Images of

ANTARCTICA

Pole Panoramas

Photos © 2004 Seth White

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The Dome, as seen from the roof of the Skylab building. I like this view because you can see the full scalloping of the snow, which varies around the building due to the prevailing winds which are more or less right to left in this picture.

A view of the station from ARO (Atmospheric Research Observatory, where I work). I'm still learning what all the buildings on station are, but there are a few things I can definitely identify here. On the left side of the station is the Marisat communications dish, pointed almost straight at the horizon. Below this a field of semicircular Jamesway huts, where my lodgings are. The orange building to the right of this is Skylab, where numerous scientific instruments reside. The main labs for the two South Pole science techs, the Cusp Tech and the Aurora Tech, are in here. Immediately to the right of the Dome are partially buried arches containing garages, the power plant, and other buildings. The blue building above these is the elevated dorm building, aka the "beaker box". The new station is to the right of this, followed by the geographical pole (with a single American flag), then the ceremonial pole (with various countries' flags). Off to the right are the dark sector buildings which house telescopes and other instruments. I don't know what each of the dark sector buildings are called, but hopefully I will be able to get a tour of the dark sector installations before I leave.

This is another view of the station from ARO, only this time a much wider field of view which gives a better feel of the pure vastness of the South Pole. On the left is part of the roof of ARO, with gas sampling and solar monitoring instruments. The green hut to the right will soon house a telescope, which is to be installed shortly by a visiting group of scientists.