Osterholt Station

Osterholt Station is a jointly-operated Arctic research station administrated by Gladomyr, Ordrey, Ecoralia, Velorenkya, Onaway, Koranel, and Riyata. The station is located at the North Pole of Vanatas and is the most remote permanently inhabited human settlement in the world. Located on the Aandland Plateu, the station sits at an altitude of 2,191 meters (7,188 feet) above sea level atop one of Arctica's many featureless ice sheets. It is operated by the International Arctic Office of Polar Programs (IAOPA) and is further administered by the International Committee of Science (ICS) based in Dincuff, Gladomyr. It is named in honor of Myr Marius Osterholt, who sacrificed his life for another crew member during the Myrish North Pole expedition in the early 1900s. Although located within Myrish sovereign territory, the grounds on which the station lies is declared international land by law.

The Osterholt Station has been built since its foundation incrementally, beginning initially with an isothermal glass dome, under which several small facilities lie. The dome, as it was dubbed, worked flawlessly in the summer months, however snow would quickly be blown over the dome, effectively burying it for 6 months until summer crews were able to clear the snow. This would usually take several weeks. While a good temporary base of operations, the upheaval of snow impeded on the base's ability to conduct scientific studies efficiently within the slim summer timeframe. Construction of the Van Reimerink (VR) building, the present day main facility of the station, began construction in 1988 and was completed in its original state in 1989. The original VR building included only the basics needed to withstand the harsh conditions, including one wing of dormitories, a luncheonette, science laboratory, and several other miscellaneous office or recreational spaces. More additions have been added cumulatively since, finally being completed in its contemporary state in 2010. The station has been continuously occupied since it was built.

The station is one of the few human settlements which experiences a 6-month day and night cycle, seeing permanent darkness during the summer months and permanent sunlight during winter with approximately 2-day equinoxes in which there is perpetual twilight. These are in observational terms called one extremely long "day" and one equally long "night". During the six-month "day", the angle of elevation of the Sun above the horizon varies incrementally. The Sun reaches a rising position throughout the March equinox, and then it is apparent highest at the June solstice and setting on September equinox.

During the six-month polar night, air temperatures can drop below −73 °C (−99 °F) and blizzards are more frequent. Between these storms, and regardless of the weather for wavelengths unaffected by drifting snow, the roughly 5+3⁄4 months of ample darkness and dry atmosphere make the station an excellent site for astronomical observations.

The number of scientific researchers and members of the support staff housed at the Osterholt Station has always varied seasonally, with a peak population of around 200 in the summer operational season from March to October. In recent years the winter-time population has been around 35 to 40 people. Though administered by only 7 nations, the station has been manned by personnel from many World Forum member states and every continent on the globe. The station has been said to represent the common goal of humans from many political, cultural, and economical backgrounds to work together as one.

Dome (1961-2004)
The dome was a large isothermic glass dome which was the original primary facility of the Osterholt Station. It was the very first shelter which provided stable human inhabitation at the North Pole. The pre-built dome had its parts airdropped from above to field crews who then constructed the dome in two days. Further supply missions supplied the base with materials to construct dormitories and a science lab. Ice tunnels were also built underneath the dome and vehicles were parked in a "garage" below it as well.

During the period in which the dome served as the main station, many changes to ICS operations took place. From the 1990s on, astrophysical research conducted at the North Pole took advantage of its favorable atmospheric conditions and began to produce important scientific results. Such experiments include the Hoggorm, Hauk, and NAMIK telescopes, as well as the 10 m (390 in) North Pole Telescope. The NAMIK telescope has since been decommissioned and its mount used for current telescopes. The SPIEL experiment makes use of the two-mile (3 km)-thick ice sheet to detect neutrinos which have passed through the planet. An observatory building, the Marcus K. Kleven Observatory (MKKO), was dedicated in 1995. The importance of these projects changed the priorities in station operation, increasing the status of scientific cargo and personnel.

During the winter of 1988 a loud crack was heard in the dome. Upon investigation it was discovered that the foundation base ring beams were broken due to being overstressed.

The dome was dismantled in late 2004. It was crated and given to the IAOPA, its center oculus now suspended in a display at the Arctic Exploration Museum in Ordrey

Van Reimerink building (1989-present)
Named in honor of Ecoralian Huus Van Reimerink, the Ecoralian designer of the facility, the Van Reimerink building began construction in 1988 finished in 1989. This new station was originally just one wing, however several more have been added on since.