Designing for the South Pole Climate

The South Pole is located on a plateau of ice about 2700 meters thick at an altitude of about 2835 meters. Due to this altitude and distance from the ocean, it has one of the coldest climates on earth. It is even colder than the North Pole which benefits from the ocean acting as a reservoir of heat.During the summer months at the South Pole (September-March), the sun is continuously above the horizon and moves in a counterclockwise circle, however, it is always low in the sky. The sun reaches a maximum angle of 23.5 degrees in December. The temperature averages at around -25 degrees Celsius in the summer and -65 degrees Celsius in the winter. The South Pole has a desert climate and as a result, suffers from extremely dry air and very little precipitation. The average accumulation of snowfall is 20cm/year. Average winds travel at around 19.8 km/h and can reach up to 88.9 km/h. These winds cause snow drifts which cause major snow build up around structures. Due to this extreme climate, there are no native residential plants or animals at the South Pole.

The new station, of course, had to take into account the South Pole's extreme conditions. It was also an improvement on the designs of previous stations.

One major issue that any structure at this location must deal with is drifting snow. Both the 1956 and 1975 stations had constant snow build up requiring the use of bulldozers to clear the snow and transport it miles away. This process of excavation was not only time consuming, but it used up considerable amounts of valuable fuel. In response to this problem, the new station is elevated off the ground by 36 hydraulic jacking columns. Also helping to minimize snow build up is the shape of the building. The structure is designed to face into the prevailing winds with the profile of an airplane's wing enhancing air flow around the building.

Due to its sloped bottom edge, the wind will also accelerate as it passes under that building helping to clear snow build up.

In the event that snow does build up under the structure, the hydraulic jacking columns are designed to raise the building up in 10 inch increments. This is accomplished by adding new column sections. The whole structure can be raised up a total of two more stories above the ice.

To allow for the shifting ice on which the station sits, connecting walkways between building modules are flexible.

For ease of transportation to South Pole, the new elevated station is made up of 4 modules which were shipped by ski-equipped LC-130 Hercules cargo aircraft. The aircraft can carry more than 40,000 pounds of cargo.