Abstract

Research on Antarctica has been continuing for over a century. While living in Antarctica remains difficult owing to the extreme conditions there, expeditions have progressed greatly in improving accommodations. Expeditioners are exposed to a harsh natural environment such as coldness, dryness, dramatic change in sunshine time, ultraviolet rays, and high altitude. They also live in an extreme condition: closed small groups, absolute isolation, limited equipment and supplies, and no evacuation. As such, expedition members are placed in an extreme physical and mental state. Antarctic doctors are responsible for protecting the health of members who are wintering-over. Statistical analysis of diseases showed that the most common cases were of injuries followed by internal medicine and dental problems. Some diseases were related to environmental factors. Medical operations such as medical screening expedition, remote medical care, and telehealth care contribute to the safety, and better health management systems are themselves subjects of research. Medical researches and operations are advancing and supporting one another. As a simulation of space, the Antarctic experience and the related breakthrough are utilised in space research. Outcomes of research on Antarctica contribute to the better understanding of human society as well.

Keywords: Medical research in Antarctica, Antarctic medicine, extreme medicine, remote medicine, telehealth, isolation

### 1. Introduction: departure for Antarctica

With a grand send off, the Japanese ice breaker Shirase leaves Tokyo's pier bound for Antarctica on a mid-November day. This fourth generation icebreaker is used by the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE), a national Antarctic program established 60 years ago.

The ship heads south through the Pacific Ocean, crossing the equator, calls at Fremantle in the southwest of Australia, and loads supplies and the rest of its crews by airlift. Finally, it is time to head to Antarctica (Figure 1).

The waves in the Indian Ocean are rough. The ship enters the windstorm zone, tilting 60° to the left and right, making it hard for the crew to hold. More and more expedition members find that they cannot leave their rooms because of seasickness. Severe seasickness is a particular problem because it can exhaust members before arriving at Antarctica, lessening their ability to cope with the challenges ahead. To address this issue, a seasickness survey was conducted on a ship during a Southern Ocean storm in 2012. In the group that did not experience seasickness, there was no excessive decline in exhaled CO2, which suggested that they were able to breathe slowly and deeply [1].

One month after leaving Japan, they arrive at Antarctica 15,000 km away from

Syowa Station, the Japanese Antarctic station, was built in 1956 on Ongul Island

region is the dramatic difference in night-time: there is both a polar night period (24 hour of darkness) and a white night period in which the sun shines all day. At Syowa Station, from November 20 to January 20, the sun does not set, and from the

The eastern part of Antarctica, where the station is situated, is known for its inaccessibility. Because Japan started to explore Antarctica later than other developed nations, it had no choice but to build its station on this isolated island

Each summer, the icebreaker carries not only a new wintering participant but also the fuel, food, and observation instruments needed for overwintering. When the short summer is over, the ship must leave the shores of Antarctica for Japan lest it be stranded in the ice, carrying with it the researchers and logistical staff whose

In winter, members of the station are truly isolated; the ship cannot keep pace with the thick ice mass. To complicate matters further, air routes are closed by stormy weather conditions and extreme darkness. This makes it impossible to deliver additional supplies or expedition members. Antarctica becomes almost lifeless and impenetrable. Even cold-resistant penguins and seals disappear from the landscape. The wintering-over team at the outpost must live in the narrow, enclosed

Station members endure harsh conditions caused by both nature and the confinement of their outpost; indeed, the conditions are similar to what might be

Three factors determine the number of wintering team members (Figure 4). One is the amount of goods that can be carried to the station, which has increased as the new generation of ship enters service. The immense thickness of winter ice makes it impossible for even a modern ship to reach the station. However,

Syowa Station. The station is located on Ongul Island, 4 km off the Antarctic continent. There are no nearby

bases, and when a ship departs for Japan, the station is completely isolated for 1 year.

) 4 km off the main landmass. One of the key features of the polar

home. This is not the end of a long journey rather the beginning of a year of

2. Antarctic station: entrance to the unknown world

surprising mysteries.

Human Beings in Antarctica

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.81974

, E 39°350

end of May to July 10, the sun never rises.

annual mission has come to an end.

space without means of escape for a long year.

experienced on a Mars station in the future.

(S 69°00

(Figure 3).

Figure 3.

105

Figure 1. Icebreaker Shirase en route to its destination though the sea ice. (Copy right NIPR).

The first role of doctors going to Antarctica is to provide practical medical care. However, as this seasickness issue shows, the medical data also highlight the unique influence of the special environment of the Antarctic on the minds and bodies of human beings. The effects of Antarctica on human residing there will be illustrated in this chapter.

After clearing the storm area, the Shirase's crew discovers a calm sea dotted with huge icebergs and covered with ice and snow. The ship makes its way to its destination, slowed by the need to make hundreds of back-and-forth manoeuvres to cut through the thick ice (Figure 2). Temperatures here are much lower than those in late autumn in Japan. Nights gradually become shorter, indicating that summer is starting in Antarctica. During the "white night", when the sun does not set, the crew gathers on the bow deck to see with their own eyes the immensity of the polar continent.

#### Figure 2.

Syowa Station and Dome Fuji Base. The Japan Antarctic Expedition team built Syowa Station (S 69°00<sup>0</sup> , E 39°35<sup>0</sup> ) in 1956 and has continuously conducted wintering activities ever since. In 1995, Dome Fuji Base (S 77°19<sup>0</sup> , E 39°42<sup>0</sup> ), altitude of 3810 m) was built inland about 1000 km away from Syowa Station.

One month after leaving Japan, they arrive at Antarctica 15,000 km away from home. This is not the end of a long journey rather the beginning of a year of surprising mysteries.
