DEBRIS.COMgood for a laugh, or possibly an aneurysm

If you’ve ever been to Four Corners or the Continental Divide, you won’t be surprised to learn that the South Pole bears a monument and a sign. But you might be surprised to learn that a new monument is installed every January, because the pole moves about 33 feet per year.

More specifically, the pole doesn’t move, but the sheet of ice that covers it does. The true Pole is on the ground, under 2 km of ice that’s slowly migrating north. (Of course it’s migrating north — this is the South Pole!)

There’s a permanent marker at the “ceremonial” South Pole. It’s called “permanent” because it doesn’t move — or, rather, in spite of the fact that it’s moving about 1 inch/day.

Then there’s the temporary marker, reset every January 1, which is not called “permanent” because it moves every year — or, rather, in spite of the fact that (at least once per year) it accurately indicates the actual static position of the pole underneath.

Here is a picture of the 2004 South Pole Marker. Here are pictures of the 1998 South Pole Marker.

Previous markers are collected and displayed, except for the ones that get stolen.