Research Stations in Antarctica: Lesson for Kids

Although Antarctica is located at the far end of the planet and is notoriously frigid and icy, many individuals opt to spend their careers working at research stations there. Why and how will be discussed in this lesson.

Research Stations in Antarctica

Consider this: what if I told you there was a career that was really challenging, but would enable you to visit some of the most magnificent places on Earth? Do you think you could do the job? Many have answered this question affirmatively and prepared to go for the planet’s coldest location. We hope you enjoy your stay in Antarctica.

The Antarctic continent is the furthest south of any of the world’s seven inhabited continents. Harsh, which meaning exceedingly severe and rough, describes the year-round cold and unpleasant circumstances.

Many governments maintain control of Antarctica and send scientists and researchers there to investigate everything from the weather to penguins and marine life to icebergs and glaciers. Although thousands of tourists visit the continent each year, the official population count for it is nil.

Chefs, physicians, bus drivers, and mechanics are just few of the professions that attract people to Antarctica. These experts contribute to the efficient functioning of the research facilities.

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Life in a Research Station

Antarctic settlements, often known as research stations, are home to scientists doing fieldwork on the icy continent. Living conditions at a research station might be rather comfortable. Typical daily activities, including what people eat, who they spend time with, what they play, and how much they work out, are all the same. Hydroponics, a technique for cultivating plants without the need of soil, is even used to produce some of their own food.

Access and Entertainment

There is no way for aircraft or boats to reach most sites during the winter due of the treacherous weather. In one point, one of the station’s doctors had to conduct major surgery on herself at the South Pole!

Those who want to call it home must devise their own means of amusement. When you’ve been sharing a small space with the same folks for months, this might be challenging. Individual rooms are common at a station, along with common facilities for eating, watching TV, and socializing. For amusement, some individuals even prefer to go hiking or skiing in the snowy terrain.

Temperatures and Clothes

Most of the time, Antarctica is colder than zero degrees. The sun doesn’t rise for weeks at a time throughout the winter. Whenever you leave the base, you should dress in layers. Staff inside the stations spend much of their time in air-conditioned luxury, but those in the field spend most of their time in the elements.

5 RESEARCH STATIONS YOU CAN VISIT IN ANTARCTICA

There is no permanent human population in Antarctica, but there is a seasonal population of scientists and academics who live in research stations across the Antarctic Peninsula and carry out vital studies as part of a shared dedication to educating the public and protecting the region’s natural resources.

There are over 29 nations represented throughout the continent, and each research station has a dedicated team of people who spend all their free time doing research and studying, in addition to maintaining the facilities. In Antarctica, there are up to 1,200 people living in one of the 70 year-round outposts during the peak tourist season. Each station has its own distinct look, including a wide range of colours and architectural styles—including eco-friendly options for reduced carbon footprints.

While travelling, we often stop at the following research facilities. Station stops are planned according to the timetable and only made if the weather is good.

VERNADSKY STATION

In 1947, the United Kingdom created Vernadsky Station, but in 1996, the Ukraine officially took possession of the facility. This station, named for the Russian and Ukrainian mineralogist Vladimir Vernadsky, is situated at Marina Point on Galindez Island, and it has a bar known as the “Southernmost Bar in the World,” as well as a post office where tourists may send letters home from Antarctica. Long-term temperature patterns indicative of global warming have been studied at the station.

BROWN STATION

The beautiful Paradise Harbour is home to Brown Station, a gentoo penguin colony, and an observation deck 300 feet above ground. Argentina founded the station in 1951 to facilitate studies in a wide variety of scientific disciplines, including biology, bacteriology, ecology, oceanography, and many more. More than a hundred scholarly articles on a wide range of issues are the result of years of observation by the Argentine Antarctic Institute.

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GONZÁLEZ VIDELA BASE

This outpost near Waterboat Point in Paradise Bay was named after Chile’s first president, Gabriel González Videla, who arrived in Antarctica in the 1940s. Even in the height of summer, the station’s population seldom exceeds sixteen persons. According to the Antarctic Treaty, the first scientific research on penguin breeding was performed at Waterboat Point.

CÁMARA STATION

This modest Argentine outpost, built in 1953 on Half Moon Island in the South Shetland Islands and marked by a tower painted black and yellow, may accommodate as many as 36 people during the summer. Surface meteorology, birds, and the effects of tourism are just a few of the topics that have been the focus of these researchers’ study; oceanography and geochronology have also been studied in this area.

CARLINI BASE

Carlini is an Argentine scientific research station on King George Island in the South Shetland Islands. It was formerly known as Jubany Base. Year-round, up to a hundred employees work at this facility, which has a helipad, radio station, movie theatre, and freezing chamber in addition to facilities for meteorology, seismography, biology, and oceanography. Metallica had a performance there in December 2013 that was broadcast live across the globe from the base.

It’s worth noting that labs are never left unoccupied for long periods of time. In accordance with the Antarctic Treaty, when a government decides to end its Antarctic presence, it is responsible for restoring the territory to its pre-base closure state. You may understand the financial and logistical challenges this would cause, but be assured that all stations would continue to operate, although with less manpower.

The weather and circumstances will determine whether or not we are able to make landfall at one (or more) of these intriguing and significant sites, but it is always on our schedule to do so. In some of the world’s most isolated locations, you could get the chance to rub shoulders with scientists and employees engaged in vital research.