−80 ° and you can't write in your soul: 7 facts about how people live in Antarctica

Antarctica is called the White Mars because of the harsh conditions. In 2005, the French-Italian research station Concordia was built there, where the European Space Agency (ESA) conducts its research. At the same time, about 60 people live and work at the station in conditions of isolation, extremely low temperatures and a lack of light and oxygen, who have undergone many months of training, and the term of work here is 9-12 months. Writes about it AdMe.ru.

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The station itself consists of 2 cylindrical buildings: one of them is called "quiet", because there are laboratories, living quarters and a hospital, the second is "noisy", because it houses workshops, a gym, warehouses, a canteen, a cinema and a recreation room.

1. The average temperature in Antarctica is -50 degrees, the lowest is 80 degrees below zero

Even in summer in Antarctica it never gets above -30. Many ordinary bacteria cannot exist here, and just to go outside, you have to put on several layers of warm clothes, special shoes, voluminous mittens and glasses - all together this is no easier than an astronaut's suit.

Concordia is located at an altitude of 3 meters above sea level, so the air is thinner, which means there is less oxygen in it. It is also perfectly clean and absolutely odorless. Returning to the mainland, the researchers describe their shock from the abundance and power of smells, even just walking down the street.

2. 4 months of the year people live in darkness

In Antarctica, there is no day and night in the traditional sense: in winter, the sun here does not rise above the horizon, and in summer it does not set below it. People spend 4 months in the dark. Because of this, the daily rhythm is lost, sometimes it is difficult to fall asleep or eat - it seems that you have dinner in the middle of the night. The first appearance of the sun's rays here is a real celebration: everyone quits their business, climb onto the roof and watch the sun rise for the first time in 4 months.

3. The nearest supermarket is 4 km away

Concordia is located further from civilization than the ISS, and getting there is not easy: large cargo is brought by sled caravan (delivery takes 10-12 days), and small cargo and products are delivered by small planes designed specifically for extreme temperatures.

Although the nearest supermarket is 4 km from Concordia, this does not mean that the researchers are sitting on bread and water: meat, fish, dairy products, fresh fruits and vegetables are eaten here, and members of the multinational team prepare their traditional dish - frog legs or borscht. Many products are stored frozen, and, for example, eggs - rubbed with paraffin.

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Alexey Ekaikin, a glaciologist (scientist who studies the properties of ice) from Russia, shares his impressions of his stay at the station: “The level of supply is evidenced by the following fact: literally today, through an internal email newsletter, all residents of the station received a letter stating that the Concordia The supply of fresh milk has run out and until a new batch arrives, we will, alas, have to make do with powdered milk. Fresh milk has run out in the center of Antarctica, what a disaster!”

4. In winter, the station is completely cut off from the world

It is impossible to get out of the Concordia in winter: there is no communication with the mainland, and if something unexpected happens, you will have to rely only on yourself. Therefore, there is a well-equipped hospital, and a significant part of the station is reserved for warehouses with food. Products are stored in storerooms near the station.

Usually about 15 people stay for the winter, so many here have 2 specialties - for example, a plumber can assist in the operating room, and the chef can be a firefighter at the same time.

5. Concordia is studying how harsh conditions affect people. It is needed for future space flights.

The feeling of complete isolation leads to stress and various psychological difficulties - from absent-mindedness to depression, but they are also the subject of study: scientists believe that this knowledge will also help prepare people for long space flights, improve aircraft and think about what the first stations on the moon will be like. and Mars. All team members keep video diaries and constantly wear special watches that record the time of sleep and wakefulness, as well as track who, how much time and where they spend, with whom they communicate. The information is then analyzed to track changes in people's behavior.

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In addition, about 20 scientific projects are being carried out at the station: seismologists, astronomers, meteorologists, climatologists, physicists and glaciologists work here.

6. The station knows how to not only work, but also have fun

The station's employees love interesting leisure: researchers take tours of their laboratories and tell others about their work, play basketball in the snow, and enjoy discos and costume parties. Sometimes the video link team answers the questions of schoolchildren and students, and at Christmas the President of Italy can easily call them on Skype.

Many try to communicate with foreign colleagues in order to improve their language, because there is a truly multinational team here: Swedes, French, Italians, British and Russians.

7. Concordia is not allowed to pee in the shower.

The water on the Concordia is made from snow. To melt it, you need a lot of fuel, so water is saved: after being used in washbasins and showers, the water is cleaned and fed back there. For this reason, you cannot use your own soap and shower gel: here everyone is given a special 3 in 1 product that is compatible with the cleaning system. Also, you can’t write in the shower, since the system can’t cope with the processing of such waste products. If the controllers find an increased content of ammonia in the water, they must report this at the general meeting and ask them not to do this again.

A short video tour of the Concordia can be viewed here.

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The effects of global warming: a historic temperature record set in Antarctica

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