Interesting Antarctic structure with airstrip nearby. (aliens, ancient, strange)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
cjseliga - Interesting that you worked down there for a while.
There are a few questions which I have always wanted to ask of someone who has worked there, such as where do the scientists get their maps of the area from?
Basically it was a modified DC-8 with Hi-resolution cameras, and the plane flew back and forth over the Arctic and the Antarctic. Here's a picture over my former station (Palmer Station) when the DC-8 flew over (I wasn't there), where they laid out a bunch a float coats in the formation of a "HI".
Before that, I would assume from satellites or other plane flights from back in the day. As for things closer to the station and the station itself, USAP (United Stated Antarctic Program) has a survey crew that goes out and surveys every square inch they are told, even remote field camps, with equipment every survey crew has around the world.
Basically it was a modified DC-8 with Hi-resolution cameras, and the plane flew back and forth over the Arctic and the Antarctic. Here's a picture over my former station (Palmer Station) when the DC-8 flew over (I wasn't there), where they laid out a bunch a float coats in the formation of a "HI".
Before that, I would assume from satellites or other plane flights from back in the day. As for things closer to the station and the station itself, USAP (United Stated Antarctic Program) has a survey crew that goes out and surveys every square inch they are told, even remote field camps, with equipment every survey crew has around the world.
Just out of curiosity; were you ever down there when the recorded temperatures were colder than the freezing point of carbon dioxide (-78.5 °C )? I have always been curious if there is a distinctive difference between snow from water and snow from carbon dioxide. Of course it does not happen that often; maybe it only happened one time when the coldest temperature in Antarctica went down to −82.8 °C. On the other side of the world it actually was colder with a reading of −89.2 °C at Vostok Station in 1983.
I know that our astronomers talk about froze carbon dioxide on other plants. I was just curious if it has ever been observed here for a short time?
Just out of curiosity; were you ever down there when the recorded temperatures were colder than the freezing point of carbon dioxide (-78.5 °C )? I have always been curious if there is a distinctive difference between snow from water and snow from carbon dioxide. Of course it does not happen that often; maybe it only happened one time when the coldest temperature in Antarctica went down to −82.8 °C. On the other side of the world it actually was colder with a reading of −89.2 °C at Vostok Station in 1983.
I know that our astronomers talk about froze carbon dioxide on other plants. I was just curious if it has ever been observed here for a short time?
The funny part about "the Ice", that's what we call Antarctica, is that at Palmer Station (64°46′27″S) on the peninsula, where I wintered twice (2008 and 2010), it's like the "banana belt". Growing up in Scranton, I experienced winters colder there than at Palmer, seriously!
The typical temps at Palmer, in the winter, were highs in the mid 20's and low's in the teens or mid-single digits.
Now, I was aslo at McMurdo Station (77°50′47″S) at the tail end of the winter season (end of August/beginning on September in 2011) and got to experience my coldest temperature ever, which was -40°F (-40°C), with the wind it was -81°F (-63°C). That kind of cold takes your breathe away.
I've never been to Pole, I know people who have wintered there, multiply times even and it gets slightly below -100°F (-73°C) on occasion, usually from the winter to spring transition. Not sure what the all-time low at Pole is, but I believe it never got close to that Vostok record.
Funny side story, there's this thing at Pole called the "300 Club" and to get into the club (you get a T-shirt), the outside air temp (no wind) has to be -100°F, then they turn the sauna, in the station, up to 200°F, then you have to run from the sauna out to the actually pole and back to the sauna. Seems simple enough, well to get into the club you have to do in completely naked, expect for your boots, gloves and a hat and many people (male and female) get a "hero shot" at the pole marker. Another thing that makes it difficult, is that every year the station is moving 30 feet away from the actual pole, so the distance is getting further and further away. It's like 100 yards now!
The funny part about "the Ice", that's what we call Antarctica, is that at Palmer Station (64°46′27″S) on the peninsula, where I wintered twice (2008 and 2010), it's like the "banana belt". Growing up in Scranton, I experienced winters colder there than at Palmer, seriously!
The typical temps at Palmer, in the winter, were highs in the mid 20's and low's in the teens or mid-single digits.
Now, I was aslo at McMurdo Station (77°50′47″S) at the tail end of the winter season (end of August/beginning on September in 2011) and got to experience my coldest temperature ever, which was -40°F (-40°C), with the wind it was -81°F (-63°C). That kind of cold takes your breathe away.
I've never been to Pole, I know people who have wintered there, multiply times even and it gets slightly below -100°F (-73°C) on occasion, usually from the winter to spring transition. Not sure what the all-time low at Pole is, but I believe it never got close to that Vostok record.
Funny side story, there's this thing at Pole called the "300 Club" and to get into the club (you get a T-shirt), the outside air temp (no wind) has to be -100°F, then they turn the sauna, in the station, up to 200°F, then you have to run from the sauna out to the actually pole and back to the sauna. Seems simple enough, well to get into the club you have to do in completely naked, expect for your boots, gloves and a hat and many people (male and female) get a "hero shot" at the pole marker. Another thing that makes it difficult, is that every year the station is moving 30 feet away from the actual pole, so the distance is getting further and further away. It's like 100 yards now!
I used to work on an unheated freight dock in Mt. Pocono. I remember five nights in a row where the temperature went down to -20°F or colder. I think that was back in the late 1970's or it could have been in the 1980s. At 0°F my breath would freeze on my beard. At -15°F my nose and eyes would run and I always felt it hurt to breathe. It is hard to imagine the temperatures at our poles.
As far as the "300" club I remember one cadet that was placed in a footlocker at the Valley Forge Military Academy back in the 1960's. He was then slid down a set of steps and it broke his neck. That was, for all practical purposes the end of hazing at our military and civilian colleges. The reason that I point that out is because, with a pole that continues to move farther away, that eventually somebody could die or get seriously injured. I just worry about the possible damage and repercussions to such a "club" in the future. It is also hard to predict individual response to those extreme temperature changes.
As far as the "300" club I remember one cadet that was placed in a footlocker at the Valley Forge Military Academy back in the 1960's. He was then slid down a set of steps and it broke his neck. That was, for all practical purposes the end of hazing at our military and civilian colleges. The reason that I point that out is because, with a pole that continues to move farther away, that eventually somebody could die or get seriously injured. I just worry about the possible damage and repercussions to such a "club" in the future. It is also hard to predict individual response to those extreme temperature changes.
No doubt, there is at least one doctor, sometimes two on station at all times. I thought the same thing and thankfully nobody has gotten too injured or died yet from the "300 Club". I think in the future, instead of running to the actual pole marker, people will just run to the ceremonial one, which is much closer and never changes.
At Palmer, we had a tradition that when the boat leaves (we're on an island), we jump off the fender into the drink, climb up the metal ladder on the pier and run to our hot tub. We would always have our doctor there with the defibrillator in case our heart stopped, since there's nothing like jumping into 29°-30°F water, yes it's below freezing due to all of the salt content.
So one time, I almost become that one that stopped the tradition. As the boat/icebreaker was leaving I jumped off the fender and was swimming back to the ladder, when this strong underwater current from the prop of the boat was pulling me under one of the fenders and I almost drown, but didn't thankfully!
One of my co-workers, who was already grabbing the ladder, reached his arm out, and saved my life.
No doubt, there is at least one doctor, sometimes two on station at all times. I thought the same thing and thankfully nobody has gotten too injured or died yet from the "300 Club". I think in the future, instead of running to the actual pole marker, people will just run to the ceremonial one, which is much closer and never changes.
At Palmer, we had a tradition that when the boat leaves (we're on an island), we jump off the fender into the drink, climb up the metal ladder on the pier and run to our hot tub. We would always have our doctor there with the defibrillator in case our heart stopped, since there's nothing like jumping into 29°-30°F water, yes it's below freezing due to all of the salt content.
So one time, I almost become that one that stopped the tradition. As the boat/icebreaker was leaving I jumped off the fender and was swimming back to the ladder, when this strong underwater current from the prop of the boat was pulling me under one of the fenders and I almost drown, but didn't thankfully!
One of my co-workers, who was already grabbing the ladder, reached his arm out, and saved my life.
It only takes one mistake. Considering that it is so hard to transport out a person in critical condition; I would presume that many would have a lot of explain to do.
Up until the hazing incident at Valley Forge many upper classmen would haze the new cadets. Heck; many sororities and fraternities also hazed new pledges.
Humanity tends to error on the side of safety; especially when somebody is injured or killed. You were very luck and glad you survived! Otherwise we would have no poster for down under the down under!
I don’t think I’m seeing the imagery correctly but it’s not just with these pictures here; I have the same problem when looking at most closer-range satellite images & even topography maps.
I noticed it a few years ago, while looking at the burn scar maps for our Waldo Canyon Fire & the FEMA maps that were predicting the potential burn scar runoff/flooding.
Although I am very familiar with this area, there are many spots within the burn scar of high-angle terrain that humans cannot traverse & when I looked at the photos; it appeared inverted to me. I’m having the same issue with these images here. I actually can’t tell what Im looking at.
Reading the article, it has apparently appeared over the years since 2001. There is an obvious airstrip close to it (scroll down the article for image) which is strange since the Norwegian base is about 200 miles away from this structure.
Maybe the reason for this structure in the middle of no-where is a mystery. I always thought there was something fishy going on in Antarctica.
So...any ideas?
Those are strips in the snow where high winds have blown ice boulders across the snow. The mound is a snow drift.
Those are strips in the snow where high winds have blown ice boulders across the snow. The mound is a snow drift.
I am afraid this stretches my imagination to understand how all the ice boulders would have to be the same size and shape to move the same distance in the same direction and the wind would have to be a constant wind blowing across that area. Is the mound of snow snow drift a man-made or natural structure ? What about the airstrip too? As I understand it, the survey teams often use land transport to move their equipment to summer experiment areas because there is usually no landing strip at the destination.
The first episode of the new Ancient Aliens Series 14 has covered the topic of Antarctica and they also speak to a pilot(?) of a transport plane which flew down there to drop off supplies etc for the US base.
He tells of an evacuation of a injured scientist who they had to get from an East coast science outpost back to the base and then back to civilisation. There was an area which was a no-fly zone which they flew over in order to get to the evacuation quicker. On the ground, there was a crater-like structure with a (deep) hole in the centre, suggesting an entrace to somewhere under the ice. On the way back to base with the scientist (who died) they were literally ordered to avoid this area and when they returned to base they were debriefed and told not to mention anything they might have seen.
There is definitely something going on down there.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.