Palmer Station, Antarctica

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Palmer Station, on Anvers Island, is Antarctica's only US station north of
the Antarctic Circle. Initial construction of the station finished in 1968.

The station is named for Nathaniel B. Palmer, usually recognized as the
first American to see Antarctica. The maximum population that Palmer Station
can accommodate is 46 people. The normal austral summer contingent varies
but is generally around 40 people. Palmer is staffed year-round, however,
and the population drops to between 15 and 20 people for the winter
maintenance after the conclusion of the summer research season. There are
science labs located in the Bio-Lab building, as well as a pier and a
helicopter pad.

The facility is the second Palmer Station; "Old Palmer" was about a mile to
the northwest adjacent to the site of the British Antarctic Survey "Base N",
built in the mid fifties. The site is on what is now known as Amsler Island.
Old Palmer was built about 1965, and served as a base for those building
new" Palmer, which opened in 1968. Old Palmer was designated as an emergency
refuge for the new station in case of disaster, though this perceived need
disappeared over time. It was dismantled and removed from the Antarctic as
part of the National Science Foundation's environmental cleanup efforts in
the early 1990s.

Most of the station's personnel are seasonal employees of the US Antarctic
Program's main support contractor, Raytheon Polar Services. The summer
support staff is usually 23 people. Previous main support contractors were
Holmes and Narver of Orange CA, ITT Antarctic Services of Paramus NJ, and
Antarctic Support Associates of Englewood CO. Over time many support staff
have worked for two or more of these firms.

Science

The majority of the science research conducted at Palmer Station centers
around marine biology. The station also houses year-round monitoring
equipment for global seismic, atmospheric and UV monitoring networks. Palmer
also hosts a radio receiver that studies lightning over the Western
Hemisphere.

Palmer Station is located near penguin colonies: Adélie, Gentoo and
Chin-strap penguins are in abundance during summers, but small numbers can
be found in the area at all times of the year.

The area is also home to several types of seals: Fur seals, Elephant seals,
Crabeater seals and Leopard seals. The area is often visited by Minke, Orca
and Humpback whales.

Other research is conducted from the R/V Laurence M. Gould. Science cruises
cover physical oceanography, marine geology and marine biology. The ship
also carries field parties to sites around the Antarctic Peninsula to study
glaciology, geology and paleontology.

Station Supply and transport

Airport type glacial landing area
Owner National Science Foundation
Operator National Science Foundation
Serves Palmer Station
Location South Pole, Antarctica

Runways
Direction 01/19
Length 2500 ft / 762 m
Surface Ice, landing for ski equipped aircraft only

Palmer Station is re-supplied by the Research Vessel R/V Laurence M. Gould,
a ship with an ice-strengthened hull that makes routine science research
cruises around the Peninsula. The R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer, the USAP's other
research vessel, has also made port calls to Palmer Station. Hero Inlet,
where the pier is located, is too shallow for the Palmer to dock at the
station, though. Both ships are staffed and leased to the USAP by
Edison-Chouest Offshore.

Hero inlet is named for the R/V Hero, a 125 foot wood trawler type vessel
built to conduct research and supply Palmer Station from ports in Argentina
and Chile. The "Hero" was owned by the National Science Foundation and built
in 1968 by the Harvey Gamage shipyard in Maine. Palmer Station is located on
Gamage Point, named for the shipbuilder.

After years of service the "Hero" was retired in 1984 and replaced by the
R/V Polar Duke, a larger and more modern ice strengthened vessel under
charter from Rieber Shipping, based in Bergen Norway. The "Duke" was
replaced by the R/V Laurence M. Gould in 1997.

Additionally, throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the United States Coast Guard
icebreakers USCGC Polar Star and USCGC Polar Sea alternated assisting in
Palmer Station resupply and retrograde.

There is no routine air access to Palmer. Over the years small ski equipped
aircraft have occasionally landed on the glacier to the east of the station.

USAP participants travel onboard the R/V Laurence M. Gould from Punta Arenas
Chile. The course follows the Straits of Magellan to the east, then south
along the coast of Argentina, past Cape Horn, then directly south across the
Drake Passage and on to Anvers Island. The entire journey usually takes 4
days, however sea ice and storms can slow the journey down.

On film

The 1981 Japanese film Fukkatsu no hi (Virus) centers around Palmer Station as the gathering place for humanity's last survivors of a deadly virus. The film stars George Kennedy as Admiral Conway, the station's commanding officer and features Glenn Ford as the President of the United States. Much of the footage for the film was shot in the vicinity of Palmer Station, though none was actually filmed at the station.