POLAR REGIONS

Antarctic Exploration

U nloading stores at a scientific station. Almost a ton of food

The IGY ran from mid-1957 to December 1958. Twelve countries opened stations in Antarctica or on nearby islands. The US chose the South Pole. An entire station was brought in by aircraft in 1956. It took 84 flights to fly in all the materials and equipment. Nobody had stood at the South Pole since Scott and Amundsen sledged there. The next person to arrive came 44 years later by airplane. The USSR chose the Pole of

Inaccessibility for one of their stations. This is the hardest point in Antarctica to reach. They used tractor trains to bring in the materials for their station. The tractors took several weeks to travel the 870 miles (1,400 km) from the coast. Dozens of tractors went in a line together, sometimes nearly a mile long. They called their station Vostok. The coldest temperature in the world, –128°F (– 89°C), was later recorded there. The Antarctic Treaty The IGY was a great success. Nations worked together as never before. Then, in 1961 an agreement called the Antarctic Treaty was reached. Scientists could explore Antarctica without worrying about land claims. Nobody minded who found or saw what, and military operations are banned. This ideal situation has continued in the decades since. As the needs of scientists changed, stations have opened or been

is needed for each person for a year.

S cientific stations are run all year in Antarctica. Their studies have shown how important Antarctica is to our well being.

abandoned. In 1993 there were 48 scientific stations in the Antarctic.

These stations were run by 20 different nations. By 2015, those numbers has risen to more than 75 stations manned by 30 countries.

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