Palmer Station, located on Anvers Island about 700 miles south of Chile, is one of three American research bases in Antarctica. Palmer has the distinction of being the only station north of the Antarctic Circle and the smallest U.S. outpost.
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First occupied in 1967, Palmer has a maximum capacity of 44 people. By comparison, McMurdo base, the largest research center in Antarctica, can hold more than 1,000 people.
So what is it like to live and work in one of the coldest, driest, windiest (and arguably loneliest) places on Earth?
A maintenance worker at Palmer station recently answered questions about the job on Reddit's "Ask Me Anything." The user provided a picture for verification.
We paired the responses (only edited for clarity) with some incredible photos of the research base to give you the full experience of being there.
The team can only get to Palmer by ship because there is no room for an airstrip. It's a five-day trip from Chile.
"Palmer Station is so small that there's no room for an airstrip or anything, so we get here via ship. We fly down to the southern tip of South America, and then board an icebreaker for a week-long trip across the Drake Passage and eventually arriving on station. The ship usually sails once a month and is also our resupply vessel, bringing in supplies and such."
Source: Reddit
For that reason, It would be difficult to get out of Palmer if there were an emergency.
"Our only link to the world is the ship, and it takes five days to get here from Chile (and then five more to get back). Even if the ship is on station, when you ask to leave, they're not going to alter their schedule and disrupt potentially millions of dollars worth of scientific work just because someone's family is sick.
Now, if there's a medical emergency, they will do everything they can to get the person out ASAP, but if the ship isn't in the area, it might take a few days for it to even get to station, before it can start the transport back to Chile."
Source: Reddit
Depending on level and skill, people can make anywhere from $350 (i.e dishwashers or janitor) to $1,500 (i.e lineman and pipewelders) a week.
"Pay varies wildly based on the position, and there is an uplift based upon how many years you've been in Antarctica (starting with 16% for your first year, going to 24% for five or more). Also, the contract just changed companies this year, any most of my info is scuttlebutt from talking with other people, so these numbers might be WILDLY off-base.
The lowest-level jobs, the dishwashers and general assistants and janitors get around $350-$400/week, while the slightly-skilled positions such as 'Carpenter's Assistant' get around $500. PC techs can make between $700-$900/week depending on experience, and I hear rumors the very highly skilled trades like Pipewelders and Lineman make way more than that, in the $1500/week+ range."
Source: Reddit
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