Development of a Remote Station Architecture
McMurdo Station,
Antarctica
3. LOCATION
McMurdo Station is located on Ross Island, the most historic site of exploration on the continent of Antarctica. At 78° south latitude, 2200 nautical miles south of New Zealand, it is the closest landing point by ship to the geographic South Pole (fig.1). Mount Erebus, an active volcano, towering 12,450 feet above the island, produces plumes of white smoke mistakable for blowing snow or wisps of clouds in the clear blue sky. The Ross Ice Shelf, two miles east of the station, permanently ties the island to the frozen continent 45 miles across McMurdo Sound. The pack ice in the sound and Winter Harbors Bay clears each year from January to March in the austral summer to allow ship access to the station. Mean summer temperatures at the station are a relatively mild 27° F under 24 hour daylight, with the sun rotating on the Antarctic horizon at 33° altitude. Winter darkness lasts from mid May to late July with temperatures dropping to a mean of -18 degrees F. Recorded lows and highs, however, are -60° F and 42° F. Winds average 10 mph from the east; however, recorded gusts have peaked at 116 mph. Precipitation is limited to snow with an average yearly accumulation considered light. Drifting of existing snow is considered significant, averaging 5 feet during each winter. Relative humidity is about 4% to 8% year round.
This is a very remote and beautiful place that can be as hostile an environment as any on the planet. The need for a built environment there is very real, as the provision of a proper protective shelter can mean the difference between life and certain death for those who choose to work there.
Proceed to next section: 4. Historic Background
Table of Contents
1. Abstract
2.
Preface
3. Location
4. Historic Background
5. The International Geophysical Year
6. The United States Antarctic Research Program
7. The Engineering Manual for McMurdo Station
8. The Holmes & Narver Ten Year Master Plan
9. The Replacement Science Facility
10. Final Design of the Replacement Science Facility
11. Bibliography
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