This is all of course mandatory because during the 9 months of isolation, we cannot be evacuated, even for emergencies. We will therefore need to be entirely self-sufficient for any medical or surgical situation that might arise, just like if we were going to Mars!
We are indeed surrounded by snow, but the resemblance to festivities back in Europe pretty much stops there.
The view from above is absolutely wonderful and awe-inspiring; it is as though you were standing above a sea of ice, with wave upon wave rippling to the horizon.
It is like I was there with them, as they bring to life overcoming all odds, fabulous ice core finds, technological feats on a harsh continent, epic scientific raids or once-in-a-lifetime visits to Vostok, the Russian station.
A few unique visitors travel to Concordia during the summer; they either come back to see its evolution over the years, or get the chance to discover Concordia for the first time.
Analyzing the content of air bubbles trapped in the ice cores enables to deduce the composition of the atmosphere and make inferences about the past climate at specific times; the deeper the ice core, the further back in time.
Dome C has previously been characterized as an exceptional site for astronomical observations, because of a combination of high altitude and therefore less dense atmosphere, low temperatures with low water vapor content, low cloudiness or light pollution, pure air and relative paucity of auroras compared to the rest of Antarctica.
We might run out of fuel, but we will definitely not run out of food!!! Good to know, considering that the nearest grocery store is thousands of kilometers away, does not do drone delivery, and will be unreachable for 9 months….
The pilots are obviously extremely experienced and competent to fly in a unique environment; they must land on ice, take off at high altitude, and operate complex machines in extreme temperatures and on a continent where the sky and snow-covered ground can often blur into one.
Soon enough I discover that the arrival of each raid is a significant event for the whole station, and is eagerly awaited. Not least because it brings much-needed fuel and provisions, as well as equipment and supplies for the day to day running of the station and construction of the new buildings.
75 Degrees South 