South Pole Markers from 2005 to 2008
2005
2006
2007
2008
On January 1st of every year a new brass marker is placed to designate the location of the Geographic South Pole at 90 degrees South. The ice sheet where the South Pole is located moves approximately seven to ten meters a year. Previous years’ markers are left standing for a few years, illustrating the movement of the ice sheet. Participants wintering at the South Pole design and create the unique markers each year.
Here they are in front of their new elevated Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.
Photograph by: Peter Rejcek
National Science Foundation
All photos from the National Science Foundation
24 responses so far ↓
Mathew // Jan 14, 2008 at 10:06 pm
A photo or photos showing the various markers and how far apart they are would be illuminating.
HappyPanda // Jan 15, 2008 at 12:39 am
how come nobody except the military cares about the North Pole?
asdf // Jan 15, 2008 at 6:08 pm
north pole = sea
south pole = land
…
Scuzzmonkey // Jan 15, 2008 at 6:23 pm
because there is nothing at the north pole of any real importance, as its all just floating ice with minimal land mass.
unlike antarctica, which is a giant land mass covered in ice….
Catgofire // Jan 15, 2008 at 6:31 pm
@Mathew: Haha… exactly what I was thinking. There’s not much “illustrating the movement of the ice sheet” going on.
Anon // Jan 15, 2008 at 6:37 pm
@HappyPanda:
‘cuz it’s on water!
David Johnston // Jan 15, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Are there markers for the Magnetic South Pole? That moves all the time of it’s own accord.
SilentK // Jan 15, 2008 at 6:48 pm
I think it’s because Antarctica is a continent, where they can drill for earth-samples and the like
Um, yea 5h1T5 | // Jan 15, 2008 at 6:58 pm
Because the main nuclear superpowers are in the Northern Hemisphe and the North Pole is a strategic position. We should all move to the south, it seems nicer down there… penguins, not polar bears.
CityGuySailing // Jan 15, 2008 at 7:01 pm
HappyPanda: North Pole is on a moving sheet of ice on top of very cold water. The South Pole is on a sheet of ice over very cold bedrock. People can hike there. The North Pole is a really scary dangerous trek.
Havoc737 // Jan 15, 2008 at 7:11 pm
To the posters above:
You guys do realize this is about the south pole, not the north, right?
J // Jan 15, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Matthew: Just a guess but I’d say they are about 7 to 10 meters apart.
Danno // Jan 15, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Matthew - found one: http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Antarctica/Antarctica/Greater/photo146811.htm
Scion // Jan 15, 2008 at 7:37 pm
it would be cool to see a map so we can see where the last marker moved to.
Um, yea 5h1T5 | // Jan 15, 2008 at 9:54 pm
“We should all move to the south, it seems nicer down there… penguins, not polar bears.”
Yeah, except for the Leopard Seals that kill and eat people.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/08/0806_030806_sealkiller.html
Mike // Jan 15, 2008 at 11:20 pm
You guys are totally missing the bigger picture…The north pole is the private property of Santa Claus while no one really wants or cares about the south pole.
CommentURL.com | A world of interesting web pages // Jan 16, 2008 at 1:10 am
South Pole Markers from 2005-2008 | CommentURL.com…
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… On January 1st of every year a new brass marker is placed to designate the l……
Jason Clark // Jan 16, 2008 at 8:07 am
The government doesn’t want us to care about the North Pole because that is where the entrance to the hollow Earth is. Geez- you people!
matt // Jan 16, 2008 at 12:07 pm
@ HappyPanda
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollow_earth_theory
Seb // Jan 16, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Woohoo!!! I just returned from the South Pole in December 2007
It’s beautiful there! A friend showed me this link and I had to reply.
justasking // Jan 16, 2008 at 8:17 pm
why theres an american flad at the south pole?????
South Pole Markers by jammit // Jan 17, 2008 at 4:48 am
[...] a photo of the distances each marker has moved over the course of the preceding year… Link addthis_url = location.href; addthis_title = document.title; addthis_pub = [...]
cpeck // Apr 23, 2008 at 5:28 am
5th grade question, Why is there a difference between the magnetic south pole and the geographic south pole?
5th grade question, Does it ever rain in Antarctica?
5th grade question, Why are there a lot of animals living there when it is so cold?
Julius Collier // Jul 16, 2008 at 7:45 am
answer to first question: Be mroe specific… what in particular…
Second question: Comon man use your head.. The freezing point of water is 0 degreese celcius.. a drop of rain could not keep it’s liquid form as it is dropping through the trechorous, vail weather conditions of the south pole.. Everything is ice, lol…
Third question: To you it is so cold. To the animals, it is the perfect weather.. They have lived there for many years, and adapted to that environment just as you have adapted to yours (preferably warm)… if you were to place an artic fox, or even a penguin from up there to the extremely hot tempatures of deserts, or rain forsts… I guarantee you that they will not last very long… The traits they have enherrited allow them to survive in such environments. The traits you have inherited allow u to adapt to your environment…
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