Transport around Antarctica
In this chapter:
- Early explorers travelled on skis, snowshoes, and sleds pulled by dogs
- Most modern transport is on motorised vehicles
- Aeroplanes and helicopters are sometimes used to transport goods and people between stations
Introduction
Like everything else in Antarctica, transport is made difficult by the extreme weather conditions. People in Antarctica travel by land, air and sea and use adapted traditional vehicles like trucks and cars. There are runways and roads in Antarctica, but they are often difficult to see because they are covered in ice and snow.
The early explorers, such as Scott and Shackleton, used skis, snowshoes and dogs to travel across the continent. These days, skis and snowshoes are only used for short journeys or for fun. Dogs are no longer allowed in Antarctica, so if explorers want to use sleds, they have to use a motorised vehicle or pull their own, which is called man-hauling. See image 1
Modern-day transport
These days, the most common way for people to travel around Antarctica is by motor vehicle. Motor vehicles used in Antarctica are specially built to grip the ice and travel through snow. Ordinary cars would fall through the soft snow and skid on the slippery ice in Antarctica. The vehicles that are used in Antarctica have special tyres which grip easily and are big enough to spread the weight of the vehicle over a large area.
When large tyres are not able to grip the ice, chains are used to provide stronger traction. Some larger vehicles use tracks instead of wheels. Tracks are used on snowcats and snowmobiles, spreading the weight of heavy vehicles over a wide area, so that they are less likely to sink.
A snowcat is larger than a snowmobile and can be used to move people and equipment between bases in Antarctica. The delta is another large vehicle that is used for transporting equipment. It has large tyres instead of tracks.
All vehicles need special fuel and anti-freeze and must carry emergency rations, equipment, a first-aid kit, and a radio.
Some types of vehicles used in Antarctica
Quad - is a lightweight four-wheel drive motorbike, fitted with high-flotation tyres. It can carry one person at a time, with small amounts of cargo. Quads can also tow small sleds. They are used around stations and for short field expeditions.
Hagglund - is a heavy vehicle that drives on four rubber tracks. Up to four passengers sit in a front cab and up to two tonnes of equipment can be carried in a rear cab. These vehicles are extremely durable and can travel on thick sea ice or soft snow. Hagglunds can only be driven by people who have been specially trained to operate them.
Nodwell - is the largest rubber-tracked vehicle that is used around the Antarctic bases. It can transport up to six people and carry up to four tonnes of cargo. It can also tow up to a further three tonnes. The Nodwell is only used on certain scientific expeditions. See image 2
Skidoo - is a small snowmobile that has rubber tracks and skis. A person can ride the skidoo alone or use it to pull a sled. The driver of the skidoo must be careful to avoid travelling over rocks, which can cause major damage to the skidoo. See image 3
Tractor - can be used to pull mobile stations for scientists or explorers going on long expeditions.
Air transport
Aeroplanes and helicopters are the two forms of air transport used in Antarctica. Planes are used to take people from ships to research stations and between stations that have runways. There are 18 unpaved runways in Antarctica and some of these are made of compacted snow. In winter, the sea ice is a solid runway. The sea ice and snow runways can be quite soft, so planes are often fitted with skis for landing.
Helicopters are useful for transporting people and supplies around Antarctica but can only be used during periods of good weather, otherwise flying is too risky. See image 4
See animation
