South Pole Station for Science
The South Pole station is one of three year-around stations operated by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The
other two United States Antarctic Program stations are McMurdo Station on the Ross Island and Palmer Station on
Anvers Island near the Antarctic Peninsula. Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station sits at the Earth's axis on a shifting
continental ice sheet several miles thick.
The South Pole is a unique research site that supports projects ranging from cosmic observations to seismic and
atmospheric studies. The extremely dry, cold air is perfectly suited for observing Cosmic Microwave Background
(CMB)
radiation-the faint light signature left by the Big Bang that brought the universe into being nearly 14 billion years ago.
The pattern of these ancient photons reveals the contents and structure of the infant cosmos.
Another large astrophysical project at the pole is IceCube—a
one-cubic-kilometer international high-energy neutrino detector being built in the clear ice, 1.25-2.5 kilometers below the South Pole
station. IceCube tracks ghostly subatomic particles called neutrinos that were created by exotic deep-space events such as exploding stars.
The new Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, dedicated in January 2008 during the first year of
International Polar Year (IPY)
,
began austral summer operations on October 26, 2008. There are 18 science teams working on projects in climate sciences,
atmospheric science, astrophysics, and geophysics. Also, a participant of the U.S. Antarctic Artists and Writers program will
visit the station as part of his research for a book on dark matter, dark energy, and the frontiers of cosmology.
At an elevation of 2,835 meters (9,300 feet), the station supports a weekly average population of approximately 250 science
and support personnel this season. Average monthly temperature in the austral summer is -28°C (-18°F). The station
begins winter operations on February 14, 2009.