We made it! After almost 4 consecutive days of traveling on 4 different types of planes, 2 commercial and 2 military (Air Force), my colleagues and I have arrived at South Pole. All in all the trip was about 25 flying hours. Antarctica is so beautiful that even the best pictures don't do it justice. South Pole is incredibly cold. Right now the air temperature is -40 degrees Celsius (-40 degrees Fahrenheit for all you non-scientists - hehe) with a wind chill of about -56 degrees C (-68 degrees F). The wind chill is the temperature that it actually feels like outside due to the blowing wind. Definitely cannot be outside in my normal "California attire".
For the next few days, we will take it easy as we are getting acclimated to the high altitude. The South Pole station is at a physiological elevation of around 10,000 feet! This means we just basically climbed a small mountain in just 3 hours, which does cause some effects on the body. The pressure in the atmosphere decreases exponentially with height and in turn the amount of oxygen in the air decreases too. This can make it hard for the body to obtain oxygen with just normal breathing so my heart rate has increased slightly and going up stairs is a bit of work-out. For the next few days, my body will get used to the reduced oxygen content and eventually I won't be bothered. For now though, I have to increase my fluid intake and try to not move around too much or lift heavy items.
Until next time (which depends on satellite coverage),
Mindy
For the next few days, we will take it easy as we are getting acclimated to the high altitude. The South Pole station is at a physiological elevation of around 10,000 feet! This means we just basically climbed a small mountain in just 3 hours, which does cause some effects on the body. The pressure in the atmosphere decreases exponentially with height and in turn the amount of oxygen in the air decreases too. This can make it hard for the body to obtain oxygen with just normal breathing so my heart rate has increased slightly and going up stairs is a bit of work-out. For the next few days, my body will get used to the reduced oxygen content and eventually I won't be bothered. For now though, I have to increase my fluid intake and try to not move around too much or lift heavy items.
Until next time (which depends on satellite coverage),
Mindy