The current modular elevated station with the ceremonial South Pole behind it and the geodesic dome to the right
There is a ceremonial south pole at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, consisting of a metal sphere on a red and white pole, partially surrounded by the flags of the signatories of the Antarctic Treaty. Although great for photo opportunities, it is actually about 300 meters from the exact loction of the South Pole.
The geographic south pole is marked by a simpler rod with a metal head on it, like a large nail. The ice on which the station sits shifts about 10 meters annually, and a new marker is added each year. There is also a sign bearing quotes from the journals of Roald Amundsen and Robert F. Scott, leaders of the first two successful expeditions to the South Pole. (Scott's party arrived 34 days after Amundsen's, and died on the return trip.)
There are three generations of structures at the site: The Old Pole, the original wooden station, built in 1956 and abandoned in 1975, now buried by drifting snow, off-limits for safety reasons. The metallic Geodesic Dome built in the early 1970s, 50 meters wide and 16 meters tall, enclosed several modular buildings, but was decommissioned in 2008 and completely disassembled in 2009-2010. The spot it formerly occupied is now pretty much indistinguishable after snow drifted in to cover it. The brown Elevated Station begun in 1999, a modular structure built on stilts to prevent snow from accumulating around it. Semicylindrical metal "arches" next to the dome serve as storage, power plant, and vehicle shop; they're connected to the main station via a 6-story unheated metal tower officially termed the "vertical tower" on the drawings, but known around station as the "beer can".
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about South Pole
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in South Pole - updated Apr 2024
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South Pole Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
