12 Jan 2008 3251 meters above sea level Maximum & Minimum temperatures: - 26 to - 36 °C We received a very pleasant visit of an international VIP-group this morning. This group is supported by Antarctic Logistics Expedition and led by a Swedish explorer. They landed at our traverse with a Twin Otter on their way to the Pole of Inaccessibility. The group consisted of VIP persons from Australia, Canada, Dubai, Germany, Russia, Scotland and Sweden. Later this afternoon the transmission transfer-case on Sembla broke. Since we have no spare parts Sembla will be placed on a sledge and riding ...

11 Jan 2008 3273 meters above sea level Maximum & Minimum temperatures: - 26 to - 38 °C Roald Amundsen left his spare tent at the South Pole after his visit there in December 1911. The father of Finn Ronne, whom one of our modules is named after, made this tent for Amundsen. The tent Amundsen used on his way back from the South Pole is exhibited at the Fram Museum at Bygdøy in Oslo. Most likely his spare tent is located under about 15 meters of snow. However, due to airdrops during the building of the first South Pole Station in 1957 there are many other items buried in the snow in this area. At the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in Stockholm in 2005 the tent of Roald Amundsen was protected based on a proposal from USA and supported by consensus among ...

Written January 10, 2008 Position: , 3350 meters above sea level Maximum & Minimum temperatures: - 27 to - 32 °C For the first time in weeks, strong winds and blowing snow were with us all day. In these cold, dry snow conditions, it takes a wind speed of approximately 5 m/s (10 miles per hour) for the snow to start being transported by the wind. As the snow particles bounce and roll along the surface they are exposed to the dry air above and continually sublimate (go from solid ice to vapor) as they move along with the wind. The snow particles can be blown about 3 km (2 miles) before they sublimate/disappear completely. ...

9 Jan 2008 3425 meters above sea level Maximum & Minimum temperatures: - 26 to - 38 °C Lighter loads, good snow conditions and driving down hill over the last days combined with no technical problems led us to hope that we had left the differential breakdowns behind. But, that was not the case. This afternoon, the rear differential on Chinook broke down for the third time. The replacement started immediately – Kjetil and Einar went out in the cold winds of Antarctica to get us back on the road again as soon as possible. - Jan-Gunnar Photo: Unfortunately, this is how our sled...

8 Jan 2008 3463 meters above sea level Maximum & Minimum temperatures: - 24 to - 37 °C We are at about one fourth of the distance between the Pole of Inaccessibility and the South Pole. Here a short science stop was planned and the ice core drillings (totally 40 meters) and snow pit studies were accomplished in a very efficient manner. We are quite well “drilled” by now! In the evening, we watched a movie (again). We can not complain about the facilities – they are of a very high standard and appreciated by everyone. - Jan-Gunnar Photo: Our living/kitchen module – the ...

Expedition Diary January 7, 2008 3500 meters above sea level Maximum & Minimum temperatures: - 24 to - 35 °C Never a uniform white blanket on the ice sheet, the character of the surface snow takes on many different forms. On the microscale, different crystal forms tell stories of their arrival to the surface as gently falling snow, wind-battered hard pack, or deposition as surface hoar through condensation events. To a traverse train of vehicles, generous amounts of gently-fallen snow represent “snow swamps” in which the treads sink and dig their way in, sometimes preventing a vehic...

Written 6 January, 2008 3608 meters a.s.l. Maximum & Minimum temperatures: -29 to -35 °C Nearly all the way from Troll Station to the Pole of Inaccessibility we have driven along the crest of the continent. On this last leg towards the South Pole we have left the ridge and will gradually be descending to lower ground. This implies different patterns of winds and snow accumulation. We are starting to see the effects of this in the shape of rougher snow drifts and more sastrugi, so the ride is getting bumpier. However, there are positive side effects to this. One is that it is much easier for the drivers to...

Written 5 Jan 2008 3705 meters above sea level Maximum & Minimum temperatures: - 29 to - 37 °C We left the Pole of Inaccessibility this afternoon. For the first time during the expedition we are heading straight south. When we get close to the Pole we will have to make a 150 km detour due to two specially managed areas, one being a clean air sector and another a silent zone. Further, we will descend about 1000 meters between the Pole of Inaccessibility and the South Pole. Thus, we expect higher temperatures and more oxygen the coming days and weeks. The solar elevation will also change less and less as we approach 90 degrees South, thus the light and temperatures conditions will become the same regardless of if it is day or night. ...

Written 4 Jan 2008 3730 meters above sea level Maximum & Minimum temperatures: - 28 to - 38 °C The work at the Pole of Inaccessibility has been running smoothly. The weather has been very favourable with almost no winds and reasonable temperatures. What remains now is to install thermistors in the 90 meter bore hole and to drill another 30 meter ice core. It turned out that the satellite transfer of data from the automatic weather station does not work properly. Fortunately, the weather station collects data locally. - Jan-Gunnar Photo: Expedition members enjoying a visit t...

Written 3 Jan 2008 3730 meters above sea level Maximum & Minimum temperatures: - 26 to - 38 °C Because of the rotation of Earth, the atmosphere is thinner near the poles than near the Equator and middle latitudes. This thinner atmosphere means high latitudes also have lower atmospheric pressure and significantly less oxygen than at the same elevation at lower latitudes. For example, we are now at 3700 meters above sea level, and this corresponds to more than 4400 meters (14,400 feet) in other areas of the world. Today we calculated the amount of oxygen we have to be about 53 % of that at sea level. It is like breathing with one lung, and feels that way too! We breathe like walruses after short walks, and gasp desperately for air when we are doi...