How many hours a day in Antarctica. What time is it in Antarctica? The white continent becomes more accessible

Spain is considering moving the clock back an hour. The country is located at approximately the same longitude as Britain, but since 1942 its time has been an hour ahead (this was changed by the then Spanish dictator, General Francisco Franco, in an absurd show of solidarity with Nazi Germany).

With a few exceptions, countries and regions adopt a time zone that corresponds to their longitude: those east of London Greenwich are ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), while those further west are behind. Well, what about Antarctica, where all the meridians converge?

The Economist explains.

Time zones are sometimes as much about politics as they are about geography. Nepal has defiantly set its time 15 minutes ahead of neighboring India. Cross the border between Nepal and Tibet and you'll have to set your clocks forward 2 hours 15 minutes due to the fact that China, which actually spans five time zones, uses the same time throughout the country.

At the other extreme is Russia, with its nine contiguous time zones. This is more than in any other country. A few years ago there were 11 time zones there.

The problem of the poles concerns, of course, both the North and South. But at the North Pole, which is in the middle moving ice Northern Arctic Ocean, in fact no one lives. In Antarctica, on the other hand, there are small settlements of scientists who need to keep track of time, especially during the polar day in summer and polar night in winter.

Various research stations have come to various solutions. The six Australian Antarctic stations use time according to their longitude. Thus, Casey Station is three hours ahead of Mawson Station, which is 2,000 miles (more than 3,000 km) away along the coast.

Other stations use the time zone that is more convenient to use when communicating with their homeland. Thus, the Russian Vostok station usually uses Moscow time, although located at the longitude of Western Australia.

If Australian scientists want to travel from Casey to the Russian station for a warming vodka (only 1000 miles away), they will need to set their chronographs back 4 hours, although both stations are located on the same meridian. Well, to completely confuse the situation, Antarctic stations sometimes change their time right in the middle of the year.

A few years ago, Australia moved the clocks at its stations forward by three hours to ensure settlers were awake during the optimal time for aviation flights.

Even more confusing is the question of what time it is in those places where no one lives yet. In Antarctica, Greenwich Mean Time is generally used unless otherwise specified.

The Austrian philosopher Wittgenstein, reflecting on what time it might be in the sun, came to the conclusion that this question makes no sense. However, he is not as stupid as he might seem. A day on Mars (known as a "sol") lasts 24 hours and 40 minutes, which is already making life difficult for researchers operating Mars rovers from Earth, and will create difficulties for future colonists.

The online organization Lunarclock.org has developed what it calls Lunar Standard Time, a crazy system for future use by extraterrestrial life ("It's pretty clear that the Moon will be colonized sooner or later," the website explains). Franco would undoubtedly have approved of this, even if Wittgenstein would have rejected it.

In the section on the question what time is it in Antarctica asked by the author Lisa Sokolova the best answer is Antarctica is a place where everything looks the same. Everything seems the same, but not the time. On this continent, time zones intersect and overlap.
Most Antarctic stations are set to the time of the state to which the station belongs. Since stations are located chaotically, sometimes surprising paradoxes arise. It is enough to drive a couple of kilometers to the neighboring Antarctic station to get back a few hours. A map of "time zones" in Antarctica is attached. It's funny that the time at Scott (NZ) and Rothera (UK) stations differs by as much as fifteen hours. Although the stations are not located in different parts of the globe.
Time zones in Antarctica

At the North and South Poles, the meridians converge at one point, and therefore the concept of time zones, and at the same time local time, loses its meaning there. It is believed that time at the poles corresponds to universal time, but at the Amundsen-Scott station ( South Pole) New Zealand time is in effect, not world time.

Perhaps there is no place in the world more mysterious than Antarctica. Endless spaces frozen in ice, could tell us a lot about what the Earth was like millions of years ago. But nature is in no hurry to reveal its secrets, and people return here again and again, fighting the cold and blizzard.

Antarctica is frozen heart Antarctica: on an area of ​​13 million 661 thousand km 2 there are 30 million km 3 of ice! The geographical South Pole, the pole of cold (-89.2 °C - the most low temperature), pole of inaccessibility, conquered by a Soviet expedition in 1958, South Geomagnetic Pole.

The territory of the mainland does not belong to any country. In Antarctica, you cannot develop mineral resources or carry out production work - only scientific activity, therefore, in addition to seals and penguins, the mainland is inhabited by scientists from different countries. Only well-trained people, strong in spirit and body, live and work here. The reason for this is extreme conditions and harsh climate.

Features of the climate of Antarctica

The warmest time on the mainland occurs from November to February - this is spring and summer in Southern Hemisphere. On the coast, the air can warm up to 0°C, and near the cold pole the temperature rises to -30°C.

Summer in Antarctica is so sunny that you should never forget about sunglasses - you can seriously damage your eyesight. And you can’t do without lipstick either - without it, your lips instantly crack, and it’s impossible to eat or speak. Why then is it so cold, but the glaciers are not melting? Almost 90% of solar energy is reflected from ice and snow cover, and if you consider that solar heat The continent receives it mainly in the summer, so it turns out that during the year Antarctica loses more heat than it gains.

The lowest temperature is from March to October, autumn and winter in Antarctica, when the thermometer drops to -75°C. This is a period of severe storms, planes do not fly to the mainland, and polar explorers find themselves cut off from the rest of the world for 8 long months.

Polar day and polar night in the Southern Hemisphere

In the Foto Polar Lights near McMurdo station, July 15, 2012

In Antarctica, as well as in the Northern Hemisphere, there is a polar night and a polar day, which last around the clock. If we rely only on astronomical calculations, then December 22, on the day summer solstice In the Southern Hemisphere, the sun should only be halfway below the horizon at midnight and then rise again. And June 22, on the day winter solstice- only half appear on the horizon at noon, and then disappear. But there is astronomical refraction - optical phenomenon associated with the refraction of light rays. Thanks to refraction, we see luminaries before they appear above the horizon, and for some time after they set. Therefore, the usual change of day and night occurs only in spring and autumn. In winter there is polar night, and in summer there is polar day.

Nature of Antarctica

Peculiar business card Antarctica - penguin. Several species of these funny birds live here: on the continental coast - emperor, king, gentoo, and Adelie penguins. And on the Antarctic and subantarctic islands live the crested, arctic, and golden-haired penguins.

There are other birds: petrels (Antarctic, snowy, silver-gray), skuas,

Antarctica is the habitat of several species of seals: Weddell seal, Ross seal, crabeater seal, southern sea ​​Elephant, leopard seal, Kerguelen fur seal.

Whales live here: blue whale, flat-faced bottlenose whale, sperm whale, killer whales, sei whale, southern minke whale.

It's hard to imagine, but even here, on icy continent, there is vegetation. Lichens, cereals and clove herbs, whose height does not exceed 1 cm, and some types of moss, hide in the crevices of rocks.

Polar stations of Antarctica

The photograph shows a view of the Antarctic McMurdo Station, November 2011

Most stations are located in coastal zone continent, and only three of them are inland. These are the American Amundsen-Scott base, the French-Italian Concordia base and the Russian Vostok base.

Associated with the discovery of the “East” interesting story. When in the early 50s, at a meeting in Paris, questions about the development of Antarctica were decided, our delegation was given the task: to prove at all costs that Soviet Union there are enough resources to maintain the operation of the station at the very South Geographic Pole. But due to delays with passports and visas, our delegate was late for the start of the meeting, and this place had already been promised to the Americans. We got the South Geomagnetic Pole and the Pole of Inaccessibility. In 1957, the Vostok scientific station was founded at the South Geomagnetic Pole. And after 50 years, scientists managed to get a water sample underground lake, located, as it turned out, right under the station! Fifth in volume fresh water Hidden under ice at a depth of almost 4,000 m, Lake Vostok sheds light on the origins of the Earth and life on Earth. This is incredible luck!

The photo shows a spring sunset near the Palmer Arctic station, March 31, 2011

There are a total of 5 located in Antarctica Russian bases working all year round: “Bellingshausen”, “Mirny”, “Vostok”, “Progress”, “Novolazarevskaya”. Scientists study the atmosphere, weather, ice, and movement of the earth's crust. All bases have the most comfortable conditions: in addition to everything necessary for work, there are rest rooms, Gym, billiards, library. IP-telephony and Internet access have been established, channel 1 is broadcast.

The closest neighbors of the scientists from the Novolazarevskaya base are specialists from India. The name of their base - "Maitri" - means "friendship" and best describes the relationship between the polar explorers. By the way, a warm, friendly atmosphere has always been here. Even during Cold War scientists conducted joint research and used each other’s work.

A photograph of a satellite communications dish at Antarctic McMurdo Station

In addition to traditional holidays, the bases celebrate the beginning and end of each expedition. At the gala dinner, a symbolic handover of the key to the station takes place. Despite the speedy meeting with their relatives, scientists leaving the station involuntarily envy those who remain for the winter - Antarctica does not let go. Cold, blizzardy, but so beautiful.

Butterflies, of course, know nothing about snakes. But birds that hunt butterflies know about them. Birds that do not recognize snakes well are more likely to...