29 MAY, 2023
Shaurya Thapa
Video: @tomaszkurczaba on Instagram
A video posted by Tomasz Kurczaba, head of the 47th Polish Antarctic Expedition, has gone viral. The video shows the stormy conditions of the icy continent.
Photo: Unsplash
Many netizens thought that the video of the windy background captured a moving train. But it was just how the situation outside Kurczaba's camp is these days.
Photo: UNSPLASH
If he let go of the door, he wouldn't have been okay as next to the door lay the Southern Ocean, the expeditioner explained in the Instagram comments.
The strong winds of Antarctica that we see in the video are called katabatics. These are formed by cold, dense air flowing out from the polar plateau of the interior areas.
Photo: UNSPLASH
Photo- UNSPLASH
With wind speeds on the continent often exceeding 100 mph each winter, Antarctica is the windiest place on the planet.
Photo- UNSPLASH
Apart from the wind conditions, remote locations are a problem for working in Antarctica with a lot of equipment being sent down only by boat or plane.
Photo- UNSPLASH
Needless to say, Antarctica has some severely challenging weather that can change from relatively gentle to blizzard or white-out conditions in minutes.
Photo: UNSPLASH/STÉPHAN VALENTIN
When Antarctica is bright, it can be REALLY BRIGHT. Heavy filtering sunglasses (glacier goggles) are just as essential on the ice as cold-weather gear.
Photo: UNSPLASH/ILNUR KALIMULLIN
Despite the extreme winds of Antarctica, some people on Instagram are still not able to digest the viral video, even calling it fake!