Week 39 at the Pole

Friday, October 7, 2016 - 11:30am

Flags around ceremonial South Pole
Mack van Rossem, IceCube/NSF

With the sun out, you can see again—and here we see all the flags surrounding the marker at the ceremonial pole.  They didn’t just appear out of the darkness, though.  They were recently replaced for the summer season after being taken down for the winter.  With station opening and summer arrivals about a month or so away, it’s time to get things ready.  One of those preparations is snow removal, and you can see from the front views of the IceCube Lab that there’s plenty of that to accomplish.  Last week also saw a celebration at the Pole—Oktoberfest (they love traditional festivities, Oktoberfest being one of them).  This year it came complete with a German-themed meal followed by an evening of karaoke in the lounge.

Large snow drift in front of IceCube Lab
Christian Krueger, IceCube/NSF

Snow-covered staircase of the IceCube Lab
Christian Krueger, IceCube/NSF

South Pole station enjoying Oktoberfest meal
Mack van Rossem, IceCube/NSF

Karaoke in the South Pole station lounge
Mack van Rossem, IceCube/NSF