A South Pole construction crew removes the entrance to the dome along with several panels to make room for machinery needed for the deconstruction effort inside the building. The entire dome will be taken down this year, with the top crown and first two rows saved for a museum.
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Deconstruction of the Dome
It was never supposed to hang around this long. Perhaps that's why the South Pole Dome - a modestly sized structure spanning 164 feet and topping out at about 52 feet high - has loomed so large in the lore and legacy of polar history. Now, 35 years after its dedication, the icon is coming down.
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Climate Refuge
Life on Earth hit a particularly rough patch about 250 million years ago, when most organisms perished in a mass extinction event. Some vertebrate species may have escaped to the relatively mild climate of Antarctica, scientists have recently suggested.
Rekindled Passion
Tony D'Aoust likes to say he found enlightenment while living in a converted city bus, but he seems to have found his purpose in life while working for the U.S. Antarctic Program. He recently returned in a support role after a more than 10-year absence.
Not Much Bugs Belgica
The wingless fly known as Belgica antarctica lives only on the Antarctic Peninsula. You can freeze it or nearly suck away all its moisture, and it survives just fine. Scientists are now interested in learning just how it spends the dark winter months, and whether isolated populations are evolving differently, a la Darwin's famous finches.
Pier Pressure
Underwater images of Antarctica often show an unearthly realm of gigantic sponges, alien jellyfish, and Adelie penguins shooting through the water like bulbous bullets. But three divers tasked with making repairs to Palmer Station's 43-year-old pier didn't see much wildlife during the cold hours they spent in the water.
