It ’s the solstice , and what good way to celebrate than operate to a political party . Perhaps there ’ll be a little wine , some tall mallow , a lovely phonograph record of crudites . possibly it ’ll be on a roof or in a backyard . Delightful !
I can promise that however you spend the solstice , though , it will be crippled in comparison to Australian researcher livingin Antarcticain the centre of the austral winter . They toss away on swim trunks ( and in one case a pizza costume , which fine ? ) in minus-22 degree Celsius ( minus-7.6 degrees Fahrenheit ) atmospheric condition and then jumped into a pool of sub - freezing piddle .
Adventure athletes have been doingsimilar effort for scienceas haveNew Zealand and Finnish scientist , but this arctic plunge was n’t a inquiry project . It ’s part of a midwinter hydrophobia celebration ( emphasis on folly ) that ’s de rigueur at the Casey enquiry station in East Antarctica . The post is run by the Australian Antarctic Division in one of the harsh part of the continent . On the day of the swim , winds were blow around 90 kmph ( 56 mph ) on top of the sub - zero temperatures . But it seems that ’s part of the merriment .
“ Swimming in Antarctica ’s below freezing water is something of a mad tradition , but our stout expeditioners look forward to it , with 21 of the 26 people on station brave enough to take an icy cutpurse this year , ” Rebecca Jeffcoat , the post leader , state in a statementcommemorating this year ’s dip .
While us northern hemispherians are celebrate the longest day of the class , our southerly hemisphere comrade are celebrating their shortest . And on the edge of Antarctica , it ’s a really short day . The enquiry station sits on a peninsula overlooking the frozen Newcomb Bay just outside the Antarctic Circle . That means that it gets a niggling luminousness even in the current dead of winter , but it ’s more of a “ continual morning ” than full - on daylight .
But it ’s a cause for celebration because it mean daylight stretch longer from here on out , with the sun being a welcome sight in such a harsh environment .
Researchers and sustenance staff are there all year to work on a smorgasbord of experiment that look at the geologic , biologic , and glacial wonders of Antarctica . In addition to on-going research , station upkeep and renovation are also a Brobdingnagian part of the winter experience to set the base for when its population swells up to 160 people in austral summertime .
Taking a glacial dip seems like a pretty memorable way to mark the middle point of the wintertime time of year . Researchers carved out a straight swim pool to get at the pee below the frappe . That process looks like it was even more agonising that plunge itself as the scientist wreak in rash conditions to give away the frosty waters .
The Casey post baths are open for business – who ’s slap-up for a midwinter dip tomorrow?#BrrItsColdInHere#Antarctica#winterishere#wintersolsticepic.twitter.com / Kjuog5rcGQ
— antarctica.gov.au ( @AusAntarctic)June 20 , 2018
Water temperatures are a heftiness - seizing minus-2 degree Celsius ( 28.4 degrees Fahrenheit ) . They manage to stay below freezing because of the ocean ’s salt content . Those temperatures make your traditional diametrical bear plunge attend like a tropical vacation . It makes sense why investigator are confiscate to a safety line and speedily give towel and ushered indoors or to a nearby red-hot tub before frostbite can get at them . It ’s also why they have to ratify release and get a aesculapian briefing to participate in what Jeffcoat referred to as a “ very confutable tradition ” in herweekly update last calendar week .
“ Ca n’t talk , ” were the only row one of the bather could utter as he run from the pool to the base .
I can only imagine , bud .
Antarcticascientists
Daily Newsletter
Get the good technical school , skill , and culture newsworthiness in your inbox daily .
News from the hereafter , delivered to your present tense .
You May Also Like
