Explorers Past and Present...
tease:
TODAY'S ANTARCTIC EXPLORERS FACE THE SAME EXTREME CONDITIONS AS DID THE HEROES OF THE PAST-THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES ON EARTH, THE HIGHEST WINDS... LONG MONTHS OF DARK ISOLATION.
IN THIS VIDEO...
CHAPTER HEAD: The Heroic Age
...THE TRIUMPHS, AND TRAGEDIES, OF THE "HEROIC AGE" OF ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION...
CHAPTER HEAD Heroines and Heroes
...THE HEROINES AND HEROES OF TODAY'S ANTARCTIC RESEARCH PROGRAM...
chapter head: Frontiers of Knowledge
...AND THE INTELLECTUAL ADVENTURE OF LOOKING FOR LIFE ON "THE FRONTIERS OF KNOWLEDGE."
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MAIN TITLES
program 6, Heroes and Heroines: Explorers Past and Present
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THE SOUTH POLE REMAINS THE MOST REMOTE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH STATION ON EARTH.
IT TAKES SPECIAL-SKI-EQUIPPED PLANES TO FLY IN FOOD AND FUEL... AND POWERFUL MACHINES AND COMPLEX LOGISTICS TO KEEP IT RUNNING.
THINK BACK ABOUT ONE HUNDRED YEARS... WHEN NONE OF THIS WAS HERE, AND NO ONE HAD EVER TRODDEN ON THIS SPOT.
CHAPTER HEAD: The Heroic Age
THERE'S NO EVIDENCE THAT ANY HUMAN EVER SET FOOT ON THIS CONTINENT UNTIL 1895.
BUT AFTER THE AMERICAN, COMMANDER ROBERT PEARY, REACHED THE NORTH POLE, THE DREAM OF THE MOST AMBITIOUS EXPLORERS WAS TO MAKE IT ALL THE WAY TO THE OTHER END OF THE PLANET... 90 DEGREES SOUTH LATITUDE.
ROYAL NAVY LIEUTENANT ROBERT FALCON SCOTT LED THE FIRST "BRITISH ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION," AND BECAME A HERO FOR HIS LIFE-AND LATER, AS WE'LL SEE-HIS DEATH.
IN 1902 HE ESTABLISHED THIS SHELTER AT WHAT'S NOW CALLED "HUT POINT", CLOSE TO McMURDO.
SCOTT AND HIS MEN DISCOVERED THE McMURDO DRY VALLEYS, AND MADE IT TO 82 DEGREES SOUTH.
ONE MEMBER OF SCOTT'S FIRST EXPEDITION WAS A YOUNG IRISHMAN NAMED ERNEST SHACKLETON.
IN 1908 HE ESTABLISHED THIS BASE AT CAMP ROYDS.
IN THE COLD, DRY AIR, IT REMAINS INTACT TODAY... WITH CLOTHING... COOKING UTENSILS... BEDDING... CANNED FOOD... KENNELS FOR SLED DOGS... EVEN SKELETONS OF THE LONG DEAD HUSKIES... AS IF HIS MEN MIGHT WALK BACK IN AT ANY TIME.
SHACKLETON'S PARTY WAS THE FIRST TO CLIMB VOLCANIC MOUNT EREBUS-13,000 FEET HIGH.
THEY PIONEERED A ROUTE UP ONTO THE HIGH POLAR PLATEAU VIA THE BEARDMORE GLACIER.
BUT FACED WITH DWINDLING SUPPLIES, FROSTBITE, AND BAD WEATHER, SHACKLETON TURNED BACK JUST ONE HUNDRED MILES FROM THE POLE RATHER THAN RISK, AS HE SAID, THE "THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO ARE WITH ME."
SOMETIMES KNOWING WHEN TO QUIT CAN ITSELF BE HEROIC.
IN 1911, SCOTT RETURNED TO THE ICE, SETTING UP BASE THIS TIME AT CAMP EVANS.
WITH HIM WAS A FILM-MAKER, HERBERT PONTING, TO RECORD WHAT SCOTT HOPED WOULD BE HIS TRIUMPH.
HE ALSO BROUGHT ALONG PONIES WHICH HE PLANNED TO USE INSTEAD OF SLED DOGS, AND BRAND-NEW MOTOR TRACTORS.
ALSO PRESENT, AS WE CAN SEE FROM THE INSTRUMENTS LEFT BEHIND IN THE CAPE EVANS HUT, WAS DR. EDWARD "BILL" WILSON, A SCIENTIST AND ORNITHOLOGIST. IT WOULD BE WRONG, HOWEVER, TO CALL THIS PRIMARILY A RESEARCH EXPEDITION.
BEING >FIRST< TO THE POLE WAS WHAT SCOTT MOST WANTED.
ABOUT 400 MILES FROM CAPE EVANS WAS THE NORWEGIAN, ROALD AMUNDSEN.
HIS BASE ON THE "BAY OF WHALES"-AN INDENTATION IN THE ROSS ICE SHELF-MADE HIS JUMPING OFF POINT 60 MILES CLOSER TO THE POLE THAN CAPE EVANS.
THAT CLEVER CHOICE WAS TYPICAL. AMUNDSEN TOOK FULL ADVANTAGE OF HIS EXPERIENCE IN THE ARCTIC, AND RELIED ON ESKIMO-STYLE CLOTHING, SKIES AND SLED DOGS.
SCOTT, IN CONTRAST, WANTED ENGLISH MUSCLE POWER TO BE HIS PRIMARY FUEL... WITH AN ASSIST FROM THE WIND WHERE POSSIBLE. HIS MEN DID NOT WORK AT BECOMING EXPERT SKIERS WHILE THEY WAITED TO SET OFF FOR THE POLE.
IN LATE 1911, AMUNDSEN AND 4 OTHERS PIONEERED A NEW PATH UP THE AXEL HEIBERG GLACIER AND ACROSS CREVASSES. EATING HIS SLED DOGS EN ROUTE TO WARD OFF DISEASE, THEY BECAME THE FIRST HUMANS TO REACH THE SOUTH POLE.
ARRIVING A MONTH LATER, SCOTT FOUND THE NORWEGIAN FLAG, A NOTE FROM THE MAN WHO HAD BEATEN HIM... AND BITTER DISAPPOINTMENT.
"GREAT GOD, THIS IS AN AWFUL PLACE... NOW FOR THE HOME RUN, AND A DESPERATE STRUGGLE. I WONDER IF WE CAN DO IT."
ONE BY ONE, SCOTT'S MEN DIED ON THE LONG TREK HOME.
WHILE AMUNDSEN WAS ENJOYING A TRIUMPHANT LECTURE TOUR IN AUSTRALIA, SCOTT AND HIS LAST 2 COMPANIONS WERE DYING OF MALNUTRITION, UNABLE TO MAKE THE LAST 11 MILES TO A CACHE OF FOOD BECAUSE OF CEASELESS BLIZZARDS...
WHEN THEIR BODIES WERE FOUND, AMONG THEIR GEAR WERE ROCKS-39 POUNDS OF GEOLOGICAL SAMPLES THEY'D BEEN HAULING BACK FROM THE POLE ...FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.
NOW AMERICA'S SOUTH POLE STATION IS NAMED FOR BOTH AMUNDSEN AND SCOTT, TO HONOR THE MEMORY OF THOSE HEROES OF A CENTURY PAST.
TODAY'S EXPLORERS OPERATE VERY DIFFERENTLY.
CHAPTER HEAD Heroines and Heroes
FIRST, THE OBVIOUS CHANGES.
SLED DOGS AND PONIES NOW ARE LONG GONE FROM THE CONTINENT, BANISHED BY TREATY TO PROTECT THE NATIVE WILD-LIFE.
INSTEAD TODAY'S EXPLORERS HAVE SKI-EQUIPPED LC-130'S... SMALLER TWIN OTTERS TO REACH REMOTE FIELD CAMPS... AND HELICOPTERS FOR SHORTER JOURNEYS.
ON THE GROUND, THERE ARE SKIDOOS TO TRANSPORT RESEARCHERS AND PULL SLEDS...
SNOWCATS FOR HEAVY HAULING AND LONGER TRIPS...
EVEN "IVAN THE TERRA-BUS" TO SHUTTLE YOU IN FROM THE ICE RUNWAY TO DOWNTOWN McMURDO.
AT PALMER STATION, WHEN THE WIND BLOWS THE SEA ICE BACK TO SHORE, IT'S A TRICKY COMMUTE TO YOUR RESEARCH SITES OUT ON ONE OF THE ISLANDS.
SHARP ICE... FREEZING WATERS... AND INFLATABLE BOATS... REWARD THE CAREFUL DRIVER!
JUST AS FOR SCOTT AND AMUNDSEN, GOOD FOOD IS VITAL.
BUT NOW THE GALLEY AT McMURDO FEEDS AS MANY AS 1,000 HUNGRY MOUTHS A DAY AT THE HEIGHT OF THE SOUTHERN SUMMER...
EVEN REMOTE FIELD CAMPS MAKE SURE THERE'S PLENTY OF NUTRITIOUS FOOD TO KEEP SPIRITS UP.
name title: EDDIE HOLT, Food Services Manager, ASA
Want at least 15 pounds on each person before they leave!
SOME THINGS AMUNDSEN WOULD APPROVE OF AND SCOTT WOULD RECOGNIZE.
NOW ALL ARRIVALS TO THE ICE-SCIENTISTS, SUPPORT STAFF, EVEN TV CREWS-GO TO "SNOW SCHOOL."
YOU LEARN HOW TO MAKE A SNOW SHELTER-AN IGLOO.
YOU'RE TAUGHT HOW TO TEST CRACKS IN THE SEA ICE.
...AND HOW TO ERECT WHAT'S STILL CALLED A "SCOTT TENT"-WHOSE SHAPE REMAINS JUST AS IT WAS WHEN SCOTT HIMSELF USED ONE.
WHAT'S DIFFERENT IS THAT NOW ALMOST HALF THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE U.S. ANTARCTIC PROGRAM ARE FEMALE...
WORKING AS SCIENCE TEAM LEADERS IN THE FIELD...
KEEPING "MAC OPS"-COMMUNICATION CENTRAL-HUMMING 24/7...
RUNNING EXPERIMENTS IN MODERN LABS...
AS WELL AS ISSUING FIELD SUPPLIES AND EXTREME COLD WEATHER GEAR.
name title: DAVE BRESNAHAN, National Science Foundation
The biggest single change, I think, is we have a large number of women involved in the Program. They're in all parts of the Program. Not too many weeks ago, the contractors' resident manager at all three of our stations, was a female. All three of the permanent stations' contractors rep. was a female on site. There is a side benefit, of course. The women don't want to be outworked by the men, and, goodness sake, the men don't want to be outworked by the women. So we have a good motivation there that's a benefit to the Program.
OUT AT THE ICE EDGE-WHERE THE ROSS ICE SHELF MEETS THE SOUTHERN OCEAN, DIANE STOECKER STUDIES ICE ALGAE... LOOKING OUT FOR FIERCE LEOPARD SEALS, A SAFETY ROPE ROUND HER WAIST, JUST IN CASE...
name title: DIANE STOECKER, Horn Point Environmental Lab.
I love it, I love the ice. You know, the first time I came to Antarctica, I had no idea what to expect and then I started working down here and I became an "ice freak." I love the sea ice, I think it's fascinating. I mean I find it physically beautiful. I just like working in Antarctica.
RELYING ON NSF'S LOGISTICAL SUPPORT, RESEARCHERS LIKE SRIDHAR ANANDAKRISHNAN CAN MOUNT COMPLEX, MULTI-YEAR STUDIES OF ICE STREAMS IN THE VERY MIDDLE OF THE VAST WEST ANTARCTIC ICE SHEET.
name title: Sridhar Anandakrishnan, Geologist, University of Alabama
I was an electrical engineer, and I saw a job advertised that said "Travel to Antarctica", and before you could blink I was in the door, I was demanding the job. I would have done anything. I wanted to come to Antarctica all my life.
TODAY, SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAMS-"SAR" FOR SHORT-RUN ROUTINE EXERCISES TO RETRIEVE INJURED MEMBERS OF FIELD TEAMS.
THEY TAKE THEIR TRAINING SERIOUSLY. EACH SEASON THERE ARE, ON AVERAGE, ONE OR TWO FATALITIES.
Dave Bresnahan:
The Antarctic hasn't changed from the early days of the explorers. You can still face extremely rapid changes in weather, extremely severe weather conditions, right here at McMurdo. Not three miles from here, there are crevasses that we've had actually fatalities from people falling in a crevasse. So we have to maintain a very careful vigilance about safety.
BUT LIFE THE ICE TODAY IS NOT ALL HARDSHIP AND LOGISTICS.
THERE'S TIME TO FLY A KITE ALONG THE BARNE GLACIER...
TO EXPLORE ICE CAVES, WITH THEIR DEEP BLUE LIGHT...
TO CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING WITH A TURKEY DINNER OUT IN THE DRY VALLEYS THAT SCOTT'S PARTY DISCOVERED LONG AGO...
WITH TODAY'S FESTIVITIES EERILY ECHOING HOW SCOTT'S OWN PARTY ALSO CELEBRATED SPECIAL OCCASIONS ON THE ICE.
BACK IN McMURDO, THERE'S TIME TO SHARE A HOT DRINK IN THE COFFEE HOUSE, LISTENING TO TRADITIONAL FOLKS SONGS...
THERE'S EVEN TIME FOR A CERTAIN GOOFINESS / HIGH JINKS.
(Whoops as 3 guys jump into the ocean in the "Antarctic plunge" at Palmer.)
UP NORTH, WE'D CALL FOLKS DIVING INTO ICY WATERS MEMBERS OF THE "POLAR BEAR CLUB." WITH NO BEARS FOR MORE THAN 10,000 MILES, I GUESS WE'D BETTER CALL THIS THE "PENGUIN POLAR PLUNGE."
DIVING CAN BE SPORT-FOR THE EXHILARATION AND ADVENTURE-BUT HERE IN ANTARCTICA DIVING IN THE OCEAN OR IN THE DRY VALLEY LAKES CAN ALSO BE A WAY OF EXPLORING "THE FRONTIERS OF KNOWLEDGE."
CHAPTER HEAD: The Frontiers of Knowledge
FOR SEVERAL SEASONS, JIM MASTRO WAS DIVING COORDINATOR AT McMURDO, SUPPORTING SCIENCE TEAMS WHO WERE SURVEYING THE RICH FLORA AND FAUNA THAT BLOSSOM BENEATH THE ICE...
name title: Jim Mastro, Dive Coordinator, USAP/ASA
We use diving for a lot purposes. One group here this year was using diving to observe the behavior of penguins swimming underwater, and people have used diving to observe seals underwater. So there's a variety of things that take place here, and my job is to support all of that.
OUT IN THE DRY VALLEYS, WHERE ONLY MICROSCOPIC CREATURES LIVE ON LAND, DALE ANDERSEN DIVES DOWN INTO STRANGE LAKES, WHOSE BOTTOMS ARE COVERED WITH A THICK MAT OF ALGAE.
HE WAS DOING THIS RESEARCH FOR NASA-THE SPACE AGENCY!
name title: DALE ANDERSEN, frmr. NASA Ames Research Center
And it's very much like jumping back in time, maybe 600 million years to a billion years ago, when life was very primitive on our own Earth. It could even be like diving back into time to another completely different world, somewhat like life may have been on the planet Mars, when there were ice-covered lakes there. We don't know that for sure, we don't know if life evolved there at all. But if it did, more than likely it would have been microbial. And it would have been very, very similar to the communities that we see here.
JIM STEWART WORKED AS A DIVING SAFETY COORDINATOR FOR THE U.S. PROGRAM. WITH 50 YEARS EXPERIENCE UNDER HIS DIVE BELT, HE STILL LOOKED FORWARD TO NEW DISCOVERIES.
name title: JIM STEWART, Dive Safety Coordinator, USAP
I think that we stand, from an underwater discovery standpoint down here, probably about where Lewis and Clark stood when they jumped across the Mississippi and started West. That's the best description I can give you of that. We're just starting to learn.
BOTH THE OCEANS AND THE DRY VALLEYS ARE FULL OF EXCITING NEW DISCOVERIES.
HERE AT McMURDO, VETERAN RESEARCHER ART DeVRIES DISCOVERED THAT THESE ICE FISH POSSESS A NATURAL ANTI-FREEZE THAT ALLOWS THEM TO LIVE IN ICY WATERS.
FURTHER RESEARCH, HE THINKS, MAY LEAD TO ADVANCES IN CRYOGENICS-THE USE OF FREEZING IN MEDICINE.
OUT IN THE DRY VALLEYS, DIANA FRECKMAN-WALL STUDIES THE TINY NEMATODES WHICH DOMINATE THIS SIMPLE ECOSYSTEM.
LACKING PLANTS AND SOIL, THIS REVEALS THE ESSENCE OF LIFE IN EXTREMES.
OTHER RESEARCHERS HAVE EVEN FOUND LIFE FORMS LIVING INSIDE THE DRY VALLEY ROCKS.
title: Endolithic "inside rock"
THEY'RE CALLED "ENDOLITHIC" ORGANISMS AND THEIR DISCOVERY IS PART OF THE REVOLUTION IN BIOLOGY THAT HAS ALSO SHOWN US THAT LIFE CAN EXIST DEEP DOWN IN THE OCEAN, IN BOILING VOLCANIC VENTS, AND NOW-MOST RECENTLY-ALSO IN THE ICE AT THE SOUTH POLE... THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT STERILE.
AS WE UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT BIOLOGY HERE ON EARTH AND SEARCH FOR LIFE ELSEWHERE IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM, ON CHILLY MARS AND ON ICE WORLDS LIKE JUPITER'S MOON, EUROPA, THE FRONTIERS OF KNOWLEDGE WE SEARCHED FOR HERE IN ANTARCTICA REMINDS US WE SHOULD BE OPEN TO DISCOVERING "LIFE AS WE DON'T KNOW IT"... AS WELL AS LOOKING FOR THE FAMILIAR IN MORE TEMPERATE CLIMES.
name title: GERRY KOOYMAN, UC San Diego, Scripps Inst. of Oceanography
When you first come to the Antarctic, you're not sure what to expect. That's not surprising that there's really... Anywhere you go in the world you have equivalents. You go to the Mediterranean and you say "oh yeah that's sort of like Southern California or whatever." You go to the Antarctic and there is no equivalent for it. So it's the closest thing to going to another planet in my view.
EACH ONE OF US HAS A "POLE"-A PLACE WE HAVE TO STRUGGLE TO REACH AND WORK HARD TO ACHIEVE.
TODAY'S EXPLORERS OF THE ICE DO SO WITH CARE AND THE BEST SUPPORT WHICH MODERN TECHNOLOGY CAN OFFER.
YET STILL, LIVING AND WORKING IN ANTARCTICA REMAINS A PHYSICAL AS WELL AS AN INTELLECTUAL ADVENTURE.
BUT THE EXPLORATION OF THIS CONTINENT IS NOT DONE...
INSPIRED BY THE HEROES AND HEROINES OF THE PAST AND PRESENT, AND LEARNING FROM THEM, PERHAPS YOU WILL BE ONE OF THE EXPLORERS OF THE FUTURE...
