"Where Else Does the U.S. Have an Infrastructure Problem? Antarctica"

"McMURDO STATION, Antarctica — The American research station on the edge of this frozen continent may look like a mining camp in the wilderness, but it is actually one of the glories of American science.

At McMurdo Station, black volcanic dust boils off unpaved roads, sticking to trucks and buildings. People eat canned vegetables, sleep in windowless rooms and routinely wear 20 pounds of clothes to survive temperatures far below freezing.

From its origin as a collection of Navy huts six decades ago, the station here has grown into a small town with more than a thousand residents during peak months."

Justin Gillis and Jonathan Corum report for the New York Times July 17, 2017.