South Pole water source and more station pictures

For many years water at the South Pole was obtained by various energy and labor intensive approaches for gathering and melting snow. Until 1995 heavy machinery was used to gather snow and dump it into a mechanical ice melter. US Army Engineer Corps Raul Rodriquez developed a new approach to the ice melters. A well shaft is sunk 250 feet beneath the surface where heat is used to create a bulb shaped pool of warm water. Steam is generated in a sub-surface compartment and piped down to the well pocket. Water in the well cavity is always kept above zero degrees with the use of steam and thus the well cavity and reservoir expand over time to provide drinking water. 

A typical "Rodwell" lasts 7 years or until the well becomes too deep   and becomes energy intensive to extract the water. A new well is then developed. A Rodwell can provide up to 1 million gallons of fresh water before it becomes to deep to economically extract water. The South Pole is currently using Rodwell 3. This well provides the purest and oldest drinking water on earth as the current glacial ice is hundreds of years old.

The outside structure.

Ice tunnel leading to the well.

The well.

Human waste is the only refuse not flown out from the South Pole. Sewage is pumped down the hole of the last Rodwell that was in use - it is essentially buried in the ice.

A tribute to South Pole Achieved.

A drawing of Scott's Expedition.

The autographed book of Amundsen's expedition.

The gym.

I haven't utilized the gym yet as I am still acclimating to the altitude.

Overlooks the big gym.

A memorial to the Canadians who perished on the Twin Otter.

The 2013 geographic South Pole marker depicts the planets as they were January 1, 2013.

Etched on the bottom are the names of the 2012 winterovers.

It is confusing to tell time in the Antarctic. Each country that has a station and "claims" territory uses their own time zone. The U.S. stations at the South Pole and McMurdo uses New Zealand time. The U.S. Palmer Station on the peninsula uses South American time.

My wife sent this space view of the Antarctic and surrounding winter sea-ice. The tip of South America points towards the
Antarctic peninsula. New Zealand and Australia are to the right.

My first group shot Monday 1/28. Where's Mikey?