Vostok
Station
Nationality: Russia
| Location:
Vostok - an outpost if there ever was one - is located
near the South Geomagnetic Pole, at the center of the East
Antarctic ice sheet, where the flux in the earth's electromagnetic
field is manifested. |
Vostok Station
|
History: It was built in 1957
(IGY) and named for one of Bellinghausen's two ships, Vostok
(East). The station was resupplied by semi-annual tractor-train expeditions
that took a month to travel the 868 miles (1400k) from the coast.
Information:
The coldest recorded temperature on Earth, -128.6°F (-89.2°C)
was measured here on July 21, 1983.
Latitude/Longitude: 78°27'51"S 106°51'57"E
Altitude: 11,484 ft (3,500 m) above sea level
Average Annual Temperature: -67°F (-55°C)
Science:
Although this is a Russian research station, scientists
from all over the world conduct research here. One of the primary
projects at this site, a coordinated Russian, French and American
effort, is drilling an ice core through the 3,700 m thick ice sheet.
This ice core contains climate records for almost half a million years
before present.
Web Cam:
N/A
Website:
Vostok
Wildlife:
None, other than an occasional lost skua.
|
