What about the Antarctic?

[Mohoender]

We have been speaking of Falkland and Greenland but what about the Antarctic?

What do you think all these teams will do while the world burst into flame?

Will they fight among themselves? Will governments spare time and equipment to bring them home? Will Argentina move to seize what it claims to be its own?...

[kato13]

Pretty much empty. Countries wont have the resources to support pure research and not much beyond that goes on there.

[Targan]

I think the Australian Antarctic Division and its New Zealand counterpart would probably evacuate Australia and New Zealand's Antarctic bases once the nukes started flying. They'd probably happily evacuate any allied nation's personnel as well as long as they didn't mind ending up in Australia or New Zealand.

[Rainbow Six]

I think any Antarctic outposts would be abandoned once they stopped getting resupply from the outside World. I was going to mention a possible evacuation of allied nations' settelements by the RAAF / RNZAF but Targan beat me to it.

I actually wouldn't be surprised if sucn an evacuation also agreed to take scientists from Soviet / Warsaw Pact nations...I think the ethos of the Antartctic explorers would be such that those from the allied nations would not wish to see their former colleagues abandoned even if their countries were now enemies. Alternatively, scientists from Pact nations might be evacuated to somewhere in South America?

Either way, I see the Antarctic abandoned by the end of 1997 at the latest.

[Mohoender]

I agree but teams are there permanently. I have the same idea than yours Kato and, as a result, they are on their own. However, that might evolved in an intersting situation. Here are some elements for France.

The region is led by a council of 7 members (appointed for 5 years) and led by a general commissioner to the army.

In Terre Adélie (Antarctic itself), there are 27 people all scientists and highly skilled technicians.

Crozet Islands: 35 people.

Kerguelen Islands: 80 people.

Amsterdam Island: 30 people.

No women are found among the permanent members and these figures double in the summer period (including women this time).

9 french fishing ships are authorized to opperate in the region: Kuerguelen-de-tremarec, Antarctic I, Austral, Albius, Croix-du-sud I, Ile Bourbon, Cap-Kersaint, Cap Horn I and Azmina.

3 Military ships are patrolling the area: Albatros, Floréal et Nivôse.

2 supply ships are opperating there: Marion-Dufresne II and Astrolabe.

1 research ship is also patrolling the area: La Curieuse.

I agree that they might be mostly on their own but I personnally met some of these personnel and I hardly imagine them leaving the area. In addition, there are some good reason to maintain them in place: supply post for shipping, large fishing reserve, algae production and a major sattelite communication center.

[Mohoender]

Erf, I was on the phone. Several post came up in the meantime. As a result, I'm not that convinced about a full evacuation. A partial one is more likely (IMO). If any other nation evacuate, I can imagine the french taking over the entire thing.

[headquarters]

If you had a vessel that could take you out of there when you decided ,why not wait it out ? Eat the reserves and hope that whenever you head back things will have died down ?

If you go back in the middle of a nuclear war you might be better of in a fully stocked permanent base in Antarctia.

But if it meant staying on indefinently - nuclear war might be better ?

[Cdnwolf]

Ummm one big problem... with all those nukes... one side effect will be the rupture of the ozone layer and the enlargement of the hole in it over the Antarctica meaning cancer rates soaring and any outdoor exposure is a no no.