For a long time The coldest continent on the planet, Antarctica, remained unexplored.

But in 1911, brave polar explorers reached it.

As many as two groups, independently of each other, set off on a difficult trek through the snow-covered and ice-bound Antarctica.

They set out to explore the South Pole. A place where no one has gone before.

The first group consisted of Norwegian travelers and was led by Roald Amundsen. The second is the British, led by Scott. The groups went a little to different times and Amundsen’s group achieved its first goal. With bated breath they planted the Norwegian flag at the South Pole. It happened on December 14, 1911.

Amundsen's group was the first to leave, and besides, they took trained dog sleds with them. But Scott used ponies to move. These little horses were little adapted to such harsh conditions hike.

A month after the Norwegian group, in January 1912, the British finally approached the Pole, but joyful excitement was replaced by disappointment that Amundsen was a month ahead of them. But the worst thing awaited them ahead.

Amundsen and his comrades returned safely from the expedition, but English group disaster struck. On the way back, two researchers died from the cold. The remaining three were caught in a snowstorm and wandered around the main camp for a long time. They zigzagged in circles and covered a distance of 2,500 km along icy desert froze to death.

But they too remained in memory and history as brave conquerors of the South Pole.

Charity wall newspaper for schoolchildren, parents and teachers of St. Petersburg “Briefly and clearly about the most interesting things.” Issue No. 78, April 2015. Website website

"CONQUEST OF THE SOUTH POLE"

Wall newspapers of the charitable educational project “Briefly and clearly about the most interesting things” (site site) are intended for schoolchildren, parents and teachers of St. Petersburg. They ship free to most educational institutions, as well as to a number of hospitals, orphanages and other institutions in the city. The project's publications do not contain any advertising (only founders' logos), are politically and religiously neutral, written in easy language, and well illustrated. They are intended as informational “inhibition” of students, awakening cognitive activity and the desire to read. Authors and publishers, without claiming to be academically complete in presenting the material, publish interesting facts, illustrations, interviews with famous figures of science and culture and thereby hope to increase the interest of schoolchildren in the educational process. Send feedback and suggestions to: pangea@mail.. We thank the Education Department of the Kirovsky District Administration of St. Petersburg and everyone who selflessly helps in distributing our wall newspapers. Our sincere gratitude to the authors of the material in this issue, Margarita Emelina and Mikhail Savinov, research staff of the Icebreaker Krasin Museum (www.krassin.ru) - Branch of the Museum of the World Ocean in St. Petersburg (www.world-ocean.ru).

Antarctica (in Greek “antarktikos” - the opposite of the Arctic) was discovered on January 16 (28), 1820 by a Russian expedition led by Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev. Further research showed that the center of Antarctica approximately coincides with the south geographic pole - the point at which the axis The Earth's rotation intersects its surface. Any other point on the Earth's surface in relation to the South Pole is always in the north direction. The geographic coordinates of the South Pole are curious: exactly 90° south latitude. The pole has no longitude, since it is the point of convergence of all meridians. Day, like night, lasts here for approximately six months. The thickness of the ice near the South Pole is slightly less than three kilometers, and average annual temperature air - about minus 50°C.
The researchers of the Icebreaker Krasin Museum (Branch of the Museum of the World Ocean in St. Petersburg), historians Margarita Emelina and Mikhail Savinov, kindly agreed to tell our newspaper about the conquest of this extraordinary point.

Prologue

Captain Nemo in Antarctica. Illustration for the novel by Jules Verne.

On March 21, 1867, two travelers climbed two hours along ledges of rocks made of porphyry and basalt to the top of a snowy mountain. One of them subsequently described what he saw: “From the height where we stood, our gaze embraced the open sea along the very horizon line, sharply marked on the northern side by the edge solid ice. A snowy plain stretched out at our feet, blinding with its whiteness. And above us the cloudless azure of the sky shone! ... And behind us, to the south and east, is a vast land, a chaotic pile of rocks and ice!” After observing the sun through a “spotting scope with a mirror that corrects optical deception in the refraction of rays” and in the presence of a chronometer, one of them exclaimed, when half of the solar disk disappeared below the horizon at exactly noon: “South Pole!”
“This couldn’t happen! - you say. The South Pole was reached much later, in 1911!” And in 1867, the heroes of the novel by the French writer Jules Verne, Captain Nemo and Professor Aronnax, visited the center of Antarctica. Jules Verne predicted many technical innovations and discoveries in his novels, described many countries, but was somewhat mistaken when sending his heroes to conquer the South Pole. In the 60s of the 19th century, the most cold continent It had not yet been accurately plotted on geographical maps; it really remained a blank spot, exciting the minds of geographers and travelers. There was still a lot to learn about it before setting off to conquer its central point...
What do we know about the South Pole now, and how was it conquered? Let's read!

Why is it colder at the South Pole than at the North Pole?

Landscape of Central Antarctica.

The North and South Poles are the farthest points on Earth from the Sun. Therefore, it is very cold at both poles. But at the North Pole the most low temperature about minus 43 degrees, and in the South it exceeds minus 82 degrees! At the North Pole there are sometimes positive temperatures - up to five degrees above zero, at the South Pole - never.
The fact is that the North Pole is in the ocean. Maritime climate- and it is created by warm and cold currents - always warmer than the continental one. Only a few meters of ice separate the air North Pole from a huge heat storage – ocean waters. But the South Pole is not only located in the depths of the continent (the nearest seashore is 480 km), but is also raised above sea level by 2800 m! And at altitude it is always colder than on the surface of the Earth. The closer to the surface, the denser the layer of air that protects the planet from hypothermia and overheating.
But the South Pole, it turns out, is not the coldest place on our planet.

Pole that has no pair

Usually each pole has its counterpart on the opposite side of the Earth. The North Geographic Pole corresponds to the South Geographic Pole, the North Magnetic Pole corresponds to the South Magnetic Pole, and so on. But there is only one point with the lowest air temperature on Earth - this is the Pole of Cold, where the Soviet and Russian Vostok polar station has been operating for many years. In 1983, here in the depths ice sheet East Antarctica, at a point with coordinates 78°27’51” south latitude and 106°50’14” east longitude, the lowest temperature on our planet was recorded, it was minus 89.2 degrees!
Of course, the Northern Hemisphere has its own Pole of Cold - in the area of ​​the Yakut village of Oymyakon. But these poles are not equal to each other, like geographic or magnetic ones - at Oymyakon, on average, 17 degrees warmer than at Vostok station. This is due to the fact that the southern Pole of Cold is much higher than Oymyakon - 3488 m above sea level versus 745 m.
Even in the warmest Antarctic summer, the temperature at the Pole of Cold does not rise above minus 13 degrees. But even in this harshest place on Earth, man successfully works. Vostok is the first of the inland Soviet stations in Antarctica (it was founded in 1957), and the only one of them operating today. Polar explorers conduct constant scientific observations here and make most important discoveries, the most famous of which was the discovery big lake, hidden under a layer of ice.

Forest near the South Pole?

Polar Allosaurus. BBC reconstruction.

Could this be possible? It turns out it can. The icy continent was not always as cold and lifeless as it is in our time. Scientists believe that Antarctica began to become covered with glaciers about 50 million years ago. Before that, there was a relatively mild reign there. warm climate, and vast beech forests grew. In those distant times, Antarctica, Australia and South America were a single continent, which later began to fragment. Australia was the first to break away, then South America, which had already been populated by marsupials that came from Australia through Antarctica. The subglacial mountains of West Antarctica are a direct geological continuation of the Andes of South America.
And even earlier, in Mesozoic era, the forests of Antarctica reached the polar region. The remains of fossil trees from this era, relatives of the South American Araucaria pine, were discovered just 300 km from the pole point! Of course, it was colder in Antarctica than in other areas of the Earth where tropical climate, but this was expressed only in the change of seasons. The Mesozoic inhabitants of Antarctica - polar dinosaurs - managed to adapt to such conditions and hibernated during the long winter, just like modern reptiles of temperate latitudes.

Living at the limit

Emperor penguins are the largest representatives of their order.

In the seas surrounding Antarctica, life is in full swing - many species of crustaceans and fish live here, which serve as food for a wide variety of animals - from penguins to huge whales. On the sixth continent itself, life glimmers along the shores. Antarctica is inhabited by special wingless insects, mites (some of them penetrate up to the 85th parallel!), and worms. Birds nest on the coast - penguins (they live along the coast, but not in the interior of the continent, where they have nothing to eat), skuas, petrels. Terrestrial mammals in Antarctica, no - they cannot survive the polar winter, but various species of seals, whose life is connected with the sea, thrive.
There are almost no higher plants in Antarctica, but mosses and lichens grow, and there are also primitive algae.
Is there any life directly at the pole point, in the depths of the ice sheet? Some types of bacteria that have adapted to extreme conditions. Life can also exist in subglacial lakes, squeezed by the thickness of the glacier. But, of course, in comparison with the North Pole, located in the ocean, the South Pole is a lifeless desert.

The South Magnetic Pole and the Ross Expedition

John Wildman, "Portrait of Commander Ross."

The South Pole is a point, invisible to our eyes, at which the Earth's axis of rotation coincides with its surface in the center of Antarctica. On geographical maps at this point the meridians converge. As with the North Pole, there are other poles. For example, Southern Magnetic. This is a conditional point on the earth's surface at which the earth's magnetic field is directed strictly vertically upward. The compass needle points directly at it. And it does not coincide with the geographical one! Like the North, the South magnetic pole changes its coordinates somewhat due to the mobility of the Earth's geomagnetic field. The displacement of magnetic poles has been recorded since 1885. Over the past 100 years, the magnetic pole in Southern Hemisphere moved almost 900 km and reached Southern Ocean.
It was the South Magnetic Pole that was the goal of the first British expedition to the Antarctic latitudes. It took place in 1839–1843 under the command of Sir James Clark Ross on the ships Erebus and Terror. Previously, with his direct participation, the location of the North Magnetic Pole was discovered (1830–1831, an expedition led by John Ross, James Clark's uncle). In February 1842, James Ross managed to reach 78°10′ south latitude and quite accurately determine the then position of the South Magnetic Pole (now it is located at 64°24′ south latitude). Ross also discovered the sea, an ice shelf and a large island with volcanoes - these geographical features now bear his name, and the volcanoes are named after the ships of the expedition. But they failed to land on the continent. Upon returning to England, the traveler was greeted coolly, although he was awarded a knighthood. They could not continue his work right away - the sixth continent was too far away, its climate was too harsh. The next travelers set off to its shores only 60 years later.

First ideas for trips to the South Pole

Ernest Shackleton. Photo from 1908.

TO end of the 19th century century, interest in Antarctica has revived. The scientific world believed that a continent of this size could have a decisive influence on weather changes throughout the Southern Hemisphere, and the territory itself could become a platform for conducting various experiments and observations. The only obstacles were cold and ice. However, the obstacles are very serious.
January 24, 1895 on Antarctic continent The first person stepped. He was the Norwegian researcher Karsten Egeberg Borchgrevink. He became interested in the research of the Australian Antarctic Research Committee, established in 1886. The activities of the Committee soon came to an end, and whalers rushed into the Southern Ocean - remember how Jules Verne describes whaling in the novel “The Fifteen-Year-Old Captain.” Borchgrevink signed on for an expedition on the schooner Antarctica, whose task was to search for whales in the waters off the icy continent. In addition to observing animals, the Norwegian landed on the mainland and collected samples of rocks and lichens. Upon his return, he set about organizing an expedition to the mainland and proposed using dog sleds to travel across the Antarctic glaciers. And so, in 1898, the British Antarctic Expedition began, which lasted two years. Borchgrevink spent the first winter in Antarctica and reached 78°50′ south latitude on February 16, 1900. However, the conquest of the South Pole was still far away.
In 1897, Fridtjof Nansen proposed his own version of an expedition to the South Pole, the task of which was not only to study Antarctica, but also to conquer the pole point. But the idea was not realized.
In 1901–1904, the British Antarctic Expedition led by Robert Scott and Ernst Shackleton took place, which managed to travel a third of the distance to the South Pole. But this was achieved at the cost of exhaustion of people who suffered from snow blindness, frostbite and scurvy, and the inability to cope with sled dogs. In 1908, Shackleton attempted to reach the South Pole on skis. His group reached 88º south latitude.

Scott's expedition: a planned expedition or a race for supremacy?

Robert Scott.

Scott and his friends at the South Pole. 1912

The British Antarctic expedition led by Robert Scott began in 1910. It was planned to not only conquer the South Pole over three seasons with two winterings, but also conduct a lot of scientific research. Shackleton's experience and the achievement of the North Pole by Cook and Peary set Scott a political task - to ensure British primacy in the extreme South of the Earth. It seemed like everything was going to work out. Scott set off for the shores of Antarctica on the barque Terra Nova with 33 dogs, 17 ponies and three motor sleighs. But the variety of transport made its use difficult. After creating a base and a system of food warehouses, Scott learned about Amundsen's base in the Ross Glacier area and that the Norwegians were also going to conquer the Pole. Now I had to not be late.
The trip to the Pole began at the end of October 1911. In the history of polar research, this was the first winter research trip in the polar night. Alas, the snowmobiles quickly broke down, and the ponies were unable to overcome the icy expanses. As a result, people had to drag the loads themselves.
On January 17, 1912, the British reached the South Pole. But here they saw traces of a camp, sleighs and skis, dog paw prints, found documents in a tent - Amundsen’s expedition was ahead of them. The travelers set off on their way back. And we didn’t reach the rescue warehouse only 20 km.
ABOUT last days The British became aware of it 8 months later, when their camp was discovered along with expedition materials and rock samples. They were buried here in Antarctica. The cross above the grave is topped with the inscription: “Fight and seek, find and not give up!” This motto recalls the feat of scientists who, even in the face of death, did not stop conducting research.

First at the South Pole

Roald Amundsen in 1911.

Helmer Hansen and Roald Amundsen determine their coordinates at the South Pole. December 14–17, 1911.

Routes of Scott and Amundsen's expeditions to the South Pole.

Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen originally intended to reach the North Pole. Since the Pole was conquered in 1908 and the interests of the discoverers rushed to the extreme South, Amundsen changed his plans. Having received the ship Fram from Nansen, he organized an expedition that reached the shores of Antarctica in January 1911. It is noteworthy that the trip began with the strictest secrecy: most of its participants learned about the true purpose of the trip only when the ship sailed into the Atlantic.
Norwegian explorers began by organizing warehouses along the route into the unknown and decided to use dog sleds as transport. The clear organization of the trip made it possible to achieve success. On December 14, 1911, Amundsen and four companions (Oscar Wisting, Olaf Bjolan, Helmer Hansen, Sverre Hessel) reached the South Pole region.
Here the travelers set up camp and set up a three-person tent, which they called Pulheim (“Polar House”). Due to the disputes that arose after Cook and Peary returned from the North Pole about who was the first to be at the desired point and how accurately he determined its coordinates, Amundsen approached the definition geographical location South Pole with special responsibility. The instruments allowed Amundsen to determine the location with an error of no more than one nautical miles, so he decided to “surround” the pole with ski runs at a distance of 10 miles from calculation point. For the sake of reliability of the conquest, the South Pole was “surrounded” by the expedition three times and was reached on December 16, 1911. Two days later, the Norwegians set off on their return journey, leaving the tent as a memorial sign.
A real triumph awaited Amundsen - a ceremonial welcome in his homeland. He gave reports and lectures not only in Norway, but also in other countries, and in France he was elevated to the rank of officer of the Legion of Honor.

The South Pole is conquered from the air

Richard Byrd's Great Antarctic Expedition, 1929.

If balloonists sought to conquer the North Pole and hot air balloon, both on an airship and on an airplane, then in the conquest of the South the palm unconditionally belonged to aviation.
The first flights over Antarctica took place in the summer season of 1928–1929. They were carried out by American aviators Hubert Wilkins and Karl Eielson, after their names thundered throughout the world in 1927. Then they successfully crossed the northernmost regions of the planet along the route “Cape Barrow (Alaska) - Spitsbergen.” They created the first bases in Antarctica and studied Graham Land and the Bellingshausen Sea from the air. But they could not reach the South Pole. Another polar pilot, Richard Byrd, became the organizer of the Little America coastal base on the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf. On November 29, 1928, he reached the South Pole in his Ford airplane and dropped the American flag. Subsequently, Baird participated in several air expeditions that took place in the skies over Antarctica (1933–1935, 1939–1941, 1946–1947, 1956). And the first crossing of Antarctica by air was accomplished by the American Lincoln Ellsworth in November - December 1935. He and his companion, pilot Herbert Hollick-Kenyon, had to make five landings in the white polar desert before their mission was completed and they reached Little America Station. Here they had to wait for another month for the Discovery ship.
Admiral George Dufek was the first to land at the South Pole on the Dakota plane. This happened on October 31, 1956, when polar explorers from the United States created the Beardmore and Amundsen bases. Now the planes delivered all the necessary cargo, including heavy ones - tractors, spare parts for cars, prefabricated elements for building houses, generators, etc., dropping them in containers with a parachute. The disembarkation of passengers and cargo at American bases near the Pole also became commonplace.
Soviet aviators also dreamed of conquering the southern crown of the planet. In October 1958, V.M. Perov, on an Il-12 aircraft, made a transcontinental flight of about 4000 km and flew over the pole. And on January 10, 2002, a Russian AN-3 plane landed at an ice airfield located at the South Pole. This was a very difficult matter - after all, the plane is small, its engines do not have significant power. The plane was assembled right in Antarctica - at the American Patriot Hills base. And after the AN-3, due to engine failure, I had to be left at the pole for 3 whole years! Only in January 2005 did the winged aircraft begin its return flight.

rise State flag in Antarctica in honor of the opening of the first Soviet polar station Mirny on February 13, 1956.

Model of the diesel-electric ship "Ob", scale 1:100.

Although Russian sailors first saw the shores of Antarctica in 1819 from the deck of the sloops Vostok and Mirny, after that Russian expeditions did not appear beyond the Antarctic Circle for more than 125 years. Then Soviet whaling fleets began to operate in the waters of the Southern Ocean (as the waters of the three oceans near Antarctica are conventionally called). To the direct study ice continent our scientists began in the mid-1950s, when the Soviet Antarctic Expedition (SAE) was created. It consisted of both seasonal and wintering research teams. The leaders of the first expeditions were experienced polar explorers M.M. Somov, A.F. Treshnikov, E.I. Tolstikov.
The flagship ship of the 1st SAE set off on a voyage from Kaliningrad on November 30, 1955. The first landing on the Antarctic coast took place on January 5, 1956, and the first scientific base over which the USSR flag was raised opened on February 13 and was named after one of the sloops of Bellingshausen and Lazarev - “Mirny”. In total, during the International Geophysical Year (1957–1958), regular scientific observations were carried out at five polar stations. They were created in the least explored and inaccessible places of the mainland. Vostok and Sovetskaya stations were built at an altitude of 3500 meters above sea level. Winter air temperatures at Vostok station dropped to minus 87.4 degrees Celsius. On December 14, 1958, the 3rd SAE, led by Evgeniy Tolstikov, reached the South Pole.
The marine part of the expedition on the ships “Ob” and “Lena” studied the geological structure of the seabed, water circulation, flora and fauna of the Southern Ocean. Subsequently, oceanographic research was carried out on other ships. The Russian Antarctic Expedition has been the successor to the SAE since 1991.

Icebreakers sail across the equator

"Krasin" at the McMurdo station pier. 2005

What dangers await Antarctic polar explorers these days? As before, it is cold, wind and ice. A rescue expedition may come to the rescue.
Imagine - under the tropical sun, a powerful Arctic icebreaker is sailing through the warm waters of the equatorial Pacific Ocean! Could this be possible? Maybe when there is an ice accident off the coast of Antarctica. The Arctic Ocean around the sixth continent is no less merciless to ships than its northern counterpart. And in difficult times, powerful icebreakers come to the aid of sailors trapped in ice.
In March 1985, the drifting ice of the Ross Sea captured the scientific expedition vessel "Mikhail Somov", which provided support to the Russkaya station. Although this diesel-electric ship was specially built for polar expeditions, it was still not an icebreaker and could not move in heavy ice. A long drift began, the progress of which was followed in those days by the whole country. The icebreaker Vladivostok came to the aid of the Mikhail Somov. He crossed the equatorial latitudes of the Pacific Ocean, then the “Roaring Forties” of the Southern Hemisphere, famous for its storms. The ocean voyage was difficult for a ship designed to operate in northern ice, but the sailors successfully passed all the tests. “Mikhail Somov” had to be rescued in the middle of the polar night! The operation was led by leading polar experts led by A.N. Chilingarov and Deputy Director of the AARI N.A. Kornilov. And “Vladivostok” successfully coped with the most difficult task - on July 26, 1985, after a 133-day drift, “Mikhail Somov” was released!
And twenty years later, in January 2005, the Russian icebreaker again had to carry out a rescue operation off the coast of Antarctica. This time, the Krasin, a powerful diesel-electric icebreaker named after the legendary Arctic veteran, distinguished itself.
A caravan of supply ships delivering everything needed to the American McMurdo station fell into heavy ice. The American icebreakers Polar Star and Polar Sea unsuccessfully tried to help them, receiving heavy damage themselves. The US government asked for help. The icebreaker "Krasin" was removed from its scheduled operations and sent through all climatic zones Lands to the rescue of ships in distress. The most difficult operation piloting ships in two-meter ice, among many icebergs, was successful. Grateful Americans arranged for Russian sailors sports festival and a tour of your station.

Station at the Pole

At the Amundsen-Scott polar station.

These days, the South Pole is a completely lived-in place. IN summer months(and in the Southern Hemisphere these are December, January and February) up to 200 people live at the pole! All these people are employees of the American Amundsen-Scott research station, founded in January 1957 right at the pole and named after two brave travelers - conquerors of the southern crown of the planet.
This station is not much older than the Soviet Vostok station. Just like Vostok, it is located deep in the ice sheet covering the sixth continent. The air temperature in winter at the South Pole is slightly higher than at the Pole of Cold, but in the East it is warmer in summer.
When American polar explorers created a station at the pole, people still knew very little about life in Central Antarctica. Therefore, initially all the station’s structures were removed into the thickness of the glacier. Later, a dome-shaped structure was built, which stood for several decades. But the dome also fell into disrepair over time and was completely dismantled by 2010.
The modern station building is a huge building raised on stilts above the ice surface. Thanks to this design, it is not covered with snow, and the ice underneath does not melt or move. There are many scientific laboratories at the station. Astronomical observations are carried out here (air transparency and months of darkness create for this good conditions), study atmospheric physics and interaction elementary particles. And to make life easier for employees during the long polar nights, there is a large gym, a library, a computer club and a creativity corner.

Secrets of Lake Vostok

Polar explorers from the Vostok station have reached the surface of the subglacial lake.

The main scientific task of the polar explorers of the East is the study of ice. Under the station is a powerful ice dome that has grown over millions of years. The ice of Antarctica remembers all the changes in the Earth's atmosphere that occurred during this time. Warming and cooling, concentration carbon dioxide V different periods earthly history- all this can be established by studying ice cores - columns of ice from deep wells, drilled by the brave winterers of the Vostok station.
But what is located in the very depths of Antarctica, under the ice? Scientists have long assumed that, due to the colossal pressure of the ice, the temperature under the shell could be quite high - high enough that the water there would not freeze. Thus, the possible existence of subglacial lakes was predicted - long before their actual discovery.
The largest of these lakes (and more than 140 of them are now known!) turned out to be near the village of Vostok. It is comparable in size to Lake Ontario - its area is 15,790 square meters. km. The maximum depth of Lake Vostok is about 800 m.
For many years, polar explorers drilled a well to the surface of the lake. Special technologies were required - after all, the water of the East cannot be polluted with modern substances, so as not to distort the results of observations. Finally, on February 5, 2012, the surface of the lake was reached. The pressure really turned out to be very high - the water rushed up the three-kilometer borehole to almost 500 meters!
But even under such pressure, in conditions of eternal darkness, life is possible. The lake can contain organisms that obtain energy through chemical reactions. There is a lot of oxygen in the lake - it is delivered there by the melting layers of the glacier. Same unusual life may exist on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, where there are entire subglacial oceans.
In January 2015, the surface of the lake was reached again. New, cleaner water samples were obtained. But scientists have not yet decided to talk reliably about the discovery of new types of bacteria in the under-ice world - almost all the discovered fragments can be attributed to contamination... Research continues and, probably, the most interesting discoveries await us!

Work at minus 80°

Il-14 aircraft of the Soviet Antarctic expedition at the ice airfield.

“...I grabbed the box, tried to take it into the house and...couldn’t. Suddenly it was as if someone had hit my lungs with something cold, heavy and tasteless... My heart was pounding, my vision darkened. The odorless air, frozen, as if woven from the smallest needles, burned my lips, mouth, throat ... "
This is how a polar aviation pilot who landed at Vostok station for the first time describes his impressions. But planes fly to the inland stations of Antarctica only in the summer, on a polar day, when the air there warms up as much as possible. Imagine what happens in the East in winter!
All communication between the station and the outside world is stopped. At temperatures below minus 60°, the snow stops sliding and planes cannot land on ice airfields. A person’s exhalation turns into small ice crystals; one can only breathe through thick scarves, otherwise the lungs will get frostbite. The eyelashes freeze and the cornea of ​​the eyes freezes. To light matches, they must be heated. Solar - diesel fuel - turns into a thick mass; kerosene can be cut with a knife. Only helps electrical energy, which is provided by a continuously operating diesel power plant.
In 1982, at the very beginning of the next winter, a strong fire broke out in the premises of the Vostok power station. The polar explorers were left without electricity, mechanic Alexey Karpenko died in the fire. The planes could no longer take out the winterers - it was too cold.
There is something to despair about! But the station employees did not panic for a minute. They managed to repair a small backup diesel engine, with its help they established communication and heated fuel for three stoves. Food was moved to heated rooms. And later they managed to find and restore two expired diesel generators, which were written off by previous shifts of winter workers. Thus, the polar explorers of the East not only managed to survive in the conditions of the lowest temperatures on Earth, but also resumed scientific works– continued drilling a well in the ice shell of the sixth continent.

A country without weapons

“Who owns the South Pole?” – you can ask this question. Antarctica is the only continent where there are no state borders, military bases or industry. On the southern crown of the planet, humanity is trying to cooperate, conduct scientific research, make new discoveries, without making any distinction from which countries scientists or travelers came from, what faith they are, what language they speak. There is no other similar place on Earth - perhaps only in space on the International space station there is an analogue to such interaction and friendship.
People agreed to ensure the use of Antarctica for the benefit of all mankind. And representatives of 12 states signed the Antarctic Treaty on December 1, 1959 in Washington. Subsequently, representatives of 41 more countries joined this agreement. What did the parties agree on? Freedom of scientific research was proclaimed and encouraged international cooperation, the use of the continent for exclusively peaceful purposes, any nuclear explosions and disposal of radioactive materials. In 1982, the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources came into force as part of the treaty system. The application of the provisions of the Convention is regulated by the Commission, whose headquarters are located in the Australian city of Hobart in the state of Tasmania.
Therefore, the answer to the title question can be: “The South Pole belongs to all of us.”

Name on the card

Ross seal.

How are geographical names formed in general? First of all, we know many islands, rivers and mountains by the names given to them by the peoples who have lived in this area from time immemorial. In other cases, names of geographical objects are given by pioneer travelers.
There are no indigenous peoples in Antarctica, so all the names there are formed according to the second model. Thus, a vast part of the sixth continent, the coast of which faces South Africa, called Queen Maud Land - in honor of Queen Maud Charlotte Marie Victoria of Norway, wife of King Haakon VII. The name of this Earth was assigned by Norwegian researchers led by Lare Christensen, who described these places in detail in 1929–1931. And nearby Enderby Land is named after the British entrepreneurs who financed the fishing expedition of John Biscoe, which discovered this part of the Antarctic coast in 1831.
The memory of many of its pioneers is immortalized on the map of Antarctica. The sea, the ice shelf and one of the species of seals living off the coast of Antarctica bear the name of the English polar explorer James Ross. Another sea is named after the English navigator James Weddell, who discovered this sea in 1823 (by the way, there is a Weddell seal too!) And, of course, there are objects in Antarctica named after the first conquerors of the South Pole - Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott.

Pole of relative inaccessibility

Bust of V.I. Lenin at the snow-covered Pole of Inaccessibility station.

If true and magnetic poles- these are real geographical objects, then the Pole of inaccessibility, or relative inaccessibility, is a conditional, imaginary place. This is the name given to the point in the Arctic or Antarctic located at the maximum distance from convenient transport routes. The South Pole of relative inaccessibility is located on land, deep in the Antarctic ice sheet at the maximum distance from the seashore. In December 1958, the Soviet station “Pole of Inaccessibility” (82°06′ S and 54°58′ E) began operating here.
In January 2007, four brave travelers - the Englishmen Rory Sweet, Rupert Longsdon, Henry Cookson and the Canadian Paul Landry for the first time in history reached the Pole of Inaccessibility (and visited the mothballed station of the same name) on skis using the traction of kites.

Ozone hole over Antarctica

The ozone hole over Antarctica in 1998 according to satellite imagery.

In the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 12 to 50 km, there is a layer containing ozone - modified oxygen. Ozone absorbs a significant portion ultraviolet radiation Sun. Observations in the 1980s showed that there was a slow but steady decline in ozone concentrations over Antarctica from year to year. This phenomenon was called the “ozone hole” (although, of course, there was no hole in the proper sense of the word) and began to be carefully studied. Subsequently it also turned out that ozone layer decreases over the North Pole as well.
The main ozone destroyers are freons - colorless gases or liquids widely used by humans (for example, in refrigeration units and aerosols), as well as exhaust gases. That is, human activity leads to serious consequences for the ecology of the entire planet. The “hole” appeared at the pole - where people do not live at all.
In the spring of 1998, the ozone hole reached a record area of ​​approximately 26 million square meters. km, which is almost three times the territory of Australia. Why exactly at the pole? It was found that chemical reactions Ozone-depleting emissions occur on the surface of ice crystals and any other particles that enter the high layers of the atmosphere above the polar regions. It turned out that the coldest areas of the Earth are the most vulnerable.
What can be done? Refuse or seriously reduce the use of harmful substances. In 1987, the Montreal Protocol was adopted, according to which a list of the most dangerous substances was determined, and countries pledged to reduce their production or stop it altogether. The growth of the “hole” stopped at the beginning of the 21st century. Climatologists predict that it will not be until mid-century that the ozone layer returns to 1980 levels.

How else did you conquer the South Pole?

Women's research team "Metelitsa" at the South Pole, 1996.

Expedition plans British Commonwealth, exploring the sixth continent on tracked tractors and transporters in 1955–1958, was not expected to end up at the South Pole. The head of the auxiliary party, Edmund Hillary (the conqueror of Everest, the highest peak on Earth), deviated from the route and on January 3 1958 year became the third person in history, after Amundsen and Scott, to visit the Pole.
The first person to visit both poles was Albert Paddock Crary (USA). May 3 1952 year he flew to the North Pole on a Dakota plane, and on February 12 1961 years, as part of a scientific expedition, he reached the South Pole on a snowmobile.
During the Transglobal Expedition of 1979–1982, led by the British Ranulph Fiennes and Charles Burton, travelers crossed globe along the meridian through the poles. Ships, cars and snowmobiles were used as transport. The expedition members reached the South Pole on December 15 1980 year.
December 11 1989 In 2010, members of the Transantarctic Expedition reached the South Pole by dog ​​sled. In 221 days they crossed the entire continent at its widest point. The USSR was represented in the team by Viktor Boyarsky.
December 30 1989 Arvid Fuchs (Germany) and Reinold Meissner (Italy) were the first to cross Antarctica across the pole on skis, sometimes using a device similar to a small sail.
January 7 1993 Erling Kagge (Norway) completed the first solo expedition to the South Pole.
On an Antarctic expedition 2000 year, 88 people from 18 countries took part, 54 of them were champions and former world champions in various types sports This is the first time such a large international expedition has taken place. The South Pole was reached on wheeled all-terrain vehicles in a record time short term- five days, for the first time balloonists rose into the air above the Pole balloons, for the first time a wooden Orthodox cross was installed at the South Pole.
December 28 2013 In 2010, British Maria Leierstam reached the Antarctic Pole on a tricycle with a recumbent seat. The design of the bike allowed us to remain stable during very strong winds and concentrate on moving forward. Maria had to travel for 11 days from the camp to the Pole at a temperature of about minus 40 degrees, with strong winds, through deep snow.
December 11 2014 In 2009, Dutchwoman Manon Ossevoort, leading a team of 7 people, conquered the South Pole. The travelers followed the path of Sir Edmund Hillary on a more modern Ferguson tractor.

Interview with Felicity Aston

Felicity Aston in Antarctica.

Felicity Aston's journey through Antarctica.

British traveler and polar explorer Felicity Aston spent three years in Antarctica, studying the climate at the polar station of Adelaide Island. And recently she set two world records at once: she became the first woman to cross Antarctica on skis alone, and the first person to cross Antarctica on skis alone, “using purely muscle power” (that is, without the help of a sail or other tricks). Felicity kindly agreed to tell our newspaper about this expedition.

Felicity, share your secret: how did you achieve such incredible athletic results? You've probably been involved in sports since childhood?
You know, I was never a sports child. I think I was never a good athlete - neither at school nor now. Of course, I go on difficult expeditions, but I am by no means as strong as I might seem.
Where did you learn to ski so well?
I couldn't really learn to ski until I was in Antarctica in 2000. By the way, I'm still not very good at skiing down slopes. But what I really adore is snowboarding!
At what age did you start dreaming of polar travel?
I thought a lot about Antarctica and dreamed that one fine day I would be able to see it. Fortunately, my first job was connected specifically with Antarctica: I ended up at a meteorological research station.
Do your parents approve of your passion for Antarctica?
Thanks to my parents: they have always been supportive of my hobbies! Although, of course, they would prefer me to be safe at home.
What was the most difficult thing on the trip: cold, wind, loneliness?
The psychological problems that arose during this expedition were much more complex than the physical ones. After all, every morning, despite the cold and wind, I had to force myself to move forward, and sometimes it was really difficult to do.
What animals have you met? It's probably good that there are no polar bears in Antarctica?
My route passed completely alone, there was not a single living soul around. I walked far from open water, where you could see wildlife. I didn’t see any life at all, there weren’t even mosses or lichens.
It must be difficult to think about everyday life at a temperature of minus 40° - for example, do the laundry?
Of course, this was simply impossible. I only had one set of clothes - I couldn’t take more. I walked and slept in the same clothes.
What books did you read during these long three months of travel? Did you listen to music?
I didn’t take a single book with me, because it would have been an extra burden, but, of course, I had music in my MP3 player.
Did you have any talisman with you?
I had a small medallion with a photo of my family, and also a small icon of St. Christopher.
Have there been times when you regretted going on this expedition?
Every morning! But the task was precisely to overcome oneself, to step over the psychological barrier. Force yourself to move, change your thinking - and reach your goal. This journey was an affirmation of self-belief.
Are you going to write a book about your journey?
Yes, I think I will definitely write. Having gone through it again, but mentally, along my route, I will understand what this life experience means to me, and what lessons I can learn from it.
Are you collaborating with Russian company Kaspersky Lab – why was this choice made?
I have been working with this corporation for several years now. Even though it's big international organization, personality is highly valued here. I also like their unconventional thinking, a new approach to any type of activity. Since they wage a tireless and difficult struggle to protect information from viruses and other cyber threats, they are well aware of the difficulties a person can sometimes face - especially in Antarctica.
We know that you have been to Lake Baikal. What are your impressions?
Of course, Baikal, all covered pure ice, unforgettable... I really like Siberia. I've been here twice. I was greatly impressed by the kindness and responsiveness of the people we met here.
Do you want to visit Russia again?
There are a lot of places in Russia where I would like to visit - for example, Kamchatka and the Far North.
Are you planning any specific expeditions?
I have no time to plan the next expeditions yet: I need to properly rest and eat!
Do you have children? Pets?
Unfortunately, I can’t have pets – who will take care of them when I’m away for a long time? And the children, I hope, will and will definitely go with me on the next trip!
What can you wish for schoolchildren of St. Petersburg?
Dear guys, first think carefully about what you want to do. And, having made a decision, do not allow anyone to prevent you from achieving your goal. No one has the right to tell you: “You still can’t!” Be persistent and you will achieve anything!

Epilogue

Polar Explorer Day logo.

Antarctica is not an object of economic development and will not be in the foreseeable future. Ban on economic activity and the militarization of the continent is enshrined in international agreements, and the development of mineral resources on the sixth continent, the reserves of which have yet to be established, would be very expensive - more expensive than in the Arctic. The extreme southern point of the Earth continues to attract the attention of the scientific world - we will learn more and more about the past of our planet and about current state ice continent. In recent decades, tourism to Antarctica has been developing, routes from the southernmost Argentine port of Ushuaia on Tierra del Fuego to the Antarctic Peninsula with landing there and visiting stations, as well as along the “Golden Ring of Antarctica” from the Falkland Islands to South Georgia. Perhaps some of you will have to take a cruise to the South Pole or spend the winter at Vostok station. And remember that Antarctica still holds many secrets and mysteries and encourages us to continue to “fight and search, find and not give up.”

Where is the South Pole

The South Pole is one of the two intersection points of the Earth's imaginary axis of rotation and the Earth's surface, where all geographic meridians converge. It is located within the Polar Plateau of Antarctica at an altitude of approximately 2800 m above sea level. Interestingly, the geographic coordinates of the South Pole usually indicate simply 90° S. latitude, since the longitude of the pole is geometrically determined. If necessary, it can be specified as 0°.

At the South Pole, all directions point north and are therefore tied to the Greenwich (prime) meridian.

Attempts to conquer the South Pole

A general understanding of the geography of the Antarctic coast appeared only in the middle of the 19th century, so the first attempts to conquer the continent began at this time.

In 1820, several expeditions simultaneously announced the discovery of Antarctica. The first of these was the Russian expedition led by Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev, which reached the shores of the mainland on January 16.

But the first proven landing on the shore is considered to be the landing of the Borchgrevink expedition in 1895 on the coast of Victoria Land.

Amundsen expedition

Initially, Roald Amundsen was going to conquer the North Pole, but during preparations for the expedition it became known that it had already been discovered. But the scientist did not cancel the trip, he simply changed the purpose of his trip.

“To maintain my status as a polar explorer,” Amundsen recalled, “I needed to achieve any other sensational success as quickly as possible... And I told my comrades that since the North Pole was open, I decided to go to the South Pole.”

On October 19, 1911, the expedition set off on a dog-drawn sleigh. At first it passed along the snowy, hilly plain of the Ross Ice Shelf, but at the 85th parallel the surface went up steeply - the ice shelf ended. The ascent began along steep snow-covered slopes. According to the researchers, it was difficult both physically and mentally. After all, they didn’t know what would happen next.

At the beginning of the ascent, the travelers set up a main warehouse with food for 30 days. For the entire further journey, Amundsen left food for 60 days. During this period, he planned to reach the South Pole and return back to the main warehouse.

On December 14, Amundsen's expedition reached a point on the white plain, at an altitude of 3000 m, where, according to calculations, the South Pole should have been located. This day is considered the discovery of the South Pole. The expedition also included Oscar Visting, Helmer Hansen, Sverre Hassel, and Olaf Bjoland.

They left a small tent, over which they hung a Norwegian flag and a pennant with the inscription “Fram” on a pole. In the tent, Roald Amundsen left a letter to the Norwegian king with a short report on the campaign.

In his diary, the Norwegian scientist described in detail his arrival at the desired point.

“On the morning of December 14, the weather was excellent, ideal for arriving at the Pole... At noon we reached 89° 53′ by any calculation and prepared to cover the rest of the route in one go... We advanced that same day as mechanically as always, almost silently, but looking more and more ahead... at three in the afternoon, “Stop” was heard simultaneously from all the drivers. They carefully examined the instruments, all showed the full distance - the Pole, in our opinion. The goal was achieved, the journey ended. I cannot say - although I know it would sound much more convincing - that I have achieved the goal of my life. It would be romantic, but too straightforward. I prefer to be honest and suggest that I have never seen a person who was in a more diametrically opposed position to his goals and desires than I was at that moment.”

Amundsen named his camp “Pulheim” (translated from Norwegian as “Polar House”), and the plateau on which the pole is located was named in honor of the Norwegian king Haakon VII.

Amundsen's entire journey to the South Pole and back lasted 99 days. On March 7, 1912, from the city of Hobart on the island of Tasmania, the scientist notified the world of his victory and the successful return of the expedition.

The Norwegian polar explorer and explorer Amundsen was not only the first to reach the South Pole, but also the first to visit both geographic poles of the planet. The Norwegian made a continuous sea passage through the Northwest Passage (through the straits of the Canadian Arctic archipelago), and later completed a passage through the Northeast Passage (along the coast of Siberia), completing a circumnavigation beyond the Arctic Circle for the first time.

The scientist died in 1928 at the age of 55 during the search for the missing expedition of Umberto Nobile. A sea, a mountain and the American scientific station Amundsen-Scott in Antarctica, a bay and a depression in the North are named in honor of the traveler. Arctic Ocean, as well as a lunar crater.

Once man managed to conquer the North Pole, sooner or later he had to reach the South Pole, located in the center of the icy continent of Antarctica.
It's even colder here than in the Arctic. In addition, the ferocious hurricane winds... But the South Pole also surrendered, and the history of the conquest of the two extreme points of the Earth was linked together in a curious way. The fact is that in 1909, like Piri, the famous polar explorer Roald Amundsen intended to set out to conquer the North Pole - the same one who, several years earlier, had managed to navigate his ship from Atlantic Ocean to the Quiet North-Western Sea Route. Having learned that Piri had achieved success first, the ambitious Amundsen, without hesitation, sent his expedition ship “Fram” to the shores of Antarctica. He decided that he would be the first to the South Pole!
They have tried to get to the southernmost point of the Earth before. In 1902, the captain of the English Royal navy Robert Scott, together with two satellites, managed to reach 82 degrees 17 minutes south latitude. But then I had to retreat. Having lost all the sled dogs with which they began the journey, the three brave souls were barely able to return to the coast of Antarctica, where the expedition ship Discovery was moored.

In 1908, another Englishman, Ernst Shackleton, made a new attempt. And again, failure: despite the fact that only 179 kilometers remained to the goal, Shackleton turned back, unable to withstand the hardships of the journey. Amundsen actually achieved success the first time, having thought through literally every little detail.
His journey to the Pole was played out like clockwork. Between 80 and 85 degrees south latitude, at every degree, the Norwegians had pre-arranged warehouses with food and fuel. Amundsen set off on October 20, 1911, with four Norwegian companions: Hansen, Wisting, Hassel, Bjoland. The travelers traveled on sleighs pulled by sled dogs.

The costumes for the participants in the hike were made... from old blankets. Amundsen's idea, unexpected at first glance, fully justified itself - the costumes were light and at the same time very warm. But the Norwegians also faced many difficulties. The blows of the blizzard cut the faces of Hansen, Wisting and Amundsen himself until they bled; These wounds did not heal for a long time. But seasoned, courageous people did not pay attention to such trifles.
On December 14, 1911, at 3 pm, the Norwegians reached the South Pole.
They stayed here for three days, making astronomical determinations of the exact location to eliminate the slightest possibility of error. At the southernmost point of the Earth, a high pole with the Norwegian flag and the Fram pennant was erected. All five left their names on a board nailed to the pole.
The return journey took the Norwegians 40 days. Nothing unexpected happened. And early in the morning of January 26, 1912, Amundsen and his companions returned to the shore of the icy continent, where the expedition ship Fram was waiting for him in Whale Bay.

Alas, Amundsen's victory was overshadowed by the tragedy of another expedition. Also in 1911, Robert Scott made a new attempt to reach the South Pole. This time she was successful. But on January 18, 1912, Scott and four of his companions found a Norwegian flag at the South Pole, left by Amundsen back in December. The disappointment of the British, who arrived only second to the goal, turned out to be so great that they no longer had the strength to withstand the return journey.
A few months later, British search parties, concerned about Scott’s long absence, found a tent in the Antarctic ice with the frozen bodies of the captain and his companions. In addition to pitiful crumbs of food, they found 16 kilograms of rare geological samples from Antarctica, collected during the trip to the pole. As it turned out, the rescue camp, where food was stored, was only twenty kilometers away from this tent...

The discoverers of the southern latitudes did not always leave their names to history. Many expeditions are known only by the names of their leaders, leaving the names of the remaining participants into oblivion. Those who reached the South Pole first, fortunately, left their names. An ingenious expedition that achieved its cherished goal took place in 1911.

Roald Amundsen. Brief biography

The great Norwegian, the one who first reached the South Pole, constantly traveled in the most difficult and sparsely populated corners of the Earth. He was born in 1872 into a family of seafarers. Even in his youth, the future researcher came across a wonderful book by J. Franklin, a polar explorer. Roald Amundsen was inspired by the idea of ​​becoming a pioneer, so from childhood he prepared himself for the upcoming difficulties. He slept with the windows open even in severe cold, was extremely unpretentious in food and constantly trained his body. His mother wanted Roual to devote himself to medicine. He conscientiously studied books and attended classes. But immediately after her death, Amundsen abandoned his textbooks and began to prepare himself for polar travel.

First travels

Roald Amundsen boarded his first ship at the age of 22. Initially, he served as a cabin boy on a fishing vessel sailing in the North Atlantic. In 1896, for the first time, he was forced to spend the winter with his comrades in high latitudes. The winter was sudden and unplanned; the sailors were forced to eat their own shoes to survive. After his return he appreciated the importance careful preparation to difficult conditions. Subsequently, Amundsen was able to pass an important exam and received a diploma as a sea captain.

The traveler's first own ship was the sailing schooner "Joa". With a small crew, Amundsen sailed it from Greenland to Alaska, opening the Northwest Passage. Such serious preparation for the conditions of navigation in polar latitudes allowed him to mature for new discoveries, among which was the South Pole of the Earth.

Expedition

In 1910, with the support of the great F. Nansen, R. Amundsen was preparing for a trip to Antarctica. For this purpose, the ship Fram was hired, which was supposed to land travelers in Antarctica. A carefully prepared expedition, consisting of five people, 52 dogs and four sleighs, set off. On October 19, 1911, travelers landed on the Ross Shelf and set off deep into the icy continent.

At first, the expedition walked for a long time through a wide icy desert. After crossing the 85th parallel, the terrain changed - the road was blocked by high ice cliffs. At the foot of the cliffs, the travelers made a small cache with food supplies. Amundsen took the rest of the provisions with him, calculating that the South Geographic Pole was within reach, and the journey to it and back should take no more than 60 days.

By the middle of the planned period, the travelers reached big glacier, which was named after Axel Heiberg, the sponsor of the expedition, who believed in Amundsen’s victory and provided a lot of money to cover expenses. Later, the names of other people, acquaintances and relatives, were put on the map. This is how the Liv glacier appeared on the map of Antarctica, named after the daughter of F. Nansen.

Reach the goal

In mid-summer, the travelers reached a point that no polar expedition had ever reached before. extreme point cold continent, discovered by Shackleton, did not reach the geographic mark of the pole by only 180 km. Having passed the last leg of the journey, the expedition reached the cherished point at which all the meridians of the Earth intersected. The name of everyone who was the first to reach the South Pole remains forever associated with the cold southern continent. These are Roald Amundsen, Oscar Wisting, Sverre Hassel, Helmer Hansen and Olaf Bjaland.

The travelers celebrated their stay at the southernmost point of the earth by displaying the Norwegian flag and a pennant from the ship Fram. Not far from the flag, a tent was erected in which Amundsen left a message to his rival, Scott. Having recorded their stay at the South Pole, the expedition moved back.

The entire journey took 99 days. Those who were the first to reach the South Pole were joyfully greeted first on the ship Fram, and then in the small town of Hobard, located in Tasmania. From there, the world's newspapers received a message that the southernmost point of the earth had been conquered. But for Roald Amundsen the journey did not stop...