Originally posted by Mondogiwa
, Antarctica for a couple of reasons: First and obviously for the remoteness of it.
Actually , there are quite a number of Antarctic bases down there
For “ Google earthers “here is the placemark files it’s a bit large and includes ice info – but it give a good impression of how much activity is down there .
Second, the openness and UNavailability of anybody to see what is going on there.
The “ openness “ means that any one of the thousands of flights and expeditions working down there will be able to see what you are doing on the surface .
Third, It is a land base.....or is it?
Huh? What …. Make your mind up .
Fourth, It is an ocean base, or at least near ocean if the bases's location is near a coastal mass
So do you want “ remote “ or do you want to be on the coastal strip ? – most of the coast is bounded by large ice shelves which are unstable in the Antarctic summer – also glaciers abound – and they move not a good place for your secret base . one morning you will awake to find yourself on an iceberg
. Fifth, there would be the ability to go underground however far you wanted to go with no disruptions!
Not really – you cannot just drill / tunnel through the ice sheets – and then into rock “ just like that “ The ice sheets move , so within one year your ice-tunnel down to the bedrock will have moved out of alignment with your subterranean tunnel
Even once you are down to rock , where the hell are you going to go ? south Africa is over 2000 km away – with a very deep ocean , criss crossed by trenches , fault lines and other hazards .
New Zealand and Australia further still -
There are zones of exposed rock in Antarctica – but excluding hi mountain peaks and ridges [ which inhibit flying operations ] , they are rare , frequently occupied and
Still want to dig your way out ?
If there was, or is, a secret base.....this would be ideal for every area of study and covert operation.
Not really , The logistics of a “ secret Antarctic base “ would be horrendous
To maintain one man and one ton of supplies on the Antarctic ice you need several support staff – and tons more equipment .
Your “ secret Antarctic base “ is going to be so tiny – it is near worthless , Or spawn a “ logistics tail “ of nightmare proportions .
You cannot have it both ways .
If there is anything, I mean anything that somebody really wants to keep secret, they could do it in Antarctica and nobody would ever know or even probably want to go there to know the difference.
Most of that you desire to “ keep secret “ will require special environmental controls to be stored / operate in Antarctica . adding to complexity , cost and maintenance requirements
Just look at the real Antarctic bases , their science labs are tiny , and ship most of their data back to institutions in their home country .
Apologies for being a wet blanket , but Antarctica really is an inhospitable and unforgiving place . and incompatible with secret bases of any functionality .
There are thousands of anonymous faceless warehouses around the world , why not hide behind a grey facade and chainlink fence , amidst a business park ?
[edit on 20-11-2006 by ignorant_ape]
