Scott Base is a New Zealand year-round Antarctic research station located in the very south of Hat Point Peninsula on Ross Island , in the immediate vicinity of Erebus Volcano , on Ross territory . The station is located 2 km from the American McMurdo station ( USA ) and 1353 km from the South Pole . The station is managed by the New Zealand Antarctic Institute . The station got its name in honor of perpetuating the memory of Robert Scott , a British explorer and traveler who made two expeditions to Antarctica.
| Antarctic Station | |
| Scott base | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Status | acting |
| A country |  New Zealand |
| Established | 1957 |
| Population | 15-85 |
| Weather site height | 10 |
| Coordinates | |
Content
- 1 History
- 2 Current status
- 3 Climate
- 4 notes
- 5 Literature
- 6 References
History
The decision to build its own Antarctic station to support the international trans-Antarctic expedition within the framework of the scientific programs of the International Geophysical Year was made by the Government of New Zealand in 1956 . The construction of the station began in January 1957 and on January 20 of the same year the station officially opened. At the time of creation, the station was a complex of six buildings connected by covered walkways. Since 1962, the station was transferred to year-round operation. In 1976 - 1977, a major reconstruction was carried out at the station and some of the original buildings were replaced with new ones. In 2005, the largest building of 1800 m² in size was erected at the station.
Current status
At present, the station is capable of receiving up to 15 people year-round, and in the summer, providing accommodation for up to 85 people. The maximum number of people at the station in January 1999 was 112, and the minimum during the winter of 2000 was 9. During its existence, about 10,000 people visited the station.
The station is equipped for meteorological , geophysical , glaciological , oceanological and biological observations and research. The base is also actively used as an international route center for the study of adjacent territories.
The station is equipped with a runway, a permanent road connects it with the American McMurdo station.
In 2010, a wind farm with a capacity of about 1 MW was built [1] .
Climate
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | average year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperature ( ° C ) | −1.2 | −7.9 | −15.8 | −18.6 | −20.0 | −20.1 | −22.3 | −23.0 | −22.0 | −16.0 | −7.3 | −1.5 | −14.6 |
| Average temperature (° C) | −4.5 | −11.4 | −20.5 | −24.0 | −25.6 | −26.0 | −28.3 | −29.7 | −28.1 | −21.3 | −11.4 | −4.8 | −19.6 |
| Minimum Temperature (° C) | −7.9 | −15.1 | −25.1 | −29.4 | −31.1 | −31.9 | −34.4 | −36.4 | −34.2 | −26.7 | −15.5 | −8.2 | −24.7 |
| Humidity (%) | 76.0 | 71.1 | 69.0 | 68.8 | 69.8 | 69.3 | 67.3 | 64.6 | 66.7 | 66.2 | 69.4 | 74.3 | 69.5 |
| Source: National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research | |||||||||||||
Notes
- ↑ The largest wind farm in the Antarctic Was opened . // membrana.ru. Date of treatment February 27, 2012. Archived June 7, 2012.
Literature
- Balham, RW Scott Base, McMurdo Sound. - Trans-Antarctic Expedition Committee, 1965. - ISBN 9B0007JF7FM.
- Hatherton, T. New Zealand IGY Antarctic expeditions, Scott Base and Hallett Station. - New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, 1961. - ISBN B0007JFRNE.
Links
- Wikimedia Commons has Scott Base media files
- Scott station webcam
- Information dedicated to the 50th anniversary of Scott Station