US building highway to the South Pole

Tommy Boomfiger · 01-24-2003, 07:56 AM

US building highway to the South Pole

13:52 23 January 03

NewScientist.com news service

American engineers in the Antarctic have begun work on a highway from the giant US coastal base at McMurdo Sound to the South Pole - a distance of 1600 kilometres.

In the next few weeks the ice road should have crossed the wide expanse of the Ross ice shelf, which permanently covers the ocean, and be approaching the Transantarctic Mountains. The mountains mark the halfway point to the Pole.

The road is expected to reach the US Scott-Amundsen base at the pole within two years, according to Bill Spindler, a scientist at the base and editor of South Pole News.

An initial purpose for the highway will be to help lay a $250-million fibre-optic cable to the Scott-Amundsen base. The cable, which should be completed within five years, will revolutionise communications at the Pole.

The Scott-Amundsen base is home to a growing amount of scientific equipment. But it is out of sight of most geostationary communications satellites, so it cannot reliably send back real-time data to the laboratories in the US that use the equipment. The cable would solve that problem.

Bulldozers and crevasses

Construction of the ice road involves clearing the route of snow, bulldozing rough ice and filling in crevasses. The route will cross the Leverett glacier in the Transantarctic Mountains.

Once completed the road is likely to become a permanent fixture. The Scott-Amundsen base is only currently accessible by air, which places limits on cargo and relies on good weather. The road could be open to heavy traffic for up to 100 days a year during the austral summer.

Scientists say the road will allow overland transport of the increasingly heavy loads of scientific equipment being taken to the pole, such as that for the planned Ice Cube project.

Ice Cube is an astronomical observatory to be built at the pole to study cosmic neutrino beams. Its detectors will be spread through a cubic kilometre of clear ice beneath the base. Ice Cube is expected to generate 20 gigabytes of data a day when it is completed in about five years' time.

All downhill

The road will need to be cleared of snow and checked for crevasses and ice movement each spring, says Karl Erb of the National Science Foundation in Virginia, which is funding the $12-million project. "But crevices don't change much from year to year," he says. "We will just have to monitor them."

Spindler says it will take about 20 days to reach the pole, which is at an altitude of more than 3000 metres. The downhill return journey will take about 10 days. The traffic will consist of slow-moving convoys of caterpillar tractors, towing sleds carrying fuel and bulky equipment. Independent travel will not be allowed.

The polar base plans three return journeys each summer, says Spindler. The annual capacity of the route would be about a million litres of fuel - roughly the capacity of three Hercules transporter planes that currently supply the base.

Environmentalists appear relaxed about the scheme. The ice cap is a barren wilderness devoid of life. And the road is unlikely to pave the way to exploitation of Antarctic natural resources, as this is banned under the Antarctic Treaty until 2041.

Fred Pearce

=============================================================

newscientist

Merlin · 01-24-2003, 08:48 AM

Great, they can build a fine road to the Southpole but can't fix the forking pothole in front of my house.

Oh and I'm glad I'm not the schmuck who is responsible for shoveling the snow off that puppy. I'm just going to lauge when that thing gets buried by a couple of feet of glacier and is gone forever.

coleslaw · 01-24-2003, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Merlin
Oh and I'm glad I'm not the schmuck who is responsible for shoveling the snow off that puppy. I'm just going to lauge when that thing gets buried by a couple of feet of glacier and is gone forever.

It's technically not a road of the "black asphalt" nature, but rather they are just clearing ice structures and filling in the crevices that exist along the way. In the article, it says that it is an "ice road".

What gets me is this statement: An initial purpose for the highway will be to help lay a $250-million fibre-optic cable to the Scott-Amundsen base.

They need to construct a friggin ice road to lay a singe fibre-optic cable? Gimme a break! (RIP Nell Carter)

nickel · 01-24-2003, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Great, they can build a fine road to the Southpole but can't fix the forking pothole in front of my house.

__________________

you've got a pothole in front of your house? hopefully it doesn't get bigger and turn into a sinkhole and suck you and your house right down it.

01-24-2003, 07:56 AM	#1
Tommy Boomfiger Rear Admiral Lower Half Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Chi town Posts: 2,348	US building highway to the South Pole US building highway to the South Pole 13:52 23 January 03 NewScientist.com news service American engineers in the Antarctic have begun work on a highway from the giant US coastal base at McMurdo Sound to the South Pole - a distance of 1600 kilometres. In the next few weeks the ice road should have crossed the wide expanse of the Ross ice shelf, which permanently covers the ocean, and be approaching the Transantarctic Mountains. The mountains mark the halfway point to the Pole. The road is expected to reach the US Scott-Amundsen base at the pole within two years, according to Bill Spindler, a scientist at the base and editor of South Pole News. An initial purpose for the highway will be to help lay a $250-million fibre-optic cable to the Scott-Amundsen base. The cable, which should be completed within five years, will revolutionise communications at the Pole. The Scott-Amundsen base is home to a growing amount of scientific equipment. But it is out of sight of most geostationary communications satellites, so it cannot reliably send back real-time data to the laboratories in the US that use the equipment. The cable would solve that problem. Bulldozers and crevasses Construction of the ice road involves clearing the route of snow, bulldozing rough ice and filling in crevasses. The route will cross the Leverett glacier in the Transantarctic Mountains. Once completed the road is likely to become a permanent fixture. The Scott-Amundsen base is only currently accessible by air, which places limits on cargo and relies on good weather. The road could be open to heavy traffic for up to 100 days a year during the austral summer. Scientists say the road will allow overland transport of the increasingly heavy loads of scientific equipment being taken to the pole, such as that for the planned Ice Cube project. Ice Cube is an astronomical observatory to be built at the pole to study cosmic neutrino beams. Its detectors will be spread through a cubic kilometre of clear ice beneath the base. Ice Cube is expected to generate 20 gigabytes of data a day when it is completed in about five years' time. All downhill The road will need to be cleared of snow and checked for crevasses and ice movement each spring, says Karl Erb of the National Science Foundation in Virginia, which is funding the $12-million project. "But crevices don't change much from year to year," he says. "We will just have to monitor them." Spindler says it will take about 20 days to reach the pole, which is at an altitude of more than 3000 metres. The downhill return journey will take about 10 days. The traffic will consist of slow-moving convoys of caterpillar tractors, towing sleds carrying fuel and bulky equipment. Independent travel will not be allowed. The polar base plans three return journeys each summer, says Spindler. The annual capacity of the route would be about a million litres of fuel - roughly the capacity of three Hercules transporter planes that currently supply the base. Environmentalists appear relaxed about the scheme. The ice cap is a barren wilderness devoid of life. And the road is unlikely to pave the way to exploitation of Antarctic natural resources, as this is banned under the Antarctic Treaty until 2041. Fred Pearce ============================================================= newscientist

01-24-2003, 08:48 AM	#2
Merlin Admiral Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Square On My Arse Posts: 7,410	Great, they can build a fine road to the Southpole but can't fix the forking pothole in front of my house. Oh and I'm glad I'm not the schmuck who is responsible for shoveling the snow off that puppy. I'm just going to lauge when that thing gets buried by a couple of feet of glacier and is gone forever. __________________

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