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Social dynamics in an isolated, confined, and extreme workplace

  • Special Issue: Indoor Biometeorology
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Abstract

There can be few indoor workplaces that are more subject to the meteorological and atmospheric conditions of their locations than permanent stations on the high, inland polar plateau of Antarctica. The US Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station is such a workplace, totally isolated during the 8–9 months of the austral winter, more than 800 miles (1287 km) from the nearest other human habitation. The wintering party at the South Pole must deal with all the demands and stressors of an isolated, confined, and extreme environment without the prospect of relief from the outside world. In 1975, the seventeen men chosen to winter at the South Pole had an additional challenge. In February, as the austral winter was about to begin, a new geodesic-domed research station had just been completed. The station was the first of its kind, and the vagaries of its design and construction would be significant factors in the health and well-being of station residents as winter progressed. Potential physical and psychological problems from isolation literature are commented upon, and some significant events from this noteworthy winter are described. In addition, supporting quantitative data from current research at South Pole are used to better understand these events.

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Funding

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation grants BNS-9011351 and OPP-9610231. In addition, a portion of this work was sponsored by grants from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration grant NAG-5-4571 and grant NNX15AM26G.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. First Year Programs & Learning Communities, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA

    Richard J. Wolak

  2. Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Jeffrey C. Johnson

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  1. Richard J. Wolak
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  2. Jeffrey C. Johnson
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Wolak, R.J., Johnson, J.C. Social dynamics in an isolated, confined, and extreme workplace. Int J Biometeorol 65, 437–451 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-020-02043-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-020-02043-3

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