I-South Pole ingase ibe enye yezindawo ezikude kakhulu eMhlabeni, kodwa izibalo ezintsha zibonisa inani elikhulayo labavakashi elibheke lapho.
Abafike ekugcineni emhlabeni baphindeke kane besuka ku-40 ngesizini ka-2003-04 baya ku-164 ngonyaka odlule, kusho izibalo zesizinda sase-United States esigxotsheni.
"Bayeza futhi beza," omele i-US National Science Foundation uJerry Marty etshela i-Antarctic Sun.
Uthe i-US Antarctic Programme ibizama ukuthola indlela yokulawula ukuthutheleka kwabantu. “Ngezinye zezinto ebesingazilindele ebesingazilindele.”
Abantu bokuqala abafika eSouth Pole kwakunguRoald Amundsen neqembu lakhe, ngo-December 14, 1911.
Manje isiyikhaya lesizinda esikhulu saseMelika, esigcwele ososayensi abangama-250 nabasebenzi abasekelayo ehlobo. Inenkundla ye-basketball, indawo yokuzivocavoca kanye ne-hydroponic greenhouse yokutshala imifino, konke lokhu akuvunyelwe kubavakashi.
Abalingiswa beKiwi uKevin Biggar noJamie Fitzgerald bahambe cishe amakhilomitha angu-1200 beya eSouth Pole ngoJanuwari wonyaka odlule. Bahlala amahora angu-36, ngaphambi kokushiya uhambo lokubuya ngenxa yokulimala kukaMnu Fitzgerald. "Bekumangalisa ukuba sekupheleni komhlaba," kusho uMnu Fitzgerald.
Ososayensi baseMelika esigxotsheni babenomoya wokungenisa izihambi futhi bababonisa nxazonke. Kodwa wathi iSouth Pole ayiseyona indawo ehlanzekile: “Uma ngikhuluma iqiniso, isifana nechweba elikhulu. Kukhona imishini emikhulu ezungezile, zonke lezi zitsha kanye nomgwaqo omkhulu wendiza.”
Kuphinde kwaba nokugxuma kwezivakashi eziya e-Antarctica yonkana.
Ngaphezulu kuka-1992-93, izivakashi ezingama-6700 zavakashela lesi sifunda, eziningi zigibela imikhumbi yokuhamba ngezinyawo. Ngehlobo lika-2007-08, lokho kwase kuphindeke kane kwafinyelela ku-29,530, okwabangela izixwayiso zenhlekelele yemvelo neyomuntu uma umkhumbi omkhulu wabahambi ucwila.
