Summit Murder Mystery Series

SAO PAULO, Brazil - A fire at Brazil's research station in Antarctica left two people missing and forced the evacuation by helicopter of 44 people at the base, the Brazilian Navy said.  The blaze broke out in the morning in the machine room that houses the energy generators of the Comandante Ferraz station, the navy said in an emailed statement. The website of the O Estado de S. Paulo newspaper said the two missing men died in the fire.  The navy's press office declined to comment. The statement said one man suffered non-life threatening injuries and that the 44 people at the station at the time of the fire were transferred to Chile's Eduardo Frei station. In a second statement, the navy said the efforts to extinguish the fire were suspended due to bad weather.  The firefighting crew was evacuated to the Chilean base and will return once the weather improves. Chile's Defense Minister Andres Allamand told reporters the fire had "completely destroyed...

In Antarctica home of the amazing Mt. Vinson Massif, an amazing discovery was made!  Water could hold living microbes!  Take a look below at this article from the Associated Press. Opening a scientific frontier miles under the Antarctic ice, Russian experts drilled down and finally reached the surface of a gigantic freshwater lake, an achievement the mission chief likened to placing a man on the moon. Lake Vostok could hold living organisms that have been locked in icy darkness for some 20 million years, as well as clues to the search for life elsewhere in the solar system. Touching the surface of the lake, the largest of nearly 400 sub glacial lakes in Antarctica, came after more than two decades of drilling and was a major achievement avidly anticipated by scientists around the world. "In the simplest sense, it can transform the way we think about life," NASA's chief scientist, Waleed Abdalati, told the Associated Press in an email Wednesday. The Russian team m...

The highest mountain in Antarctica, Vinson Massif, stands 16,050 feet above sea level. It lies in the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains. The massif extends between several glaciers, the most well known being the Hinkley Glacier to the east. Vinson Massif comprises both the high central Vinson Plateau and several side ridges. Vinson Massif was first seen in 1958 and first climbed in 1966. The current height, 16,050 feet, resulted from a GPS survey by the 2004 Omega Foundation team. The team was led by Australian Damien Gildea and comprised of two Chilean climbers, Rodrigo Fica and Camilo Rada. The climate on Vinson Massif is mostly controlled by the polar ice cap's high pressure system and creates reasonably stable conditions. As in all arctic climates, high winds and snowfall are still a possibility. Traditionally, the annual snowfall on Vinson Massif is low. The summer season of Vinson Massif is during the months of November through January and there are 24 hours ...

The Air Force Seven Summit Challenge is travelling to Antarctica's Vinson Massif. At the top of the 16,076 foot mountain, two airmen plan to do pushups to raise money for the children of Special Ops warriors. Rob Marshall and Graydon Muller will leave on November 24. Supporters have pledged monetary donations for each pushup performed and foot climbed by the two Hurlburt Field pilots. All of the funds go to the Special Operations Warrior Fund, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to the children of airmen who have been killed in battle or training accidents. The group of Air Force climbers has raised more than $40,000 from previous ascents. They hope to raise at least $10,000 on the Antarctica climb. Marshall, who is a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron, started the challenge to show the strength of the Air Force. Muller, a member of the 6th Special Operations Squadron, hopes the team will set a world record as the first military team to complete the S...