中国南极泰山站耗时45日建成

中国南极泰山站耗时45日建成

The construction of the Taishan base has taken a 28 strong team 45 days to complete. How did the team deal with the extreme weather conditions in Antarctica?

45 days of hard work in Antarctica. It’s summer in Antarctica, and the weather’s a bit warmer. But that doesn’t make working here easy, with temperatures down to minus 40 degrees Celsius and winds of up to 180 kilometers an hour.

Working for a few minutes without protection gear means getting things done faster, but that can lead to serious frostbite and even become life threatening. And then there’s the endless sunlight.

“There’s only daylight here; no darkness at all... It’s 9pm, and you see the bright sunlight everywhere out there...” said Ye Chao, Antarctic Expedition Team Member.

Sunglasses and sunblock are essential as the strong light reflected by snow and ice can cause blindness and serious sunburn. Endless daylight and the high-altitude make it hard to fall asleep.

“It’s been hard these days... I couldn’t fall asleep till midnight and I wake up very early in the morning....” said Zhou Jingwu, Antarctic Expedition Team Member.

Food supplies are limited too. Vegetables are a luxury, only once a week.

“We haven’t eaten much vegetables here... the color of skin on my hands tells me I’m short of vitamins....” said Zhou Ling, Antarctic Expedition Team Member.

The Chinese lantern-shaped Taishan station will house up to 20 people who will study the area’s geology, glaciers, geo-magnetism and atmosphere as well as provide logistical support during the Antarctic summers.