'''Transport in Antarctica''' has transformed from heroic explorers crossing the isolated remote area of [[Antarctica]] [[walking|by foot]] to a more open area due to human technologies enabling more convenient and faster transport by land and predominantly air and water.
Transportation technologies on a remote area like Antarctica need to be able to deal with extremely low [[temperature]]s and continuous [[wind]]s to ensure the travelers' safety. Due to the fragility of the Antarctic environment, only a limited amount of transport movements can take place and sustainable transportation technologies have to be used to reduce the [[ecological footprint]].
The [[infrastructure]] of land, water and air transport needs to be safe and sustainable.
Currently thousands of tourists and hundreds of scientists a year rely on the Antarctic transportation system.

==Land transport==
[[Image:Antarctica Route 1.jpg|thumb|right|Antarctica Route 1]]
Land transport in Antarctica is usually by foot ([[ski]]s, [[snowshoe]]s) or [[vehicle]]s ([[tracked vehicle]]s like [[snow mobile]]s and [[bulldozer]]s and in the past [[dog sled]]s).

In 1964 the Australian Mawson station started using a series of Volkswagen Beetles, the first production car to be used in Antarctica. The first of these was named 'Antarctica 1'. However, the scarcity and poor quality of [[road]] infrastructure limits land transportation by conventional vehicles. Winds continuously blow snow on the roads. The [[McMurdo-South Pole highway]] is a contested 900-mile (1450 km) road in Antarctica linking the United States [[McMurdo Station]] on the coast to the [[Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station]].
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==Water transport==
Antarctica's only harbour is at [[McMurdo Station]]. Most coastal stations have offshore anchorages, and supplies are transferred from ship to shore by small boats, barges, and helicopters. A few stations have a basic wharf facility. All ships at port are subject to inspection in accordance with Article 7, [[Antarctic Treaty]]. Offshore anchorage is sparse and intermittent, but poses no problem to sailboats designed for the ice, typically with lifting keels and long shorelines.
[[McMurdo Station]] ({{coor dm|77|51|S|166|40|E|}}), [[Palmer Station]] ({{coor dm|64|43|S|64|03|W|}}); government use only except by permit (see Permit Office under "Legal System"). A number of tour boats, ranging from large motorized vessels to small sailing yachts, visit the Antarctic Peninsula during the summer months (January-March). Most are based in [[Ushuaia]], Argentina.

==Air transport==
Transport in Antarctica takes place by air, using [[airplane]]s and [[helicopter]]s.
Airplane runways and helicopter pads have to be kept snow free to ensure safe take off and landing conditions.

Antarctica has 20 airports, but there are no developed public-access airports or landing facilities. Thirty stations, operated by 16 national governments party to the [[Antarctic Treaty]], have landing facilities for either [[helicopter]]s and/or fixed-wing [[aircraft]]; commercial enterprises operate two additional air facilities.

Helicopter pads are available at 27 stations; runways at 15 locations are gravel, sea-ice, blue-ice, or compacted snow suitable for landing wheeled, fixed-wing aircraft; of these, 1 is greater than 3 km in length, 6 are between 2 km and 3 km in length, 3 are between 1 km and 2 km in length, 3 are less than 1 km in length, and 2 are of unknown length; snow surface skiways, limited to use by [[ski]]-equipped, fixed-wing aircraft, are available at another 15 locations; of these, 4 are greater than 3 km in length, 3 are between 2 km and 3 km in length, 2 are between 1 km and 2 km in length, 2 are less than 1 km in length, and data is unavailable for the remaining 4.

Antarctic airports are subject to severe restrictions and limitations resulting from extreme seasonal and geographic conditions; they do not meet [[ICAO]] standards, and advance approval from the respective governmental or nongovernmental operating organization is required for landing (1999 est.)

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*''2,438 to 3,047 m:'' 3
*''1,524 to 2,437 m:'' 1
*''914 to 1,523 m:'' 4
*''under 914 m:'' 6 (2003 est.)

'''Heliports:''' 27 stations have restricted helicopter landing facilities (helipads) (2003 est.)

==External links==
*[http://www.hu.mtu.edu/~mmcooper/old%20homepage/classes/transport.html Transportation in Antarctica by Matt Hanks]
*[http://www.polar.se/english/logistics/transportation.html Webpage of the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat on transportation]

[[Category:Transport in Antarctica| ]]
[[fr:Transport en Antarctique]]