Every year over 100 people travel to the South Pole with the IceCube project. They are part of the Antarctic community that includes scientists, support staff, and tourists. What is it like to work, live, or visit Antarctica?
The IceCube project is located at the South Pole, which is actually near the middle of Antarctica. The South Pole is different from what most people think of when they think Antarctica, in that it is a barren, lifeless, and highly elevated area. When people think of Antarctica and think of movies that show penguins and other wildlife, or hear about tours to Antarctica, coastal Antarctica is what generally comes to mind.
There is no population native to Antarctica and most of the humans who live in Antarctica proper populate the research stations that dot the expanse. In addition to the relatively few people, the only other signs of life are certain hardy plants and animals, including penguins, fur seals, mosses, lichens, and various forms of algae.
Antarctica (from the Greek word "antarktikos" which means "opposite the Arctic") is generally defined as one of the coldest, windiest, highest, and driest locations in the world. It's also one of the most fascinating. Antarctica is the fifth largest continent at 13,720,000 km2 but has the highest average elevation because of its thick layer of ice. Centered around the South Pole, almost the entire continent is located south of the Antarctic Circle. While the ceremonial South Pole and the geographic South Pole are located on the Antarctic continent near central Antarctica and in the middle of what is considered the biggest desert in the world, the magnetic South Pole is actually located off of the coast of Antarctica several hundred miles into the ocean.
The nearest land to Antarctica other than parts of Antarctica itself is the southern tip of South America which is approximately 600 miles distant, Australia is approximately 1,550 miles away. When winter comes to Antarctica, its "size" of 14.425 million km2 grows significantly because of the ice that forms around its coasts making other continents seem slightly closer. Due to this fluctuation, what we generally consider the borders of Antarctica are dictated by what is known as the Antarctic convergence. This is basically an area of water around Antarctica where the cold water from Antarctica sinks under the warmer waters of the sub-Antarctic. Although the location fluctuates over time, its borders are relatively stable and are more easily understood in terms of wildlife and climate: There is a distinct border between marine life and climate on the Antarctic side of the convergence and the non-Antarctic side.
In 1959, the Antarctic Treaty (also referred to sometimes as the Antarctic Treaty System or ATS when combined with the other agreements related to Antarctica) was signed by 12 countries to protect the entire continent of Antarctica from being used for military or mining purposes. It opened the continent to everyone for research and legally protects the continent's ecozone and ecology. A number of countries have made claims to territory in Antarctica but at present there is little or no real contesting of rights.
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