Polar station "Vostok", Antarctica: description, history, climate and visiting rules

The legendary Russian polar station Vostok in Antarctica was established in 1957. It is located in the center of the continent, among ice and snow. Like 59 years ago, today it is also a symbol of the pole of inaccessibility.

The distance from the station to the South Pole is less than to the sea coast, and the station's population does not exceed 25 people. Low temperatures, a height of more than three kilometers above sea level, complete isolation from the world in winter make it one of the most inconvenient places for people to stay on Earth. Despite the most difficult conditions, life in the "East" does not stop even at -80 ° С. Scientists are engaged in research of a unique under-ice lake, which is located at a depth of more than four kilometers.

Location:

The research station Vostok (Antarctica) is located 1253 km from the South Pole and 1260 km from the coast of the sea. Ice cover here reaches a thickness of 3700 m. In winter it is impossible to get to the station, therefore polar explorers have to rely only on their own forces. In the summer, cargo is delivered here by planes. For the same purpose, a sledge-caterpillar train is used from the station "Progress". Earlier, such trains also came from Mirny station, but today, due to the increase in hummocks on the way of the train, it became impossible.

The polar station "Vostok" is located next to the South geomagnetic pole of our planet. This allows us to study the changes in the Earth's magnetic field. In summer, the station has about forty people - engineers and scientists.

Station "East": history, climate

This unique research center was built in 1957, for research and observations of the Antarctic ecosystem. Since the founding of the Russian station "East" in Antarctica has never stopped working, its activities continue today. Scientists are very interested in the relict subglacial lake. In the mid-nineties a unique drilling of glacial deposits was carried out at the station. First, thermobaric shells were used, and then electromechanical, on a carrying cable.

Drilling groups AARI and the Leningrad Mining Institute jointly discovered a unique underground lake "Vostok". It is hidden by an ice shield thicker than four thousand meters. Its dimensions, presumably 250x50 kilometers. The depth is more than 1200 meters. Its area exceeds 15.5 thousand square kilometers.

Now new projects are being developed to survey this deep lake. "Vostok" is a station in Antarctica, which took part in the target federal program "World Ocean". In addition, scientists examine the life of a person in such extreme conditions.

Climate

Severe conditions are famous for the polar station "East". The climate of this place can be characterized shortly - there is no colder place on Earth. Here the absolute minimum of temperatures is fixed - 89 ° C. The average temperatures during the year range from -31 ° C and -68 ° C, to the absolute maximum, which was recorded in distant 1957 -13 ° C. 120 days continues Polar night - from the end of April to the end of August.

The warmest months at the station are December and January. At this time, the air temperature is -35.1 ° C -35.5 ° C. This temperature is comparable to the cold Siberian winter. The coldest month is August. The air temperature drops to -75.3 ° C, and sometimes below -88.3 ° C. The coldest maximum (daily) is -52 ° C, for all the observations in May the temperature does not rise above -41.6 ° C. But low temperatures are not the main climatic problem and complexity for polar explorers.

The station "Vostok" (Antarctica) is located in an area with almost zero humidity. There is a shortage of oxygen. The station is located at an altitude of more than three thousand meters above sea level. In such difficult conditions, acclimatization of a person lasts from a week to two months. This process is usually accompanied by flickering in the eyes, dizziness, nasal bleeding, pain in the ears, a feeling of suffocation, increased blood pressure, sleep disturbance, loss of appetite, nausea, severe pain in the muscles and joint, weight loss of up to five kilograms.

Scientific activity

"Vostok" is a station in Antarctica, specialists of which have been conducting research of mineral and hydrocarbon raw materials, drinking water reserves for more than half a century, conduct actinometric, aerometeorological, glaciological and geophysical observations. In addition, they conduct medical research, study climate change, conduct research on the "ozone hole", etc.

Life at the station

"East" is a station in Antarctica, where special people live and work. They are endlessly devoted to their work, they are interested in researching this mysterious continent. This obsession, in the best sense of the word, allows them to endure all the hardships of life, a long separation from their loved ones. The lives of polar explorers can be envied only by the most desperate extremals.

Station "East" (Antarctica) has many features. For example, in ordinary life, we are surrounded by some insects - butterflies, mosquitoes, gnats. There is nothing at the station. There are not even microorganisms. The water here is from melted snow. It does not contain minerals or salts, so for the first time the workers of the station are constantly thirsty.

We have already mentioned that researchers have long drilled a well to the mysterious Lake Vostok. In 2011, at a depth of 3,540 meters, a new ice was discovered, which is from below. This is the frozen water of the lake. Polar explorers say that it is clean and very pleasant to the taste, it can be boiled and brewed tea.

The building where the polar explorers live is marked by a two-meter layer of snow. Inside the daylight there. Outside there are two outlets - the main one and the reserve one. The main exit is the door, behind which a fifty-meter tunnel was dug in the snow. The emergency exit is much shorter. It is a steep staircase leading to the roof of the station.

In the residential building there is a wardroom, there is a TV on the wall (although there is no on-air TV at the station), a billiard table is installed. When in this room the temperature drops to minus one, everyone tries not to go there. But one day, the polar explorers in the warehouse discovered a faulty game console. It was repaired, connected to a television set, and the wardroom revived - now the polar explorers are gathering here. In warm jackets and trousers, in felt boots and hats, they come to play fist fights and races.

Polar explorers note that in recent years the station "East" (Antarctica) has changed in everyday life. A warm residential module, rooms for scientific work, a dining room, a diesel unit and other necessary station stations made the life here quite acceptable.

Fire at the Vostok station in Antarctica

On April 12, 1982, Vostok did not make contact with the Big Land. Nobody could guess what happened. In a day, according to the schedule, the station was contacted nine times. When there was no connection and at the second agreed hour, it became clear: something extraordinary had happened. Lack of communication - in any case, the incident is extraordinary. At that time no one could foresee the size of the disaster at the station.

Station "East" (Antarctica) had a separate room, where the diesel-electric station was located. There the fire started on the night of March 12. It was the very beginning of wintering. To the power station was attached a small house in which mechanics lived. They were awakened at four in the morning by the pungent smell of smoke.

Going out into the street, they found that the fire was burning on the roof. A few minutes later, all the winterers, hastily dressed, ran out into the cold. The searchlight, which illuminated the territory, went out. The light was only from a fire.

Fighting fire

Fire began to throw snow, then they tried to cover it with a tarpaulin to prevent access to oxygen. But the canvas ignited instantly. People who climbed onto the roof soon had to jump down. The roof was completely burnt in thirty minutes.

Fifteen meters from the station there were tanks with diesel fuel. It was impossible to pull them away - they are too heavy. Fortunately, the wind blew in the opposite direction. Saved more and the fact that the diesel was too cold, in the cold it became viscous. She had to heat up a lot to flare up.

Immediately polar explorers did not notice that among them there is not one mechanic. His remains were found on the ashes. Immediately after the fire, the premises of the station were left without heat and light, and in the street it was -67 ° C ...

How to survive?

There was a real trouble. Two diesel generators came completely out of operation, supplying the station with electricity, and two reserve ones. There was no light in the rooms, the scientific instruments were de-energized, the batteries and the stove in the galley cooled off. The problem was even with water - it was received in an electric appliance from snow. In the utility room an old kerosene stove was found. She was transferred to one of the residential barracks.

And at this time in Moscow they were frantically searching for a way out of the situation. They consulted with pilots and sailors. But none of the options could not be realized in a severe polar night.

Life after a fire

Polar explorers decided to survive on their own. Courageous guys did not wait for help from the Big Land. A radiogram was sent to Moscow: "We'll Survive until Spring". They perfectly understood that the ice continent does not forgive blunders, but it is ruthless and to those who fall into despair.

Wintering lasted in force-majeure conditions. Polar explorers moved into one tiny living room. On the basis of gas cylinders, five new furnaces were made. In this room, which was both a bedroom, and a dining room, and a kitchen, there were scientific instruments.

The main drawback of new furnaces was soot. She was collected on a bucket per day. After a while, thanks to the sharpness of the aerologist and the cook, the winterers were able to bake bread. Portions of dough they were glued to the walls of the stove and thus they received completely edible bread.

In addition to hot food and heat, light was needed. And then these strong people began to make candles, using the existing paraffin wax and asbestos cord. "Candle factory" worked until the end of wintering.

Work continues!

Despite the incredible conditions, the polar explorers began to think more and more about the continuation of scientific activity. But this was due to a huge deficit of electricity. The only surviving engine met only the needs of radio communication and electric welding. He was simply "afraid to breathe."

Nevertheless, the meteorologist interrupted his observation of the weather only during a fire. After the tragedy, he worked as usual. Looking at him, the magnetologist resumed work.

The rescue

So passed the winter - in the strongest frosts, without sunlight, with a lack of oxygen, with huge household inconveniences. But these people were extinguished, which in itself is a feat. They have not lost their self-control and "taste" for work. They lasted 7.5 months, as promised to Moscow curators, in extreme circumstances.

In early November, an IL-14 aircraft arrived at the station, which delivered a new generator and four new winterers from the regular, 28th expedition. There was a long-awaited plane among the passengers and a doctor. According to him, he expected to see demoralized and exhausted people on the station. However, these guys were okay.

And fifteen days later a sledge-tractor train arrived from Mirny. He delivered construction materials and products, as well as everything for the construction of a power plant. After that time at the station went faster: everyone tried to catch up the accumulated "debts" for scientific research.

When the shift arrived, courageous polar explorers were sent by plane to Mirny. The same side carried the remains of the deceased Alexei Karpenko. He was buried in the Antarctic Novodevichy Cemetery. The rest of the polar explorers were transferred to the motor vessel "Bashkiria", which brought them to Leningrad. Today they are all alive and well, and some of them managed to take part in the Antarctic expedition one more time.

Vostok station: visiting rules

Tourists, as well as trained travelers, are not invited to the station, it is an exclusively scientific center. Nevertheless, to visit the "East" is still possible. To do this, those wishing should apply to the Arctic Research Institute and convincingly prove why the station needs them. Minimum requirements for applicants - good health and many useful skills.