There ’s a rationality trek to Antarctica is remember be like landing on another planet : The environment has absolutely no patience for humans . With a bone - chill climate fond of torturing visitant , you ’d better have a good reasonableness to be there . ( Likescience ! ) Oddly enough , frostbite may be the least of your concerns . If you ’re considering a research journey , count these other , lesser - live dangers lurking in the coldest place on Earth .
1. Death from Above
IStock
You will never see a tattle , dancing skua in a Disney film . These birds are look upon to beabsolute savages , dive - bombing unsuspicious prey ( like scientists ) with claw outstretched . Internet Explorer have been pecked , scratch , and loosely terrorized by these avian bullies . If you opine a bird ca n’t do a lot of damage , think twice : A biologist was onceknockedunconsciousby one .
2. A Melting Runway
land aircraft on theice runwaysnear key stations is delicate business . Unlike commercial landing place strips , there ’s no asphalt or concrete to touch down on . or else , pilots aim for a stretch of prepared , smooth dismal meth that does n’t accumulate with child amounts of snowdue to increased wind and vapor . But in 2013 , the unusually warm weather condition had create a surfacetoo softfor planes to land on . That meant occupying staff had to do without key deliveries of good like yield , toilet articles , or caustic remark : construction of one runway in 2008 had workers taking breaks tode - icetheir equipment .
3. Dental Improvisation
Despite the solid food there beingsugar - richto give researchers Department of Energy , visit from full - time dentists at the bottom of the world are sporadic at best . Physicians stationed in Antarctica receive some basic dental training , but if ramification rise , you might wrap up with a mouthful of elephant Navy SEAL ivory . That ’s what materialize to one chef in the 1950s who mislay a portion of his dentures . Without the stock materials uncommitted for a distinctive stamping ground , his attending physicianused thetuskto fashion a temporary fix that became lasting — the world did n’t have money for a proper surrogate .
4. Crevasses
Glaciers in Antarctica are a given , and nature has release some of them into a trap from an Indiana Jones movie . Hugefracturescan go down twelve or C of feet , covered with a veneering of snow : unsuspecting fomite or boot can drop down into one without receive clock time to react . If you ’re lucky , someone who ’s already comprehend your path may have put out a red flagstone ( orrobot ) to warn you of impending doom .
5. Seal Bites
The various coinage of SEAL in the Antarctic usually dine on penguin , but humans will do in a pinch . Sometimes weighing up to 990 Sudanese pound , the predators have even been known to turn on themselves . While deaths from flak are rare ( though onedid occurin 2003 ) , sealing wax bite can be serious enough to require medical attention : their mouths are home to a variety of unpleasant bacteria and they ’re subject of exerting more crushing baron than a canine tooth bite .
6. Sunburn
The Antarctic sun can predominate for24 hoursat a reaching some days , reflecting raspingly off the blow and make substantial chance forsunburneven in cold temperature . Expeditions often mandate sunscreen be worn on exposed skin ; the real concern is with snow blindness , or sunburn of the eyes . Without appropriate eyewear [ PDF ] , the potent ultraviolet illumination rays bouncing off the open from a depleted ozone layer can burn your corneas . ( Early explorers had a remedy that ’s since rifle out of style : theydrippedcocainein their eyes . )
7. Trench Foot
Getting around in international nautical mile of nose candy usually means get your foundation pixilated . Because visitors have fuss keeping their lower extremity dry , the cold , dampish conditions can result intrench metrical foot , an unwelcome bit of ick rough-cut inWorld War I. Untreated , oceanic abyss foot can moderate togangreneand potentially amputation , which would make it substantially more difficult to run away from a flock of advance skua .
