Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station

The Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station is the research facility located at the South Pole. During the southern summer there are usually several hundred scientists working on various research projects. They leave by the beginning of March, leaving several dozen (58 in 2003) "winter-overs", mostly support people plus a few scientists, who keep the station functional through the months of Antarctic night.

The station was originally constructed to support the International Geophysical Year in 1957. It is located about 300 m (1000 ft) from the Geographic South Pole, and is drifting towards the pole at the rate of about 10 m per year.

The station is supplied between October and February by numerous flights of ski-equipped C-130 Hercules aircraft.

Wintering over at the station is notorious for its danger and stress. In 1999, the winter-over physician, Dr. Jerri Nielsen[?] discovered she had breast cancer. She had to rely on self-administered chemotherapy using supplies from a daring July cargo drop, then was picked up in an equally dangerous mid-October landing.

External link

• Bill Spindler's Antarctica (http://www.southpolestation.com)