Comparison of Delivery Scenarios for a Long Antarctic Traverse

摘要

A recently completed interdisciplinary study assessed the feasibility of a 1600 km oversnow trail connecting McMurdo Station, Antarctica, to Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Aircraft (specialized ski-wheel Hercules or airdrop) are currently the only means of delivering large volumes of materials to the South Pole. In addition to personnel and their needs (food, scientific equipment, etc.), more than 1.1M liters of fuel are needed annually and 1.1M kg of construction supplies for station modernization are required annally for the next eight years. This airlift seriously taxes the current US Antarctic Program's air resources during the 100-day South. Pole flight season and constitutes a significant expense. Preliminary calculations suggested that an oversnow transportation system could provide considerable life-cycle cost savings.