with four companions. The British reached the South Pole on January 17, but there was already a tent with a Norwegian flag and a note from Amundsen. The Norwegians arrived at the Pole on December 14, having overtaken their competitors by more than a month, and now they were completing their return journey. For the British, this was a terrible blow, and for the immensely ambitious Scott, it was a real shock.

But I had to return. At first, everything went well: the five moved from warehouse to warehouse, and the temperature did not fall below -30 ° C. However, every day the headwind

was getting stronger. And then misfortunes followed. Junior officer Edgar Evans, a big man and joker, taken by Scott in the assault group despite serious violations of discipline, had severely cut his hand at the pole, and this had a catastrophic effect on his state of mind. Soon he fell into a crack and received severe bruises, as well as a severe concussion. Evans rapidly lost strength and died on February 17. It became more and more difficult to go, the weather deteriorated - winter began. Frost forty, and a terrible wind that knocked down. Frostbite began; Lawrence Oates, who was no longer able to walk, was especially hard hit. Once at one of the intermediate camps, Oates crawled into a snowstorm and did not return. Nobody stopped him. It happened on March 17th.

There was not much left to the coastal base, but even fewer forces, and food and fuel were coming to an end. On top of all the troubles - a monstrous snowstorm that did not allow even a step to step. Scott's diary is evidence of the gradual fading of hope for salvation. The last entry in it is dated March 29: “Since the 21st, a continuous storm has raged ... Every day we were ready to go - only 11 miles to the warehouse - but there is no way to get out of the tent, so it carries and twists the snow. I don’t think that we can hope for anything else now ... It’s a pity, but I don’t think that I would be able to write. R. Scott.

It was not until the following summer, eight months later, that the members of the English expedition found Scott's tent, which had withstood all the winds. The bodies of Robert Scott, Edward Wilson and Henry Bowers lay in sleeping bags. Scott was the last to die: only his sack was not closed. Notebooks, a camera, and film cassettes were found next to him. Among the things were geological samples.

And what about the winners? The entire route - to the Pole and back, only about 3 thousand km - took Amundsen and his comrades 99 days. On the way back, the Norwegians were inspired by victory, while the British, on the contrary, were crushed by the monstrous weight of defeat. The British walked, and the Norwegians were carried by the remaining dogs. Amundsen and his comrades managed to cover the entire route before the weather worsened, Scott and his companions caught winter halfway to the shore. And finally, that same initial handicap - 100 km of advantage and an earlier start. Here, perhaps, are all the reasons for the victory of some and the defeat of others - remember Amundsen's statement about luck.

Subsequently, many accused Amundsen of cruelty to dogs. The fact is that food warehouses could not be installed along the entire route. Amundsen decided to use his dogs not only as a draft force, but also as a source of food (an Eskimo dog provides about 25 kg of meat), which, moreover, does not need to be transported. He calculated when to shoot each dog in order to turn it from a means of transportation into food. Cruel? Of course - in relation to dogs, faithfully serving people. And in relation to people? Probably, it is worth recognizing the correctness of Amundsen, who chose the best option - from the point of view of the survival of people. The Norwegian himself believed that it was this circumstance that became the main factor in reaching the South Pole and safely returning to the coastal base.

The British for a very long time considered Robert Scott to be the real conqueror of the pole.

NUMBERS AND FACTS

main characters

Roald Amundsen, Norwegian polar explorer; Robert Scott, English officer, polar explorer

Other actors

Englishmen E. Evans, L. Oates, E. Wilson, G. Bowers; Norwegians O. Wisting, H. Hansen and others.

Time of action

Route

From the Bay of Whales and the coast of McMurdo Sound, respectively, to the South Pole

Target

Conquest of the southernmost point of the planet

Meaning

Conquest of the South Pole. Outstripping Scott, Amundsen proved that there are no trifles in the organization of expeditions

Station "Amundsen - Scott": seasonality of travel, life at the station, reviews of tours to the station "Amundsen - Scott".

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"Place of residence - South Pole" - so the inhabitants of the American polar base "Amundsen - Scott" could rightfully write in their personal questionnaire. Founded in 1956 and since then, permanently and year-round inhabited, the Amundsen-Scott station is a model of how a person can adapt to the most adverse living conditions. And not only to adapt - to build a comfortable home that can withstand the harsh climate of Antarctica for many years. In the era of commercial expeditions to the South Pole, the Amundsen-Scott became a foster home for tourists who came to personally trample under their feet the extreme southern point of the Earth. Travelers spend only a few hours here, but during this time they manage to get acquainted with the amazing life of the station and even send a postcard home with the postmark “South Pole”.

A bit of history

Amundsen-Scott is the first Antarctic station deep in the continent. It was founded in 1956, 45 years after the conquest of the South Pole, and bears the name of the glorious pioneers of the icy continent - the Norwegian Roald Amundsen and the Englishman Robert Scott. At the time of its foundation, the station was located exactly at 90 ° south latitude, but by now, due to the movement of ice, it has slightly deviated from the South Pole point, which is now located about 100 meters from the station.

The original station was built under the ice, and scientific activity continued there until 1975. Then a domed base was erected, which served as a home for polar explorers until 2003. And then a large-scale structure appeared here on jack piles, allowing the building to be raised as it was covered with snow. According to forecasts, it will last another 30-45 years.

The interiors here are no different from the usual American "public places" - only massive doors that close like a safe give out that this is happening in Antarctica.

The climate of Amundsen-Scott station

The Amundsen-Scott station is located at an altitude of 2800 meters above sea level, which, given the high rarefaction of air in the South Pole region, turns into actual 3500 meters, corresponding to the high mountainous regions of the Earth.

The polar day here lasts from September 23 to March 21, and the peak of the "tourist season" falls on December - January, when the temperature is most suitable for expeditions. At this time of the year, the thermometer does not show below -30 ° C. Well, in winter it is about -60 ° C and complete darkness, illuminated only by the northern lights.

Life at Amundsen-Scott Station

From 40 to 200 people - scientists, researchers and professional polar explorers - permanently live on the Amundsen-Scott. AT summer period life is in full swing here - after all, it is comfortable -22 ... -30 ° С outside the window, and the sun shines around the clock. But for the winter, a little more than fifty people remain at the station - to maintain its performance and continue scientific research. At the same time, from mid-February to the end of October, access here from the outside world is closed.

The station is crammed with high-tech equipment, including an 11-kilometer antenna for monitoring space storms, a super-powerful telescope, and a drilling rig that has sunk more than two kilometers into the ice, used for experiments on neutrino particles.

What to watch

Tourists are only allowed to enter the Amundsen-Scott station for a few hours. The interiors are no different from the usual American "public places" - only massive doors that close like a safe give out that it's happening in Antarctica. A canteen, a gym, a hospital, a music studio, a laundry and a store, a greenhouse and a post office - that's the whole simple life.

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Antarctic station "Amundsen-Scott"; a striped pole marking the earth's axis is visible in front of the flags (January 2006)

An aerial photograph of Amundsen-Scott station taken circa 1983. The central dome is visible, as well as various containers and ancillary structures.

The main entrance to the dome is located below the snow level. Initially, the dome was built on the surface, but then gradually sank into the snow.

The aluminum unheated "tent" is the pole's landmark. It even had a post office, a shop and a pub.

Any building at the pole is quickly surrounded by snow, and the design of the dome was not the best. A gigantic amount of fuel was used to remove the snow, and shipping a liter of fuel costs $7.

The unique design on piles allows snow not to accumulate near the building, but to pass under it. The sloping shape of the lower part of the building allows the wind to be directed under the building, which contributes to the blowing of snow. But sooner or later, snow will cover the piles, and then it will be possible to raise the station twice with jacks (this ensures the service life of the station from 30 to 45 years).

Building materials were delivered by Hercules aircraft from McMurdo station on the coast and only during daylight hours. More than 1000 flights have been made.

On January 15, 2008, in the presence of the leadership of the US National Science Foundation and other organizations, the American flag was lowered from the dome station and raised in front of a new modern complex. The station can accommodate up to 150 people in summer and about 50 in winter.

The minimum temperature at the geographic south pole of the Earth was −82.8 °C, 6.8 °C higher than the absolute temperature minimum on the planet and at Vostok station (there was −89.6 °C), by 0.8 °C lower than the unofficially recorded minimum in 1916 in Oymyakon - the coldest winter city in Russia and the Northern Hemisphere and was recorded on June 23, 1982, one day after the date summer solstice. In the current century, the worst frost in Amundsen-Scott was observed on August 1, 2005, -79.3 °C.

In summer, the population of the station is usually more than 200 people. Most of the staff leave by mid-February, leaving only a few dozen people (43 in 2009) wintering, mostly support staff plus a few scientists who run the station during several months of the Antarctic night. Winterers are isolated from the rest of the world from mid-February to late October, at which time they face many dangers and stresses. The station is completely self-sufficient in winter, powered by three generators running on JP-8 aviation fuel.

Research at the station includes sciences such as glaciology, geophysics, meteorology, upper atmospheric physics, astronomy, astrophysics, and biomedical research. Most scientists work in low frequency astronomy; the low temperatures and low humidity of the polar air, combined with altitudes of over 2,743 m (9,000 ft), provide far greater air transparency at some frequencies than is typical elsewhere on the planet, and months of darkness allow sensitive equipment to operate at all times.

In January 2007, a group of Russian high officials visited the station, including FSB chiefs Nikolai Patrushev and Vladimir Pronichev. The expedition, led by polar explorer Artur Chilingarov, started in Chile on two Mi-8 helicopters and landed at the South Pole.

September 6, 2007 TV show aired man made for the National Geographic Channel with an episode about the construction of a new building here.

November 9, 2007 program Today NBC, with co-writer Ann Carrie, made a report via satellite phone that was broadcast live from the South Pole.

On Christmas Day 2007, two members of the base got into a drunken brawl and were evacuated.

Every year the station staff gathers to watch films"

In December 1911, the famous Norwegian traveler Roald Amundsen was the first to reach the South Pole. In honor of this day, we decided to see how polar explorers live in our time.

Photoblogger Sergei Dolya says: “The Amundsen-Scott station, named after the discoverers of the South Pole, impresses with its scope and technology. In the complex of buildings, around which for thousands of kilometers there is nothing but ice, there is really a separate world of its own. They didn’t reveal all the scientific and research secrets to us, but they gave us an interesting tour of the residential blocks and showed us how polar explorers live…”

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3. Initially, during construction, the station was located exactly at the geographic South Pole, but due to the movement of ice over several years, the base has shifted to the side by 200 meters.

4. This is our DC-3 aircraft. In fact, it has been heavily modified by Basler, and almost all the stuffing in it, including avionics and engines, is brand new.

5. The plane can land both on the ground and on the ice.

6. This photo clearly shows how close the station is to the historic South Pole (a group of flags in the center). And the lone flag on the right is the geographic South Pole.

8. It stands on stilts, like many houses in the north. This is done so that the building does not melt the ice under it and does not “float”. In addition, the space below is perfectly blown by the winds (in particular, the snow under the station has not been cleared even once since its construction).

9. Entrance to the station: you need to climb two flights of stairs. Due to the fact that the air is rarefied, this is not easy to do.

10. Residential blocks.

11. It was -25 degrees at the Pole during our visit. We arrived in full uniform - three layers of clothes, hats, balaclavas, etc. - and then we were suddenly met by a guy in a light sweater and crocs. He said that he was used to it: he had already survived several winters and the maximum frost that he found here was minus 73 degrees. For about forty minutes, while we walked around the station, he walked around in this form.

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Photo

Location Description

The Amundsen-Scott base is located in Antarctica. The Amundsen-Scott base, set right on the South Pole, was built in 1956. It was in it that the base of researchers who worked at the American polar station Amundsen-Scott was located.

In 1974, a new building was built next to the old building, and gradually work in the old building ceased. In 2008, an even newer base was built, to which the old name, Amundsen-Scott, passed.

The old base was completely covered in snow, its borders could be seen with the help of specially placed flags. Engineer John Wren, who led the operation back in December, had to dig passages in the snow that allowed the dynamite to be lowered closer to the base of the building. This decision was not easy, but the old station began to threaten the safety of people. Last year, a tractor working at the South Pole missed the flags and drove into the snow that covered the first station. The snow could not withstand such a load and the tractor fell deep into the building, breaking through its roof. Fortunately, no one was hurt in this incident.