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Imagine That: A One Day Trip to Antarctica

By: Daviye Seabolt

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Picture yourself in a jumbo jet as you pass over the South Magnetic Pole - the compass needle behaves erratically, no longer able to point to the north. If the passengers were able to see what was below them thousands of meters down, they would be in awe at the scalloped sea ice which has been carved into beautiful shapes by the icy winds and waves. Even from the airplane windows, the wind can be seen to whisk columns of snow across the glacier's frigid white waves.

When a team of explorers finally reached the South Magnetic Pole in 1909 for the first time, they had spent 134 days slogging through deadly ice-covered passages. They had to travel 2,030 kilometers. Today's flight reached the South Magnetic Pole a mere four hours after having left,. Passengers were treated to a several hour air tour over the planet's last frontier, Antarctica.

Compasses are affected by the lines of magnetic force that converge at this point in the Southern Hemisphere. This is what is known as the Magnetic South Pole. A gyroscope and satellite guidance system help the jet maintain its course. The magnetic South Pole, and the better-known geographic South Pole, are about 2,500 kilometers away from each other. Explorers got to the geographic pole in the early 1900's. There is a similarity between this jetliner's passengers, and the well known American aviator, who in the 1920s, bragged that he flew the inaugural flight over the North and South Poles, and he never even had to stand up to reach his objective.

On the outside of the jetliner, the Antarctic winds blow fiercely around the craft. Within the cabin itself, passengers are relaxed and warm. Some are only wearing t-shirts and shorts and sip on chardonnay. Since the first iceberg sightings, just three hours from, there has been a party-like atmosphere on the flight. Passengers move up and down the aisles looking at all of the different sights from various vantage points throughout the jet cabin in order to get a better view of the icebergs.

As they come closer they can see a jigsaw puzzle made up of jagged geometrical shaped icebergs as they near the coast of Antarctic, as if someone randomly dropped white mirror shards on to a blue-black background that is the sea. Seeing the glacier's meeting the sea is awe-inspiring to the passengers, who have been sharing windows so that everyone can get a good photo or video. They were then treated to the wonder of the Trans Antarctic Mountains, as well as the glaringly white ice caps that are streaked with blue.

A return to aero-tourism is marked by this flight. Two major airlines have offered such flights over Antarctica in the past. Not only can the passengers delight in the natural wonders of Antarctica like the mountains, glaciers, coast and icebergs, but they can also see man's influence. They fly over an abandoned French research facility. The continent is reclaiming it after it was severely damaged by a tidal wave. That base in particular is a close distance to the South Pole which was discovered by researchers.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

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